Once the train has derailed and the bodies begin to pile up, one of the passengers takes charge. Roz was, until recently, a high-ranking police officer with the Met so she decides to take control of the situation whilst waiting for the local police and fire and rescue services to arrive through the dense snow. Unfortunately, the problem with Roz, as the Poirot figure, is that she is so tightly sandwiched between concern for her daughter and memories of her own estranged mother, to the extent that she is unable to concentrate on the job in hand. Saying all that it is a well written,more than pacy Whodunit,set on a sleeper train and as the mystery deepens so the secrets of the passengers come to light,all helped by Detective Roz Parker,who I did like and enjoyed her character The cast includes Dame Eileen Atkins as Princess Dragomiroff, Hugh Bonneville as Masterman, Jessica Chastain as Mary Debenham, Barbara Hershey as Mrs Hubbard, Toby Jones as Ratchett, and David Morrissey as Colonel Arbuthnot. I am still giving the book 3 stars for the good parts - a clever mystery, intriguing setting, lots of action and a surprise at the end. I liked Roz and enjoyed the role she played in solving the crime as well as preventing total anarchy on board the train!

Every murder mystery needs its great characters to keep you guessing and Alexandra Benedict has written in some, well lets just say interesting characters that will keep you guessing. It is Christmas and everyone is trying to be somewhere but the weather is setting in and there is travel chaos. As the title suggests the main scene is aboard the sleeper and it is heading north to the Highlands but the snow is getting worse and so the train is not going to be stopping at all the stops. On board the train is the former Met detective Roz Parker, but one by one you get to meet the leading characters and what a real mix they are. There is a social media celebrity who is constantly engaging with her followers, then we have a quiz team, there is even a stowaway on board the train, there is a TV star and many others. In the small hours of Christmas eve, miles from anywhere the train is derailed and passengers are tossed around or jolted from their sleep. And a killer strikes. Now they are all alone and who is going to be next. It is down to our heroine Roz to take control and find the killer before there are more bodies to be found. The reviewer in The Guardian of 12 January 1934 noted that the murder would have been "perfect" (i.e. a perfect crime) had Poirot not been on the train and also overheard a conversation between Miss Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot before he boarded; however, Poirot's "'little grey cells' worked admirably, and the solution surprised their owner as much as it may well surprise the reader, for the secret is well kept and the manner of the telling is in Mrs Christie's usual admirable manner." [9]Fleming, Mike Jr. (29 September 2016). "Johnny Depp To Star in 'Murder On The Orient Express' At Fox' ". Deadline Hollywood. Los Angeles, California: Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved 29 September 2016.

This is the perfect Christmas book. Get it for yourself to read when the nights are cold and dark and give it as a present. To everyone!’ MARTYN WAITES Whatever you unwrap for Christmas, you had better hope it's this book. This is 21st-century cosy Christmas crime that doesn't shy away from the darkness. Eighteen passengers, seven stops, one killer Christmas read' JANICE HALLETTa b Sanders, Dennis; Lovallo, Len (1984). The Agatha Christie Companion. New York City: Delacorte Press. pp.105–08. ISBN 978-0425118450. The story begins well when the night train to the Scottish Highlands is derailed by a fallen tree and any chance of rescue is many hours away. Unfortunately there is a killer on board and several murders occur one after another. Also on board is ex cop Roz Parker and she begins the search for the murderer. Yes this does sound like the perfect description of a cosy mystery. Gans, Andrew (15 March 2017). "Max Von Essen, Julie Halston, and More Star in Murder on the Orient Express". Playbill.com. Brightspot . Retrieved 25 January 2019. After taking the Taurus Express from Aleppo to Istanbul, private detective Hercule Poirot arrives at the Tokatlian Hotel, where he receives a telegram prompting him to return to London. He instructs the concierge to book him a first-class compartment on the Simplon-route Orient Express service leaving that night. Although the train is fully booked, Poirot obtains a second-class berth through the intervention of friend, fellow Belgian, and fellow passenger Monsieur Bouc, director of the train operator Compagnie Internationale des Wagons-Lits (CIWL). Other passengers include American widow Caroline Hubbard; English governess Mary Debenham; Swedish missionary Greta Ohlsson; American businessman Samuel Ratchett, with his secretary/translator Hector MacQueen, and his English valet Edward Henry Masterman; Italian-American car salesman Antonio Foscarelli; Russian Princess Natalia Dragomiroff and her German maid Hildegarde Schmidt; Hungarian Count Rudolph Andrenyi and his wife Elena; English Colonel John Arbuthnot; American salesman Cyrus B. Hardman; and Greek medical doctor Stavros Constantine.

The Times Literary Supplement of 11 January 1934 outlined the plot and concluded that "The little grey cells solve once more the seemingly insoluble. Mrs Christie makes an improbable tale very real, and keeps her readers enthralled and guessing to the end." [7]

I will read more from the author. This book did show some development from her debut - there were more characters, there was more going on and I felt more engaged. I expect one of these days she's going to write a stonker and I'm looking forward to reading it. All told I would be happy to recommend to anyone looking for a Christmas based crime novel. There are a number of themes involved in the story but I really enjoyed Murder on the Christmas Express. The RRP is the suggested or Recommended Retail Price of a product, set by the publisher or manufacturer. Edward Henry Masterman: Ratchett's valet, a remote and haughty man, who was Col. Armstrong's batman in the war and valet in New York. Morgan, Janet (1984). Agatha Christie, A Biography. New York City: HarperCollins. pp.201–04. ISBN 0-00-216330-6.

The perfect book to read on a train . . . A thrilling journey from start to finish. Highly recommended' ELLY GRIFFITHS The interior of the Orient Express was reproduced at Pinewood Studios in London, while other locations include the Freemason Hall, Nene Valley Railway, and a street in Malta (shot to represent Istanbul). [29] Japanese TV adaptation (2015) [ edit ] The story's first true publication was the US serialisation in six instalments in the Saturday Evening Post from 30 September to 4 November 1933 (Volume 206, Numbers 14 to 19). The title was Murder in the Calais Coach, and it was illustrated by William C. Hoople. [33]Magnificent! A smart, suspenseful and snow-covered mystery with plenty of heart and more than a few quiz questions. A total must read for Christmas’ STEPH BROADRIBB Alongside the theatrical element is of course the food. We can’t tell you which you’ll be more impressed by, the immersive experience or the four course dinner that runs alongside it. So we’ll leave that decision up to you. There are a variety of meal options so vegetarians, vegans, and anyone with religious dietary requirements won’t have to worry about missing out. The menu comes from a BBC MasterChef professional, so you know you’re in for a one of a kind treat. Count Rudolph Andrenyi: husband of Countess Andrenyi, who took his wife's place as the twelfth murderer. I'm glad to see that other reviewers agree that there was far too much rape, domestic violence and sexual assault in this book for it to work well as a cosy. Agatha Christie's Poirot: Tom Conti, Sophie Okonedo, Paterson Joseph, Rula Lenska & Art Malik star in a new adaption of Murder on the Orient Express". An Audible Original Drama. 21 October 2017 . Retrieved 2 September 2018– via Seen It.