The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot #6)

Title: The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot #6)

Author: Agatha Christie

Published in: 1928

Date read: Not yet read

Score: /5

Genre: Detective, Mystery, Classic

Plot: (Warning, may contain spoilers):
"The Mystery of the Blue Train," published in 1928, is a classic Hercule Poirot mystery that takes the Belgian detective away from the rainy streets of London to the sun-drenched French Riviera. The novel is an expansion of Christie's earlier short story, "The Plymouth Express."
The story centres on Ruth Kettering, the unhappily married daughter of the fabulously wealthy American millionaire, Rufus Van Aldin. Against her father's wishes, Ruth is traveling on the luxurious Le Train Bleu to the South of France to reunite with a former lover. As a parting gift, her father gives her a set of world-famous rubies, known as the "Heart of Fire."
The Plot:
The journey turns tragic when the train arrives in Nice. Ruth Kettering is found murdered in her compartment; her face has been brutally disfigured, and the priceless rubies are missing.
Hercule Poirot, who happens to be a passenger on the same train seeking a quiet holiday, is persuaded by Rufus Van Aldin to investigate the murder and recover the stolen gems. He is assisted by Katherine Grey, a young woman who recently inherited a fortune and was the last person to speak with Ruth alive. Katherine serves as the "eyes and ears" for Poirot, providing a calm, observant perspective on the high-society suspects.
The Suspects and Intrigue:
The investigation focuses on a glamorous but suspicious cast of characters:
• Derek Kettering: Ruth’s estranged, debt-ridden husband who was spotted on the train and stands to inherit her fortune.
T• he Comte de la Roche: Ruth's former lover and a notorious adventurer with a history of swindling wealthy women.
• Mirelle: A beautiful and temperamental French dancer who is Derek's mistress and was also on the train.
• Major Knighton: Van Aldin's dependable and charming secretary, who helps coordinate the search for the killer.
Poirot meticulously examines the timings of the train stops and the movements of the passengers. He becomes particularly interested in the identity of a mysterious figure known as "The Marquis," a legendary jewel thief rumored to be behind a series of high-profile heists across Europe.
The Resolution:
Through his trademark deduction, Poirot realises that the disfigurement of the victim's face was a deliberate tactic to obscure the exact time of death and the identity of the person who left the compartment. He discovers that the murder was not a crime of passion by a jilted husband or lover, but a cold-blooded, professional job.
The climax reveals a shocking alliance between an insider and a master of disguise. Poirot unmasks Major Knighton as the mastermind (the elusive "Marquis") and Ada Mason, Ruth's maid, as his accomplice. They had planned the theft and murder with meticulous detail, using the maid's disguise to create a false timeline of when Ruth was last seen alive.
The novel concludes with the recovery of the rubies and a burgeoning romance between Katherine Grey and a fellow traveler, while Poirot reflects on the fact that even on a luxury train to paradise, evil can be a passenger.

Comments:

Books that we've read by Agatha Christie (10):
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot, #1) (1920), The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries, #1) (1922), The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot #2) (1923), The Man in the Brown Suit (Colonel Race, #1) (1924), Poirot Investigates (1924), The Secret of Chimneys (1925), The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Hercule Poirot, #4) (1926), The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple #1) (1930), The Thirteen Problems (Miss Marple, #1) (1932), And Then There Were None (1939)