This is my book talk. I worked really hard on it and I am really proud of it.

Imagine being trapped on a train with no way of getting off. Imagine that the next day, you are stuck on this train with a murderer. This is what happens in Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, originally published in 1934. Hercule Poirot, private detective and retired Belgian police officer, has just finished a case in Syria and is headed to Istanbul. On a train called the Taurus, he finds himself riding with an odd pair: Mary Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot, both British. When the train arrives in Istanbul, Poirot leaves Miss Debenham and the Colonel, who are traveling on the connecting train, the Orient Express, heading to London. He learns from a telegram that he actually has to get to London as soon as possible. He books a ticket on the the Orient Express for that evening. Detective Hercule Poirot is travelling across Europe on the very same train as Miss Debenham and the Colonel. Suddenly on the first night a passenger is found dead in his compartment next door surrounded by conflicting clues as to what actually happened. Shortly before his death, the passenger had told Poirot that he had been receiving death threats and he wanted the detective on the case, which becomes a key component of the murder. Once he starts the investigation, everyone’s a suspect, even Poirot himself. Hercule Poirot has many traits that shape him into the man he is. His character is a testament to the powers of observation and reason. Agatha Christie created a detective with an invincible brain which suggests that she’s incredibly optimistic about the power and potential of the human intellect. Poirot is not necessarily modest about his success, and is even slightly hurt when someone does not seem to recognize him. Most people do recognize him and he is a much respected detective in society.  As he reveals in this conversation with the Countess, one of the passengers, Hercule Poirot sees himself as a detective of the world, rather than just a Belgian detective: “’I thought there were no detectives on the train when it passed through Yugoslavia – not until one got to Italy.’

‘I am not a Yugo-Slavian detective, Madame. I am an international detective.’

‘You belong to the League of Nations?’

‘I belong to the world, Madame,’ said Poirot dramatically.” The statement is a part of Poirot’s characteristic pride. Poirot is from Belgium, but he lives in England. He’s a cosmopolitan kind of guy, traveling frequently to take on cases in distant locations. That’s why he was in Syria. As the murder on the Orient Express involves people of many different nationalities and backgrounds, he’s the perfect detective to tackle the mystery. As you can see he’s incredibly proud of his reputation. Reason and logic are his most formidable weapons – relying on his “ little grey cells” and his power of observation as well as his fascination with human nature, Poirot manages to unravel even the most complex of crimes. “Did I not tell you that I was, like you, a very puzzled man? But At least we can face our problem. We can arrange such facts as we have with order and method.”With diligence and perseverance, Poirot works to solve the case presented to him on the Orient Express. These are some of the many traits that make the Detective such an interesting character. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a great mystery. The hints in the book are subtle, and the murderer is not revealed until the very end. The questioning of the suspects is unconventional, and they are surprised into revealing facts about themselves that they would rather keep hidden. The simple yet interesting investigation style of detective Poirot keep you hooked to the narration until the end. Agatha Christie has written other mystery novels that involve Poirot and her other character, Ms. Marple.