"The murderer is with us - on the train now..."Something about this solemn line renders chills through my nerves. Anyway!!There are some things you are as sure as you can be when you pick up a Christie book without which you miss on the Christie-mystery feel. I mean, you know there is going to be a hot-shot, intelligent-brained detective by the name - POIROT, more than at least two or three couple crime suspects, round table gatherings, ponderings and suspicions, and some brilliantly amazing under-lying cause for the crime.Without these, a story is not a Christie-mystery and quite honestly, I would hate to miss that style of detective-suspect game that our lady of mystery is just so good at. This book is another grand example of the same.Hercule Poirot, Samuel Ratchett, A murder, 12 suspects, dozen fake evidences. And the Orient Express.Samuel Ratchett, the big-shot millionaire is threatened of murder. He approaches none other than our extraordinary brainy Poirot expressing as much to him about his insecurity. Poirot declines his offer to help. The same night Ratchett is murdered in his cabin with a dozen brutal stabs with some fake evidences to support the murder while the Orient Express runs into a snow-drift and halts for an indefinite period. What does that mean?"The murderer is with us - on the train now..."And begins the investigation of our beloved Poirot who will travel to world's end if he has to bring justice and evict the murderer.The story is one of Agatha's regular styles, but if you think you can even make a guess to predict what happened exactly or who the real culprit is, you can well do to put that thought to rest. Because life isn't that simple and easy, my friend and obviously not for our Poirot who in-spite taking every leap and turn to bring the case to rest with his intuitive prowess at work, must come to a conclusion that after-all it cannot be a coincidence that all the travelers on the Orient Express are Ratchett's enemies, that he is amidst of a well-planned crime that was put to action.Having said that, I'd still prefer [b:And Then There Were None|16299|And Then There Were None|Agatha Christie|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1316131101s/16299.jpg|3038872] over this book any given time in life. It just doesn't climb up that ladder as [b:And Then There Were None|16299|And Then There Were None|Agatha Christie|http://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1316131101s/16299.jpg|3038872] and that is the reason I feel it deserves four stars not five.Murder on Orient Express is a thoroughly enjoyable, finish-in-one-sitting, mystery read, best done Christie style, as all you Christie lovers would agree.Read this book if you are looking for a light-headed mystery that does not require much of brain-whirling attention and still manages to have you stay-put.
