Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Always a good read Review: Readers can always count on Agatha Christie for a fun and interesting whodunit. In this 60's addition to the Hercule Poirot series, the intrepid detective is asked to help solve a murder which occurs during a Halloween party. Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, one of the party hostesses, requests Poirot's help in discovering who murdered a young girl at the party by holding her head underwater in the apple bobbing bucket. The girl had boasted that she had witnessed a murder and Poirot suspects that the murderer was trying to protect his identity by killing her. The detective does his usual thorough job of investigating and uses his superior logic to sort through the facts until he discerns who the murderer is. This is a good read, as always.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: Always a good read Review: Readers can always count on Agatha Christie for a fun and interesting whodunit. In this 60's addition to the Hercule Poirot series, the intrepid detective is asked to help solve a murder which occurs during a Halloween party. Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, one of the party hostesses, requests Poirot's help in discovering who murdered a young girl at the party by holding her head underwater in the apple bobbing bucket. The girl had boasted that she had witnessed a murder and Poirot suspects that the murderer was trying to protect his identity by killing her. The detective does his usual thorough job of investigating and uses his superior logic to sort through the facts until he discerns who the murderer is. This is a good read, as always.
Rating: ![4 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-4-0.gif) Summary: A particularly uncaring and sociopathic villain in this one. Review: The choice of murder victim in this book is a little different than most Christie victims. The scene is an English village and the murder occurs at a Hallowe'en party for pre-teens. The murder victim was a 13 year old girl, who was known for talking too much, and for making up untrue stories. Aridane Oliver is at the party and when the young girl is found dead, she calls her old friend Poirot to come to solve it. Poirot discovers a killer who is totally without normal human feelings, and more people die or are found dead before he unmasks the true villain. This is late-Christie type fair, but the plot line is tight and there are a number of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. It's interesting to read Christie's take on young people of the late 60's too.
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Murder at a Halloween Party--Child's Play for Hercule Poirot Review: The lovable mystery writer, Mrs. Ariadne Oliver, is visiting a friend in a London suburb called Woodleigh Common and helping host a party for the community's teenagers. There are costumes, pumpkins, games, and...oh, yes...a murder, of course. The young girl who earlier in the evening had bragged that she had once witnessed a murder is found dead in the tub used to bob for apples. Mrs. Oliver hurries to London to locate her friend Hercule Poirot and ask for his assistance. Poirot would not think of turning down his old friend and immediately sets about learning all he can regarding the residents of Woodleigh Common. An au pair girl who has mysteriously vanished and a landscape architect who loves his work are just two of the interesting characters Poirot will deal with before his little grey cells put the pieces of the puzzle together in time to prevent another murder.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: Chilling Poirot mystery Review: The story begins innocently enough - a children's Hallowe'en party. One of the adult guests is Ariadne Oliver, the famous crime novelist. One of the children at the party, in order to impress Mrs. Oliver claims to have seen a murder committed. No one takes any notice, dismissing her story, until the girl turns up dead at the end of the party. Horrified by the tragedy, Mrs. Oliver turns to her old friend Hercule Poirot for help, despite her belief that women should be running Scotland Yard! Poirot begins investigating and realizes that the child was killed in order to prevent discovery of another, much older crime. But raking up the past is dangerous as it can cause a killer to strike again...very chilling mystery, notable for its air of subtle menace and cruelty. Although the identity of the killer was fairly obvious midway through the book, I think Christie afficionadoes will like the psychological analysis of the motives for the crime, as well as of the criminal. Another good Poirot mystery.
Rating: ![1 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-1-0.gif) Summary: poor Review: This book by Agatha Christie was ok. It started out real slow and ended real slow. It didn't really get to the exciting parts of the book and made me fall asleep. THis is by far the worst Agatha Christie book i have ever read
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Not her best Review: This book does not show off Agatha Christie's finer points in her literature. It lacks that suspenseful twinge that makes me want to read it to see if my suspiscions of who the killer is are correct before it's too late. If you want to know what her writing's really all about, try The Mysterious Affair at Styles, her first Poirot mystery
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: A very excellent mystery novel Review: This book is a good mystery novel. I liked it a lot and also this book was very thrilling to read. From the Murder to when they found out who done it was very exciting to read. I give Agatha Christie two thumbs up on writing this book.
Rating: ![5 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-5-0.gif) Summary: very good! Review: This book was great. The people who thought the end was confusing just aren't very smart. The characters were interesting and the ending was lovely!
Rating: ![3 stars](http://www.reviewfocus.com/images/stars-3-0.gif) Summary: Clueless about the book. Review: This is one of Agatha Christie's most visual mystery. At a party, a girl was drowned in the apple-bobbing tub shortly after boasting she witnessed a murder. The fact that she admitted she didn't know it was a murder at that time did not make her, a habitual liar, believable - but somebody apparently felt threatened enough.Mrs Ariadne Oliver who was present at the party was very upset at the death, especially since it was to her, a famous mystery writer, that the dead girl Joyce was boasting to. She enlisted the help of Hercule Poirot immediately. The setting of this mystery was at a English suburb. Agatha Christie tried to give vivid description of the place and the people, which would be the key to solving the mystery. A beautiful garden, an elfin wisp of a girl, a small community where most people know what happened - including three mysteries from the past. Unfortunately, she could not carry out a perfect job, and had to resort to some rather outright adjectives. This was especially jarring for a murder mystery. The challenge to the readers was not who was the culprit, but rather could Hercule Poirot unravel the thread to bring in the evidence, the motivation and bring a proper conclusion to the mystery. The key would be found in the visual description - I am sure it was very clear in Agatha Christie's mind the picture she wanted to convey, but alas, her words failed to adequately expressed her ideas. Properly done, this would have been a fantastic movie, if the producers could find the right locations.
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