Cyrus Hardman: an American ex-policeman who was in love with Daisy's French nursery maid, who committed suicide after Daisy was killed. Two less notable events helped inspire her novel: Agatha Christie's first journey on the Orient Express in late 1928, and a blizzard near Çerkezköy, Turkey, that marooned the Orient Express for six days just a few months later, in February 1929. [13] Even for that, I have to say I really enjoyed this book , it was a real puzzle to solve and I did half get it right but not completely, which in all honesty I was happy about as I love the reveal!

There are anagrams hidden in the book as in Benedict’s last which I am rubbish at but at some point I will have a search for! A Japanese adaptation was broadcast over two nights in January 2015 on Fuji Television, [30] titled Orient Kyuukou Satsujin Jiken [ ja], and it featured several famous actors, including Ninomiya Kazunari, Matsushima Nanako, Tamaki Hiroshi, Kichise Michiko, Nishida Toshiyuki, and Sawamura Ikki. The main character, Suguro Takeru, modeled on Hercule Poirot, was played by actor Nomura Mansai. Did you expect any of that having read the publisher’s summary. Yeah, I didn’t think so. And that is a HUGE problem. The next morning, with the train still stalled, Bouc informs Poirot that Ratchett has been murdered and the murderer is still aboard, having no way to escape in the snow. As there are no police onboard, Poirot takes up the case. With help from Dr. Constantine, Poirot examines Ratchett's body and compartment, discovering the following: the body has twelve stab wounds, the window had been left open, a handkerchief with the initial "H", a pipe cleaner, a flat match different from the ones Ratchett used, and a charred piece of paper with "member little Daisy Armstrong" written on it. A genuine Christmas Feast. Its traditional wrapping conceals a fiendish mystery, a heart of darkness and – in Roz – a wonderfully flawed heroine that you will absolutely fall in love with. If you like your Christmas murderous and melancholy, it's going to keep you very happy over the Festive Period’ DEREK FARRELLOnce 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. Busch, Anita (5 January 2017). "Willem Dafoe Joins Ensemble Cast Of Fox's 'Murder On The Orient Express' ". Deadline Hollywood. Los Angeles, California: Penske Media Corporation . Retrieved 5 January 2017. Hector MacQueen: Ratchett's personal secretary and translator, whose father was the lawyer for the Armstrong family. 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.

Barnard, Robert (1990). A Talent to Deceive – an appreciation of Agatha Christie. New York City: Fontana Books. pp.199–200. ISBN 0-00-637474-3. On 16 June 2015, 20th Century Fox hired Kenneth Branagh to direct and star as Poirot in another film adaptation of the story, [17] which was released on 3 November 2017. [18] On 29 September 2016, the studio issued a press release announcing much of the cast, including Johnny Depp as Ratchett, Michelle Pfeiffer as Mrs Hubbard, Penélope Cruz as Pilar Estravados (a Spanish version of Greta Ohlsson, the name coming from a character in Hercule Poirot's Christmas), [19] Judi Dench as Princess Dragomiroff, Derek Jacobi as Masterman, Leslie Odom Jr. as Dr Arbuthnot, Daisy Ridley as Mary Debenham, Lucy Boynton as Countess Andrenyi, Tom Bateman as Monsieur Bouc, [20] Manuel Garcia-Rulfo as Biniamino Marquez (a Cuban version of Antonio Foscarelli), [21] Josh Gad as Hector MacQueen, [22] Marwan Kenzari as Pierre Michel, [23] Sergei Polunin as Count Andrenyi, [24] [25] Willem Dafoe as Cyrus Hardman, [26] and Olivia Colman as Hildegarde Schmidt. [27] The character of Col. Arbuthnot is combined with Dr. Constantine to create Dr Arbuthnot, a sniper who served under Col. Armstrong in the war and had his medical school paid for by Armstrong; MacQueen's father is portrayed as having been a prosecutor in the Armstrong case rather than the Armstrong family's lawyer, and whose career was ruined after he prosecuted the maid Susanne; and Monsieur Bouc is changed from the director of the company to the director's nephew. Added was a direct link for Poirot to the Armstrong kidnapping—before Sonia's death, John Armstrong wrote to Poirot for help. Also unlike the book, the kidnapping does not take place in Long Island but in New Jersey, where the Lindbergh Kidnapping took place. Susanne Michel is switched from Pierre Michel's daughter to his sister. Cyrus Hardman poses as an Austrian scientist named Gerhard Hardman for part of the film. The last scene also sets up Death on the Nile as a sequel. That was the magic of trains. The world seemed to pass you by while you were still, yet somehow you got to where you wanted to go. If only life were like that.” Having said that, although I can't say I enjoyed this book, I didn't hate it either. It is well-written and compelling. It kept me guessing right up to the ending which seemed an appropriate homage to the original story.

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]

Cooper, John; Pyke, B A, eds. (1994). Detective Fiction – the collector's guide (2ed.). London, England: Scolar Press. pp.82, 86. ISBN 0-85967-991-8. Forget about solving all these crimes; the signal triumph here is (spoiler) the heroine’s survival. Count Rudolph Andrenyi: husband of Countess Andrenyi, who took his wife's place as the twelfth murderer. The 18 suspects are an interesting bunch, but their characterisation is sketchy and I found it quite hard to form an opinion on the identity of the murderer and their motives. But Benedict is bang up to date with the inclusion of same sex couples, a person called Sam who uses the pronoun they, and a famous social media influencer. I learned quite a lot!Mrs. Caroline Hubbard: grandmother of Daisy Armstrong who's later revealed to be actress Linda Arden. I absolutely loved it! Such a clever and pacy read with a glorious nod to classic Christie’ JO JAKEMAN 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. 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.