Murder On The Christmas Express: All aboard for the puzzling Christmas mystery of the year

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a b Sanders, Dennis; Lovallo, Len (1984). The Agatha Christie Companion. New York City: Delacorte Press. pp.105–08. ISBN 978-0425118450.

I absolutely loved it! Such a clever and pacy read with a glorious nod to classic Christie’ JO JAKEMAN The reviewer in The Guardian of 12 January 1934 noted that the murder would have been "perfect" (i.e. a perfect crime) had Poirot not been on the train and also overheard a conversation between Miss Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot before he boarded; however, Poirot's "'little grey cells' worked admirably, and the solution surprised their owner as much as it may well surprise the reader, for the secret is well kept and the manner of the telling is in Mrs Christie's usual admirable manner." [9] Murder in the Calais Coach". EBSCOhost. Archived from the original on 2 January 2014 . Retrieved 23 November 2012. I am still giving the book 3 stars for the good parts - a clever mystery, intriguing setting, lots of action and a surprise at the end. I liked Roz and enjoyed the role she played in solving the crime as well as preventing total anarchy on board the train! The light-hearted tone, cheerful banter, festive puzzles and the cover all suggest a Christmassy comfort read and the frequently darker content completely jars with that feel. The content simply doesn't match the tone.The book was made into a 1974 movie directed by Sidney Lumet and produced by John Brabourne and Richard B. Goodwin; it was a critical and commercial hit. The film starred Albert Finney as Poirot, Martin Balsam as Signor Bianchi, George Coulouris as Dr Constantine, and Richard Widmark as Ratchett/Cassetti, with the remaining cast of suspects including Sean Connery (Arbuthnot), Lauren Bacall (Mrs Hubbard), Anthony Perkins (MacQueen), John Gielgud (Beddoes), Michael York (Count Andrenyi), Jean-Pierre Cassel (Pierre Michel), Jacqueline Bisset (Countess Andrenyi), Wendy Hiller (Princess Dragomiroff), Vanessa Redgrave (Mary Debenham), Rachel Roberts (Hildegarde Schmidt), Colin Blakely (Hardman), Denis Quilley (Foscarelli), and Ingrid Bergman, who won the 1974 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Greta Ohlsson. Only minor changes were made for the film: Masterman was renamed Beddoes, the dead maid was named Paulette instead of Susanne, Helena Goldenberg became Helena Grünwald (which is German for "Greenwood"), Antonio Foscarelli became Gino Foscarelli, Caroline Martha Hubbard became Harriet Belinda Hubbard, and the train company's Belgian director, Monsieur Bouc, became instead an Italian director, Signor Bianchi.

Kit, Borys (27 October 2016). " 'Mummy' Actor Marwan Kenzari Joins Johnny Depp in 'Murder on the Orient Express' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Los Angeles, California: Eldridge Industries . Retrieved 27 October 2016. 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. 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. Magnificent! A smart, suspenseful and snow-covered mystery with plenty of heart and more than a few quiz questions. A total must read for Christmas’ STEPH BROADRIBBThe perfect book to read on a train . . . A thrilling journey from start to finish. Highly recommended' ELLY GRIFFITHS I cannot even begin to explain how frustrating it is and how negatively it impacts my feelings about a book when the publisher presents is as something it isn’t. And in this case it’s worse than just misleading the reader, it’s dressing content that is very upsetting to a segment of readers up in a cute Christmas outfit. Which is gross and irresponsible marketing. This is my second book by this author, both based around Christmas. This mystery has a very Golden Age feel, with events taking place on a train. We have Roz, a retired ex-detective, heading to Scotland for the birth of her first grandchild. She has a difficult relationship with her at times, feeling she has put her career first and still having issues with coming to terms with events when she was young and about to become a young mother herself. Alongside the theatrical element is of course the food. We can’t tell you which you’ll be more impressed by, the immersive experience or the four course dinner that runs alongside it. So we’ll leave that decision up to you. There are a variety of meal options so vegetarians, vegans, and anyone with religious dietary requirements won’t have to worry about missing out. The menu comes from a BBC MasterChef professional, so you know you’re in for a one of a kind treat. The cast includes Dame Eileen Atkins as Princess Dragomiroff, Hugh Bonneville as Masterman, Jessica Chastain as Mary Debenham, Barbara Hershey as Mrs Hubbard, Toby Jones as Ratchett, and David Morrissey as Colonel Arbuthnot.