![]() IMO, it breaks one of the cardinal rules of a decent mystery - in that the resolution feels "unfair", and key roles are played by a virtually uninvolved/undescribed mover until the 11th hour. This is an acclaimed closed-room mystery, as well. Characters barely even mention experiencing crisis/working regarding a murder case over Christmas as any sort of extraordinary experience (one exception being a quality passage where Poirot points out that tensions are higher at the holidays). A family can gather for reasons other than the holidays, and the holiday season tends to necessitate some holiday-oriented details (a formal meal, decoration, gifts). Christmas has nothing to do with this story, in fact - I'm left feeling that it was altered to mention Christmas just to boost interest or seasonal sales. ![]() Awkwardly, the Christmas part is 100% incidental. I read this to kick off a planned spree of mystery reading, after learning that it's frequently cited as the go-to Christmas mystery classic. ![]()
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