The ABC Murders

Format read: paperback
Reading time: 7+ hours
Tags: detective fiction, police procedural, mystery, crime fiction
Own a copy: yes
Reread likelihood: 5/10 (once the mystery has been discovered, it's hard to justify rereading a mystery novel!)

Summary
Hercule Poirot is pulled out of retirement by the arrival of a mysterious letter announcing an upcoming murder and signed enigmatically as “ABC.” With the help of his trusty companion Hastings, Poirot goes on a cross-country chase to track down and stop this strange serial killer who murders people in alphabetical order. Poirot must find out his identity and understand the ‘why' behind these murders before the killer reaches the end of the alphabet.

Review
Poirot makes a triumphant return to the world of police work in this very ‘human' novel, The ABC Murders. Poirot's approach to the crimes is slow and methodical; not much happens in this book, and the narrative isn't action-packed. However, Poirot's understanding of the human mind is at the forefront, and the psychology of the killer is what is on display. Poirot's focus in this novel is on the killer rather than the victims. He determines early on that the victims have nothing in common–an unusual occurrence in serial cases–but the killer himself is where the true mystery lies. This person is thought to be unremarkable yet daring, simple yet genius, and shy but charismatic. These contradictions muddle the waters for Poirot and the policemen, but it makes the case all the more interesting to crack. A whole host of characters colour this novel, each with their own reason for wanting to bring harm onto others, but only one person can truly be the criminal mastermind who taunts Poirot with his overconfident letters.

The pacing in this book is very slow and there are no big “a-ha!” moments, but the simplicity of the narrative lends itself well to this very empathetic approach to the criminal mind. Poirot shows his great sense of humanity when he sympathises with the most vicious of men, and his humanistic outlook on how criminals are perceived and treated in society makes us readers ponder deeply about our own morals and ethics vis-à-vis criminals.

This Christie novel offers a self-aware view into detective work and weighs in on the age-old question of what it means to be human.