Sad Cypress: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition (Hercule Poirot Mysteries, 20)

Starts and ends with a court case, which makes for an unusual structure, and perhaps one misses Poirot's usual theatrical performance in the final revelation, but it works very well and demonstrates AC's versatility.

Solution is a bit far fetched, but it is surprising and hangs together nevertheless. Re-reading the book after a few years, I found that while I had a dim memory of the solution, I had actually forgotten most of it, for a while suspected the wrong culprit, and found the resolution almost as surprising as upon the first reading.

Christie fans who haven't yet read this one shouldn't be disappointed. For the most part it's a satisfying yarn with Poirot (unaccompanied by Captain Hastings) using the little grey cells at full bore. The novel has a somewhat unusual structure, starting at the trial of the woman who is to be Poirot's client, proceeding through a long flashback sequence (in which Poirot does not appear), before moving forward to the resolution of the case. My one complaint is that the solution to the mystery is a little strained. Although the murderer was my number one suspect, I was stumped about the motive. When revealed, the motive seems a bit far fetched in that it would require an extraordinary degree of planning (and luck) for the murderer's scheme to have worked.

So, while this is not the Murder of Roger Ackroyd or Death on the Nile, I think most Christie fans will find it well worth reading.

By the way, at less than $10, these Black Dog editions are fabulous bargains.

As an avid reader of Poirot novels, I have to say that this is one of my least favorite: The book is rather slow building, and we don't see a lot of Poirot until at least the 2nd half of the book. Furthermore, the characters are not so intriguing or enticing, compared to characters of typical Poirot novel. I would have wish for more humour.. and more of Poirot. The denouement is also rather disappointing (rare for Christie), as Poirot is here very understated and ... well that is enough for this review as I don't want to put any spoilers! Having said that, it is worth to mention that this is an inferior book by A.CHRISTIE standards, which means that it is still HEAD AND SHOULDER above your typical current mistery novel (plot complexity and surprise effect at the end are still there, and you still get a bit of typical Christies and Poirot humour and special touch). NOTE: this book was adapted in the Suchet TV serie of Poirot: in the TV serie there is an added part in the end, which is NOT in the book, and which is actually an intersting addition (.. again I don't want to spoil , so I leave my comment as that).

I like Agatha Christie books and ones that had Hercule Poirot as the investigator in particular, but this one was not as entertaining as some of the others I have read. Hercule is not in the book as as much as he was in other novels, the focus was on the accused person and the events leading up to the murder. It was an OK novel but not the best representation of work by the author or of the character of Hercule Poirot.

I have. Read and enjoyed and am still enjoying the Peroit series and I can’t figure out what happened with this. One. It’s mostly a soap opera and our hero is reduced to a mere interviewer.. who shows up int he second part of the story..finally. I did not like this book at all. It’s unlike any of the others.. now i am reading one two bucklemy shoe and THAT is Christie’s BEST . both P= and Jepp working toe=gheter.. you get into the works of the crime right away. I don’t get ‘sad cypress at all..it’s a departure from her usual masterpieces.