Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

Reading this felt as if I bought and played a detective file/murder mystery game with my closest friends—it felt like I was genuinely in the room with these characters and had to figure out who the culprit was alongside Poirot.

In some ways, this was a result of the crime occurring in a specific location and within a controlled setting. Whilst The ABC Murders had us travelling across the United Kingdom to search for the murderer, Cards on the Table gave us access to a cast of characters who were all evidently there when the incident happened. We are introduced to and become heavily familiar with these potential suspects; one of them is the prime suspect, and we have to put the pieces together to figure out who did it.

This entire book, for some reason, gave me vintage casino vibes, but with the action all taking place within the comfort of someone’s residence. Maybe it’s the cards or each suspect pointing fingers at each other, but this one definitely felt like a cosy whodunnit with the spectacles of a performance.

Agatha Christie did an amazing job with the red herrings and plot twists; I couldn’t guess who the true culprit of the murder was, and I was still really shocked when it was revealed at the end. This could have been anyone’s play, yet the person who did it was someone I didn’t really suspect at all.

Overall, Cards on the Table was a fun murder mystery and one I’d recommend if you want to get into Agatha Christie’s books and don’t know where to start. I can guarantee you will love the journey!