I enjoy the mystery well enough in Blue Train, but the jewelry dealer and the sub-plot with Poirot and his daughter does not ring true.  I am rarely happy with the result, when Christie tries to create a version of the seamy underbelly of society.  It always seems contrived.

While Rufus van Aldin and Mirelle are tossed off sterotypes, without depth, Ruth Kettering is a well written character, and Lennox is one of my favorite Christie characters.

This is not a book I go out of my way to reread or listen to, but it is a step up from "The Big Four".

Christie did say in her autobiography that this was her least favorite book.  Part of this was due to the fact that her first marriage had broken up, and she was unable to enjoy writing very much then.  

I also never really believed that Poirot would allow the stolen ruby to be re-sold without making every effort to return it to the rightful owner.

Well, you also have to remember that "Train" is an expanded version of "The Plymouth Express."

Definitely one of the worst Hercule Poirot mysteries that I have ever read. I read it about four years ago. Have not re-read it since then and do not wish to do so in the near future.

I didn't find TMOTBT all that bad. It had a lot of great & memorable characters like Derek Kettering.

My only problem was that there was no big deal made about the solution.

SPOILERS

I thought Rufus' reaction was extremely lacking in emotion considering the circumstances!

Reading this book was like a maraton. One of her longest stories based on characters psychology. I enjoyed reading it, specialy for the second time. The only drawback is the man/woman 'who done it'. Not a really christie like end indeed.

I totally agree w/ you in every aspect, Towards Zero. I like your moniker, btw, Towards Zero is one of my favorite books.

I read that Christie admitted that this was her worst book before reading it, so when I first opened it I psychologically had a negative view when reading it, but it was really a not that bad 'attempt', so I give it a 3.75/5 in my opinion.

I didn't think it was so bad. It isn't one of my favorities, but I thought it was worst than it really is. In fact, I enjoy  lot of parts of it, but as TheMole said, the solution itsn't good!

I'm re-reading it at the moment just to have a bit of a refresher. I remember really enjoying it the first time I read it, however it was one of the very first Poirot's I read. I do love the ones where she takes you literally on a journey because they are so evocative of the era and travel at the time for the upper classes. It makes me want to do a long train journey throughout Europe (sans murder of course!). I'll post more about the actual story later.

What characters does everyone feel are stereotypical in particular? I'd be interested to know.

3rdGirl, enjoy the reread.  For me Rufus van Alden and Mirelle were extremely flat.  Dame Agatha seemed to have thrown them in as "gruff American businessman" and "snotty foreign dancer" and forgotten to do anything else with them.

AS I said above, however, I think that she did some excellent work with a couple of the characters, Ruth Kettering is another stereotype (spoiled little rich girl), but she gets fleshed out into a character that I actually cared about.  Lennox is one of my favorite characters in all of Christie's writing, aided in my mind by an exuberant portrayal by Alice Eve in the 2005 version.

Number3

Well, you also have to remember that "Train" is an expanded version of "The Plymouth Express."

Yes, and its thin plot and only single murder show that is an expanded short story and not a novel in its own right. At least she could have killed Mirelle too!

Just finished it this morning and the things I enjoyed were the settings and the action in the Riviera and, as always, M Poirot's humour and arrogance. I also particularly liked Katherin Grey as his 'partner in crime' so to speak and thought that her story was particularly well written. Loved that she was from St Mary Meade as well!

I totally agree with Boomcoach about Mirelle being stereotypical, but I also think that of the oily Comte de la Roche. Like the characters in the book I could hardly believe that Ruth Kettering would have liaisons with such an ass!

I actually really liked the character or Rufus Van Aldin, but thought he wasn't grief stricken enough for a man who would lavish a 50k necklace on his daughter and the fact that he was American. Which Ms Christie often uses to have characters tha are more emotive than the British ones. Funnily enough it's the 'foreigners' that are so emotional, like the French Mirelle. I also really liked Lenox and the old lady back in St Mary Meade, both were fabulous.

What I really didn't like in the book was the bit where the 'ghost of Ruth' was trying to tell Katherine something and she knew who it was as a result of it. PLEASE! I really think she could have done something fantastic with Katherine and her being an observer of people, but this smacks of grasping at straws to tie it all together.

I would also agree about the comments above about the seamy underside of society sounding contrived. I though the jewellery smuggling could have been neater and less removed from the actual crime. I do think she struggles with these 'international crime figures' type mysteries rather than the smaller, domestic mysteries. It all got a bit convoluted!

I liked the resolution with the two figures, but also though the 'actress masked as a boy' was far fetched. Just an accomplice to the ringleader would have sufficed without all the fluff with it.

I thought it was interesting that Agatha should dislike it as it's actually my favourite! It's wonderfully atmospheric, just read those opening chapters again. They put a neat frame around the novel and create suspense: who is the Marquis? And where does he fit into the main plot?It's fairly literary too, we sympathise with Katherine who is an ugly duckling type character and eminently believable. She is likeable, but fate has made her an observer of life rather than a participant. This changes in the course of the novel. Poirot's general observations are interesting and perceptive. It's in character when he lets the ruby go, he is trying to show that justice is more important than riches and the Mirelles of this world can please themselves. The story is also wonderfully uplifting, Poirot is really able to get across to Lennox in her disappointment. It has some great locations: London, Paris and the Riviera and it is about something which most readers find exciting, namely jewel theft. If the Greek jeweller and his daughter are stock characters, they represent a good use of a stereotype. And the solution itself is very difficult to work out. When it is presented we see how neat it is and all the subplots are then resolved. I think it is a masterpiece and extremely well crafted, though I admit it was a second attempt.

I'm glad someone else really likes this book Mr Pont!  I think that for all of it's flaws its a great read and I would definitely recommend it to other Christie fans.

I've actually not read 'The Plymouth Express' which it's based on so I can't really comment on it's transition from short-story format to novel. Has anyone else read the short version? Where can I get it? I have the new Poirot 50 short stories 'masterpieces in miniature', however it's not in this book.

I also forgot to say that on second reading, knowing who the protagonists were, you could spot the oh so subtle clues on the way even though there were red-herrings apon red-herrings!

I have read The Plymouth Express, 3rdGirl. And I'm sorry. Neither do I like The Mystery of the Blue Train nor do I like The Plymouth Express. I found both of the stories to be dull, boring and mildly irritating. I have the complete Hercule Poirot short story collection from Harper Collins. That is where I read it from.

TMOTBT was alright--i just read it for the 2nd time about a week ago...although i must say, the beginning was pretty dull. i didn't find as "catching" as other novels...it didnt really arouse as much interest for me..evn wen i read it d first time :)

I can normally get into any Christie novel within the first couple of chapters, with TMOTBT I am really struggling.

I wonder if it is worth me battling on with as there are mixed responses to this? I really wanted to love this one as much as I have loved others I have read.

TMOTBT wasn't my favorite but I got wrapped up in the story past the first three chapters, but not as much as I did with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd or The Mysterious Affair At Styles. Anyone who loves Agatha Christie will read her books because it's by her and appreciate reading it because of that. 

I would give it a go 

Mystery of the Blue Train is not the best book of Agatha,I think--it's plot is not as brilliant as AND THEN THERE WERE NONE which is my favourite.However,the ending is quite meaningful...I mean when Agatha compared life with the train--I really appreciate it.