Cards on the Table Book Review

Cards on the Table Book Review

Cards on the Table
Publisher:
Published: 1936
Mr. Shaitana is a  collector -- of fine art, antiques, trinkets, and as he tells Poirot, people. But Mr. Shaitana is fascinated most by the art of murder. Thus, he invites Poirot (and three other sleuths of different kinds) to a dinner party with four murderers. Inevitably, a murder is committed during a bridge game when all four suspects are playing.
4.6Overall Score

Cards on the Table

Mr. Shaitana is a  collector -- of fine art, antiques, trinkets, and as he tells Poirot, people. But Mr. Shaitana is fascinated most by the art of murder. Thus, he invites Poirot (and three other ...

  • Plot
    5.0
  • Characters
    4.5
  • Pacing
    4.7
  • Setting
    4.5
  • Themes
    4.5

Content Review:

Language-

– H—, d–n, and a– are all used.

– God’s name is used in vain several times.

– “What the devil” is also said occasionally.

Sexual-

– None!

Violence-

– Well, it is a murder mystery, so there’s some blood and small wounds. But nothing is graphically described.

Spiritual-

– Mephistopheles (of Dr. Faustus) is referenced multiple times.

Other-

– Older characters smoke and drink.

 

Personal Review:

The premise of Cards on the Table immediately intrigued me. As the Forward says, there are only four “starters”, or suspects, and each could have done it. This book mostly focuses on the psychology behind the characters and could be seen as a study in human nature. I suspected each in turn, and the eerie, atmospheric tone held me captive from page one. Cards on the Table, like many Agatha Christie mysteries, is brilliantly written, entertaining, and hard to put down!