Project Poirot Episode 6: Murder in Mesopotamia, Cards on the Table, Dumb Witness

Welcome back to my ongoing series – Project Poirot! In case you don’t know what this project is, it’s my attempt at re-reading (because as a huge fan of the books, I’ve read most of them earlier!) all the Hercule Poirot novels by Agatha Christie in the order they were published. I embarked on this project a couple of years ago and though it may seem like I should have finished by now, I’m enjoying savouring the books and taking my time with them. Now I’ve reached halfway through all the novels and will be discussing numbers 14, 15, and 16 today.

You can read the previous episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 here in case you are keen to know my thoughts on any one particular Poirot novel. In this post, I will write about Murder in Mesopotamia, Cards on the Table and Dumb Witness. So, here goes:

Murder in Mesopotamia:

Goodreads Blurb:

An archaeologist’s wife is murdered on the shores of the River Tigris in Iraq. It was clear to nurse Amy Leatheran that something sinister was going on at the Hassanieh dig, something associated with the presence of ‘Lovely Louise’, the wife of the celebrated archaeologist Dr. Leidner. But she couldn’t pinpoint it.

In a few days’ time Hercule Poirot was due to drop in at the excavation site. With Louise suffering terrifying hallucinations, and tension within the group becoming almost unbearable, Poirot might just be too late…

My Review:

This novel creates plenty of authentic atmosphere, with the archaeological dig being the focal point. However, it isn’t as exciting as most of her other stories. The plot is quite improbable and also a bit disjointed. Having said that though, it was still a fun read and her characters are very interesting and well-etched.

My Rating: 4/5

Buy the book here: https://amzn.to/3C3Nify

Cards on the Table:

Goodreads Blurb:

A flamboyant party host is murdered in full view of a roomful of bridge players! Mr. Shaitana was famous, as were his parties. He was also a man of whom everybody was a little afraid. So, when he boasted to Poirot that he considered murder an art form, the detective had some reservations about accepting a party invitation of cards and viewing Shaitana’s private art collection. Indeed, what began as an absorbing evening of bridge was to turn into a more dangerous game altogether…

My Review:

Another Christie I finished in one sitting! This one stands out for its emphasis on the psychology of the murder. Poirot uses his little grey cells to reach a difficult conclusion based only on the personalities of the four suspects. It’s not fast paced, it’s not even groundbreaking, but I found it very interesting! Miss Marple fans will particularly enjoy this one because of its emphasis on human behaviour.

My Rating: 4/5

Buy your copy here: https://amzn.to/48oTYRx

Dumb Witness:

Goodreads Blurb:

Everyone blamed Emily Arundell’s accident on a rubber ball left on the stairs at her home in Market Basing by her frisky terrier, Bob. But the more she thought about her fall, the more convinced she became that one of her relatives was trying to kill her.

So, on April 17th she wrote about her anxieties and suspicions in a letter to Hercule Poirot. And included a request that he consult with her as soon as possible. Mysteriously he didn’t receive the letter until June 28th … by which time Emily was already dead.

My Review:

Another Christie-Poirot combination that caught me off guard! Christie really is the queen of red herrings and grand conclusions. This was a fun and very easy read, despite some incongruous plot twists.

I love how the author incorporates her personality and the circumstances of her life into each work. Bob the dog is an essential character in this book, and he is endearing without being cheesy. An enjoyable read as always!

My Rating: 4/5

Buy your copy here: https://amzn.to/3UpT8y9

For an in-depth discussion of all three books, don’t forget to watch my Instagram Live here:

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That’s it for episode 6 of my Project Poirot series. Do let me know in the comments if you have read any of these books and what you thought of them!

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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’  hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.

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