It had been a while since I read an Agatha Christie book, and I decided it was time to read this second book in the Hercule Poirot series.

Poirot and his friend and storyteller Captain Hastings (think Sherlock and Watson) head to France after receiving a request for Poirot’s help. When they arrive at Mr. Renaud’s home, they learn that he was found murdered that morning. Stabbed in the back and left lying next to a newly dug grave on an adjacent golf course.

Let the craziness begin. I lost count of how many people were considered serious suspects along the way. Poirot and the Sûreté detective Giraud continually annoy each other, and Hastings meets and immediately falls for a beautiful woman only known to him as Cinderella.

Try not to get whiplash from all the sudden turns and surprises along the way in this one. Just enjoy it. ( )

This was another fun installment of the Hercule Poirot series, though still not my favorite. (So far, I like the books I've read in the middle of the series best.) Hastings was a fun character to use as the reader's filter for events, though of course he jumps to way too many conclusions. (Even I could tell that he was wrong most of the time.) I didn't like the era's misogyny—if you want to make it so that "a man must have dug the grave" then give me proof instead of presuming that it was a man's work because women are too delicate. But in general, this was a fun (if dated) mystery story. ( )

I very much enjoyed this book. The characters are well-developed, the story has several threads, yet it isn't overly complicated.

Poirot gets an urgent telegram to help someone in France who senses danger. At first, I thought I was clever enough to solve the murder, and I was very close, but then another murder occurs and the mystery takes off again. A lot of twists and, just when you think all has been explained, there is a terrific twist.at the very end.

Great story. Fun read! ( )

The second Poirot. I think she overcorrected a bit from the first one. The trader doesn't need to have any special knowledge but they're are one or two too many red herrings. Even that's okay. The most annoying thing us the dynamic between some of the characters, especially the sexes. Hastings purposes marriage to a girl whose name he doesn't even know just because she's pretty. Ditto a couple other characters. ( )

This was my first Hercule Poirot mystery. As with most mysteries, I was clueless and that's why I don't really find them enjoyable. This was was not bad, though, until the last 2 chapters where I was totally lost. 240 pages ( )

The second Poirot book. Another good story and another great showcase of Poirot's methods and abilities (I particularly enjoyed his rivalry with detective Giraud, from the French Sureté, the "human hound"). Hastings is as clueless as in the first book, but at least here he doesn't fancy himself as a detective. As a flaw, the story and clues are a bit too complicated, so it's not always easy to follow them all. ( )

Hercule Poirot receives a letter from Paul Renauld, requesting his urgent assistance in France; however, on Poirot and Hastings' arrival they are informed that their client was murdered early that morning. With M. Giraud from the Paris Sûreté also investigating, Poirot must use his little grey cells to arrive at the solution before the inspector.

This is an early Christie (only the third novel overall, and her second featuring Hercule Poirot), and not one of her best – clearly she was still experimenting with different types of mystery. While the killer is very hard to spot, despite/because of an abundance of (mostly contradictory) clues, unfortunately several question marks remain (How did Marthe Daubreuil gain access to the Renauld house? The front door would have been locked. Where did the second body come from? Renauld's body was kept in the shed and his wife wouldn't have been able to carry the tramp's body there herself. And can someone enlighten me as to the significance of the piece of lead piping Poirot found on the golf course, and insists is a clue in conversation with M. Giraud?).

Elsewhere, the novel clearly shows its age (published in 1923): a couple of the women are rather highly strung and melodramatic, verging on the hysterical, and no one would take a diagnosis of 'brain fever' seriously these days. ( )

Murder on the Links (like most Christie) is smart and satisfying! You can tell this is very early Christie but it is still a very enjoyable story. Murder on the Links was as different from its predecessor as that had been from Styles. It is very French; not just in setting but in tone, Agatha admitted that she had written it in a "high-flown, fanciful" manner. She had also based the book too closely upon a real-life French murder case, which gives the story a kind of non-artistic complexity. Ultimately, this story is about the dark secrets of the French aristocracy and how individuals confuse love and money. Poirot is, as usual, a bit pompous and it is fun to see him go up against Monsieur Giraud of the Sûreté (who leads the police investigation and resents Poirot's involvement). This gives this serious mystery a little air of humor that is much needed.

It is a quite enjoyable Poirot story ( )

Murder on the Links (like most Christie) is smart and satisfying! You can tell this is very early Christie but it is still a very enjoyable story. Murder on the Links was as different from its predecessor as that had been from Styles. It is very French; not just in setting but in tone, Agatha admitted that she had written it in a "high-flown, fanciful" manner. She had also based the book too closely upon a real-life French murder case, which gives the story a kind of non-artistic complexity. Ultimately, this story is about the dark secrets of the French aristocracy and how individuals confuse love and money. Poirot is, as usual, a bit pompous and it is fun to see him go up against Monsieur Giraud of the Sûreté (who leads the police investigation and resents Poirot's involvement). This gives this serious mystery a little air of humor that is much needed.

It is a quite enjoyable Poirot story. ( )

I enjoyed this short novel in which Poirot, accompanied by his friend Hastings, travels to France in response to a letter from a man who appeals for his help, saying he is in danger - only to find that the letter writer has been murdered. The detective then embarks upon his own investigation against the background of the official one, which includes a Parisian detective who is dismissive of Poirot's methods and downright rude in general.

I actually enjoyed this book more than the David Suchet version which I saw quite recently and which took quite a few liberties with the story. The only thing I found quite incredible is a particular athletic feat which Poirot performs towards the end of the story. But overall it was an enjoyable read and I can award it 4 stars. ( )

Perhaps because this was written and released early in Agatha Christie’s Poirot canon — 1923 — it seems more freewheeling than some later Poirot mysteries; and in many ways more charming. All the books with Hastings as narrator have an element of charm, the interactions between Hastings and Poirot giving readers an indelible impression of both men that remains steadfast and comforting all these years later. Murder on the Links in particular abounds with little nuances in their relationship, which intrudes into the mystery when Hastings falls in love, and actually goes against Poirot to protect the object of his affections.

The mystery is as freewheeling and enjoyable as the interaction between Hastings and Poirot. There are daggers, a murder, then a second murder, family secrets, a trial from the past which may have bearing on the present crimes, young love, unrequited love, false confessions, confession by silence, and a pompous detective that our favorite Belgian has to outwit to uncover the true murderer; whom few readers will actually guess. At one point, a murder is prevented as Poirot himself shimmies up the side of a house! I can’t recall much physical derring-do by Poirot in other stories; the little grey cells do all the work. It’s grand.

As many have noted, there is a great deal of clue-discovering and clue-explaining, but it’s handled within the charming narration of Hastings. For his part, Hasting observes Poirot mucking about with seemingly insignificant clues while the detective in charge appears to be solving the case quite nicely; all is not as it seems, however — perhaps nothing! Of all the Poirot entries, Murder on the Links feels more firmly set in the 1920s, capturing the romantic charm of a more innocent time — even when it comes to murder. There is some dark doings here, of course, but it’s all so romantic in a fashion that Murder on the Links is the epitome of a murder cozy.

If the reader is willing to go along with a more relaxed and freewheeling story and style of narrative — something you don’t often get in the rigidly defined cozy — they’ll have a great time reading this one, and more often than not find themselves smiling as they root as much for Hastings to find love as they do for Poirot to figure it all out and show up the pompous detective working the case. A wonderful read for fans. ( )

https://fromtheheartofeurope.eu/the-murder-on-the-links-by-agatha-christie/

The Murder on the Links was Agatha Christie’s third novel (of 66) and second Poirot novel (of 33). It’s just outside her top ten books on both LibraryThing and Goodreads. Poirot, an elderly retired Belgian detective, and the narrator, the young Captain Hastings, are invited to France by Paul Renauld, a Canadian millionaire who has earned his fortune in Chile and Argentina, and writes that he is in fear of his life. They arrive in France to find that he has just been murdered. The case involves many beautiful women and Renauld’s son. It turns out, after much complex investigation and many false leads, that…

MASSIVE SPOILERS

…Renauld had planned to fake his own murder, but one of the beautiful women decided to kill him anyway. She conveniently dies before being arrested; another of the beautiful women marries Renauld’s son, and another marries Captain Hastings and takes him to Argentina.

The war looms over this book, as over the other two which I will come to. In the very first chapter, Hastings introduces himself to the reader by way of conversation with the girl he has just met (and will marry at the end of the story):

[start]

We passed through Amiens. The name awakened many memories. My companion seemed to have an intuitive knowledge of what was in my mind.

“Thinking of the War?”

I nodded.

“You were through it, I suppose?”

“Pretty well. I was wounded once, and after the Somme they invalided me out altogether. I had a half fledged Army job for a bit. I’m a sort of private secretary now to an M. P.”

“My! That’s brainy!”

“No, it isn’t. There’s really awfully little to do. Usually a couple of hours every day sees me through. It’s dull work too.”

[end]

All of the dialogue in the book is reported in English, though with a distinctly French idiom to let us know when Christie’s characters are speaking French. It is taken for granted that Hastings, like all properly educated people in 1923, is completely fluent and comfortable in French. No difficulties of linguistic comprehension are reported.

The murder plot is intricate beyond belief, but Christie carries it off by having Poirot show off his talent to the sympathetic Hastings and the unsympathetic official detective from Paris. One feels at the end that the elaborate set-up was just about worth the payoff, and it is a more confident and comfortable book than The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Christie’s first novel, which also featured Poirot. ( )

Some turns and twists, nice read ( )

3/5

Finished the audiobook after what felt like ages. But, I liked the storytelling and the characters. Not a die hard fan of it but I might get used to it with more stories. ( )

Poirot receives a letter from a gentleman in France asking for his assistance because he believes his life to be in danger. When Poirot arrives, it is too late because the man had been murdered. Poirot now must discover who killed him. This was a fun mystery and I like how Christie uses Hastings as a proxy for the reader as Poirot tries to guide him to solve the mystery without telling him the answers. I felt like I got to know both Poirot and Hastings more in this book than in the first one in the series. The mystery had a lot of twists and turns, but nothing that was too outlandish. The collection of characters/suspects were interesting and fun to read about and try to figure out. I look forward to reading more Poirot mysteries. ( )

I found this (and, to be honest, all Agatha Christie old books, b o r i n g. It did pick up at the very end, but what a chore to get through. I'm going to continue to suffer through getting to know them as an oeuvre. ( )

Hercule Poirot and his associate, Hastings, are invited to a small village in France by a client who believes he is in danger only to arrive and discover the client has been murdered. However, all is not as it seems and, of course, only Poirot can figure it out.

I always enjoy an Agatha Christie mystery and this was no exception (even if Hastings is on the obnoxious side). I enjoyed all the misdirection and the coming together of the various details. If you enjoy mysteries, you can't go wrong with this one. ( )

3,5
http://www.planocritico.com/critica-assassinato-no-campo-de-golfe-de-agatha-chri... ( )

Felt a bit too complicated towards the end ( )

Oh, dear! Agatha Christie is not standing up to re-reading as well as I had hoped. WAY too many clues, at least three secret plots and endless red herrings. Witless police inspector, clueless sidekick, and Poirot in his second book already tediously smug. ( )

Poirot was an extraordinary-looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. Yet this quaint dandified little man who, I was sorry to see, now limped badly, had been in his time one of the most celebrated members of the Belgian police. As a detective, his flair had been extraordinary, and he had achieved triumphs by unravelling some of the most baffling cases of the day.

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot 3-Book Collection 1: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder on the Links, Poirot Investigates (Kindle Locations 308-313). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

I love Hercule Poirot. Such a great detective. Such a character. There's always a great mystery with lots of twists and turns and red herrings, all of which keep me riveted. The characters are interesting and have complex motives for their actions. That said, not a huge fan of Hastings. He's too busy being on his high horse to be likable. I've read many Agatha Christie books before but not all and not in order so I'm in the process of commencing a reread. Highly recommend to crime lovers.

In The Murder on the Links, Poirot and Hastings are called to assist a man who later winds up dead and stay on to help solve the murder. There's love affairs and mistaken identities and lots of intrigue. I had no idea what the hell was going on and it was fantastic. Hastings irritates me with how easily he falls in love - he knows this chick for two seconds and he loves her? Seriously, he met her twice. He's too fickle and it irritates me a lot. Fantastic. ( )

هستینگز که راوی رمان‌های پوآروئه خیلی آدم رو مخ و اعصاب خرد کنیه... آدمی که از درک خیلی از معماها عاجز و هیچ کمک فکری یا جسمی‌ای به پوارو نمی‌کنه و تازه در این رمان دو سه جا مشکل هم براش به وجود میاره و این سؤال رو برای من به وجود میاره که چرا باید پوارو اون رو به عنوان همکار پیش خودش نگه داره! اقلاً شخصیت واستون تو رمان‌های شرلوک هلمز به شخصیت ضداجتماعی شرلوک در اجتماع کمک می‌کنه و سودی براش داره.
جدای از اون شخصیت پوارو هم کارآگاه جذابی نیست (حداقل تو این دو رمانی که ازش تا به اینجا خوندم)... تقریباً جز هوش سرشارش هیچ عامل دیگه‌ای نیست که اون رو متمایز و دوست داشتنی کنه برخلاف شرلوک که شخصیت عصبی و جامعه‌ستیزش باعث جذابیت اعمالش هم می‌شه... توی ماجرای اسرارآمیز در استایلز (شماره‌ی اول سری رمان‌های پوارو) پوارو نشانه‌هایی از اختلال وسواس فکری-عملی نشون می‌ده که به شخصیت ریزبین اون میاد اما هر چند این ویژگی شخصیتی تو رمان اول کمرنگ بود توی این رمان کاملاً محو شده بود.
اما جدای از این نقدها به نظر من آگاتا کریستی استاد ساختن پیرنگ‌های پیچیده‌ و جنایی‌یه. باز هم نمی‌شد حدس زد که آگاتا کریستی چه چیزی رو برای رو کردن آخر داستان ترتیب داده و چقدر استادانه همه چیز رو کنار همه چیده... شاید اگه آگاتا کریستی به جای نویسندگی جنایتکار هم می‌شد آدم موفقی می‌بود. ( )

قصة خفيفة ، مسلية ، درجه الملل انخفضت بشكل كبير عن القصة الأولي ، وعجبنى طريقة بوارو فى الصمت والاكتفاء بتلميحات بتأكد او بتنفي فكر القارئ ، والاحتفاظ بالالتواءة الأخيرة للنهاية ، فاما هتسعد باستنتاجك الشخصى اللى أصريت عليه رغم النتائج المبكرة ، او هتتفاجئ ان تم خداعك أكتر من مرة ، وفى كلا الحالتين غالباً هتقضي وقت ممتع . ( )

I picked this book up with a few other Agatha Christie novels after reading The Science of Murder: The Forensics of Agatha Christie by Carla Valentine. I read through most of Christie's catalog when I was in junior high, but didn't remember a lot of what Valentine was mentioning, so I decided to revisit a few.

This is one of Christie's earlier works and it shows. Poirot vacillates between searching for physical evidence and deriding it before focusing on the work of his "little gray cells." I'm still not entirely sure of how the initial murder took place, though the motive was very clear. I also find Hasting's love story to be overly melodramatic and slightly maudlin - he has had three conversations with this woman and falls in love with her, ugh. ( )

18-Aug-2020 21-Aug-2020 ( )