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Title: Average Undertaking from the Master
Review: This particular mystery is actually a little slower and less engaging than other Christie novels. For one thing, the author gives Poirot an ascendant over the supposedly-expert medical examiner on board the train, making the doctor second guess himself a little too often (a nationality bias on Christie's part). Second, the victim is a hated man, making the murder less sensational, but the fact that the train is snowbound and that no one can escape the Express makes for a less-than-exciting notion that the killer is still on board (though everyone acts as if under sedation during their "enforced captivity"). As the mystery is unraveled, the entire truth appears on the instant, abruptly ending any suspense. This is my 2nd Christie mystery after "Death on the Nile," a much more gripping book.
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