Feeling let down after watching Mark Gordon’s blockbuster adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express? The film takes significant liberties with Agatha Christie’s classic novel, altering key elements to cater to modern audiences, but in doing so, it inadvertently diminishes the timeless brilliance of the original.

Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express is a cornerstone in detective fiction, celebrated as one of her finest works. Set aboard the luxurious Orient Express in the 1930s, the novel follows the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot as he unravels a murder mystery that unfolds during his journey from Istanbul to London. Written in 1934, the novel draws on Christie’s real-life experiences traveling with her archaeologist husband, Max Mallowan.

The plot centers on the murder of Samuel Ratchett, a wealthy American passenger, who approaches Poirot for protection against a potential threat. Poirot declines, instinctively distrustful of Ratchett. When Ratchett is found murdered the following morning, the train is stranded in snow, and Poirot is called upon to solve the case. His investigation uncovers a connection to the infamous Armstrong case, where a child was kidnapped and murdered years earlier. Poirot ultimately presents two possible solutions: either an outsider infiltrated the train and killed Ratchett, or every single passenger had a hand in the murder—a complex revenge plot stemming from their shared connection to the Armstrong family.

This article was written as part of my AP English Literature class in Spring 2018 and was adapted for publication on Thrive Global.