"The Clocks" by Agatha Christie. A Hercule Poirot mystery. Actually Poirot is not so important in this book, neither are the clocks.
Never mind the murder mystery that I might have just spoiled with that summary, this book has a bit of meta features to it in how it references other murder mysteries. Sherlock Holmes was among one of those referenced, and perhaps the lack of Poirot action in this book is a homage to how Sherlock Holmes solved multiple cases simply by thinking hard in his chair. Poirot did take the spotlight at the end to explain everything, so it's still a Poirot mystery and not entirely a meta novel about murder mysteries, but it just tickles me every time a novel references other novels.
Poirot made a fine performance at the end to close out all loose ends, and did so with a sense of playfulness that I have come to expect from Agatha Christie's works. The murder case in this book might seem slightly plain compared to the intricate personalities that were given to all the characters, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Especially the lady with all the cats. Especially the orange cat. I didn't buy this book expecting to find an emperor-like cat but those bits totally made this book worth reading. Would read again!
It has been a while since the last Agatha Christie book I read. The puzzles and solutions are unpredictable, but the events mostly progressed in the same familiar rhythm as all previous Agatha Christie books. This sense of familiarity is why I always bring Agatha Christie books on trips, and I have been very pleased with this one.
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