Wonderful character development!

terrible... so disappointed.

Excellent, a Must See

An action-packed slog

Poirot investigates a series of killings in "The ABC Murders" in this excellent adaptation. As Hastings reappears after an absence, Poirot receives letters from a serial killer, calling himself ABC, who tells Poirot the city where the next murder will take place. At the scene of each crime, he leaves the ABC railroad schedule. The murders seem to have the same last name initial as the name of the town.The authorities think the killer is insane, but Poirot doesn't. He believes there is a real method to the killer's madness. It takes a while, but Poirot finally figures it out. Wonderful, exciting adaptation, and if you haven't read the book (or like me read it a hundred years ago) it's even more thrilling since you won't know the solution. I love Poirot, Hastings, and Japp together. Suchet is so perfect as Poirot except for one small thing. Agatha Christie came to hate Poirot. There's no way she would have hated THIS Poirot. She found him "insufferable" and an "egocentric creep." Despite being fussy, egomaniacal, and arrogant, Suchet somehow gives Poirot warmth and a camaraderie with Japp and Hastings. I just love his interpretation. You can't hate him.

This is my favorite Hercule Poirot murder mystery. Rare Agatha Christie murder mystery where there seems to be a serial killer. Hercule Poirot receives letters from the killer taunting him about his inability to prevent the crimes even after being warned even to the extent of being told in which city the murder would occur. One letter is sent to the wrong address. Inspector Japp believes it is because the killer was drinking whiskey and wrote the name of the maker of the whiskey for Hercule Poirot's address. There is also a funny subplot dealing with a large lizard that Capt. Hasting had killed in Argentina on the Orinoco River and has been preserved. There is also a funny scene with Capt. Hastings washing dishes and Hercule Poirot drying the dishes. Hercule Poirot makes Capt. Hsstings re-wash saucers several times before they meet his satisfaction.

I love episodes like Sad Cypress, Five Little Pigs and Peril At End House, but The ABC Murders deserves to be up there with the best of them. It was a near-perfect, top notch and thrilling episode. There are one or two slow moments, and before I realised that there was half an hour left I had the impression as I haven't read the book that I had been told too much, but these are the only problems I had with it. The plot is complicated with plenty of surprises, but is well constructed and well explained. The adaptation looks splendid, not in a sumptuous visual style like say Sad Cypress but in a dark haunting visual style like something like Hickory Dickory Dock. The music is enough to make the hairs stand up on your neck, it certainly did that to mine. The acting from all involved is exceptional, whilst David Suchet gives an impeccable performance as always as Poirot, it is Donald Sumpter who walks away with the acting honours in one of the best supporting performances in the history of the Poirot run. It is considered as one of Suchet's favourite Poirots, and you know what, it is easy to see why. It is superb. 9/10 Bethany Cox

A serial killer strikes in London: he selects his targets in alphabetical order of name and location. He also sends letters to Hercule Poirot, signing as "ABC", boasting about his "accomplishments" and challenging Poirot to find him.Reportedly this is one of the favorite Poirot episodes of David Suchet himself, and you can see why. Agatha Christie has rarely been more audacious in her misleading and manipulating the (reading & viewing) audience than she is here. Halfway through, you may feel a slight disappointment, that the film has told you too much; stick with it and you'll find out why this is not the case. They often say "seeing is believing", but in this story sometimes you shouldn't even believe what you can see with your own eyes! All this, and some priceless Poirot-Hastings interaction as well: a top-notch episode. (***)