On the surface, the ABC murders seems like any other run-of-the-mill serial killer mysteries. The premise is simple - an unknown assassin who murders people in alphabetical order of their names and in alphabetical order of the names of their locations challenges the master detective Hercule Poirot to catch him, even going as far as letting him know in advance the location of the next murder. The alphabetical theme is further exemplified by the fact that the assassins notes are signed A.B.C. Sounds simple enough, doesn't it ?The masterful skill of the grande dame of mystery Agatha Christie is what elevates this book several notches above than the average crime fiction as what starts out as a simple murder mystery turns out to be an amazing exploration of the human psyche and a commentary on how the brain is the most dangerous weapon of all. Each page simultaneously unravels and entangles the mystery further and just when you think the case is closed - well why don't you read it to find out. All I can say is that even seasoned readers of the crime fiction genre will have a tough time in predicting the climax and when it occurs, it will put all books with twist endings you have read till now to shame. This is clearly the best Hercule Poirot mystery I have read till date and I hope the review is tantalising enough to force you to give it a shot.
