#BookReview–> Hercule Poirot #36- Halloween Party by Agatha Christie

It’s a Halloween party when amidst the talks of murder, Joyce, a thirteen year old girl, boasts that she once witnessed a murder.

“I saw a murder once,” said Joyce

But no one believes her and everyone thinks she is telling a tall tale since she is a known liar! Angry and swearing that she did see a murder, Joyce storms off but is later found murdered in the same house, drowned in a tub filled with water and apples.

“That’s where she was found,” said Mrs Oliver.
“Someone, you know, someone had shoved her head down into the water with the apples. Shoved her down and held her there so that she was dead, of course. Drowned. Drowned….”


Mrs Ariadne Oliver, a friend of Poirot and the famous mystery writer, who was present at the party seeks Poirot’s help in solving Joyce’s murder. But as they begin investigating it looks like this murder holds the secret to an old murder committed years ago.


Can Poirot solve Joyce’s murder and in turn catch the “evil presence”?
What happened all those years ago that just a hint of scandal led to Joyce getting killed?

Everyone has a motive to hide something or the other and a web of lies has been weaved which Poirot and Mrs Oliver have to penetrate to reach the murderer who got away once and is sure of a repeat performance!

A yet another splendid book from the “Queen of Crime”, Agatha Christie. Hallowe’en Party, is a book where the surroundings also have a character. Whether it be the spooky, dark and mysterious atmosphere at the Halloween Party or be it the sinister and deep-secrets-buried silence of the people. A story bound to keep you on the edge of your seat, Hallowe’en Partytests all our “little grey cells” as Poirot solves the murder mystery in his usual style and Mrs Oliver, true to her nature, is full of suggestions which range from weird to highly sinister as reasons for the murder!

I loved this book and highly recommend it all of you. A fitting “Halloween Day” reading. A full 5 on 5 to Hallowe’en Party.