Agatha Christie, The Mystery of the Blue Train

Amy Lee (The Open University)

The Literary Encyclopedia. Volume 1.2.1.09: English Writing and Culture: Postwar and Contemporary Britain , 1945-present.
Vol. editors: Kerry Myler (Newman University), Jenni Ramone (The Nottingham Trent University)

Dates

First circulation or publication 1928

Places

England (Country of Origin)

Genres and Modes

Crime and Detective
Novel

Resources

Agatha Christie herself considers this her worst book. The Mystery of the Blue Train was written in 1926, probably one of the worst years of her life: her unsuccessful marriage followed by her mysterious disappearance, and her mother's death. The content and the unravelling of the crime itself also reflect some of the complications concerning the human condition and relationships.

In the back street of Paris, a famous ruby, Heart of Fire, is changing hands. This piece of jewellery has a long history of bloodshed and tragedy trailing after it, and is said to bring bad luck to its owners. An American millionaire, Rufus van Aldin, buys the ruby and gives it to his only daughter, Ruth Kettering, who is unhappy in her …

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974 words

Citation: Lee, Amy. "The Mystery of the Blue Train". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 11 July 2003 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/sworks.php?rec=true&UID=117, accessed 25 November 2024.]

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