The Mystery of the Blue Train was first published in 1928 and I believe that Agatha Christie didn’t think too highly of it, but I think she was being harsh on herself, I enjoyed it. I read her autobiography when it first came out, I’m shocked to say about 38 years ago now and I have a vague memory that she said she wrote one book because she had a hefty gas bill to pay and no means to pay it with! This may have been the one.

Anyway, from early on Christie managed to dupe me because there was one character who hailed from St Mary Mead – aha thought I – it’s a Miss Marple book, but I was wrong, it’s a Poirot. Poirot is described as a little man with an egg-shaped head and fierce moustaches.

The story involves theft, murder and unfaithful men, I suspect that that last bit was Mr Christie’s contribution!