I read this novel in two sittings about two months apart. I started it not long after purchasing it but lost interest just under half way through. I picked it up again today and finished it off. I did not enjoy this novel as much as Death on the Nile, which I gave 4 stars, and as such I'm only going to give this one three. 
 I appreciate Christie's style, though it is somewhat detached and she has a tendency to list at times. She has a true gift for portraying foreign-language ticks in English (even though most of what is said in this novel is supposed to be in French) - I have a lot of respect for her for that. 
 She wove a tightly-knitted, interesting mystery that others may well appreciate more than I did due to personal preferences.