Status
Available
Call number
Genres
Collection
Publication
1969
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML: Inspiration for the major motion picture A Haunting in Venice, directed by and starring Kenneth Branagh, coming September 2023! When a Halloween Party turns deadly, it falls to Hercule Poirots to unmask a murderer in Agatha Christie's classic murder mystery, Hallowe'en Party. At a Halloween party, Joyce�??a hostile thirteen-year-old�??boasts that she once witnessed a murder. When no one believes her, she storms off home. But within hours her body is found, still in the house, drowned in an apple-bobbing tub. That night, Hercule Poirot is called in to find the 'evil presence'. But first he must establish whether he is looking for a murderer or a double-murderer..
User reviews
LibraryThing member AlexTheHunn
A superb Hercule Poirot mystery that delights, charms and inevitably strings the reader along. I never figure out Christie's mysteries and this one is no exception.
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie was originally published in 1969 and I have to say that I much prefer Agatha Christie when her books are set in an earlier decade. Hallowe’en Party is set in the 1960’s and the author seems to rotate from being dismayed, amused or disinclined to understand
Poirot is called upon by his friend Ariadne Oliver to solve the murder of a 13 year old girl, killed at a Halloween party. She had earlier been bragging that she had once seen a murder, and although most people dismissed her as a liar, it seems apparent that a murderer believed her.
I would hesitate to recommend this book to first time Christie readers. I suggest they start with her earlier works and leave Hallowe’en Party to the die-hard fans who will be more willing to accept the stilted dialogue and murky plot. This book in no way lessens my love of this author’s work, but I will definitely be looking for one of her earlier novels next time.
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the culture, fashion or music of the day. While I always enjoy reading about Hercule Poirot, this isn’t one of her best mysteries. I suspect that toward the end of her writing career, this being her 39th Poirot story, she often was writing by rote.Poirot is called upon by his friend Ariadne Oliver to solve the murder of a 13 year old girl, killed at a Halloween party. She had earlier been bragging that she had once seen a murder, and although most people dismissed her as a liar, it seems apparent that a murderer believed her.
I would hesitate to recommend this book to first time Christie readers. I suggest they start with her earlier works and leave Hallowe’en Party to the die-hard fans who will be more willing to accept the stilted dialogue and murky plot. This book in no way lessens my love of this author’s work, but I will definitely be looking for one of her earlier novels next time.
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LibraryThing member mrtall
In Hallowe'en Party, one of the latest of the Poirot novels, our protagonist teams up with the scatty mystery writer Ariadne Oliver to solve an unlikely murder: a schoolgirl is drowned in the apple-bobbing bucket at a Halloween party.
As is the case with Christie's other late work, there's a lot of
Actually, this doesn't bother me: I think Christie was largely right about the '60s! But the other flaws here are manifold: rambling, repetitive passages, totally un-Poirot-like dialog, and a whodunit that's pretty obvious.
Recommended for reading-the-Christie-corpus completeness only.
As is the case with Christie's other late work, there's a lot of
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mystified spouting off about the evils of the times here, with imprecations cast down on psychiatry, kids nowadays, what things are coming to, and so on.Actually, this doesn't bother me: I think Christie was largely right about the '60s! But the other flaws here are manifold: rambling, repetitive passages, totally un-Poirot-like dialog, and a whodunit that's pretty obvious.
Recommended for reading-the-Christie-corpus completeness only.
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LibraryThing member john257hopper
This started off very well, and particularly shockingly for a Christie novel, with the murder of a 13 year old girl at a Halloween party, drowned in a bucket of water used for bobbing apples. After this chilling start, I thought it lost its way and meandered a bit, and I don't think Poirot is at
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his strongest here - he must be very old as this book was published in 1969 and he has been sleuthing since the First World War, when he was evacuated from Belgium. But Poirot never really changed in nearly fifty years of novels featuring the character. I have remarked in previous reviews of Christie novels that the final resolutions often seem very unlikely and this has its unrealistic aspects too. This novel also includes an amateur crime writer as one of the main characters who calls on Poirot for help after the girl's body is found. Finally, one interesting feature of this book is that Christie dedicates it to P G Woodhouse, whom she says has told her he enjoys her books, as she has enjoyed his. Show Less
LibraryThing member LauraT81
When a thirteen year old girl is murdered at a Halloween party, mystery writer, Ariadne Oliver calls on her old friend Hercule Poirot to help solve the crime. Not much to do with Halloween but a fast and interesting mystery that kept me guessing till the end.
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This was a Hercule Poirot that I had never read before. At a Halloween party a young teenaged girl brags that she has witnessed a murder in the past. No one believes her, but when the party is over she is found drowned in the bucket for apple bobbing. Ariadne Oliver is a guest at the party and
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calls on Hercule to find out who done it. Poirot enlists the aid of his friend, retired Scotland Yard detective Spence and they solve both the current murder and a past crime. This isn’t one of her “classic” greats, but it is well put together and I didn’t completely solve the puzzle until the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member jnicholson
Some beautiful imagery of gardens and of the emotions they evoke give this mystery its charm. A child is drowned at a party, after boasting that she had seen a murder - but all the evidence suggests that she did not see any such thing, so why would she be killed? Christie makes it all come together
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with a twist in the end, as always. Show Less
LibraryThing member victorianrose869
May 18, 1999
Halloween Party
Agatha Christie
Of course I was attracted by the title, and then by the synopsis: a schoolgirl is found dead at a Halloween party. This introduces me to the character of Ariadne Oliver, a recurring character in many of Christie’s books, apparently. It’s a Poirot
The storyline is great. Young girl (pre-teen) murdered sometime during the party, after claiming she’d seen a murder. The ending seemed nonsensical, though, and could’ve been much better.
Halloween Party
Agatha Christie
Of course I was attracted by the title, and then by the synopsis: a schoolgirl is found dead at a Halloween party. This introduces me to the character of Ariadne Oliver, a recurring character in many of Christie’s books, apparently. It’s a Poirot
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mystery, and Ariadne, some say, is a parody of Christie herself. She’s a mystery writer with a fondness for apples, etc.The storyline is great. Young girl (pre-teen) murdered sometime during the party, after claiming she’d seen a murder. The ending seemed nonsensical, though, and could’ve been much better.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
Mrs Oliver - who seems to be involved in murder everywhere she goes - attends a children's party at which a young girl claims that she had witnessed a murder. Claims which are ignored until later that evening she is murdered. Mrs Oliver calls in her friend Hercule Poirot to investigate. A good late
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Poirot. Show Less
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
You can certainly tell the later novels by Christie from the earlier ones. There is a clear difference in tone between this one and say, Peril at End House (the first Poirot mystery). However, that doesn't stop the mystery from being as good; there are plenty of suspects, plenty of motives, and a
basic plot without spoilers
Mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver is visiting a friend at about the time a Halloween party is being planned for the children of the village. One night, a young teenaged girl tells all and sundry gathered that she once witnessed a murder -- she didn't realize it was a murder at the time, but she understands now what she saw. Later, at the party, she turns up dead in a hideous manner -- she is drowned in a bucket used for bobbing for apples. Mrs. Oliver realizes that they need help that only can be provided by Hercule Poirot. He arrives and immediately begins his genius work of sorting out the crime. The plot is good, the solution is good and I honestly did not guess a thing. It may be a bit dated for some readers, but it's classic Christie.
Recommended for those readers who like Hercule Poirot as well as other novels by Agatha Christie.
I can't help always picturing David Suchet as Poirot...
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lot of red herrings along the way. What more do you really need?basic plot without spoilers
Mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver is visiting a friend at about the time a Halloween party is being planned for the children of the village. One night, a young teenaged girl tells all and sundry gathered that she once witnessed a murder -- she didn't realize it was a murder at the time, but she understands now what she saw. Later, at the party, she turns up dead in a hideous manner -- she is drowned in a bucket used for bobbing for apples. Mrs. Oliver realizes that they need help that only can be provided by Hercule Poirot. He arrives and immediately begins his genius work of sorting out the crime. The plot is good, the solution is good and I honestly did not guess a thing. It may be a bit dated for some readers, but it's classic Christie.
Recommended for those readers who like Hercule Poirot as well as other novels by Agatha Christie.
I can't help always picturing David Suchet as Poirot...
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LibraryThing member Figgles
A more modern but fey Poirot. Beautiful and sad.
LibraryThing member guiltlessreader
The setting: a children's halloween party complete with bobbing for apples, looking in the mirror to see your true love, a "real" witch ... and the presence of a well-known writer of mystery stories. A child boasts that she witnessed a murder, and hours later she is drowned. See how a murder
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committed years ago comes back to haunt a community. With characteristic references to Greek mythology of a bevy of characters, a beautiful garden .... and a complicated plot of money and saving beauty for beauty's sake. And Poirot saves the life of yet another just in time! Show Less
LibraryThing member nocto
Bit of seasonal Poirot. Quite intriguing but a little long winded at times which is unusual for Christie. Interesting because you're never quite sure whose murder is really being investigated.
LibraryThing member arielfl
This was my third Hercule Poirot entry in the Cool Down with AC reading challenge. Poirot featured much more prominently in this outing, he was more of a peripheral character in Three Act Tragedy and the Clocks. I had high hopes for his one, I love Halloween, but it didn't enthrall me. I did enjoy
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reading about an English Halloween party. I especially loved the description of the Snapdragon dish was mentioned often. Apparently they soak raisins in brandy and light it on fire. The kids then have to pick the flaming raisins out. It sounds rather dangerous to me but it was fun to read about. The mystery itself left me kind of cold. A thirteen year old girl is drowned in the bobbing for apples bucket and everyone is kind of blase about it. Where was Scotland Yard. Even worse, her ten year old brother is also found murdered and Poirot can't seem to muster up any sympathy. It turns out he was a little blackmailer and the sister was a liar but come on they were kids. Doesn't anyone care? Like in the previous books there are many characters to keep track of and the plot about the forgery got very convoluted after awhile. The middle half of the book really dragged for me. So far I am not really loving Hercule Poirot. I seem to prefer Miss Marple and the stand alone novels more. The movie for this book recently aired on masterpiece Theater and is currently available online. Show Less
LibraryThing member lizzybeans11
I have this nagging feeling that I've read this book before and I partially blame that on why I'm not thoroughly enjoying Madame Christie's novel like I should.
It starts out quite slow which would put a lot of people off.
It starts out quite slow which would put a lot of people off.
LibraryThing member Cassandra2020
Mixed feelings about this one. Not one I've come across on TV (yet), so didn't have any knowledge of who was going to be guilty. However, I did feel it was quite 'signposted' - quite a few of the main clues leapt out at me. Obviously not going to say which as that would spoil it for anyone reading
What I really didn't like was the continuing references by the characters, suggesting that the perpetrator, would be someone mentally unstable, deranged etc. I know these books were all written years ago, but it still jarred with me, especially as this was one of the later books & therefore was written and, probably, set within my lifetime.
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this before the book. Otherwise, the usual, nicely crafted, Agatha Christie/Poirot, but not one of her best.What I really didn't like was the continuing references by the characters, suggesting that the perpetrator, would be someone mentally unstable, deranged etc. I know these books were all written years ago, but it still jarred with me, especially as this was one of the later books & therefore was written and, probably, set within my lifetime.
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LibraryThing member Kellswitch
At a Halloween party a young girl claims to have witness a murder, and is then herself murdered.
While overall I enjoyed this book I found it to be neither one of Agatha Christie's best books or Hercule Poirot's best outing. I enjoyed Hercule Poirot's interactions with Ariadne Oliver and most of
My first experience with this story was the TV version, and I feel it made a much better TV episode then it did a book. Still worth reading for Hercule Poirot himself.
While overall I enjoyed this book I found it to be neither one of Agatha Christie's best books or Hercule Poirot's best outing. I enjoyed Hercule Poirot's interactions with Ariadne Oliver and most of
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the characters but I did find the wordiness and language use odd and it dragged quite a bit. My first experience with this story was the TV version, and I feel it made a much better TV episode then it did a book. Still worth reading for Hercule Poirot himself.
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LibraryThing member drbubbles
Like many of her later works, as much space is devoted to bemoaning post-war social change as to the mystery itself. Furthermore said mystery has more convolutions than are made use of, let alone explained; and the resolution is unsatisfying.
LibraryThing member FMRox
Halloween story from the files of Christie taking place in a town near Manchester, England. Hercules Poirot is called upon by friend and mystery novelist Ariadne Oliver to solve the case of a young girl found drowned in the bobbing-for-apples barrel at a adolescent Halloween party.
Good story. Reads
Good story. Reads
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quickly. I of course did not expect the who in the who dunnit. Characters are quirky. Show Less
LibraryThing member Jey_13
Oh, the agony, the agony. I feel like Poirot would have felt surrounded by uneven piles of rubbish, in a non symmetrical room.
Oh, dearest reader, if you don't want to face the painful knowledge that Agatha Christie had her REALLY bad days, don't pick up this book. When starting this book, I thought
The story plot seemed weak, and even Poirot seemed to have lost his sparkle. And beyond a point, I wasn't sorry the girl had died. I was just sorry that all the other characters were still alive. *sigh*
If you need more convincing that this is not the best of books to read, consider this: it's been atleast 8 years since I read this book, and the finer details have skipped my mind, but merely reading the title again has driven me into a rage. :P After all, time wasted is time wasted, no matter how many years ago it was. :D
Oh, dearest reader, if you don't want to face the painful knowledge that Agatha Christie had her REALLY bad days, don't pick up this book. When starting this book, I thought
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I was reading a really bad first draft, not a published version.The story plot seemed weak, and even Poirot seemed to have lost his sparkle. And beyond a point, I wasn't sorry the girl had died. I was just sorry that all the other characters were still alive. *sigh*
If you need more convincing that this is not the best of books to read, consider this: it's been atleast 8 years since I read this book, and the finer details have skipped my mind, but merely reading the title again has driven me into a rage. :P After all, time wasted is time wasted, no matter how many years ago it was. :D
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LibraryThing member JEB5
Hercule never disappoints!
LibraryThing member RubyScarlett
Interesting plot and some lovely characters (Miranda comes to mind) but the murderers are too out there for my taste, it seems far-fetched somewhat. I wish Christie had spent more time on one of them, at the end it felt too much like cardboard characters. The motive was strangely original too.
LibraryThing member smik
To be honest, this is one of the Agatha Christie novels I have either read or seen dramatised several times, and so I spent my time looking for things that I might not have seen or appreciated before.
This is, of course, one of the novels where novelist Ariadne Oliver comes to Hercule Poirot with a
Before Ariadne Oliver contacts him Hercule Poirot has been sitting at home feeling a little sorry for himself as he seems to have so much time on his hands, particularly in the evenings. It is three years in fact since his last novel was published. Time is slowing down for Poirot and yet he feels that his brain is still very active.
There will in fact be just 3 more Poirot titles published after this one.
Elephants Can Remember (1972)
Poirot's Early Cases (1974, short stories)
Curtain (written about 1940, published 1975)
The novel begins with a nice catalogue of the events that take place at a Hallowe'en party: looking in a looking-glass to see your true love's face, cutting the Flour Cake, decorating broomsticks, Snapdragon, and bobbing for apples which is where the unlovely and boastful Joyce is drowned in a bucket of water in the library.
Poirot is struck from the first by the prevalence of the motif of apples that always seems to accompany Ariadne Oliver: she is addicted to munching on apples, she is staying at a cottage called Apple Trees, and of course the unfortunate Joyce is drowned while bobbing for apples. Someone remarks that apples are not always as wholesome as they appear, and the village doctor talks about an apple that is rotten at the core.
But Poirot recognises that this is not only a crime, but a tragedy, for what else is the death of a child? Whatever she knew, Joyce did not deserve to die.
Throughout the story there is constant reference to the idea of mentally disturbed people at large in the community. Many of the residents of Woodleigh Common believe that the person who murdered Joyce may be a stranger, a mentally unbalanced outsider who saw an opportunity to commit murder. Almost no-one at the party believed Joyce when she claimed to have seen a murder committed. According to her brother, her teachers and others Joyce apparently had a history of telling lies or tall tales and many could recall a story she told of visiting India, which turned out to actually have originated with an uncle's visit to India. Many had the feeling that Joyce had brought her murder onto herself. The hostess seems put out by the idea that anyone would dare to get themselves murdered at her perfectly organised party.
Trying to assess a familiar novel with new eyes can be a fascinating experience and I found this one particularly rewarding.
I hope you have enjoyed my thoughts.
This is, of course, one of the novels where novelist Ariadne Oliver comes to Hercule Poirot with a
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a murder that happened at a party she was attending. The other collaborator is ex-Superintendent Spence whom Poirot assisted in MRS McGINTY'S DEAD (aka BLOOD WILL TELL). Ariadne Oliver was also involved in that one, published in 1952. Superintendent Spence has retired to the small dormitory suburb that the murder takes place in, so he has access to a lot of "inside" knowledge about the people in the village. The residents appear to be mainly widows and retirees.Before Ariadne Oliver contacts him Hercule Poirot has been sitting at home feeling a little sorry for himself as he seems to have so much time on his hands, particularly in the evenings. It is three years in fact since his last novel was published. Time is slowing down for Poirot and yet he feels that his brain is still very active.
There will in fact be just 3 more Poirot titles published after this one.
Elephants Can Remember (1972)
Poirot's Early Cases (1974, short stories)
Curtain (written about 1940, published 1975)
The novel begins with a nice catalogue of the events that take place at a Hallowe'en party: looking in a looking-glass to see your true love's face, cutting the Flour Cake, decorating broomsticks, Snapdragon, and bobbing for apples which is where the unlovely and boastful Joyce is drowned in a bucket of water in the library.
Poirot is struck from the first by the prevalence of the motif of apples that always seems to accompany Ariadne Oliver: she is addicted to munching on apples, she is staying at a cottage called Apple Trees, and of course the unfortunate Joyce is drowned while bobbing for apples. Someone remarks that apples are not always as wholesome as they appear, and the village doctor talks about an apple that is rotten at the core.
But Poirot recognises that this is not only a crime, but a tragedy, for what else is the death of a child? Whatever she knew, Joyce did not deserve to die.
Throughout the story there is constant reference to the idea of mentally disturbed people at large in the community. Many of the residents of Woodleigh Common believe that the person who murdered Joyce may be a stranger, a mentally unbalanced outsider who saw an opportunity to commit murder. Almost no-one at the party believed Joyce when she claimed to have seen a murder committed. According to her brother, her teachers and others Joyce apparently had a history of telling lies or tall tales and many could recall a story she told of visiting India, which turned out to actually have originated with an uncle's visit to India. Many had the feeling that Joyce had brought her murder onto herself. The hostess seems put out by the idea that anyone would dare to get themselves murdered at her perfectly organised party.
Trying to assess a familiar novel with new eyes can be a fascinating experience and I found this one particularly rewarding.
I hope you have enjoyed my thoughts.
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LibraryThing member antiquary
A silly girl boasts at a party of having seen a murder done --and soon is found murdered herself. A village case that seems more suitable for Miss Marple than Poirot, but it is Poirot who solves it.
LibraryThing member vintagebeckie
A few weeks ago my husband and I took a weekend road trip. Over the course of 4 days we traveled a total of 14 hours. I thought a good way to make the time go faster was to listen to an audiobook. Like a lot of things in our life together, our book likes are not always the same. But we both like a
The story opens in a small English village. A group of ladies, teenagers and children are gathered to decorate for a Halloween party to be held the next night. During the course of the activity, a young girl boasts that she has witnessed a murder. A famous mystery novelist is present, and Joyce is eager to impress her. But although Joyce is known to be a liar, often making up stories to make herself seem more important, a killer takes her assertion to heart. After a real murder occurs, Hercule Poirot is called in to get to the bottom of the case.
My husband and I had fun gathering clues right along with Poirot. We figured out just whodunit early on in the narration, but that didn’t spoil our enjoyment of the book. Motives were hard to decipher, so we needed Poirot’s help as well. The reader for this book did an outstanding job bringing all the characters to life. He did great voices for both the men and the women.
Perfect for our car trip, Hallowe’en Party is a good choice for those who like mysteries and need a little escape into the English countryside as well as the workings of the mind of Hercule Poirot.
Recommended.
Audience: teens to adults.
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good mystery, so I chose Hallowe’en Party by Agatha Christie. In this novel, Hercule Poirot, now retired, is the sleuth.The story opens in a small English village. A group of ladies, teenagers and children are gathered to decorate for a Halloween party to be held the next night. During the course of the activity, a young girl boasts that she has witnessed a murder. A famous mystery novelist is present, and Joyce is eager to impress her. But although Joyce is known to be a liar, often making up stories to make herself seem more important, a killer takes her assertion to heart. After a real murder occurs, Hercule Poirot is called in to get to the bottom of the case.
My husband and I had fun gathering clues right along with Poirot. We figured out just whodunit early on in the narration, but that didn’t spoil our enjoyment of the book. Motives were hard to decipher, so we needed Poirot’s help as well. The reader for this book did an outstanding job bringing all the characters to life. He did great voices for both the men and the women.
Perfect for our car trip, Hallowe’en Party is a good choice for those who like mysteries and need a little escape into the English countryside as well as the workings of the mind of Hercule Poirot.
Recommended.
Audience: teens to adults.
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Original publication date
1969-11-01