Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie: Setting

            In the novel, Murder on the Orient Express, by Agatha Christie the setting plays a very important role in the conflict of the story. Detective Hercule Poirot investigates the murder of an American criminal, Mr. Ratchett, on the Orient Express. The crime is creepy enough, twelve stab wounds to the chest, but the fact that the criminal still hides on the train is even creepier. The criminal cannot escape because the train is completely stopped in a raging blizzard. The setting, on the train and in a snowstorm, effects the conflict because with this, Poirot has to work hastily if he is to catch the killer before he claims another victim. This effects both him and the tone of the entire novel. Now, Poirot has to be aggressive with his investigation, leading to a change of character from a civilized Frenchmen to a hostile detective. Also, the plot becomes extremely more intense and suspenseful, keeping you on the edge of your seat until you reach that final page.