Mystery Review: Three Act Tragedy is the tenth Poirot book, also known as Murder in Three Acts (original U.S. title). This is not a play, but Christie does spread the thespian metaphor throughout the novel. Hastings fails to appear in this installment. Instead Mr. Satterthwaite (who appears in two other Poirot works) ably serves in his stead and also provides the requisite anti-Semitic comment. Misogynistic comments also occur. The pace in Three Act Tragedy is slow and deliberate although Christie spreads the narrative over several characters. Poirot disappears for a lengthy section and then has an extended summing up at the end. There are a couple of clever twists (one tying into the title) that make the story a little more interesting. The book ends on a tragic note that could have been expanded into a more heart-wrenching scene. Three Act Tragedy was better than average Christie, though when reading I'd already seen the BBC (David Suchet) series adaptation, which might've colored my thoughts. [3½★]
