Gregor

As perhaps the most famous of the Poirot novels, I had high hopes going into this one. The claustrophobic nature of the train stuck in one place and the eclectic cast of characters makes for a top-draw base from which to build the mystery. Having already seen the 2017 movie before reading the novel, I was worried that the ending would fall somewhat flat, but that was decidedly not the case, with some textbook Poirot flourishes as all are gathered to hear his findings. I think this would be a great starting point for anyone wanting to test the waters of the Poirot novels.

I went into this book knowing absolutely nothing of Apple's dealings in China and left with the feeling that the kind of compromises Apple have had to make would be the same made by any other large corporation seeking to penetrate the Chinese market. This was a thoroughly eye-opening read and very well-paced, spending time on important players' backstories when necessary.