 Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition | |
| Author | Agatha Christie |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Series | Hercule Poirot |
| Genre | Crime novel |
| Publisher | Collins Crime Club |
Publication date | 2 November 1936 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback and paperback) |
| Pages | 286[1] |
| Preceded by | Murder in Mesopotamia |
| Followed by | Murder in the Mews |
Cards on the Table is a detective fiction novel by the English author Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 2 November 1936[2] and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year.[3][4] The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6)[5] and the US edition at $2.00.[4]
The book features the recurring characters of Hercule Poirot, Colonel Race, Superintendent Battle, with the crime writer Ariadne Oliver making her first appearance in a Poirot novel. The four detectives and four possible suspects play bridge after dinner with Mr Shaitana. At the end of the evening, Mr Shaitana is discovered murdered. Identifying the murderer, according to the author, depends wholly on discerning the psychology of the suspects.
The novel was well received, the critics noting its humour, the subtlety and tightness of the writing, and the good clueing. A later reviewer considered the book to stand at the very top rung of her novels, while another appreciated the brilliant surprise ending.
- ^ "British Library Item details". primocat.bl.uk. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
- ^ The Observer, 1 November 1936 (p. 6)
- ^ Cooper, John; Pyke, BA (1994). Detective Fiction – the collector's guide (Second ed.). Scholar Press. pp. 82, 86. ISBN 0-85967-991-8.
- ^ a b "American Tribute to Agatha Christie". Retrieved 2 December 2013.
- ^ Peers, Chris; Spurrier, Ralph; Sturgeon, Jamie (March 1999). Collins Crime Club – A checklist of First Editions (Second ed.). Dragonby Press. p. 15.