Why the Red Herrings in Murder on the Orient Express Are Perfect?

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Murder on the Orient Express is undoubtedly one of the finest entries in the detective fiction genre. It boasts many mind-blowing aspects, such as the meticulous, high-scale planning of the crime, Poirot’s tactics as a master of psychology and acute manipulator, and a final reveal sustained over nine chapters that keeps dropping secrets in every single one. But today, I want to focus on Agatha Christie’s brilliant use of red herrings—the element that makes this case truly multi-layered. Here is why they work so well and why I think they are some of the best in the genre:

  1. Sustained Suspense Throughout the Story: The red herrings are introduced very early on and remain prominent until the very end, constantly generating tension, confusion, and chaos.
  2. Characters Continuously Fueling the Deception: All twelve passengers were assigned a role in this story, and a few of them continually added details to the false leads. Just when the reader starts to forget about them, another passenger steps forward to weave more of the story around them, ratcheting up the existing tension and confusion.
  3. Integral to the Main Plot: They are not just something tossed in for the sake of having red herrings; they make up an essential part of the plot. Try removing them and thinking about the charm of Murder on the Orient Express!
  4. Amplifying the Claustrophobic Atmosphere: With the murder, the suspects, and the red herrings all locked together on a snowbound train in an isolated place, the pressure is immense. Poirot faces the challenge of sorting through not just the mystery itself, but the suffocating web of false leads surrounding it.
  5. Designed to Fool Both Poirot and the Reader: These distractions are crafted to fool a brilliant detective, placed deliberately by the passengers so that Poirot even has to include them in his ten final questions. If Poirot is forced to give them utmost importance, we as readers naturally fall right into the trap alongside him.
So, if you want to see how these brilliant red herrings make this great novel even greater, feel free to visit my full review of Murder on the Orient Express!

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