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Agatha Christie Graphic Novels #15
[Hallowe'en Party] [by: Agatha Christie]
Graphic Novel Adaptation of HALLOWE'EN PARTY.
Hardcover
First published October 18, 2007
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
October 25, 2015
Great artwork but the story was too watered down and missing elements. At times it was a bit confusing and jumped from one place to another quite quickly. It was a good storyline but I would recommend reading the book first. I possibly should've done that!
May 12, 2019
An enjoyable read but I feel this one would be much harder to follow if the original text hadn't been read first. Having read the original I enjoyed it but the storyline wasn't quite as clear.
November 27, 2023
Hallowe’en Party (2008) (Poirot #35) (Graphic Novel) by Agatha Christie, illustrated by Chandre. I recently found a copy of the graphic novel version of Hallowe’en Party and bought it. Reading it was fun, especially because I can’t remember ever having read the novel. But not to worry, I soon located the mystery novel and set out reading and contrasting the two.
I’m glad I did. It is usually interesting to get a different take on Ms. Christie’s classic characters and this was no exception. While I have yet to see the screen adaptation of this novel, I will tell you this book is NOT set in Venice. The water connection come from the death of 12 year-old compulsive liar Joyce who, trying to garner the attention of Mrs. Oliver, a writer of mystery novels, blurts out during the preparations for the party that she has seen a murder. No one believes her but when the girl winds up drowned a few hours later, Mrs. Oliver wonders.
A quick trip to her dear old friend Poirot in London, an explanation of what she wants, a sip of tea, and the pair are off to the small village where evil lurks. Poirot initially finds a lack of clues and a consolidated opinion that Joyce was yet again seeking attention, this time from the famous author. But Poirot trusts his instincts and begins to delve into the sordid past of the criminal enterprises that the village harbors, There isn’t much, a dead lawyer, a missing au pair girl, a forged will and a husband dead from a hit and run accident.
While the graphic adaptation is considerably shorter than the written novel, there is only some deletion of non-essential dialog. Scene descriptions are almost nonexistent, justifiably so, but all the essentials are presented as in the novel.
Plus we get another view into the visual aspect of the entire cast giving us a shorthand look into the world of Christie.
Which is always a delight and so is this book. By the way, Chandre is a French artist and this book is just one of about a dozen adaptations of Agatha Christie’s work into the graphic format by various artists. The others I have seen are delightful, faithful renderings of this realm of mystery.
Enjoy.
I’m glad I did. It is usually interesting to get a different take on Ms. Christie’s classic characters and this was no exception. While I have yet to see the screen adaptation of this novel, I will tell you this book is NOT set in Venice. The water connection come from the death of 12 year-old compulsive liar Joyce who, trying to garner the attention of Mrs. Oliver, a writer of mystery novels, blurts out during the preparations for the party that she has seen a murder. No one believes her but when the girl winds up drowned a few hours later, Mrs. Oliver wonders.
A quick trip to her dear old friend Poirot in London, an explanation of what she wants, a sip of tea, and the pair are off to the small village where evil lurks. Poirot initially finds a lack of clues and a consolidated opinion that Joyce was yet again seeking attention, this time from the famous author. But Poirot trusts his instincts and begins to delve into the sordid past of the criminal enterprises that the village harbors, There isn’t much, a dead lawyer, a missing au pair girl, a forged will and a husband dead from a hit and run accident.
While the graphic adaptation is considerably shorter than the written novel, there is only some deletion of non-essential dialog. Scene descriptions are almost nonexistent, justifiably so, but all the essentials are presented as in the novel.
Plus we get another view into the visual aspect of the entire cast giving us a shorthand look into the world of Christie.
Which is always a delight and so is this book. By the way, Chandre is a French artist and this book is just one of about a dozen adaptations of Agatha Christie’s work into the graphic format by various artists. The others I have seen are delightful, faithful renderings of this realm of mystery.
Enjoy.
December 23, 2024
The thing about Halloween Party is that it has a lot of the trappings of a good, solid Hercule Poirot mystery. The problem is that, again, this is one of the later books, where Christie drones on and on about things that aren't as relevant, and the book feels a little stale as a mystery.
The plot of the book revolves around a young girl who claims to have witnessed a murder, and is murdered at a Halloween Party. Ariadne Oliver just happens to be at this party, and of course, she gets Hercule Poirot involved. There are shades of her previous mysteries here, including and most notably Dead Man's Folly, which has a very similar premise, though - I think is a much more interesting read.
You'd think the idea of something being set at a Halloween Party would be spooky, but there isn't much atmosphere in this one - despite some rather unorthodox things going on (especially in the end.) And usually, I enjoy the dynamic of Oliver and Poirot, but this is the blandest these characters have ever felt, which feels like a bummer - because even in weaker novels, I usually have that to look forward to.
The one somewhat interesting thing, though, is just how 60s this book feels. The youths in particular feel very much a product of their time, and it's kind of amusing seeing an elderly Christie's take on such an iconic time period. It was the one aspect of the book I remember from reading it as a kid, and I think it's the only aspect that really will stick with me.
Overall, it's a somewhat bland and boring book, a somewhat pale shade of the mysteries Christie had once done so brilliantly. It's not terrible or bad, but it does feel like it's missing something.
The plot of the book revolves around a young girl who claims to have witnessed a murder, and is murdered at a Halloween Party. Ariadne Oliver just happens to be at this party, and of course, she gets Hercule Poirot involved. There are shades of her previous mysteries here, including and most notably Dead Man's Folly, which has a very similar premise, though - I think is a much more interesting read.
You'd think the idea of something being set at a Halloween Party would be spooky, but there isn't much atmosphere in this one - despite some rather unorthodox things going on (especially in the end.) And usually, I enjoy the dynamic of Oliver and Poirot, but this is the blandest these characters have ever felt, which feels like a bummer - because even in weaker novels, I usually have that to look forward to.
The one somewhat interesting thing, though, is just how 60s this book feels. The youths in particular feel very much a product of their time, and it's kind of amusing seeing an elderly Christie's take on such an iconic time period. It was the one aspect of the book I remember from reading it as a kid, and I think it's the only aspect that really will stick with me.
Overall, it's a somewhat bland and boring book, a somewhat pale shade of the mysteries Christie had once done so brilliantly. It's not terrible or bad, but it does feel like it's missing something.
December 6, 2017
This is the first of the four Christie GN adaptations I read, and probably my least favorite. Not that it's bad-certainly the shock of a child being murdered in the first few pages is enough to pull you right in. But while I cannot find fault with the storytelling, the motivations of the characters were harder for me to relate to, I suppose. I read it a couple months ago, so I'm essentially writing on impressions right now. Overall, these adaptations are quite lovely to look at, and a welcome introduction to a writer who is clearly a master of the genre she still commands and audience for today, so many years later. It's not likely that I would have read any of her books otherwise, and I ended up with a great deal of respect for Christie's imagination and intelligence. I would read more of these if I could get my hands on them; unfortunately, they were on clearance at a bookstore in Maine, so who knows when and where I may come across some more.
December 17, 2023
Le dessin est vraiment très bof. Dans ce genre de livre, il faut absolument qu'on puisse reconnaitre tous les protagonistes et c'est loin d'être le cas ici. A part Poirot qui se distingue par sa moustache, les autres personnages ne se distinguent pas du tout, ce qui rend l'histoire particulièrement difficile à suivre. Les histoires d'Agatha Christie sont généralement plutôt simples à lire mais ici c'était fastidieux.
October 7, 2019
A murder mystery writer is visiting a friend and her daughter; when at a child's Halloween party a child is found drowned in the dunking for apples bucket.
Call for the mustachioed master sleuth, to solve the riddle.
Great Book!
Call for the mustachioed master sleuth, to solve the riddle.
Great Book!
May 31, 2023
Too quick and hard to follow when this was my first comic book. Maybe I'll find and read a full length Agatha Christie now. This one also did not fit the theme for what I need to read for book club for June(a book that acquainted you with night).
December 2, 2023
Very slow. A lot of fluff, too much detail. It's written too in old English style, a lot of words and phrases I didn't know what they meant. This is my 2nd Agatha Christie book and it was too slow for me.
June 23, 2025
Mi opinión de forma resumida:
El asesino no me impresionó; creo que hubiera preferido que la culpable fuera la bruja o los adolescentes electricistas. Siento que eran los personajes más interesantes, y sus motivos habrían sido más interesantes de descubrir.
El asesino no me impresionó; creo que hubiera preferido que la culpable fuera la bruja o los adolescentes electricistas. Siento que eran los personajes más interesantes, y sus motivos habrían sido más interesantes de descubrir.
September 26, 2025
after reading reviews of this, apparently I started with a bad Agatha Christie book 😂. I thought it was just me bc mystery is one of my least favourite genre, but these are great for increasing my French comprehension!
October 29, 2016
3.5 stars
Fun, but I think if I wouldn't have read the novel first, I may have not enjoyed it as much.
Fun, but I think if I wouldn't have read the novel first, I may have not enjoyed it as much.
September 6, 2021
2008 = £9.99
Wonderfully orchestrated sequentially for such few pages to pull it off.
The artist made two people look too similar but the rest were differentiated very well.
Wonderfully orchestrated sequentially for such few pages to pull it off.
The artist made two people look too similar but the rest were differentiated very well.
October 19, 2021
Décousu.
February 6, 2023
cute art style. didnt really understand the mystery because the book was so short
October 31, 2024
I read graphic novel and it was good for a quick read. I found it enjoyable also good. This is good for young teenage audience.
September 26, 2025
I don’t think Agatha Christie’s stories translate well to graphic novels. The stories are too watered down. I liked the art in this one, the the story was lacking on account of being too vague.
February 28, 2020
This book is great for an Agatha Christie fan or someone looking for a good Halloweeny, fall-themed comic book.
November 8, 2020
Based on this graphic novel, I do not think full-length novels adapt well to graphic novels. Hercule Poirot novels include a lot of nuance, which is completely lost in translation. Perhaps if someone has not read the original novel, they may enjoy the story more. However, if you want the full experiance of an Agatha Christie mystery, read the novel.
October 31, 2014
It was odd, reading a Poirot graphic novel. There were distinct elements missing. Most noticeably Poirot’s air of egotism. It is, i am happy to admit, my favourite thing about Poirot. He’s a clever sod, and he knows it. Though there is reference to the “little grey cells”, the closest the books gets to Poirot’s conceitedness is a smug face when someone else describes how smart he is. It was nice, but it wasn’t the same.
With everyone Poirot talked to toting the same line about the victim, at first i was convinced this was another Orient. When the truth was revealed, it seemed much more out of no where than usual. Again, i think this was due to the lack of clues in the details about characters and their actions that graphic novels are prone to.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel At Words.
With everyone Poirot talked to toting the same line about the victim, at first i was convinced this was another Orient. When the truth was revealed, it seemed much more out of no where than usual. Again, i think this was due to the lack of clues in the details about characters and their actions that graphic novels are prone to.
A longer review can be read at my book blog: Marvel At Words.
July 14, 2016
I have been curious about these graphic novel adaptations of Agatha Christie books since I first saw them hauled on Booktube a few months ago. I managed to find a copy of Hallowe'en Party and thought I'd give it a go.
Now, I have never read the original Poirot book, but the storyline seemed familiar as I quickly made my way through the book. Even though it was interesting, I realize that a lot of information was left out and for that fact I'd like to read the book to see what I missed as I found the final revelations (Poirot's comment about paternity on the final page of the graphic novel) seemed to come out of nowhere!
The illustrations were quirky, but distracting or off-putting as some graphic novel artwork can be, and I particularly loved the cover art design.
Will be trying to find more of these as I did enjoy the condensed story, and hope they release (or re-release) more titles.
3½★
Now, I have never read the original Poirot book, but the storyline seemed familiar as I quickly made my way through the book. Even though it was interesting, I realize that a lot of information was left out and for that fact I'd like to read the book to see what I missed as I found the final revelations (Poirot's comment about paternity on the final page of the graphic novel) seemed to come out of nowhere!
The illustrations were quirky, but distracting or off-putting as some graphic novel artwork can be, and I particularly loved the cover art design.
Will be trying to find more of these as I did enjoy the condensed story, and hope they release (or re-release) more titles.
3½★
April 16, 2016
I didn't even know Agatha Christie graphic novels existed until today, but that's the beauty of independent book stores. Being a huge Christie fan, I had to read at least one. I choose Hallowe'en Party because it has both Hercule Poirot and Adriadne Oliver, my two favorite characters. The verdict? Meh. First of all, and this is no fault of the author, Daivid Suchet so perfectly embodies Poirot that to see him in any other form is just impossible to believe. But, by the very condensed and abridged nature of graphic novels, we are cheated of fuller, rounder, more complete characters. We learn nothing about Poirot's nature, Oliver's personality, or their droll conversations and friendship. This is very much a "just the facts, ma'am" approach; or rather, in this case, "just a list of the clues, ma'am."
December 19, 2015
Entertaining enough for a short little read. I feel like a lot of details are left out and it does seem rushed. but I enjoyed it and I like the novelty of having an Agatha Christie comic book.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews