ain has become snowbound and all the passengers can not leave. It is therefore considered a closed setting. This setting allows the identities of the passengers to be easily found by looking at their passports but these also may be faked. It also means that all the suspects can be found easily as there is nowhere to hide or run. So it is highly like that the murderer is still on the train. Plot Murder on the Orient Express- After finishing his affairs in Syria, Hercule Poirot arrives at the Tokatlian Hotel in Stamboul for a sight seeing tour of the city. To his disgust a telegram arrives informing him that he must return to England at once on business. Quickly Poirot tries to book passage on the next Orient Express. While dining at the Tokatlian Poirot unexpectedly runs into his old friend Monsieur Bouc a director of the Companie Internationle des Wagon-lits, which runs the Express and to there delight they find out that they will be travelling together on the orient express. At the station Poirot and Bouc discover that the sleeping car is fully booked a most unusual occurrence in winter. Through Bouc’s help one passenger who is late loses their berth in the carriage that is made up of passengers bound for Calais to Poirot. Poirot finds himself travelling with a curious assortment of passengers of all nationalities, social classes and occupations all travelling in the off-season. Although with a carriage of such strange people one character especially attracts Poirot attention: a smartly dressed, obviously rich, evil looking American. The next day to his surprise the same American approaches the detective in the dining cart. Samuel Edward Ratchett informs Poirot that his life has been threatened. He offers Poirot a large sum of money if the famous Belgium will protect his life. Poirot refuses saying, ‘If you will forgive me for being personal but I do not like your face...
