Michelle Macqueen Popular Books

Michelle Macqueen Biography & Facts

Murder on the Orient Express is a 2017 mystery film co-produced and directed by Kenneth Branagh from a screenplay by Michael Green, based on the 1934 novel of the same name by Agatha Christie. The film stars an ensemble cast with Branagh as Hercule Poirot, alongside Tom Bateman, Penélope Cruz, Willem Dafoe, Judi Dench, Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Derek Jacobi, Leslie Odom Jr., Michelle Pfeiffer, and Daisy Ridley. The plot follows Poirot, a world-renowned detective, as he investigates a murder on the luxury Orient Express train service in the 1930s. Principal photography began in November 2016 in the United Kingdom; it is one of the few productions in recent decades to have used 65 mm film cameras. Murder on the Orient Express had its world premiere on November 2, 2017 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, and was released theatrically in the United Kingdom on November 3, 2017, and in the United States on November 10, 2017, by 20th Century Fox. The film grossed over $351 million worldwide and received generally positive reviews from critics, with praise for the cast performances and production values, but criticism for the screenplay and redundancy to previous adaptations. Two sequels, Death on the Nile (2022) and A Haunting in Venice (2023), were released to diminishing commercial reception. Plot In 1934, famed Belgian detective Hercule Poirot solves a theft at the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. The obsessive-compulsive Poirot— had intended to rest in Istanbul but must return to London for another case. His friend Bouc, director of the Simplon-route Orient Express service, arranges Poirot's accommodations aboard the train. Other passengers include American widow Caroline Hubbard, American businessman Edward Ratchett, Ratchett's English manservant Edward Masterman and his secretary/translator Hector MacQueen; elderly Russian Princess Natalia Dragomiroff and her German maid Hildegarde Schmidt; Hungarian diplomat Count Rudolf Andrenyi and his wife Elena; physician John Arbuthnot; Mary Debenham, a governess; Pilar Estravados, a Spanish missionary; Cuban-American car salesman Biniamino Marquez; and Gerhard Hardman, an Austrian university professor. Ratchett offers to hire Poirot as his bodyguard during the three-day journey, having received anonymous threatening letters, but Poirot declines. An avalanche derails the train's engine, stranding the passengers until a rescue engine can arrive. During the night, Poirot is awakened by strange noises in Ratchett's compartment that is next to his. Immediately after, he sees someone in a red kimono rushing down the aisleway. Ratchett is found murdered the next morning, stabbed a dozen times. Poirot and Bouc investigate the other passengers. Evidence indicates one person murdered Ratchett. Mrs. Hubbard claims a man was in her compartment during the night. Poirot discovers a partially burned note connecting Ratchett to Daisy Armstrong, a small child who was kidnapped and then murdered after her wealthy family paid the ransom. Ratchett's true identity is John Cassetti, Daisy's kidnapper and murderer. The shock of Daisy's death caused her pregnant mother, Sonia, to die after giving premature birth to a stillborn baby; her father, Colonel John Armstrong, was overcome with grief and committed suicide. The family's nursemaid, Susanne, was wrongly suspected of complicity, leading to her arrest and subsequent suicide while in police custody. More evidence is found, including a bloodstained handkerchief, and, in Mrs. Hubbard's compartment, a conductor's uniform button. Poirot finds the uniform and the red kimono planted in his suitcase. Hubbard is stabbed, non-fatally, in the back, but she cannot identify the culprit. Poirot discovers many passengers have direct connections to the Armstrong family and uncovers their hidden pasts. While interviewing Debenham, Poirot is shot in the shoulder by Dr. Arbuthnot, who claims responsibility for the murder, but Bouc prevents him from killing Poirot. However, Poirot realises that Arbuthnot, a former army sniper, never intended to kill him. Poirot confronts the suspects outside the train, offering two theories on Cassetti's death. The first is simple but does not fit all the facts: a murderer disguised as a conductor boarded the train at a previous stop, murdered Cassetti, then fled the train. The second theory is more complex: every suspect is connected to the Armstrongs, Susanne, or to her trial. All had a motive to murder Cassetti: MacQueen's father was the district attorney for the kidnapping case. He was pressured into prosecuting Susanne and sending her to prison, only for his career to be destroyed after she was exonerated following her suicide Masterman, who is terminally ill, was Colonel Armstrong's batman during the war, later his valet and also as butler to the Armstrong household Dr. Arbuthnot was Colonel Armstrong's comrade and best friend Countess Andrenyi (née Goldenberg and real name Helena) was Sonia Armstrong's sister and Daisy's aunt Count Andrenyi was Sonia's brother-in-law Princess Dragomiroff was Daisy’s godmother, and a friend of her grandmother Ms. Debenham was Sonia's secretary and Daisy's governess Schmidt was the Armstrong's cook Marquez was the Armstrong's chauffeur Estravados was Daisy's nurse Hardman, whose real name is Cyrus and is American, is a former policeman in love with Susanne Pierre Michel, the train's conductor, was Susanne's brother Hubbard is revealed to be Linda Arden, a former stage actress and aspiring director, as well as Sonia's mother and Daisy's grandmother.Poirot concludes they acted together, which Hubbard confirms, admitting she planned the murder and recruited the others to participate. Each co-conspirator and Michel stabbed Cassetti in turn. Debenham wore the kimono and Arbuthnot superficially stabbed Hubbard to convince Poirot there was a lone killer. Poirot challenges the passengers and Michel to shoot him with a confiscated gun to prevent him from exposing their plot; Bouc can lie, but Poirot, obsessed with truth and balance, cannot. Hubbard grabs the gun and attempts suicide, but it is empty; Poirot was testing the suspects' reactions. With the locomotive back on the tracks, Poirot concludes that justice is impossible in this case, as Cassetti deserved death. For the first time, Poirot must live with a lie and imbalance. He presents the lone killer theory to the Yugoslavian police, allowing the others to remain on the train. As he disembarks, a British Army messenger delivers a note asking him to investigate a death on the Nile. Poirot accepts the case. Cast Tom Bateman as Bouc, Poirot's friend, and nephew of the owner of the Orient Express. Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot, a world-renowned Belgian detective and former police officer. Penélope Cruz as Pilar Estravados, the Armstrongs' Spanish nurse. The character replaces the Swedish nurse, Greta Ohlsson, and assumes the name of an unrelated character from Hercule Poirot's Christm.... Discover the Michelle Macqueen popular books. Find the top 100 most popular Michelle Macqueen books.

Best Seller Michelle Macqueen Books of 2024

  • Always a Hero synopsis, comments

    Always a Hero

    Michelle MacQueen

    Enjoy this sweet, small town contemporary romance from bestselling author Michelle MacQueen.She's the firefighting dogooder…… and he's her best friend's younger brother.How did she...

  • A New Path synopsis, comments

    A New Path

    Michelle MacQueen

    She wants a break from her life. He's determined to keep it light.Abigail doesn't take anything in life seriously. Not anymore. College is an escape from the rough world she lived ...

  • A New Promise synopsis, comments

    A New Promise

    Michelle MacQueen

    She wants to move on from the past. He's hoping to be her future.Maggie Marks moved to New York City after a traumatic end to her marriage. Estranged from her father, there's only ...

  • A New Dream synopsis, comments

    A New Dream

    Michelle MacQueen

    She's grieving the loss of the first boy she ever loved. He wants to help her heal.One year ago, Taylor Scott's boyfriend died while practicing with his hockey team. She's spent th...

  • We Thought We Knew It All synopsis, comments

    We Thought We Knew It All

    Michelle MacQueen

    Enjoy this young adult romance from bestselling author Michelle MacQueen.He's the man who disappeared and she's the woman returning home.Ten years ago, Callie and Jamie both turned...

  • We Thought We Were Invincible synopsis, comments

    We Thought We Were Invincible

    Michelle MacQueen

    Enjoy this clean young adult romance from bestselling author Michelle MacQueen.He's her twin brother's best friend and she's the girl who hates him.California McCoy only cares abou...

  • A New Choice synopsis, comments

    A New Choice

    Michelle MacQueen

    She wants to escape the life chosen for her. He's determined to make sure she can.When Michaela's boyfriend proposes in front of everyone she knows, her future flashes before her e...

  • Widows synopsis, comments

    Widows

    Lynda La Plante

    THE BASIS FOR STEVE MCQUEEN'S UPCOMING MAJOR MOTION PICTURE, WIDOWS IS A FASTPACED HEIST THRILLER WITH AN ALL FEMALE CAST YOU WON'T FORGET.Before PRIME SUSPECT there was WIDOWS . ....

  • In the Name of the Queen synopsis, comments

    In the Name of the Queen

    M. Lynn & Melissa A. Craven

    Fairytales. Fae. Immortals.Princes. Warriors. A fight for survival.Three books. One glorious set.For the first time, get three first in series books from M. Lynn and Melissa A. Cra...