This month's meeting date, location and book: November 2nd at the home of Diane Romney. The discussion will be led by Lisa.

A few facts are known: Mr. Ratchett was stabbed 12 times with a knife, some blows were delivered weakly and some with intense strength, some by a left-handed person and some by a right-handed person.
This leads Poirot to believe that there must be two murderers. The door of Mr. Ratchett’s compartment was locked from the inside, but the window was left often, suggesting that the murderer escaped into the night. However, the snow shows no footprints, which means the culprit is probably still on the train.

Hercule Poirot, private detective and retired Belgian police officer, boards the Taurus Express train to Stamboul (Istanbul). On the train there are two other passengers, Mary Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot. The two act as if they are strangers, but Poirot observes behavior that suggests that they are not.

Poirot is suspicious of the couple. The train arrives in Instamboul and Poirot checks in at the Tokatlian Hotel.
As soon as Poirot arrives he receives a telegram summoning him back to London. While waiting at the hotel for the next train, Poirot bumps into an old friend, M. Bouc, head of the Wagon Lit. M. Bouc arranges a space for Poirot on the Orient Express.

In the dining room of the Tokatlian Hotel, Poirot first spots Ratchett and Hector McQueen eating dinner. Poirot know that Ratchett is an evil man and he describes him to M. Bouc as an animal.