The A.B.C. Murders
Acceptable with guidance. Age: 13+. A Catholic review of this book for parents.
Our review
This is a clean, clever puzzle with a moral spine. Poirot calls the crime abominable, an innocent and broken man is cleared, and Poirot treats him with real kindness. When the killer puts a gun to his own head, Poirot has already emptied it, so he faces the law. The reservation is the subject itself: a serial killer, four deaths, and Poirot's cold relish that the man will hang.
For parents
Read aloud from 12 if you like, and let a teen read it alone from 13. There is mild swearing and some careless use of God's name. Ask why Poirot will not let the killer take his own life. Ask why framing poor Mr. Cust is called worse than the murders.