One of Ruth’s possessions ended up missing, namely a famous ruby called the Heart of Fire that was recently purchased by her father, American millionaire Rufus Van Aldin.

Unlike Christie’s novella, 'THE PLYMOUTH EXPRESS', the case featured in 'THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN' centered on the murder of an American heiress named Ruth Van Aldin Kettering, aboard the Blue Train. Known as Le Train Bleu or the Calais-Mediterranée Expres, this Blue Train was a luxury French night train that conveyed, wealthy and famous passengers between Calais and the French Riviera from 1922 until 1938, usually during the winter seasons. The Blue Train referred to in this story was not the luxury train that traveled through Southern Africa. Actor David Suchet portrayed Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot in both productions. And fourteen years later, the series aired its own version of ”THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE”. The television series, 'Agatha Christie’s POIROT' aired 'THE PLYMOUTH EXPRESS', an adaptation of the novella, in 1991. Christie took that story and expanded it into a full-length novel, 'The Mystery of the Blue Train'. This story had its origins in Christie’s 1922 novella, 'The Plymouth Express', which told the story of the murder of an Australian heiress. The year 1928 saw the publication of another novel called 'The Mystery of the Blue Train', which told the story of a brutal murder aboard the famous Blue Train. 'THE MYSTERY OF THE BLUE TRAIN' (2005) ReviewĪlthough considered one of her most famous novels, 1934’s 'Murder on the Orient Express' was not the first of Christie’s novels that featured a famous luxury train as a setting.

The murder on the blue train