We can probably understand why someone would kill a dentist, but what happened to the seemingly scatterbrained missionary woman with the loose shoe buckle? Poirot must find out.
I suppose the unnecessary and wasted scenes up front were to make the story clearer. Or to further muddy a convoluted plot. One or the other.
Murder stories should be mystifying. Christie was a queen of mystification and misdirection. The early scenes are unnecessary. Cut to Poirot.
Once the story gets to where the book starts (Poirot's fear of the dentist) things rattle along well. There is momentary confusion, but that's part of the fun.
I suppose the unnecessary and wasted scenes up front were to make the story clearer. Or to further muddy a convoluted plot. One or the other.
Murder stories should be mystifying. Christie was a queen of mystification and misdirection. The early scenes are unnecessary. Cut to Poirot.
Once the story gets to where the book starts (Poirot's fear of the dentist) things rattle along well. There is momentary confusion, but that's part of the fun.