Imagine trying to unmask a highly cautious serial killer who could be anyone living anywhere in the country. In Agatha Christie's ABC Murders, Hercule Poirot has exactly this task entrusted to him. A murderer, who kills only in alphabetical order, is on the loose and Poirot is put in charge of the case, together with his companion and the police team. After a few consecutive murders, clues began to be found as to who "ABC" actually was. At the end, a surprising twist occurs that leaves the reader wondering how Monsieur Poirot finally discovered this careful killer. According to Stanford's suggested reading list, this book is considered a "must read." While the novel has its ups and downs, the plot, setting, characters, conflicts, and theme deem this book worthy of Stanford's highly esteemed list. The plot is entertaining and suspenseful, which allows it to maintain the standards of the list. Foreshadowing maintains interest and is an important part of the suspenseful nature of the plot. After Mrs. Ascher's first murder, Hastings believed the crime was a singular event, but Poirot stated, "This is only the beginning" (Christie 22). The author uses a delightful example of foreshadowing to allude to the later murders. This keeps the plot suspenseful and makes you want to keep reading. After discussing the possible coincidences that occurred on the day of the murder with the friends and families of the victims, Poirot realised: “I tell you my friends, it cannot be a coincidence. Three crimes---and each time a man selling socks and spying on the land” (Christie 211). Finding clues allows the plot to continue, thus maintaining the reader's interest and preventing the story from becoming too boring for... middle of paper......the one who committed all these murders, declared: “ I no longer had any doubts in my mind: ABC, the man who wrote the letters and committed the crimes, was Franklin Clarke” (Christie 322). Poirot defeated Clarke, eventually discovering that he had committed the murders. An exemplary book needs many aspects to make a novel worth reading, such as a compelling plot, a descriptive setting, well-developed characters, a descriptive conflict, and a pronounced theme. . Stanford's Suggested Reading List each year selects only books that contain all aspects of a worthwhile work. As a result, ABC Murders by Agatha Cristie contains all these aspects that make it a novel worth reading. While it includes some low points, it mostly consists of high points that make it an overall exemplary book that one would be lucky to be able to read..