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Poirot Investigates: A Hercule Poirot Collection
Written by Agatha Christie
Narrated by David Suchet
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Poirot Investigates a host of murders most foul—as well as other dastardly crimes—in this intriguing collection of short stories from the one-and-only Agatha Christie.
First there was the mystery of the film star and the diamond . . . then came the "suicide" that was murder . . . the mystery of the absurdly cheap flat . . .a suspicious death in a locked gun room . . . a million dollar bond robbery . . . the curse of a pharaoh's tomb . . . a jewel robbery by the sea . . . the abduction of a prime minister . . . the disappearance of a banker . . . a phone call from a dying man . . .and, finally, the mystery of the missing will.
What links these fascinating cases? Only the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot!
Book Actions
Start ListeningBook Information
Poirot Investigates: A Hercule Poirot Collection
Written by Agatha Christie
Narrated by David Suchet
Description
Poirot Investigates a host of murders most foul—as well as other dastardly crimes—in this intriguing collection of short stories from the one-and-only Agatha Christie.
First there was the mystery of the film star and the diamond . . . then came the "suicide" that was murder . . . the mystery of the absurdly cheap flat . . .a suspicious death in a locked gun room . . . a million dollar bond robbery . . . the curse of a pharaoh's tomb . . . a jewel robbery by the sea . . . the abduction of a prime minister . . . the disappearance of a banker . . . a phone call from a dying man . . .and, finally, the mystery of the missing will.
What links these fascinating cases? Only the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot!
About the author
Reviews
Poirot Investigates (1923) (Poirot # 3) by Agatha Christie. This is the third outing for Poirot and his Watson, Captain Hastings. As narrator to the eleven tales herein Hastings does a serviceable job, his lack of understanding of the various cases only serving to underscore Poirot’s brillance. No matter what the case, from blackmail, jewels that have gone missing, an unusually inexpensive apartment in a very costly block of flats, missing Prime Ministers or Egyptian curses (keep in mind Dame Agatha’s husband was an archeologist) our detective shines his searchlight of an intellect and reveals the hidden truths.The thing to remember with a book such as this is that this is the basis for much of what comes later. I’ve seen the film and television adaptations of Dame Agatha’s detectives, but going back to the source material is very refreshing. Poirot is still a “NEW” detective. His quirks are not expected but fresh, his “little gray cells” are not a cliched saying for him but rather a novel look at the detection process (okay, purists will look to Mr. Holmes and his bowl full of shag as meditation device) and his habit of not acting like a bloodhound but sitting and thinking carefully, well, that is still brand new.If in long form or the short story, Poirot never fails to entertain.
Rating: 4Poirot Investigates (American Version), Christie
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11 3 different not-so-short stories: that did not really engage me.
All were: featuring a person who asked for help, Hastings being a lost as ever, M. Poirot being as clever as ever, but without much of a story or clues. After a brief explanation of the situation and a short discussion between M. Poirot & Hastings; VOILA! M. Poirot has the solution.
1. The Adventure of "The Western Star": Jewel thievery & duplicity at the Full Moon
2. The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor: M. Poirot investigates a murder made to look like suicide
3. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat: Two spies, Naval Plans, a murderous Italian in a cheaply sublet flat
4. The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge: A wife & maid are locked out of the room while the man of the house is killed by a bearded stranger,
5. The Million Dollar Bond Robbery: A banker's nephew is sent abroad w/ a million in bonds, when they disappear en route to their destination, M. Poirot investigates
6. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb: Death by curse of several Egyptologists, a nephew in need of money, a wife convinced of the curse
7. The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan: A rich woman goes to her room in order to show M. Poirot her exquisite pearls, but she find they are gone!
8. The Kidnapped Prime Minister: On his way to a very important & secret peace conference the Prime Minister is waylaid, M. Poirot sets out to find him.
9. The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim: Mr. Davenheim goes out to post some correspondence, he does not return to meet his visitor... The safe's contents are missing... M. Poirot solves it all and never leaves his chair
10. The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman: A telephoned cry for help from the Count, the butler takes a stroll, a table set for dinner and then cleared
11. The Case of the Missing Will: An Uncle leaves his clever niece a will, but then he writes a second one and hides it.... M. Poirot is hired to find it.
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12. The Veiled Lady: A jewel theft in broad daylight, a young woman being blackmailed, and a Chinese Puzzle Box
13. The Lost Mine: Poirot was once given shares in an ancient Chinese mine as payment for an investigation, but the papers were lost and a visit to an Opium Den was necessary to locate them
14. The Chocolate Box: M. Poirot's one "failure" to uncover the murderer of the French Deputy who was living in Brussels and was about to play an important political role in the separation of Church & State
Rating: 3? ? ?
11 3 different not-so-short stories: that did not really engage me.
All were: featuring a person who asked for help, Hastings being a lost as ever, M. Poirot being as clever as ever, but without much of a story or clues. After a brief explanation of the situation and a short discussion between M. Poirot & Hastings; VOILA! M. Poirot has the solution.
1. The Adventure of "The Western Star": Jewel thievery & duplicity at the Full Moon
2. The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor: M. Poirot investigates a murder made to look like suicide
3. The Adventure of the Cheap Flat: Two spies, Naval Plans, a murderous Italian in a cheaply sublet flat
4. The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge: A wife & maid are locked out of the room while the man of the house is killed by a bearded stranger,
5. The Million Dollar Bond Robbery: A banker's nephew is sent abroad w/ a million in bonds, when they disappear en route to their destination, M. Poirot investigates
6. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb: Death by curse of several Egyptologists, a nephew in need of money, a wife convinced of the curse
7. The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan: A rich woman goes to her room in order to show M. Poirot her exquisite pearls, but she find they are gone!
8. The Kidnapped Prime Minister: On his way to a very important & secret peace conference the Prime Minister is waylaid, M. Poirot sets out to find him.
9. The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim: Mr. Davenheim goes out to post some correspondence, he does not return to meet his visitor... The safe's contents are missing... M. Poirot solves it all and never leaves his chair
10. The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman: A telephoned cry for help from the Count, the butler takes a stroll, a table set for dinner and then cleared
11. The Case of the Missing Will: An Uncle leaves his clever niece a will, but then he writes a second one and hides it.... M. Poirot is hired to find it.
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12. The Veiled Lady: A jewel theft in broad daylight, a young woman being blackmailed, and a Chinese Puzzle Box
13. The Lost Mine: Poirot was once given shares in an ancient Chinese mine as payment for an investigation, but the papers were lost and a visit to an Opium Den was necessary to locate them
14. The Chocolate Box: M. Poirot's one "failure" to uncover the murderer of the French Deputy who was living in Brussels and was about to play an important political role in the separation of Church & State
This collection of fourteen Hercule Poirot short stories shows just how difficult it is to work well in the format, especially when it comes to mysteries. It's very hard to include many red herrings or an expanded cast of potential guilty parties when you don't have hundreds of pages of narrative at your disposal, which means that it's very hard to trick your readers and leave them in the dark until the final denouement. (This is also why mystery television series composed of standalone episodes have never particularly appealed to me, as I can't remember the last time I remained in the dark for the entire 43 minutes of an episode. The poor writers simply don't have enough time to build a really good mystery.) Still, there are some interesting bits here, both in terms of the mysteries themselves and in terms of revelations regarding Poirot himself, but it's just not up to the level of the novels.
Rating: 3A short story collection starring Hercule Poirot. As with any anthology, some stories were good, some not so good. Overall, I enjoyed the collection. It was hard to read some of the racist remarks throughout the stories, though. It is difficult to separate the time period the stories were written from my modern belief systems.
Rating: 4A collection of short stories with Hercule Poirot, knowing all the answers and poor old Captain Hastings bumbling about afterwards having everything explained to him. Poirot's little grey cells do much without evidence, and sometimes he disappears gathering facts only later presented to the reader. So as such it can be disappointing if you're trying to guess the solutions - but that's not really the point of Christie's' writing. They're all fun little character studies, and enjoyable.
Rating: 4Acclaimed screen Andy TV actor David Suchet brings to life the Hercule Poirot that he made so famous on the tele. Excellent reading and great content.
Rating: 5I love short stories and these are some of my favorites to read and reread.
Rating: 4This is a book of short stories following Hercule Poirot. These books are told through Poirot's good friend Hastings who is the narrator of the first three Poirot books and several later ones as well. My rating on the collection as a whole:3/5These stories were written as early as the 1920s and therefore feature misogyny and racism that at times can detract from my enjoyment of a story. I also don't always feel as if we are given enough information to solve the crime ourselves which is my biggest frustration with the Poirot series as a whole. Break Down of Stories in the Collection:The Adventure of the Western StarSynopsis: Two women receive letters threatening their jewelry. Rating:2/5I thought the language in this book was problematic. The mystery also didn't work for me and left me confused.The Tragedy at Marsdon ManorSynopsis: A man is found dead and the insurance company must rule out a suicide.My rating:4/5The Adventure of the Cheap FlatSynopsis: Hastings reads about an inexpensive flat for rent. Poirot is intrigued, determined there must be a "catch" to so cheap an apartment. Naturally, he is correct.My rating:2/5I found this story convoluted and unbelievable.The Mystery of Hunter's LodgeSynopsis: Poirot has the flu so Hastings must investigate the case for him.My rating: 3/5Poirot solved the case with almost no evidence which I thought didn't work. Also, the "justice" at the end of this story didn't work for me. I liked the premise of this story though and felt it would have made a good novel. I would have loved to have seen this drawn into something bigger.The Million Dollar Bond RobberySynopsis: Poirot investigates the theft of liberty bonds aboard a ship.My rating:4/5Poirot was even more hilarious than usual. Also, enough breadcrumbs were laid that I was able to figure out the mystery before it was revealed.The Adventure of the Egyptian TombSynopsis: Several deaths occur after the discovery of an Egyptian Tomb.My rating: 3/5I wish the story had offered more information on the front end about what was going on. The set up was lacking.The Jewel Robbery at the Grand MetropolitanSynopsis: A woman's jewels are stolen.Rating: 4/5 This story had good red herrings but I felt like the clues were laid out well and I understood the reveal. I didn't appreciate the treatment of obese characters in this story or the way obesity was portrayed as a character flaw.The Kidnapped Prime MinisterSynopsis: A Prime Minister is kidnapped. Poirot must retrieve him. My rating:3/5Interesting but I didn't feel the reader was given enough information prior to the big reveal.The Disappearance of Mr. DavenportSynopsis: A banker has gone missing and Poirot must discover what has become of him.My rating: 4/5I loved Hastings commentary about the way things are changing and the way technology is effecting them. He claims with the technology available it isn't possible for anyone to just disappear. I also really enjoyed how everyone thought Poirot was being ridiculous but he actually understood what was happening when they didn't (which is a theme if the series in general).This story was my second favorite in the collection.The Adventure of the Italian NoblemanSynopsis: After a mysterious call to the local doctor a Count is found dead. My Rating: 3/5I loved the Hastings finally admitted Poirot is always right. Usually Hastings acts like Poirot is approaching senility. The Case of the Missing WillSynopsis: A woman seeks Poirots help to find the missing will her father left behind.Rating: 4/5This was my favorite story in the collection. Hastings shows some of the misogyny of the times however that is countered within the story. The will was hidden to pit the knowledge of the deceased against the woman because they believe education is lost on the fairer sex. The story ends by making a point that sometimes real knowledge is knowing when to ask for help and hire someone with skills you don't possess.*The Following 3 Stories Did NOT Appear in the First Edition of the Book and Were Added LaterThe Veiled LadySynopsis: A woman who is being blackmailed seeks the help of Poirot.My Rating:3/5This was another of the instances where I felt like too much information was held back from the reader prior to the reveal.The Chocolate BoxSynopsis: Poirot tells Hastings a story of one of his failures.My Rating:4/5I really enjoyed this story both as a mystery and as a revelation by Poirot that he is human and capable of making mistakes. He isn't perfect and I think in some ways this story ups the stakes in the series because we know Poirot can be wrong.The Lost MineSynopsis: Poirot tells Hastings a story about a murder that involved mines.My Rating:2/5I really didn't like this story and it was my least favorite of the collection. It was confusing and convoluted. Also, there was racism involving the Chinese.
Rating: 3
Alternate title: “13 short stories on how I was humiliated by my detective friend” by Captain Hastings.
Rating: 3really enjoyed the short stories. esp since i could figure out the twists/the murder in some of them. MS. Christie is such a cheat in her books but i still love them.
Rating: 3This is a book of short stories. When I finished them I said the book was good, but I was not crazy about Poirot.
Rating: 3The short stories always seem to have some sort of "gotcha" Sometimes, AC drops a clue, but its obscurity is somewhat frustrating (the point of not "using one's little grey cells, I suppose.)
And, Hastings is still an idiot.
Rating: 2And, Hastings is still an idiot.
I almost always like Agatha Christie, but I think her mysteries work better in novel format, rather than short stories. These were entertaining, but got a little repetitive. As you read one after the other, it gets easier to pick out the tricks of the trade. This book is perhaps best consumed a little at a time, something you pick up once every few weeks and knock out a story from.
Rating: 3Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie is a collection of eleven short stories, all featuring Hercule Poirot and his friend Colonel Hastings. Originally published in 1924, these stories are all meant to highlight Poirot’s superb skill at detection as he solves each one quickly and ties up all the loose ends. In ”The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge” Poirot cannot even go to investigate the case in person as he is suffering from influenza. Instead he has Hasting go, ask questions and then telephone him. To everyone’s surprise he is able to solve the case immediately which stretched my believability somewhat. I also enjoyed that some of these stories were very easy for the reader to figure out, making me feel a little more on a level with Poirot. The both of us could feel smug while Hastings and the police struggled to find the answer. Overall I found Poirot Investigates a very engaging set of stories which included a locked room mystery, the abduction of a Prime Minister, a million dollar robbery and enough murders to satisfy the bloodthirsty. All are written with Christie’s light touch and flair. Reading this book is very much like taking a trip back to 1920’s Britain with the added bonus of the amazing deductive powers of Hercule Poirot.
Rating: 4I was expecting a Poirot novel. This is a collection of short short stories. More like vignettes or summaries. They don't give you much chance to try to solve the crime yourself. Still, vintage Poirot is always a fun read.
Rating: 3Being the third in the Poirot series of Agatha Christie, the fourth one for me to read, I was least impressed by `Poirot Investigates'. This book is a small series in itself with about ten short stories of Poirot investigating and solving distinct cases.
Sure, the murders, crimes and mysteries are all very well thought off, much distinct and unique, but there is hardly any room in the stories for plot lines other than the straightforward one of solving the case. Nor do the stories shed much extra light on the characters of Poirot or Hasting or do you see them evolve throug the book. The fact that all stories are so short and quickly solved also leaves little room for the reader to try and break his head over it himself.
Nevertheless, an enjoying read if one doesn't go through all the stories in one night, I suppose. :-)
Rating: 3Sure, the murders, crimes and mysteries are all very well thought off, much distinct and unique, but there is hardly any room in the stories for plot lines other than the straightforward one of solving the case. Nor do the stories shed much extra light on the characters of Poirot or Hasting or do you see them evolve throug the book. The fact that all stories are so short and quickly solved also leaves little room for the reader to try and break his head over it himself.
Nevertheless, an enjoying read if one doesn't go through all the stories in one night, I suppose. :-)
This is a duplicate copy. Personally I agree with Ambrose Bierce that (all too often) a novel is only a short story padded, especially when it comes to mysteries. These Poirot short stories really established him as a series character, as the Strand magazine short stories established Sherlock Holmes. It is a pity they are told by the fatuous and self=flattering Captain Hastings, a far stupider Watson than Watson ever was. On the plus side, several of the crimes are thefts or the like rather than murders. It is nice not to always have a body.
Rating: 5Someone once said that if you only read Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels, and only read Christie’s short stories, you’d think they were both bad writers. Well, it’s emphatically true of Conan Doyle, and I think it’s at least partly true for Dame Agatha as well.
Christie’s first collection of short stories united eleven Poirot and Hastings tales first published in The Sketch magazine in 1923. This is the first incarnation of Poirot: a respected detective, certainly, but one who struggles just as often with being a foreigner, and whose understanding of Western mores is far from complete, while his abilities can often be overshadowed by his arrogance. It is, indeed, the characterisation that has been the template for all the film adaptations, and the actors who have portrayed the Belgian. David Suchet, with his desire to create a more nuanced character (and 20 years in which to develop him), was able to take this as the basis for Poirot’s early years, and then develop him through the 1940s incarnation – someone who wants to retire and, as he ages, grows slightly gruffer – to the final Poirot, an older, justifiably famous man who now understands humankind all too well, and begins to wonder about the things he missed in life. (The Suchet TV series, incidentally, utilised these short stories as templates for some lovely episodes. The central quartet – rounded out by Miss Lemon and Inspector Japp – made those early episodes delightful. They don’t all work, but they’re a good lesson in taking a short story and developing it into a full hour.)
There’s nothing explicitly wrong with this collection: a few stories sparkle, and the pairing of Hastings and Poirot (even though Christie quickly tired of it) works quite well. There is a sense of newness and wonder in their relationship, being set only a few years after their meeting in (or after?) World War I. But, truth be told, these are the lesser short stories in Poirot’s canon. Robert Barnard, in his analytical book "A Talent to Deceive", sees them as very much “in the shadow of Holmes and Watson”, and it’s hard to disagree. Picking one story and reading it can be good fun, but reading a few quickly exposes the formula. Hastings can easily be written off as a bit of a goof, so Christie made the right decision in limiting his appearances from here on out. This is not a waste of time, but – as with all Christie – her short stories have nothing on the novels.
[For once, US and UK readers got essentially the same collection this time. Nowadays, seek out a copy of the lovely "Complete Short Stories of Poirot" instead.]
Two and a half stars.
Poirot ranking: 32nd out of 38.
Rating: 3Christie’s first collection of short stories united eleven Poirot and Hastings tales first published in The Sketch magazine in 1923. This is the first incarnation of Poirot: a respected detective, certainly, but one who struggles just as often with being a foreigner, and whose understanding of Western mores is far from complete, while his abilities can often be overshadowed by his arrogance. It is, indeed, the characterisation that has been the template for all the film adaptations, and the actors who have portrayed the Belgian. David Suchet, with his desire to create a more nuanced character (and 20 years in which to develop him), was able to take this as the basis for Poirot’s early years, and then develop him through the 1940s incarnation – someone who wants to retire and, as he ages, grows slightly gruffer – to the final Poirot, an older, justifiably famous man who now understands humankind all too well, and begins to wonder about the things he missed in life. (The Suchet TV series, incidentally, utilised these short stories as templates for some lovely episodes. The central quartet – rounded out by Miss Lemon and Inspector Japp – made those early episodes delightful. They don’t all work, but they’re a good lesson in taking a short story and developing it into a full hour.)
There’s nothing explicitly wrong with this collection: a few stories sparkle, and the pairing of Hastings and Poirot (even though Christie quickly tired of it) works quite well. There is a sense of newness and wonder in their relationship, being set only a few years after their meeting in (or after?) World War I. But, truth be told, these are the lesser short stories in Poirot’s canon. Robert Barnard, in his analytical book "A Talent to Deceive", sees them as very much “in the shadow of Holmes and Watson”, and it’s hard to disagree. Picking one story and reading it can be good fun, but reading a few quickly exposes the formula. Hastings can easily be written off as a bit of a goof, so Christie made the right decision in limiting his appearances from here on out. This is not a waste of time, but – as with all Christie – her short stories have nothing on the novels.
[For once, US and UK readers got essentially the same collection this time. Nowadays, seek out a copy of the lovely "Complete Short Stories of Poirot" instead.]
Two and a half stars.
Poirot ranking: 32nd out of 38.
It's a nice book that talks about a Belgian detective ,Hercule Poirot, who investigates crimes and unravels mysteries that pose danger to his clients.Along with him Scotland Yard is also chasing these villains away coming second. The whole book is made up of 11 parts or small chapters, and every chapter contains a different adventure that Poirot has been through and exposed the criminals through his analyzing mind that sees through the plot. Sometimes murders manage to get away with the crime, but not for long...
Rating: 4This book was comprised of 14 Hercule Poirot short story mysteries. Some are really interesting, and a couple were lacking. My favorite stories in this book were The Veiled Lady and The Chocolate Box because, the first clearly displays Poirot’s ingenuity and cunning skills, and the latter displays Poirot’s weakness and a failure on his behalf. Agatha Christie is my favorite all-time author, and I generally turn to her Poirot books when I’m either in a reading slump, or I need a pick me up after reading a drastically boring book. As I was reading this book, I noticed that they stirred up some familiarity and I then realized that I’ve seen quite a few of them in the Acorn Media movie productions of Agatha Christie’s Poirot (Masterpiece Mystery) featuring David Suchet. Here are the mysteries I’ve already had an acquaintance with through these movies:
-The Tragedy at Marsden Manor
-The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge
-The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
-The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
-The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
-The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
-The Chocolate Box
Quotes:
“‘And what do you think of Dr. Bernard, Hastings?’ inquired Poirot, as we proceeded on our way to the Manor.
‘Rather an old ass.’
‘Exactly. Your judgements of character are always profound, my friend.’” (45 The Tragedy at Marsden Manor)
“‘Yes, yes,’ my little friend continued. ‘Once more shall I be myself again, the great Hercule Poirot, the terror of evildoers! Figure to yourself, mon ami, that I have a little paragraph to myself in Society Gossip. But yes! Here it is: ‘Go it---criminals---all out! Hercules Poirot---and believe me, girls, he’s some Hercules!’” (87 The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge)
“Poirot was busy mopping a grey suit with a minute sponge. Never was there a dandy such as Hercule Poirot. Neatness and order were his passion.” (176 The Kidnapped Prime Minister)
Individually, I can't say much for the mysteries themselves. There wasn't enough information given in any of the stories to help the listener solve any of the whodunnits; but overall the stories provide nice background color for the characters of Poirot and Hastings. David Suchet, the actor who played Hercule Poirot in the BBC series, narrates. As to be expected, he was great at portraying Poirot and very good at the other male characters; but his women and Americans were truly awful.
Redacted from the original blog review at dog eared copy, Hercule Poirot Mysteries (1-4): Mini Op-Ed Reviews, 10/10/2011
Rating: 4Redacted from the original blog review at dog eared copy, Hercule Poirot Mysteries (1-4): Mini Op-Ed Reviews, 10/10/2011
Audiobook of short stories of Hercule Poirot. The stories moved so fast that it was kind of hard to keep up and follow what was going on most of the time. I probably should have read this instead, although I think my mind would have wondered too much still lol. The stories I was able to follow well were good though, very entertaining. And I loved the narrator's voice.
Rating: 3I don't think this about all of Christie's Poirot episodes, but this collection reminded me very much of Sherlock Holmes. It might be the short story format, it might be the use of Hastings as narrator, or it might be Hastings's Watson-style toadying. It's probably also Poirot's insistence on the simplicity of the solution, based on logic and reasoning. In novel-length works Poirot's style is usually to gather all of the suspects and offer a dramatic revelation of the culprit. In these short stories Poirot engages in setting traps and capturing criminals red-handed. Again, this is much more like Holmes than Poirot. In each of these cases Poirot is the only one with any focus. All of the other characters, including Hastings, are led astray by incorrect assumptions. I had the same reaction to Poirot short stories as I did to Miss Marple stories- they're a bit of fun, but I prefer the novel-length works.
Rating: 4Summary:11 stories about the cases of the famous detective Hercule Poirot told by his friend Captain Hastings. The crimes vary from robbery and kidnapping to murder and take mostly place in London (one story in Egypt, one partly in France) before, while or after the first World War.Opinion:While some cases are really interesting and surprising, others are really confusing or absurd (especially "The Adventure of the Eqyptian Tomb" and "The Kidnapped Prime Minister"). The most scenarios really remind me of the Sherlock Holmes stories, but Poirot is much more unappealing.The best story was "The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim", as I would have never thought of that conclusion!
Rating: 3One of the best thing about Agatha Christie's mysteries are they are almost interactive. You spend the entire novel constantly changing who you think the culprit is. Every clue is given to you and yet, at the end, Christie still manages to dupe you.This collection of short stories, however, didn't allow that type of guesswork. Rarely was the reader provided with all the clues necessary to solve the case. A lot of time, a necessary clue was given after Poirot had already solved the case for us. It was a bit disappointing.Granted, Christie's schemes were still brilliant and there were a couple fascinating stories in here. My favorites were The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb, The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim, and The Chocolate Box (the first Christie book/short story in which Poirot actually fails to figure out whodunnit).So while many of the scenarios were entertaining and fun to read, I missed the chance to solve the case myself. I would still recommend this book for die hard Agatha Christie lovers out there who want to read all of her books (like me) but a casual reader might want to just skip this book.
Rating: 3Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes was always at best when confined to the limits of a short story. In novel form he always suffered badly. With Agatha Christie and Poirot it seems to be the other way round. Whereas her novels are some of the best Whodunnits ever, her short stories are not all that mysterious and full of badly fledged out characters and incredibly forced situations. For completists only I guess.
Rating: 3The blurb on the book (not from the 1924 edition) saysTwo things bind these eleven stories together - the brilliance and uncanny skill of the diminutive Belgian detective, and the stupidity of his Watson-like partner, Captain Hastings. Beyond narrating the stories, Hastings serves only one purpose - to highlight Poirot's brilliance by displaying his own stupidity.This short story collection saw Hercule Poirot's third appearance in 11 stories. He had previously appeared in THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES and THE MURDER ON THE LINKS.Besides Poirot and Hastings, Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard makes several appearances. The stories are all pretty well set in the early 1920s and are narrated by Hastings. Poirot often tells Hastings that he really doesn't have what it takes to be a good detective, with the result that Hastings gets quite angry with Poirot's pomposity, but has to admit that, in the long run, Hercule Poirot is always right.For me the pick of these stories is The Adventure of "The Western Star", The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb, and The Disappearance of Davenheim.The cover shown top left is the dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition. It certainly shows a familiar figure doesn't it!All of the stories were first published, unillustrated, in the UK in The Sketch magazine during 1923.In the US, all of the stories first appeared in the monthly Blue Book Magazine, 1923-1925, with 3 extra stories during 1925.The stories areThe Adventure of "The Western Star"The Western Star is a flawless diamond given to an actress by her doting husband as a wedding present. Legend says that it was once the left eye of a temple god, and the actress is receiving letters that threaten to steal it. The actress insists, against Hercule Poirot's advice, that she will be wearing it at a country houseparty on the weekend, and it is stolen under Poirot's very nose.Tragedy at Marsdon ManorPoirot is asked to investigate the death of a man who recently insured his life for a fortune. The doctor gives a verdict of heart failure. The widow is much younger than her dead husband and Poirot finds that suspicious.The Adventure of the Cheap FlatThis is the most tangled of the stories in this collection, and really the one that I found most difficult to follow, and that I liked the least. A friend of Hastings recounts the tale of a newly married couple who have managed to rent a flat in Knightsbridge for a remarkably low price. And yet others were told that the flat was already let. Hastings "solves" the mystery, and then Poirot demonstrates just how wrong Hasting's solution is.The Mystery of Hunters LodgePoirot is recovering from influenza, and so he sends Hastings to Derbyshire to investigate a murder. Poirot says Hastings knows his methods but asks that Hastings report to him fully every day, and then follow to the letter any instructions he may send. Inspector Japp is already at the scene of the crime and rather unkindly remarks that to send Hastings is rather like to send the cart without the horse. Hastings finds the murder scene disappointingly lacking in clues. He reports to Poirot in a long letter and sends some photographs with it. Poirot is scathing about his efforts, and predictably solves the crime easily, although the culprits by this time have escaped.The Million Dollar Bond RobberyA million dollars worth of Liberty Bonds which the London and Scottish Bank were sending to New York, have disappeared on board the liner in transit. And yet the bonds didn't vanish. They were sold in small parcels within half an hour of the ship docking in New York. Poirot takes on the case to oblige the pretty young fiance of the man who was in charge of the bonds on the voyage. According to Poirot the solution is too easy. Hastings get annoyed that Poirot has such a conceited opinion of himself.The Adventure of the Egyptian TombAre the Egyptian tombs cursed? It certainly seems so when excavators of an Egyptian tomb die suddenly, one from a heart attack, and the other from blood poisoning. A few days later the nephew of one of them shoots himself. Lady Willard, the widow of the man who died of a heart attack, fears for her son and consults Hercules Poirot. Hastings finds it strange that Poirot seems to agree that a curse is a real possibility. Poirot even agrees to travel to Egypt to investigate, despite the fact that he is extremely prone to sea sickness. They arrive to find that there has been yet another death.The Jewel Robbery at the Grand MetropolitanHastings treats Poirot to a weekend at the Grand Metropolitan in Brighton, where the dresses and the jewellery of the women at dinner are magnificent. Hastings sees a couple that he knows and the man's wife wants to show him the pearl necklace she has in her room. She is devastated to find that they have disappeared. Who better to work out where they have gone than Hercule Poirot?The Kidnapped Prime MinisterThis story is set just after the end of the First World War. England's Prime Minister has nearly been assassinated on the eve of the approaching Allied Conference. But there is worse to come. The Prime Minister has disappeared, kidnapped. It appears the abduction took place in France, although his secretary has been found chloroformed and gagged, in an abandoned farm. This was a national crisis in which Poirot made a valuable contribution.The Disappearance of DavenheimPoirot and Hastings are expecting Inspector Japp to tea. The papers are full of the strange disappearance of the senior partner of a firm of well-known bankers and financiers. Japp lays the evidence before them, Hastings jumps to the obvious, and Poirot tells Japp exactly where to find Davenheim.The Adventure of the Italian NoblemanDr. Hawker, a near neighbour, often drops in on Hastings and Poirot for a chat. Hawker is a great admirer of Poirot's genius. Hawker's housekeeper comes to tell him that he has had a very strange phone call from an Italian Count he has been attending. When they arrive, the Count is dead, killed by a nasty blow to the head. Poirot is puzzled by the murder scene, by the absence of something he thinks ought to be there.The Case of the Missing Will.Miss Violet Marsh has been left Crabtree Manor by her uncle in an extraordinary will. She may live in the house for a year, but must prove her wits in that time, otherwise his large fortune will pass to charity. Poirot concludes there must be a second will, one she is meant to find, and he undertakes to look for it for her. Hastings on the other hand thinks Miss Marsh is really cheating by employing Poirot to solve the problem for her.
Rating: 4I just love Poirot! These 11 stories are extremely enjoyable. Poirot is his usual lovably arrogant self. Poirot fans will enjoy the last tale, which is Poirot's only "failure". Each story has a satisfying conclusion and the expected tricky plot twists.
Rating: 5This is the first collection of short stories published. The stories are narrated by Captain Hastings as Watson to Poirot's Holmes. The stories are an interesting bunch, mainly because they herald themes, such as natural justice, that Christie picked up in her later work.
Rating: 5Very good book of short stories from the master mystery author Agatha Christie. Join Hercule Poirot as he solves numerous crimes unsolvable by the police. This book is very enjoyable. I had difficulty putting it down.
Rating: 5