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Hercule Poirot #0.004
The Second Gong: A Short Story
Lytcham Close, one of the oldest stately homes in England, is owned by the last remaining heir and ruled by his intolerable whims. Old Hubert demands complete silence when he plays music and times dinner exactly by a resounding gong. Rushing down at the sound of the second—or is it the first?—gong, Joan Ashby is about to find out that not only is dinner delayed, but something is going on that no one can explain. Everyone is thrown into disarray when Old Hubert never materializes and instead a new guest is announced: Hercule Poirot himself. What unfolds is a mystery of lovers, and a death that is not as it appears.
Audiobook
First published January 1, 1932
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About the author
Agatha Christie
5,774 books75.5k followersAgatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews
July 30, 2025
If you're a Christie fan, you're probably going to look at this and think, didn't I already read this story?
Well, yes and no.
The Second Gong was originally published in 1932 in The Ladies Home Journal and added into some of Christie's short story collections.
BUT then later it was expanded upon and turned into the novella, Dead Man's Mirror. You can find that one in the Murder in the Mews collection.
The gist is that Poirot shows up at the home of a client, only to find his client dead.
Suicide or Murder?
The police come out and investigate, deciding it was the former, but Poirot isn't so sure. His investigation reveals the motives for several inmates and guests in the house.
Was it the adopted daughter? The loony wife? The seemingly devoted butler? The shady secretary? The nephew who stood to inherit? Or was it someone else entirely?
I'm not telling.
It's a solid short story, but not as well written as I was expecting. Something about the prose was a tad off. Still, it's a must-read for any fan.
Recommended.
Well, yes and no.
The Second Gong was originally published in 1932 in The Ladies Home Journal and added into some of Christie's short story collections.
BUT then later it was expanded upon and turned into the novella, Dead Man's Mirror. You can find that one in the Murder in the Mews collection.
The gist is that Poirot shows up at the home of a client, only to find his client dead.
Suicide or Murder?
The police come out and investigate, deciding it was the former, but Poirot isn't so sure. His investigation reveals the motives for several inmates and guests in the house.
Was it the adopted daughter? The loony wife? The seemingly devoted butler? The shady secretary? The nephew who stood to inherit? Or was it someone else entirely?
I'm not telling.
It's a solid short story, but not as well written as I was expecting. Something about the prose was a tad off. Still, it's a must-read for any fan.
Recommended.
October 16, 2025
Mr Lytcham Roche, he had the manie de grandeur, he was a king. Such a man does not kill himself. No, no, he may go mad, but he does not kill himself. Mr Lytcham Roche did not kill himself.
A short story version of what was later expanded to the novella The Dead Man's Mirror, The Second Gong is an intriguing story of murder that almost everyone writes off as suicide. But Hercule Poirot, understanding the psychology of the dead man is out to solve the murder!
The shorter form gave space for the plot to shine, while still giving glimpses of the methodical analysis Poirot favours. The characters were interesting, though they came off better in the novella. But on the whole, the story length is a good fit for the premise and plot.
🌟🌟🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the character sketches; Half a star for the plot and themes; Half a star for the world-building; Half a star for the writing - 3 stars in total.]
A short story version of what was later expanded to the novella The Dead Man's Mirror, The Second Gong is an intriguing story of murder that almost everyone writes off as suicide. But Hercule Poirot, understanding the psychology of the dead man is out to solve the murder!
The shorter form gave space for the plot to shine, while still giving glimpses of the methodical analysis Poirot favours. The characters were interesting, though they came off better in the novella. But on the whole, the story length is a good fit for the premise and plot.
🌟🌟🌟
[3/4 star for the premise and the whole book; 3/4 star for the character sketches; Half a star for the plot and themes; Half a star for the world-building; Half a star for the writing - 3 stars in total.]
September 30, 2018
First published in 1932, this story was later extended into a novella length version, “Dead Man’s Mirror.”
This, original version, sees a house party at Lytcham Close, home of the eccentric Hubert Lytcham Roche. The controlling Hubert Lytcham Roche is a stickler for certain behaviour from his guests – including silence while music is playing and punctuality at dinner. Therefore, when the dinner gong sounds, Joan Ashby and Harry Dalhouse, Mr Lytcham Roche’s nephew, rush down the stairs. However, was it the first, or second gong, they heard?
Other guests include secretary, Geoffrey Keene, Hubert’s wife and their adopted daughter, Diana Cleves, the financier, Gregory Barling and a certain Belgian detective, with an egg-shaped head… Poirot had been invited by Hubert Lytcham Roche, who asked him to investigate a sensitive matter for him but, when he is found dead, a suspected suicide, it is up to Poirot to discover the truth. This is an interesting, if short story, which certainly deserved to be extended.
This, original version, sees a house party at Lytcham Close, home of the eccentric Hubert Lytcham Roche. The controlling Hubert Lytcham Roche is a stickler for certain behaviour from his guests – including silence while music is playing and punctuality at dinner. Therefore, when the dinner gong sounds, Joan Ashby and Harry Dalhouse, Mr Lytcham Roche’s nephew, rush down the stairs. However, was it the first, or second gong, they heard?
Other guests include secretary, Geoffrey Keene, Hubert’s wife and their adopted daughter, Diana Cleves, the financier, Gregory Barling and a certain Belgian detective, with an egg-shaped head… Poirot had been invited by Hubert Lytcham Roche, who asked him to investigate a sensitive matter for him but, when he is found dead, a suspected suicide, it is up to Poirot to discover the truth. This is an interesting, if short story, which certainly deserved to be extended.
February 22, 2021
A wealthy man who demands his guests never be late to dinner is suddenly....late to dinner. When the man is found dead, it's definitely a case for Hercule Poirot!
This story was first published in The Strand Magazine in 1932 and in Ladies Home Journal in the US that same year. It is the basis for a novella (Dead Man's Mirror) published in 1937. It was included in the story collections The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (1948, US) and The Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories (UK) in 1991. This original version of the story has not been adapted, but Dead Man's Mirror was crafted into an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot (Season 5, episode 7).
A very entertaining story! I love locked-room mysteries done up Christie style!
I listened to an audio version of this story from The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (HarperAudio), narrated by Hugh Fraser. Excellent listen! Fraser is rapidly becoming one of my favorite narrators! I like his voice and he does a very good job of voice acting.
On to the next!
This story was first published in The Strand Magazine in 1932 and in Ladies Home Journal in the US that same year. It is the basis for a novella (Dead Man's Mirror) published in 1937. It was included in the story collections The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (1948, US) and The Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories (UK) in 1991. This original version of the story has not been adapted, but Dead Man's Mirror was crafted into an episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot (Season 5, episode 7).
A very entertaining story! I love locked-room mysteries done up Christie style!
I listened to an audio version of this story from The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (HarperAudio), narrated by Hugh Fraser. Excellent listen! Fraser is rapidly becoming one of my favorite narrators! I like his voice and he does a very good job of voice acting.
On to the next!
October 9, 2018
Wow, that was a very quick solve. Wouldn't t be great if we had detectives around when needed and able to move so quickly in real life?
October 5, 2018
Tidy little mystery with my favorite detective.
December 11, 2025
3 Stars. An earlier and shorter version of the 1937 novelette Dead Man's Mirror, which was one of four in the collection, Murder in the Mews. I'd like to say this one's better, or even worse, something, but no such luck. They both struck me as good, thus three stars, but nothing special. The two are very much the same story, except with all the names changed to protect the innocent. Or is it the guilty? I read it in Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories which came out in 1991. Poirot arrives at the lovely country estate, Lytcham Close, and finds it in a state of confusion. Dinner's late, which absolutely never happens in the house. It appears that Hubert Lytcham Roche had invited Poirot without telling anyone; the dinner gong has been delayed because Poirot's train from London was late. A larger aspect of the confusion is the absence of Lytcham Roche himself. He was not in the dining room when the gong finally sounded. This too had never happened before. When the door to his study is broken down, Roche's body is found dead of an apparent suicide. But his chair is in the wrong position, and why is the mirror broken? The story's not bad. (Oc2021/De2025)
November 25, 2018
A Hercule Poirot short story. A clever locked room mystery.
July 6, 2021
>>Audiobook Read by Hugh Frasier
app 52 min
app 52 min
January 1, 2026
سريعة، خفيفة، تفصيلة صغيرة جداً كشفت القاتل
August 10, 2021
Just, WOW. This must be one of the best Hercule Poirot short stories I've read, not to mention one of the greatest murder mystery stories I've read in my whole life! While reading the Hercule Poirot Complete Short Stories Dame Agatha Christie keeps on proving to me she never needed two hundred plus novel length space to astonish the reader, or packing multiple mindbending twists one after another... a short story length is more than enough for her to gut punch the reader with clockwork mystery-revelations one over the other, by the end leaving them breathless and jawdropped. Well then, The Second Gong succeeded in all three criteria in the best possible ways, and left me gut-punched, out of breath, and hanging my jaw almost to the floor!
However many times I say this it will never be enough: Take my bow one again Grandma. You never fail to make a fool out of me every time, even after almost a hundred years.
However many times I say this it will never be enough: Take my bow one again Grandma. You never fail to make a fool out of me every time, even after almost a hundred years.
January 1, 2017
Well, that was unexpected. I think, of all of the short stories I have read this year, this one was the most altered when it went from page to screen. While that meant that I could listen to the story without feeling like I already knew everything that was going to happen, it also meant that I sat here with a furrowed brow, trying to figure out the changes and what that would mean for the conclusion. Very enjoyable though, worth a read (or listen).
June 23, 2016
A classic locked room mystery, solved with only with the flair Hercule Poirot can bring.
August 19, 2018
Would have liked this better as a full length novel. Felt a bit rushed.
October 16, 2018
This audio version runs about an hour. Fun if you already like Christie, but not the best of her work.
October 10, 2021
If I'm ever murdered I hope Hercule Poirot is there.
Read
May 1, 2021This was such a great read! I'm currently in a reading slump and this was exactly what I wanted!!!😊
May 31, 2021
A classic closed door mystery. Suicide or Murder? Only Christie can provide the answer.
July 10, 2021
I’m definitely a bigger fan of the extended novella, but the mystery is still the same and it’s still a good one.
August 12, 2023
Not one of my favorites
December 22, 2021
أقل من عادية
July 23, 2023
3.5 stars
December 25, 2025
Jag lyssnade på boken hade nog inte kommit igenom boken annars. det var så många karaktärer att jag inte hängde med vad som hände men det verkade rätt spännande.
March 8, 2023
Hercule Poirot walked so Benoit Blanc could run. I said what I said!! Loved this story.
August 25, 2024
oh to describe simple excitement as “a woman’s ejaculation”. the 30’s, what a time for literature to truly blossom! (2.5/5 stars)
January 28, 2022
I read this a few years back and I was HOOKED!
The plot, the characters, the twists, the red herrings, the alibis, they were all so perfectly crafted.
It might seem like a slow start, as Christie takes time to introduce the plot. But once the story sets in motion, it was definitely hard to put the book down.
It ends in the usual fashion of Poirot's explanation and even had a sentimental touch. It's great for a short read.
The plot, the characters, the twists, the red herrings, the alibis, they were all so perfectly crafted.
It might seem like a slow start, as Christie takes time to introduce the plot. But once the story sets in motion, it was definitely hard to put the book down.
It ends in the usual fashion of Poirot's explanation and even had a sentimental touch. It's great for a short read.
December 7, 2024
Yes, Monsieur Poirot is a very meticulous, methodical, man of order. Nothing escapes his attention, not even things happening behind his back. He solves this crime in a couple of hours if less, because he has a good peripheral view.
Okay, I'm not going to sit here and insult Monsieur Poirot, it's not just because of that but most of his conclusions depend on this circumstance. I might be wrong but this case is one of the fastest in his career.
The thing is - the story is too short. This often isn't an issue with Christie's stories since she can flesh out characters and create a chilling crime on five pages however this one falls flat, for me at least. The characters are underdeveloped, the crime is banal, the reactions are colder than I expected (yeah I know they are English!), the police come and go in no time, and there's no pushback from the culprit. The whole thing seems rushed.
Now, whoever reads this should know that I'm not complaining. I'm beyond happy for the existence of Agatha's short stories. Without them, we wouldn't have one of the three best detective shows in the entire world (in my humble, Lytcham-Rochesque opinion). Therefore this story is much better portrayed in the show, which is a lucky thing especially for those of us who always want more.
Okay, I'm not going to sit here and insult Monsieur Poirot, it's not just because of that but most of his conclusions depend on this circumstance. I might be wrong but this case is one of the fastest in his career.
The thing is - the story is too short. This often isn't an issue with Christie's stories since she can flesh out characters and create a chilling crime on five pages however this one falls flat, for me at least. The characters are underdeveloped, the crime is banal, the reactions are colder than I expected (yeah I know they are English!), the police come and go in no time, and there's no pushback from the culprit. The whole thing seems rushed.
Now, whoever reads this should know that I'm not complaining. I'm beyond happy for the existence of Agatha's short stories. Without them, we wouldn't have one of the three best detective shows in the entire world (in my humble, Lytcham-Rochesque opinion). Therefore this story is much better portrayed in the show, which is a lucky thing especially for those of us who always want more.
September 17, 2014
The only other work I have read by Agatha Christie is an all-time favorite of mine, the incomparable And Then There Were None (AKA Ten Little Indians). This short story was interesting, but a little formulaic for my liking. Maybe that's not entirely fair, as Christie is one of the authors responsible for creating the formula.
In the first few pages, I was instantly put in mind of the Clue family of entertainments. As the story progressed, I was reminded more and more of Sherlock Holmes in the sense that the reader is not given all of the information necessary to work out the mystery. Rather, the solution is presented as an explanation of the brilliant deductions made throughout the investigation, which the reader is not privy to until this revelation.
In the first few pages, I was instantly put in mind of the Clue family of entertainments. As the story progressed, I was reminded more and more of Sherlock Holmes in the sense that the reader is not given all of the information necessary to work out the mystery. Rather, the solution is presented as an explanation of the brilliant deductions made throughout the investigation, which the reader is not privy to until this revelation.
October 9, 2024
Dead Man’s Mirror is an expanded version of this short story The Second Gong, which appeared in July, 1932 in the Strand Magazine.’
I guess the benefit of a short story written to a deadline could be adapted and expounded as Poirot developed as a character. In the normal course of things I have read of writer’s regret when they wish they could ‘improve’ on a ‘published’ story. All done for the reader’s pleasure.
The characters are completely different and the motive is also changed.
Having read both I would say that the later revised short story is far superior. Poirot is a shadow of the figure in Gong to the one in Mirror where he takes control of the investigation with pomp and swagger.
It is a good insight to the author to compare and contrast these similar works but really it is like accepting a lift from Fred Flintstone rather than Lewis Hamilton.
I guess the benefit of a short story written to a deadline could be adapted and expounded as Poirot developed as a character. In the normal course of things I have read of writer’s regret when they wish they could ‘improve’ on a ‘published’ story. All done for the reader’s pleasure.
The characters are completely different and the motive is also changed.
Having read both I would say that the later revised short story is far superior. Poirot is a shadow of the figure in Gong to the one in Mirror where he takes control of the investigation with pomp and swagger.
It is a good insight to the author to compare and contrast these similar works but really it is like accepting a lift from Fred Flintstone rather than Lewis Hamilton.
January 14, 2025
This is the least satisfying of all the short stories by Christie that I've read. There is a nice plot with a seemingly unsolvable murder, but Hercule Poirot exercises his little gray cells and his meticulous order and method to work it out. Perhaps because it was a short story rather than a full-on lengthy narrative that it fell a little short for me. It just felt a little off, as the characters were barely developed, such that I didn't feel like I could fully ascertain motives very well. Also, the police "investigation" happened totally behind the scenes with a quick conclusion of suicide. Most disappointing was how the perpetrator just keeled over with no denial or protest of any kind. Poirot's analysis still makes it a must-read for Christie fans, it's just not as interesting to me as some of her other short stories in the collection.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews