The Third-Floor Flat: a Hercule Poirot Short Story

Hercule Poirot #0.27

by Agatha Christie

A woman's body is found in the third-floor flat at Friars Mansion. And who should live in the very same building but Hercule Poirot! Another woman accidently locked herself out of her flat and her friends found an interesting way to get in and retrieve the key. But they made a mistake in their calculation as to which flat was hers. What did they find in the dark? Blood and a body. Our perspicacious detective then offered assistance.

Librarian's note: this entry is for the story, "The Third Floor Flat." Collections of short stories by the author can be found elsewhere on Goodreads. Individual entries for all Poirot short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Hercule Poirot Short Story."

Genres: Agatha Christie, Mystery, Short Stories, Audiobook, Crime, Fiction, Classics

35 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1929

About the author

Agatha 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)

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

And I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for those pesky kids!
Four friends accidentally stumble into the wrong house and discover a murder in their building.
Guess who else lives in that building?



Patricia and her three friends are returning to her (you guessed it) third-floor flat after an evening out when she realizes she's lost her key. It's late and there is no one to let them in, so the two guys, Donovan and Jimmy, decide to ride up to her apartment in the coal lift. The plan is to get inside the flat and then let the girls in.
But when the boys turn on the light and realize they've accidently let themselves into the wrong place they scramble to get out.



They make it to the right flat on the next try and notice that Donovan has blood on his hands. And no cut. After a quick vote, they head back to the other apartment and discover the woman who lives there had been murdered.
Lucky for them, Poirot lives on the fifth floor and just happens by when they are discussing calling the police.



This one has always been one of my favorite Poirot shorts. I can't put my finger on why exactly, but it may be that it's because there's a little bit of romance at the end. Or maybe because I've just always found the idea of riding a coal lift fun?
I don't know.
Highly Recommended!

Originally published in Detective Story Magazine (US) & Hutchinson's Magazine (UK) in 1929.
Read in the short story collection Three Blind Mice and Other Stories.

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

It looks like murders are searching for Poirot rather than Poirot searching for crimes. Nonetheless, a too obvious clue, a hint and Poirot's genius are doing the job.

Ps: Not to forget! Poirot isn't quite insensible to feminine charms...

[Dhara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This was very good. The set up, mystery, and the way it was written, all pretty good.

[أيمن قاسمي · Rating 4 out of 5]

جيدة !
لم أتوقع القاتل هذه المرة يا أجاثا
رواية جيدة لكن يجب أن أنام 🥱😞

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. Ingenious. I do have a little problem with coincidence as part of a story, but sometimes it's needed to shorten the length! As long as there aren't too many or some aren't beyond belief. There's a big one here. Poirot lives in the same building! He hears a commotion and offers help. The short story appeared in 1929 in "Detective Story" in the US and "Hutchinson's" in the UK. My reading was from "Three Blind Mice and Other Stories" of 1950. A young woman, Patricia Garnett, and her friends arrive at her place and she can't get in. She's down one key, recently lost, and the other is safely inside her flat. What to do? Two of her male friends, the gallant-to-the-core Donovan Bailey and his friend Jimmy Faulkener, offer to try to get in by the coal delivery basket. It enters via the kitchen and she apparently never locks it. Not big on security! When the two enter the flat, it turns out to be the wrong one. They find blood and, when the lights come on, a woman's body! The famous Hercule Poirot then makes an appearance. It stumped me! PS - the 100 metre Olympic Champion for 1996 from Canada is not the same Donovan Bailey; he wasn't even born! (March 2021)

[catherine ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

One of Christie's better short stories — I love the way the mystery was set up and the intensity of the actual motive.

[Sara · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good story, the mystery is good, well writing and interesting somehow.

[Dennis Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great short story! 4/5

Funny Poirot Quote:
"Me, I have a passion for the omelettes."

I love how in the midst of a murder, Poirot can detach and enjoy life, in this case in eating an omelet, and the deduction of the mystery does not suffer at all.

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent locked room murder that puts Poirot to the test.

[Brooklyn Tayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yet another fabulous, enthralling short story :)

[رومولا الن emmajain-book · Rating 3 out of 5]

قصة قصيرة ممتعه لملكة روايات الجريمة اجاثا كريستي
استمعت لها بعنوان شقة الطابق الثالث
يحقق بوارو بجريمة قتل حدثة باحدى شقق المبنى الذي يسكنه
قصة جميلة و خفيفه
أنصح بكل قصص أجاثا

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

A well thought out murder mystery but the criminal was not counting on Poirot living in the building. This satisfying short story packs a lot in a few pages. It was first published in 1929 and Poirot many times talked about his long lost love. It turned out early Poirot was a romantic.

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good story, quite tense in parts. The story revolves around a few young people locked out of their flat. The two gentlemen decide to use a dumb waiter to break in. ‘Accidentally’ they get into the wrong flat and discover a dead body.

The down side to this story is, by coincidence, this happens in the block of flats Poirot lives in.

[فاطِمة طه · Rating 3 out of 5]

كتاب خفيف كان برفقتي و أنا أقوم ببعض أعمال المنزل♡
استمعت إليه صوتيًا. الكتب الصوتية بمثابة المنقذ لي من رتابة أعمال المنزل.

يتحدث الكتاب باختصار عن اربعة أصدقاء يجد اثنان منهم جثة في منزل الجارة، كيف اكتشفوها و من هو القاتل؟ هذا هو ستكتشفه.

[Noor Joyia · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just an Average story. Disappointing 😶

[Dr.Abdulwahab Alnaif · Rating 4 out of 5]

رواية جميلة ككل روايات اكاثا كريستي وقد اعطتني جرعة ادرينالين كبيرة وفي نهاية الرواية جرعة دوبامين باكتشاف القاتل الذي لم اتوقعه ابداً ولا احد يبرع في كشف هذا النوع من الجرائم سوى اثنين شيرلوك هولمز شخصية ارثر كونان دويل وبوارو شخصية اكاثا كرستي

[Lacivard Mammadova · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok, sonluğu əvvəldən belə olacaq dediyim kimi olmadı. Amma Erkül bəy lap ağını çıxartdı eləbil. Çox fantastik və məntiqsiz sonluq oldu.

[Cassey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Maybe it's because I read the dutch translation, but really not much too it. But we'll see how the next Agatha Christie goes, maybe not taking a short story next time.

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another short story featuring Hercule Poirot written by Agatha Christie. A group of friends go out for the evening and return to one of the young ladies apartment only to find her key is missing from her purse. So they come up with a plan for the gentlemen to go up the trash dispenser (it is like a dumb waiter) to get into her apartment that way. Up the guys go pulling the trash carrier by a rope until they get to the fourth floor and in the dark apartment one of gentlemen stumble trying to find the light switch so they can see. Except the kitchen light does not work and he has to go into the sitting room where his friend follows him. When they make it back upstairs to the correct apartment, the girls notice the second guy must have injured his hand because there is blood all over it. when he washes his hand off, he discovers no harm to himself so the gentlemen head back to the flat on the third floor and discover the tenant's dead body behind the curtains.

Another intriguing story of murder where Hercule Poirot solves the mystery in a matter of minutes. Love it. In my gut, I know who the killer is and half know why. I just never see the clues or am I able to lay the whole story out to explain it as well as the famous detective does. If you love mysteries or short stories, give anything Agatha Christie wrote a try they are well worth a read.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

Agatha Christie Book Reading Challenge

1 stars✨

BOOK 75:- February 2025

[Jovana Vesper · Rating 4 out of 5]

The length someone will go to get the girl he likes....its just THAT kind of creepiness miss Agatha wanted to talk about. It's not just the madness of the culprit and his negation of morality its all the devastation that he is leaving behind - the girl that was object of desire, particularly.

This case, as far as I can track concerning Christie's short stories is probably the quickest one Poirot solved. Literally in couple of hours. Ok, the advantage is that the crime was committed in his building and he literally didn't have to get out of his peignoir and slippers, still its something to admire at. Observation is the key to everything!

[Bekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

One mistake too many. Of course, Poirot was going to catch on. Never think you are too clever to be caught. Arrogance always trips you up in the end. Great little story, as always. I just love Poirot, no matter the length of the story.

[ESRAA MOHAMED · Rating 3 out of 5]

قصة قصيرة سمعتها بصوت إسلام عادل.
أربعة أصدقاء بيرجعوا شقة باتريشيا بعد سهرة لكنهم يكتشفوا ضياع مفتاح الشقة فيضطر جيمي ودونفان لايجاد طريقة أخرى لدخول الشقة وأثناء محاولتهم يكتشفوا جثة الجارة.

استمتعوا...
دمتم قراء…❤❤❤

[Lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and easy to read.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 4 out of 5]

My introduction to Hercule Poirot on the printed page was a good one indeed. With Poirot's eye for detail, I don't think I'd want to pit myself against him anytime soon. Loved the twists and turns!

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

“They stood staring at the little man with a very fierce mustache and an egg-shaped head.”

Another entertaining mystery.

[Avinash K · Rating 4 out of 5]

Classic Poirot. But Poirot seemed to be a starry eyed about the woman.

[Marty · Rating 4 out of 5]

Molto carino, mi è piaciuto, anche se ho trovato il finale un po' troppo conciso, ma giusto per trovare il famoso pelo nell'uovo :-) :-), perché Agatha è sempre impareggiabile!!

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story begins with four friends headed to a flat. The owner realizes she has lost her key, so an alternate way of getting in is proposed. This requires some smelly business, and then they enter the wrong apartment - they didn't take into account that they started from the basement and went to the 3rd floor instead of the 4th floor.

Once they get into the correct flat, they see blood on one of the guys resulting in the discovery that the tenant in the 3rd flor flat was murdered. Poirot was living on the 5th floor and assists the police when they arrive. After the police leave, he confirms his suspicions and alerts the police.

Who done it? Donovan Bailey. He had married the woman known as Mrs. Grant, but now he wanted to marry Pat. Pat lived above Mrs. Grant, so Donovan stole her key to gain access to the 3rd-floor flat without suspicion. He shot her, but hid her body so he could gain access to the mail and take the letter from Mrs. Grant's lawyers saying that their marriage was valid. Poirot got the key and the letter, encouraging the other young man to be supportive of Pat, as she was Donovan's motive.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here is what I liked: the scene of this crime (the apartment building) and the unique cast of characters (a group of young adults after a night out on the town). It seemed fresh for a Christie story and not the usual setting in a grand estate home. Here is what I’d didn’t like: the weird, convoluted story about a man killing his wife, that no one knew he had, because he had a crush on the upstairs tenant. Huh? That totally came out of left field! Ugh.