Poirot's Early Cases

Hercule Poirot #43

by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot... The greatest detective of the twentieth century begins his celebrated career in crime, unmasking murderers, swindlers, drug-dealers and thieves - with his faithful Hastings only a step behind...

Contains: The Affair at the Victory Ball
The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
The Cornish Mystery
The Adventure of Johhnie Waverly
The Double Clue
The King of Clubs
The Lemesurier Inheritance
The Lost Mine
The Plymouth Express
The Chocolate Box
The Submarine Plans
The Third-Floor Flat
Double Sin
The Market Basing Mystery
Wasps' Nest
The Veiled Lady
Problem at Sea
How Does Your Garden Grow?

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

Paperback

First published April 1, 1974

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

[carol. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking for a Poirot short story for my kindle when I ran into this compilation for a bargain ninety-nine cents. Worth it? Sure. You can taste the flavor of Poirot in perfect lunch break-sized chunks, or moments in the car waiting for an appointment, or even when you just want a little something-something. Or perhaps you find the full-length books tedious with all their descriptions of little grey cells, the sending of telegrams, and the multitude of housekeepers and lady's maids; well, these stripped-down versions save those mentions to once per story, perhaps even less. Still, for the serious Christie fan, there's often something missing. Mostly atmosphere, along with the parade of characters that comes with a full-course investigation.

Contents:

The Affair at the Victory Ball
The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
The Cornish Mystery
The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
The Double Clue
The King of Clubs
The Lemesurier Inheritance
The Lost Mine
The Plymouth Express
The Chocolate Box
The Veiled Lady
The Submarine Plans
The Market Basing Mystery




I did enjoy these quick little cases, but a few felt almost like outlines, they were so short. In those cases (haha), it felt like the story rested on the twist. 'The Chocolate Box,' 'The Veiled Lady' and 'The Market Basing Mystery' all fell into this category. Literally, there is the case; Poirot reflects; he solves. The first, 'The Affair at the Victory Ball,' reads like an introduction to the character of Poirot and Hastings, and is fun for that, although the case itself ridiculous.  'The Submarine Plans' is published elsewhere and is a very realized short. Still, not a bad little grouping, and a nice way to spend a few minutes here and there.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook Listen November 2021
An enjoyable listen whist laying Oak flooring. It was a real surprise to discover stories read by both Hugh Fraser (Hastings) and some by David Suchet (Poirot himself !). In fact it was difficult to decide who was the more enjoyable. All in all, a excellent listen.

Read May 2018
Another 4 star review for Agatha and Hercule (I feel I know them both well enough to be so informal ) although that said, it did only scrape into the 4 star category. Now whether that is because I have overdosed on Poirot shorts (some kind of new trouser ware ?? ) or because they were not quite up to the expected standard I do not know. Either way all 18 stories were enjoyable, although similar to “Poirot Investigates “ some were better than others. In fact some of the more (can I use the word) mediocre stories have all merged into one amorphous Poirot case.
Now maybe that was a bit harsh as there were a couple of truly excellent short stories wonderfully demonstrating Poirot’s undoubted genius, Hastings’ undoubted loyalty (hah you thought I was going to be rude about poor old Hastings ) and of course with the first sight of Miss Lemon, her wonderful efficiency. Let’s be honest who would not want a sight of Miss Lemon’s filing system.
Oh my favourite ones, oh well, “ The Incredible Theft”, “The Double Clue”, “The Problem at Sea” and the wonderful “The Affair at the Victory Ball”.
And now, being only one month behind in this Poirot challenge, its back to the novels

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Affair at the Victory Ball
An influential man is murdered at the Victory Ball. Simultaneously, his girlfriend overdosed on crack (<--not crack) the same night after leaving the ball early due to a fight with the now-dead man.
Whodunnit and whytheydunnit?
Enter Poirot! <--and Hastings



The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
One of my personal favorites!
Poirot is such a snob. And in this one, he waves away an annoying middle-class woman, Mrs. Todd, who wants him to find her missing cook. Or he tries to anyway.
When she points out that her cook is worth just as much to her as some rich woman's priceless jewels, he realizes she's right and agrees to take the case.



The Cornish Mystery
Agatha, you sneaky devil.
This has the same basic plot as Death on the Nile: A Parker Pyne Short Story, but Christie swapped Pyne for Poirot.



The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
Poirot locates a child being held for ransom.
When the child of a wealthy family is kidnapped right under the noses of the parents and the police, Poirot is called in to help.



The Double Clue
Double Clue!? <--That's 2 clues too many, bitches.
And everyone's favorite Belgium detective is onto that shit.



The King of Clubs
The King of Clubs is one of those fun Poirot shorties where he discovers what really happened but the police never do.



The Lemesurier Inheritance
The cursed inheritance!
The story opens with a friend of Hastings & Poirot getting killed almost immediately after he learns of his father's death...and right before he inherits his estate.
Supposedly there's a curse attached to the family that (because of some wrongdoing by an ancestor) won't let any firstborn son inherit.



The Lost Mine
Poirot visits an opium den.
So that shouldn't be boring, right? But it is. I've read and listened to this story multiple times over the years and it's never managed to keep my interest.



The Plymouth Express
An heiress is murdered on a train and her grieving father hires Poirot to find her killer.
The Plymouth Express was later expanded into the full-length novel, The Mystery of the Blue Train.



The Chocolate Box
Poirot outwitted?! Say it ain't so!
But it is so.
Sitting around together one evening, Poirot tells Hastings of the one case that he failed to solve.
And Poirot tells Hastings to say the words chocolate box if he ever feels that Hercule gets a bit too big for his britches. I'm sure Hastings was tempted to walk behind Poirot with a megaphone repeating those words at the top of his lungs for most of the time they spent together.
He didn't.
Such is the power of friendship.



The Submarine Plans
Whodunnit?
Poirot and Hastings get called to a politician's house when the plans for a hush-hush submarine get stolen.
The idea for this was slightly expanded upon in the longer novella The Incredible Theft.



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



Double Sin
A novice antique dealer catches Hasting's attention while on holiday with Poirot.
The lovely young Mary Durrant works for her aunt who has a very successful antique shop in Ebermouth. On this trip she is acting as a courier, delivering an expensive set of miniatures to a wealthy client.
What could possibly go wrong?




The Market Basing Mystery
Is a suicide sometimes just a suicide?
That's what Poirot wonders when he, Hastings, & Japp get called in to look at a potential locked room murder that has the local constable scratching his head.



Wasps' Nest
Is it a murder mystery if you prevent the murder?
Close enough, I say.



The Veiled Lady
A hot chick wearing a veil walks into a bar...
Ok, not a bar. She walks into Poirot's house, and hires him to try to retrieve a scandalous letter from a blackmailer.
Always burn the letters, ladies!



Problem at Sea
Who killed the obnoxious Mrs. Clapperton?
It should have been her henpecked husband, but he has an airtight alibi as he was on shore with two cute young women. It looks as though it was one of those dirty natives snuck into her room and killed the woman while she slept, then riffled her room looking for things to steal.
But that doesn't make sense to Poirot.




How Does Your Garden Grow?
Did a greedy maid poison her mistress?
Poirot receives a letter from an elderly woman who wants his advice. Intrigued by her phrasing, he asks Miss Lemon to send a letter back agreeing to come to her home. Before he can see her, he receives word that she has died.
Poisoned!

[Simona B · Rating 3 out of 5]

"To have patience with stupidity is difficult for the quick-witted."

Some are great, some less; as it almost always happens with short stories, after all. Personally, I have a predilection for Wasps' Nest, while The Third Floor Flat was probably the most unsatisfactory of them all -how could he think he would never be implied in that homicide? TSTL criminals are so not my type.

Poirot, on the other hand, is as adorable and brainy as ever. It would be only silly of me to deny that he is the love of my life.

[Bill · Rating 3 out of 5]

With Agatha Christie's health failing her publishers suggested that the 1974 Christie at Christmas book should be a collection of old Hercule Poirot short stories previously unpublished in England & this is the result.
It's a mixed bag of stroies & I remember some of them being adapted for the Poirot TV series starring David Suchet. For me How Does Your Garden Grow ? & Wasps' Nest are my favourites here. The 18 short stories are brief enough to read, but I feel Poirot works better in full length novels. This is in contrast to one of my other favourite fictional detectives, Sherlock Holmes. Conan Doyle wrote superb short stories, but I always struggle with his novels. Chrsitie, on the other hand, constructed Poirot mysteries far better as full length novels.

[Anissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

For the book that would close out my 2022 Reader's Challenge, I chose this collection of Hercule Poirot's early cases by Agatha Christie. 18 short stories in all, some familiar, others not so much, all enjoyable. I'm very glad to have got so many Poirot stories in and really enjoyed some great lines and discoveries about him & Captain Hastings (his disdain for hot chocolate was so strong, it made me laugh). Additionally, some of the characters who populate the stories were good for humour, interesting perspectives and demanding to be remembered (just a couple: the physician in The Cornish Mystery and Mrs. Delafontaine in How Does Your Garden Grow?).

My favourites:
The Affair at the Victory Ball
The Cornish Mystery
The Adventure of the Clapham Cook
The Double Clue
The Lemesurier Inheritance
The Chocolate Box
The Plymouth Express
The Market Basing Mystery
The Veiled Lady
Problem at Sea
How Does Your Garden Grow?

The remainder:
The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
The King of Clubs
The Lost Mine
Wasps' Nest
The Submarine Plans
The Third-Floor Flat

Recommended.

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very early Christie,first published just a few years after Agatha Christie began her writing career. She was still honing her craft.

In her autobiography,Christie wrote that she regretted that she made her Belgian detective,Hercule Poirot,very old to begin with.

(She also didn't make him look all that attractive,with the ridiculous moustache and the egg shaped head.Whenever I see Poirot in a film or TV adaptation,his appearance doesn't thrill me).

There are eighteen short stories.I found just about half a dozen worth reading.The rest were very forgettable and some were downright boring. The humour which livens up her later books is also missing.

Christie's novels are certainly better than her short stories.

2.5 stars,rounded up.

[Mahdi Lotfi · Rating 3 out of 5]

درباره نویسنده:
آگاتا مری کلاریسا، لیدی ملووان (به انگلیسی: Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan) (زاده ۱۵ سپتامبر ۱۸۹۰ - درگذشته ۱۲ ژانویه ۱۹۷۶) مشهور به آگاتا کریستی (به انگلیسی: Dame Agatha Christie) نویسنده انگلیسی داستان‌های جنایی و ادبیات کارآگاهی بود. او با نام مستعار ماری وستماکوت (به انگلیسی: Mary Westmacott) داستان‌های عاشقانه و رومانتیک نیز نوشته‌است، ولی شهرت اصلی او بخاطر ۶۶ رمان جنایی اوست. داستان‌های آگاتا کریستی، بخصوص آن دسته که در باره ماجراهای کارآگاه هرکول پوآرو و یا خانم مارپل هستند، نه تنها لقب «ملکه جنایت» را برای او به ارمغان آوردند بلکه وی را به‌عنوان یکی از مهم‌ترین و مبتکرترین نویسندگانی که در راه توسعه و تکامل داستان‌های جنایی کوشیده‌اند نیز معرفی و مطرح نمودند.

آگاتا کریستی در کتاب رکوردهای گینس مقام اول در میان پرفروش‌ترین نویسندگان کتاب در تمام دوران‌ها و مقام دوم (بعد از ویلیام شکسپیر)در میان پرفروش‌ترین نویسندگان در هر زمینه‌ای را به خود اختصاص داده‌است. تخمین زده شده‌است که یک میلیارد از کتابهای او به زبان اصلی (انگلیسی) و یک میلیارد دیگر در ترجمه‌های گوناگون به ۱۰۳ زبان دنیا به فروش رسیده‌است. محبوبیت جهانی کریستی به آن درجه‌است که بطور مثال در کشوری چون فرانسه تعداد کتابهایی که از او تا سال ۲۰۰۳ به فروش رسیده بالغ بر۴۰ میلیون جلد بوده‌است.

[Δx Δp ≥ ½ ħ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dari sejak SD, saya merasa tergelitik dengan pertanyaan, "Mana yang lebih hebat, Sherlock Holmes atau Hercule Poirot? Doyle atau Christie?".

Ok, kalo yang dibandingkan adalah segi kepopuleran dan pengaruh, maka Holmes sama sekali tak tertandingi. Menurut Guinness Book of Record, karakter Holmes adalah karakter yang paling banyak dimainkan dalam film dibandingkan tokoh apapun. Tercatat lebih dari 70 aktor berperan sebagai dia di lebih dari 200 film. Siapa pula yang tak mengenal cara mengambil kesimpulan deduksi ala Holmes yang telah menjadi standar penulisan cerita detektif hingga saat ini? Bahkan metode terkenal ini sampai memunculkan terminologi baru, Holmesian Deduction .

Tapi bukan berarti Poirot kalah. Buku Poirot toh lebih banyak (33 novel dan 51 cerpen). Bandingkan dengan Holmes yang 'hanya' ditampilkan dalam 4 novel dan 56 cerpen. Terus kalo dari segi kesuksesan pengarang, Agatha memang tidak ada duanya. Dia merupakan tokoh pengarang yang karyanya paling banyak diterjemahkan di dunia, bahkan jumlah bukunya diklaim lebih dari 2milyar! Novelnya yang berjudul And Then Were None termasuk 10 novel terlaris sepanjang masa dan terjual lebih dari 100 juta eksempelar! Bandingkan dengan serial Harry Potter yang melegenda itu. Setidaknya, 'hanya' baru ada satu serial HP yang terjual lebih dari 100 juta kopi, yaitu HP & The Sorcerer's Stone.

Tapi, lagipula tidak adil kalo yang dibandingkan hanyalah kepopuleran atau banyaknya kasus yang diselesaikan. Yang namanya detektif, kehebatan diukur dengan seberapa hebat, cepat, tepat, dan akurat (seperti tagline program berita :)). Ajaibnya, kedua detektif ini sama melegendanya dalam urusan 4T tadi tapi penggunaan metodenya sangatlah berbeda.

Secara garis besar, Holmes dalam menyelesaikan kasusnya dia berpegang pada bukti yang ditinggalkan. Dengan asumsi bahwa penjahat paling hebat pun pasti melakukan kelalaian dengan meninggalkan bukti yang tanpa sadar dia tinggalkan (misal jejak kaki, puntung rokok yg dibuang, dll) sampai Holmes, istilahnya apa ya, mati-matian berburu jejak. Bahkan jejak paling sepele sekali pun. Diceritakan dia sampai menyelam, masuk rawa, menyamar sebagai gembel, dll demi mendapat barang bukti.

Poirot sebaliknya, adalah sosok yang necis, bisa dikatakan dia adalah antitesis dari Holmes, tak sudi melakukan penyelidikan yang merepotkan. Bahkan mencela habis-habisan orang (polisi) yang susah payah mencari barang bukti. Lebih senang mengamati daripada mengotori tangan memegang barang bukti, bahkan tak mau berkeringat karena keringat akan merusak keindahan simetris kumisnya (Dan dalam novel Curtain dia sampai mengorbankan... demi kumisnya!). Bahkan metoda penyelidikannya kadang membuat saya ngeri. Dia menyelami jalan pikiran penjahat hingga relung terdalam dimana ketamakan, keserakahan, dan kekejaman dari manusia bisa muncul dalam bentuk murni.
Dengan 'memahami' jalan pikiran si penjahat, maka tingkah laku si penjahat pun bisa tergambar sejelas seolah-olah dia melihat langsung kejadiannya.

Tadinya pas saya mau membaca buku ini, ekspektasi Poirot itulah yang ingin saya lihat. Tapi... well, ada beberapa kekecewaan yang lumayan bikin gondok (menurut saya) yang ditemukan di buku ini. Beberapa diantaranya,

1. Saya tidak tau jelas dan rinci bagaimana urutan jelas pembuatan novel ini dibandingkan dengan novel Agatha yang lain. Yang jelas karena saya membaca novel ini dalam urutan terbalik (judul novel ini adalah Poirot's EARLY Cases) dimana buku ini saya baca belakangan, saya melihat bahwa cerita-cerita dalam novel ini mirip dengan cerita Poirot dalam novel2 yang lain. Bahkan bisa dikatakan versi ringkas dari novel Poirot yang lain. Ini bikin gondok. karena dengan sendirinya teka-teki sudah ketebak sejak awal cerita.

Sebagai contoh, salah satu cerita di novel ini adalah The Plymouth Express. Secara mencolok cerita ini mirip dengan cerita Poirot yang lain yaitu novel The Mystery of The Blue Train. Tadinya saya mengira itu cuma kebetulan. Tapi... terlalu kentara! Mirip banget ceritanya. Ceritanya tentang pembunuhan seorang wanita kaya anak pengusaha sukses dari Amerika. Mayat wanita tersebut ditemukan di kereta oleh penumpang asing. Kematian korban disertai juga dengan hilangnya permata langka dan mahal. Tokoh yang dicurigai adalah suami korban yang diduga menyeleweng; 'pria idaman lain' yang lagi 'pedekate' dengan korban tapi tokoh ini terkenal sebagai buaya darat tapi bangsawan 'miskin' yang mengincar uangnya saja; pelayan wanita korban yang ikut mengiringi korban hingga korban mengatakan dia ingin menyendiri, dll. Plot cerita ini dapat ditemui pada kedua cerita yang disebutkan di atas! Bahkan yang bikin tambah keki adalah pelaku pembunuhan dan motifnya sama percis!

Cerita lainnya di novel ini yang berjudul Double Sin dengan jelas terlihat bahwa setting ceritanya mengingatkan kita pada novel Agatha yang lain yang berjudul Nemesis (meski pada 'Nemesis' tokoh utamanya adalah Miss Marple). Terus ada cerita yang berjudul Market Basing Mystery yang dengan jelas terlihat sebagai rangkuman petualangan Poirot yang lain, Murder in the Mews. Dan cerita lain-lainnya yang jelas mirip dengan novel2 Agatha lainnya. Pembaca setia Poirot dengan mudah dapat mencocokan cerita2 di buku ini dengan cerita Agatha lainnya. Alhasil pas baca novel ini hilang gregetnya. T,T

2. Seperti ditulis di awal, pengaruh Holmes pada cerita2 detektif sesudahnya sangat kentara bahkan terlihat jelas dalam cerita ini. Ok, saya tidak menuduh Agatha meniru, cuma beberapa cerita dalam buku ini, bisa dikatakan Holmes banget!. Plot cerita novel ini mirip banget dengan cerita Sherlock Holmes (Holmes kan muncul lebih dulu daripada Poirot). Misalnya,

- kebanyakan plot cerita ini dimulai dengan Poirot yang lagi bete (kerjanya cuma nyisir kumis) duduk di flatnya ditemani sahabatnya Arthur Hastings, menunggu kedatangan klien yang minta bantuan penyelidikan. Jelas plot ini mirip dengan adegan pembukaan kasus Holmes dimana Holmes (yang sedang ongkang2an kaki atau melakukan percobaan kimia) menunggu kedatangan klien ditemani sahabatnya, Dr. Watson di 221B Baker Street yang legendaris itu.

- Tokoh2 dalam novel ini mirip banget dengan tokoh-tokoh Sherlock Holmes. Sang Detektif (Holmes-Poirot [yang disebut di awal merupakan karakter dalam novel serial Holmes:]) ditemani oleh 'pengiringnya' yang setia tapi lugu/tidak dapat menarik kesimpulan akurat (Dr Watson-Kapten Hastings), ada polisi dari Scotland Yard yang sinis dan menganggap kedua detektif gila tapi tetap senantiasa meminta bantuan (Lastrade-Insp. Japp). Dibantu oleh induk semang/sekretaris yang membantu penerimaan tamu (Mrs Hudson-Ms. Lemon)

Bahkan kalau ditelusuri lebih jauh, kesamaan kedua detektif nyaris sama percis. Ingat novel The Big Four-nya Poirot kan? diceritakan Poirot mengahadapi musuh terbesar, terjenius dan berskala internasional. untuk mengahadapinya, ia minta bantuan kakaknya, Achile Poirot. Bandingkan dengan cerita The Empty House dan The Final Problem-nya Holmes yang harus berhadapan dengan komplotan Moriarty, dan Holmes minta bantuan kakaknya, Mycroft Holmes. Cara kedua datektif tsb dalam menyelesaikan kasus ini sama percis!
Kan lebih seru kalo Christie menampilkan sosok Poirot dalam cerita yang gak mirip Holmes :)

- Nah, ini yang menganggu saya. Di novel ini (Poirot's Early Cases) ada cerita yang judulnya The Submarine Plans yang berkisah seorang pejabat penting kehilangan desain kapal selam yang sangat berharga, mengancam keamanan nasional dan cerita The Veiled Lady yang berkisah tentang seorang wanita bangsawan miskin dan akan menikah dengan bangsawan kaya. tapi si wanita diancam akan dibeberkan skandal masa lalunya oleh si penjahat melalui bukti surat. Si Wanita karena tidak ingin kehilangan tunangan tp gak punya duit untuk menutup mulut si penjahat, minta bantuan detektif. Bagi para penggemar Holmes, dengan jelas terlihat bahwa cerita ini mirip dengan cerita Holmes (plot dan penyelesaian hampir sama) yang berjudul... hehe... bisakah Anda menyebutkannya? ;-)

Well, dengan alasan2 itulah mengapa saya tidak terlalu bisa menikmati membaca novel ini. Selain misterinya mudah ketebak, yah itu tadi, terlalu banyak kemiripan. Sebenarnya sih jumlah bintang yang dikasih adalah 2.47. Tapi menurut aturan angka penting nilainya jadi dibulatkan menjadi 2 bintang :)


Dan, saya masih bingung dengan jawaban pertanyaan "Mana yang lebih hebat, Holmes atau Poirot?"

cmiiw

PS : Membandingkan Holmes dan Poirot mungkin sama sukarnya dengan memilih mana yang lebih hebat antara Pokemon atau Digimon? Permen Lolipop atau permen biasa? sate padang atau soto madura? ultraman atau power ranger? buku pintar atau RPUL? sinetron 'tersanjung' atau 'cinta fitri'? yahoo atau google? kerupuk atau keripik? Yoko si Pendekar Rajawali atau Go Kong si Kera Sakti? Twitter atau Facebook?
Namun, bagi penggemar cerita detektif, terutama yang sudah khatam membaca semua serial kedua tokoh di atas, pertanyaan di atas tetaplah menarik mengingat pilihan mana yang dipilih tergantung keobjektifitasan kita dalam meningkahi intuisi :)

[Charles van Buren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twenty-five stories 99¢
Review of the Kindle edition
Athenaeum Classics
June 18, 2019
ASIN BO7NDRYQHZ

Twenty-five stories $4.49
Kindle edition
Dreamscape Media
January 1, 2019
ASIN BO7L3M1MSP

I usually enjoy Agatha Christie's short stories more than her novels but twenty-five stories featuring the enormous ego and vanity of Poirot are a little much to take all at once. I had to read these stories over a couple of weeks time. I just couldn't take that much of the little Belgian dandy (Belgian Dandy not French as Poirot would be quick to point out) too close together. Poirot's ego and conceit make Sherlock Holmes appear almost as a model of modesty in comparison. Why is Captain Hastings a friend of this rude, pompous egomaniac?

Anyway, the stories are well written with some intriguing puzzles. A few are not quite believable but still entertaining - a little at a time. There is at least one collection of the same title which does not contain all twenty-five of these stories. Good luck searching for the Athenaeum Classics edition on Amazon. You can find it on GoodReads and go to the Amazon listing from there.

[Raya راية · Rating 5 out of 5]

"إن الصبر على الغباء صعب بالنسبة لأصحاب الذكاء اللمّاح."



أيوجد في الحياة حقيقةً محقق سرّي كهيركيول بوارو وتشارلوك هولمز وتوغو موري وكونان؟! ما إنّ أفكّر بأنهم شخصيات خيالية حتى أُصاب بالإحباط! 😨

مجموعة قصص متميّزة كعادة المبدعة أغاثا كريستي ❤

...

[Vikas Singh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Collection of 18 stories that feature Hercule Poirot, it has been chronicled by his faithful friend Hastings. These cases solved in the initial years, went on to establish Poirot's solid reputation as a formidable detective. One of the cases reveal how Poirot came to own the only shares he ever invested in-those of a mine in Burma. The collection also includes one of the two cases that he helped solve for the British government

[Ehsan'Shokraie' · Rating 4 out of 5]

ماجراهای پوآرورا در روز هایی پر آرامش خواندم،چند روزی در فراغت از بیمارستان،روز هایی شگفت که فراموششان نخواهم کرد.




بهمن ماه ۱۴۰۳:
در روز هایی پر از استرس در آستانه تغییرات بسیار که هیچکدام دلپذیر نیستند..گذر روز ها همانند خاکستر از میان انگشتانم می ریزد،زمان قابل توقف نیست،تغییر نیز قابل اجتناب نیست،نمی دانم که دو هفته بعد زندگی چگونه خواهد بود اما قطعا بهتر و راحت تر نیست..

[Razvan Banciu · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a collection of eighteen little stories, all of them firstly published in periodicals, between 1923 and 1935.
Perhaps I'm too critical, but there is nothing of great value in these stories. A clue or two, some shrewd ideas and that's all...

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hercule Poirot has long been a stellar detective, whose deductions are like few others who solve crimes. In this collection, Agatha Christie provides a series of early cases used to shape the persona of Hercule Poirot. Eighteen short stories provide ‘drop in the bucket’ glances at the retired Belgian detective’s abilities and great reasoning. Well worth the time and a great way to spin many a tale in short order.

In each story, Poirot serves to shape his reputation as a great mind and detailed detective. Many of the pieces herein will give the reader a look at how he pieces things together and where clues lead the man who seems able to pull results out of thin air. From the case of a rich socialite whose body is found under a train seat, to a murder in the high seas, and even a case where blackmail fuels a crime, Poirot is always around for some deductive reasoning. Christie has ideas that never seek to end and keep the reader wondering.

Agatha Christie uses her stellar storytelling abilities in a shorter set of cases, which is surely more difficult than a full-fledged story. The protagonist is spot-on with many of the pieces and the narrative flows with ease for the curious reader. Using settings across the world, Christie formulates many of the stories to entertain and perhaps educate. I love some short stories that keep the reader thinking and reading on, while never revealing too much until Poirot has a chance to gather the masses. A wonderful collection of short cases!

Kudos, Dame Christie, for a strong collection.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kao sto naslov kaze, kolekcija kratkih prica koja se bavi slucajevima dok M. Poari nije postao sve poznato ime (pa sem zadnje :P )

Iskreno receno dok su slucajevi interesantni kratak format im ne daje da se bas mesta da se razmasu tako da sve bude gotovo pre nego sto se i zgreje stolica dok citas. Ali sitni detalji kako M. Poaro reaguje na sve je ono sto me uvek razgali i bude simpa da se cita dalje.

Sem toga nemam sta puno reci, ko voli Poaroa nema sta da izgubi citajuci ovo.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some of these stories I had already read in a previous volume of short stories, others were new to me. Here is a short summary of each of the eighteen stories including the length of the audio version:

1. The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly – Length: 26 minutes. Johnnie Waverly, the son of a country squire and his wife (daughter of a major steel producer) is kidnapped for ransom. Poirot reassures them that their son will be well cared for by the kidnappers as he is their “goose that lays the golden eggs.” Poirot unravels this mystery to a surprising conclusion.

2. Double Sin - Length - 47minutes. This one was different in that Hercule Poirot sets out to prevent a murder.

3. The Submarine Plans - Length: 30 minutes. A story of intrigue. Lord Alloway approaches Poirot saying, “We have had a most serious loss. The plans of the new Z [pronounced zed] type of submarine have been stolen.”

4. The Cornish Mystery - Length: 30 minutes. A good story with an interesting plot. A wife approaches Poirot stating that her husband is poisoning her.

5. The Market Basing Mystery - Length: 20 minutes. This story features Inspector Jap and we learn that he is an avid botanist in his spare time. Jap, Poirot and Hastings are on a weekend getaway together in a market town in the country. Upon being offered seconds at breakfast, Poirot responds, “One must not so replenish the stomach that the brain refuses to function.” They may be miles from anywhere having a break from murder, however a case that is just too intriguing to pass up finds its way to them.

6. Problems at Sea - Length: 35 minutes. Poirot is on a Mediterranean cruise when a thoroughly unlikeable self-indulgent passenger is murdered. A talking doll features.

7. How Does Your Garden Grow? Length: 33 minutes. An elderly lady reaches out to Poirot for assistance via letter. Poirot arrives at her home to discover that she has been poisoned. He discovers the means in her well-maintained garden.

8. The Lost Mine - Length: 20 minutes. When Hastings suggests a speculative investment Poirot recounts the tale of how he was rewarded with shares in a mine for unraveling a mystery. His final advice to Hastings, “When investing money, keep, I beg of you, Hastings, strictly to the conservative.”

9. The King of Clubs - Length: 28 minutes. “The place was somewhat overloaded with gimcrack ornaments [gaudy souvenirs], and a good many family portraits of surpassing ugliness adorned the walls.” Lovely quote from Poirot: “family strength is a marvelous thing.”

10. The Affair at the Victory Ball - Length: 33 minutes. This is a classic locked room mystery, which I enjoyed very much.

11. The Wasp’s Nest - Length: 20 minutes. Poirot drops in on a friend and explains that he is investigating a murder before it happens. A discussion on the different methods for removing a wasp’s nest ensues. There is a sting in the tale.

12. The Chocolate Box - Length: 32 minutes. This story begins by a cozy fireside with warm drinks on a wild weather evening. Poirot and Hastings reminisce and Poirot recounts “the story of a failure.”

13. The Adventure of the Clapham Cook - Length: 30 minutes. Poirot decides to take a day of leisure after finding no case to tempt him into action. Then, there is a ring on the doorbell and his day is turned upside down by an insistent lady who takes Poirot down a peg or two rendering him speechless, then causing him to laugh! She is indignant when he tries to dismiss her and states, “A good cook's a good cook. And when you lose her, it's as much to you as pearls are to some fine lady.”

As you have guessed, Poirot takes on the case, which turns out to be quite complicated and at the end Poirot says, “Remember Hastings if you are going into exile, a good cook may be of more comfort than a pretty face.”

14. The Double Clue - Length - 19 minutes. A jewelry collector asks Poirot to investigate the loss of some rubies and an emerald necklace. There are four suspects “the Russian countess, the English grand dame, the South African millionaire, and Mr. Bernard Parker.”

15. The Third-Floor Flat - Length: 41 minutes. This story begins with a group of young people waiting for Pat to find her front door key and let them into her flat. “With a deepening frown she rummaged wildly in the silken trifle she called an evening bag.” When she doesn’t find her key, one of the young men agrees to use the coal lift to access her flat and let the others in. However, he enters the wrong flat and discovers a body…..

16. The Le Mesurier Inheritance - Length: 26 minutes. The “brass hat” referred to in this story is a high-ranking officer in the armed forces. This story features a family curse, and a serial killer. It is quite engrossing with a chilling conclusion.

17. The Veiled Lady - Length: 20 minutes. Poirot is frustrated by the lack of interesting cases when a heavily veiled lady arrives at his door asking for his help in thwarting a blackmailer. Appearances can be deceptive and the case is other than it seems. Inspector Jap and a Chinese puzzle box feature.

18. The Plymouth Express - The Plymouth Express. Length: 29 minutes. This story features Inspector Jap and opens at the beginning of a train journey. “A moment later a cry rang out into the night and the great train came to an unwilling halt in obedience to the imperative jerking of the communications cord.” A body is discovered, and jewels are missing.

Two characters worth mentioning are Red Narky, an infamous jewel robber and Grace Kidd, his accomplice. Eventually, the elusive Grace Kidd is captured by Poirot. Inspector Jap will get the credit, however Poirot concludes that while Jap gets the kid[d], he, Poirot gets his goat.

[Masoud Irannejad · Rating 3 out of 5]

خوبی مجموعه داستان اینه که هر وقت حوصله اش رو داشتی میتونی یه داستان رو بخونی ولی بدی ای هم که داره اینه که هرچه داستان ها کوتاه تر میشن کیفیت و هیجان اونها پایین میاد
نسخه اصلی کتاب شامل 17 داستانه که متاسفانه دو داستان از اون ترجمه نشده اند
Wasps' Nest و Double Sin: که عبارت اند از

[Katerina · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's not easy to rate a book that has various short stories!
I liked some, I was not impressed by some, and others I found splendid!
It's a good book in general and classic dame Christie!

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

3 stars for the stories, 5 for the amazing narration. Seriously. What could be better than listening to Poirot short stories read by Poirot and Hastings themselves?



The stories themselves weren't really my favorites. I mostly listened to this to see how I like David Suchet and Hugh Fraser as narrators and it turns out, I LOVE them. Seriously. Poirot Suchet is truly a gifted narrator, jumping with such amazing ease from character to character, from voice to voice, accent to accent, that sometimes you forget it's just him. His Inspector Japp sounds so much like the actor who plays him on the show that it was kind of scary at first! And then there's poor Hastings Hugh Fraser. Just like on the show, he seems to be there to highlight Poirot's gifts (which just made listening to this all the more delightful): he's a great narrator, and he tries to do voices and accents, but when you listen to a story read by Suchet right after one of his, you kind of feel sorry for him.

Highly recommendable not only for fans of the show, but everyone else!

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

18 Short Stories of Poirot's Early Cases

The Affair at the Victory Ball - 4 Stars
The Adventure of the Clapham Cook - 3 Stars
The Cornish Mystery - 4 Stars
The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly - 4 Stars
The Double Clue - 5 Stars
The King of Clubs - 5 Stars
The Lemesurier Inheritance - 5 Stars
The Lost Mine - 4 Stars
The Plymouth Express - 5 Stars
The Chocolate Box - 5 Stars
The Submarine Plans - 5 Stars
The Third-Floor Flat - 5 Stars
Double Sin - 4 Stars
Market Basing Mystery - 5 Stars
Wasps' Nest - 5 Stars
The Veiled Lady - 4 Stars
Problem at Sea -4 Stars
How Does Your Garden Grow? - 4 Stars

[Terence M [on a brief semi-hiatus] · Rating 2 out of 5]

2-Stars - "It Was Barely OK" - DNF @ 51%
Poirot's Early Cases: by Agatha Christie
Obviously I need to try some of A. Christie's later works - the above series did not work for me.
The narration, supposedly by Poirot stalwarts Hugh Fraser and David Suchet, was very patchy and at times annoying. I have seen quite a few of the Poirot TV series, so I expected better than what was delivered in this collection of short stories.

[Dana-Adriana B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunt mai multe povesti spuse de Hastings despre cazurile lui Poirot. Din pacate sunt scurte, dar explicate fiecare in parte. Mi-a placut, dar prefer cate o singura poveste in parte.

[Lili Kyurkchiyska · Rating 3 out of 5]

Навремето любимият ми епизод от Agatha Christie's Poirot беше The Affair at the Victory Ball. Вижте костюмите и ще разберете защо.

[Tristram Shandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What’s On, Watson? Don‘t let’s Haste T’ings!

Admittedly, I should learn to act my age and refrain from indulging in facetious puns but in this collection of Poirot’s Early Cases, Christie’s leanings towards Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson as her literary models are so obvious that I couldn’t help it. You have it all there: Poirot and Hastings share rooms, they are being coddled by a reticent landlady, they are often in league with Inspector Japp from Scotland Yard, who, of course, cannot hold a candle to Poirot, Hastings has taken up the honourable task of being Poirot’s chronicler, and sometimes there are even references to earlier cases we never hear more of – a narrative device Sir Arthur Conan Doyle seemed to have taken great delight in. And yet, as in Murder on the Links, in one of these stories Poirot claims that it takes more to be a successful detective than knowing all kinds of cigarette ashes and tracing down every footprint – and that is psychology. As if Homes hadn’t known that!

The short story collection Poirot’s Early Cases was published in the UK in 1974 and it contains tales that were written between 1923, two years after Poirot’s original appearance in Christie’s first detective novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles, and 1935 and published in various periodicals. Here is a catalogue of the stories included in the British edition:

The Affair at the Victory Ball. Poirot solves the murder of an English nobleman at a masked ball. If you ask me, the whole story is not very convincing.

The Adventure of the Clapham Cook. Where is Mrs. Todd’s cook? Good servants are so hard to find, and that is why Mrs. Todd decides to hire the famous Belgian detective to hunt down the cook, who left and sent for her box without a word of notice. Not only is there a gruesome mystery behind a seemingly trivial affair – in the vein of Arthur Conan Doyle – but Poirot also gets taken down a peg or two for scoffing at Mrs. Todd’s suggestion that he should be interested in such a case. After all, a good cook is worth as much to a middle-class matron as precious jewels are to a duchess, n’est-ce pas?

The Cornish Mystery. When Poirot is asked by Mrs. Pengelley to come down to Cornwall and find out whether her husband wants to poison her, he at first does not really see the urgency of the situation. All he can do is avenge the good lady’s death.

The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly. The kidnapping of a child under the eyes of the police taxes Poirot’s little grey cells at first but then he comes to the conclusion that one cannot always trust one’s own eyes.

The Double Clue. A case of stolen jewels brings Poirot into first contact with the Russian countess Vera Rossakoff. One of the later clues will be re-used in Murder on the Orient Express.

The King of Clubs. A shady blackmailer is killed, and Poirot finds the person responsible with the help of a card missing from a stack. One might say this is a mystery hinging very much on coincidence but still the ingeniousness of the intrigue will recompense you for having to stretch a point.

The Lemesurier Inheritance. Is it an old family curse, or are there mortal hands at work? Like in Sherlock Holmes’s case of the Hound of the Baskervilles, Poirot applies his fearful intellect to this very question that haunts the venerable family of the Lemesuriers – but the solution was slightly disappointing for me.

The Lost Mine. Poirot investigates the death of a Chinese businessman. If there is a dud in this collection, we have it got here.

The Plymouth Express. Young Mrs. Carrington is found murdered on a train, after she has ordered her maid to leave the train and wait for her at a particular station. Did Mrs. Carrington, who was in an unhappy marriage, meet a murderous suitor, or does Poirot have to look at things from quite another angle and apply … psychology?

The Chocolate Box. When Hastings asks Poirot if he ever failed in one of his investigations, this is the story the great Belgian sleuth comes up with. Not much of a failure, really, but still a case of misapplied deduction.

The Submarine Plans. Something similar happened to Sherlock Holmes but whenever Poirot is on a case, you have to brace yourself for a real twist in the tale. You certainly have to here.

The Third Floor Flat. When two young men want to help their adorée get into her flat after a night out – the poor girl lost her latchkey –, they try to enter the flat via the coal lift, but end up in a strange apartment where they find a dead woman. Luckily, Poirot is one of the tenants, and he readily offers his help. The writing is brilliant, and the idea is striking but to my taste, there is too much coincidence involved.

Double Sin. On a trip, Poirot and Hastings make the acquaintance of a young and naive girl named Mary Durrant, who carries extremely valuable artifacts for her aunt, a seller of antiques. Unfortunately, Mary’s suitcase is pried open and the artifacts are stolen. Whereas Hastings is all too ready to take up arms for a damsel in distress, Poirot once again listens to the psychologist in himself.

The Market Basing Mystery. A recluse is murdered in his house, or is it suicide? Inspector Japp only wanted to have a day out with Poirot and Hastings but the three men are in for a busman’s holiday.

Wasps’ Nest. Poirot visits an old friend of his to warn him of an impending murder. This is a calm, but chillingly dramatic tale and easily one of the most memorable in the entire collection.

The Veiled Lady. Do you remember how Holmes outwitted the woman, Irene Adler, by using what Poirot holds to be one of the major assets of a detective, namely psychology? In this case, Poirot does a similar thing, but here the matter is even more complicated. Of course, the veiled lady is not Poirot’s female nemesis – that place being taken by Vera Rossakoff.

Problem at Sea. An odious wife and a henpecked husband in a golden cage. Still, when the wife is found murdered in her cabin, the husband has a watertight alibi. However, Poirot is not at sea for long.

”How Does Your Garden Grow?” Poirot has done it again: A lady, suspecting that someone is trying to kill her, applies to him for help but he is late. All he can do is vindicate her murder, and that he certainly does.

Although I infinitely prefer Christie’s novels to her short stories, there is no denying that she manages to sketch her characters and lay out the plot despite the limitations as to length quite admirably. Another thing that will strike the reader of these stories – although some of them are rather contrived and others are just too sketchy – is the incredible fecundity of Christie’s imagination. In short, this collection of short stories is nearly as entertaining as Poirot’s most famous major cases.

[Flavia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ten zbiór szybko stał się częścią moich poranków (albo raczej południ) z kawusią czy herbatką. Aż mam ochotę sięgnąć po kolejny zbiór opowiadań kryminalnych, by móc kontynuować ten rytuał. W każdym razie — bawiłam się wybornie i polecam, większość historii trzyma poziom. Moje ulubione to: Bombonierka, Gniazdo os, Przygoda Johnniego Waverly'ego i Projekt okrętu podwodnego.

Cudownie było widzieć Herkulesa myślącego o byciu przestępcą i cytującego Sherlocka Holmesa. Poza tym przyznaję, że tęskniłam za Hastingsem i uwielbiam sekretarkę Poirota – panią Lemon.

[Jedno, w którym się zaplątałam tak bardzo, że potykałam się o informacje i nie przypadło mi do gustu: Zagubiona kopalnia.]

8/10

[ + ważne info!!]
Ciekawostka ode mnie wynikła z mojego małego śledztwa:
- w porównaniu z angielską wersją nie ma tutaj dwunastu opowiadań (jedenaście z nich znajduje się w zbiorze Poirot prowadzi śledztwo, zabieg ten zapewne ma na celu to, by opowiadania nie powtarzały się, a jedno to opowiadanie, na którego kanwie powstała książka Tajemnica świątecznego Puddingu )
Dlaczego zatem angielska wersja zbioru ma opowiadań 25, a polska 18 skoro w wypadku obliczeń polska powinna mieć 13? Otóż to, dostaliśmy pięć losowych opowiadań XDD Gniazdo os, Podwójna wina, Mieszkanie na trzecim piętrze, Na pełnym morzu i Jak rosną kwiaty w pani ogródku

GDZIE NOTKA WYDAWCY TŁUMACZĄCA TE DZIKIE ZABIEGI?? Mam nadzieję, że znajdę ją w wydaniu jubileuszowym jak wyjdzie, choćby w posłowiu nieocenionej Anny Gemry.

[Emanuele · Rating 1 out of 5]

Agatha renditi conto che nei racconti (perlomeno in questi) facevi abbastanza pena.
Ma questo non cambia nulla fra noi, ok?

Con affetto,

Emanuele

[Marko Veljković · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ovo je bio moj prvi susret sa Agatom Kristi. Napravio sam veliku grešku, jer sam prvo dao prednost seriji "Poaro", pa mi samim tim ove priče nisu bile nepoznate, ali čak ni to nije uspelo da mi pokvari utisak. To dovoljno govori koliko je Agata genijalna književnica. Možete da pročitate jednu priču ili roman hiljadu puta i da vam spojleri ne predstavljaju nikakav problem, jer je stil pisanja lep, pa je možete čitati i kada vam naiđe depresivan period, ali i kada ste lepo raspoloženi. Agatine knjige ne opterećuju, bez obzira što obrađuje mračne teme koje podrazumevaju ubistva, pljačke i otmice.

U ovoj knjizi je narator kapetan Hejstings, pomoćnik Herkula Poaroa u rešavanju zločina. On nam govori o slučajevima koji su proslavili poznatog detektiva, među koje se posebno izdvajaju "Bombonjera", "Slučaj klapamske kuvarice", "Osinjak", "Izgubljeni rudnik", "Dama pod velom" i "Je li vam lepa bašta". Svi slučajevi se potpuno razlikuju. Neki su izuzetno komplikovani i mračni, ali čak su i oni najjednostavniji poput Klapamske kuvarice napravili veliku pometnju jedinstvenim sivim ćelijama. U tome leži Agatina genijalnost. Kod nje nema lakih slučajeva i veoma je teško da pogodite ko je ubica. Nije ni čudo što je njen detektiv toliko pametan, kad ga je stvorila kraljica trilera.

Ako želite da se upoznate sa Agatom, preporučujem vam da ne krećete sa ovom knjigom, jer nisu baš svi slučajevi podjednako dobri. Neka prvi izbor bude "Ubistvo Rodžera Akrojda" ili "I ne osta nijedan". Tu je pokazala svoju najveću genijalnost, a neka vam ovi slučajevi budu u planu posle ovih navedenih knjiga. Kada se jednom zaljubite u nju, bićete spremni da joj sa lakoćom oprostite i neku slabiju priču ili roman u odnosu na ostala remek dela.

[Hossein · Rating 4 out of 5]

این کتاب کاملترین مجموعه داستانه ای کوتاه پوآروست که البته تعداد زیادی از اون ها تکراری هستن
من کتاب ها رو به ترتیب تاریخ انتشار و اون چیزی که در گودریدز شماره بندی شده خوندم و برای من در این کتاب از 18 داستان تنها 5 تاش جدید بود
این 5 تا عبارت بود از
The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly
یک داستان با تم کلاسیک و معمولی پوآرو
2/5
The Veiled Lady
داستانی کاملا معمولی که رگه های طنز داشت و البته کمی از اون قالب همیشگی پوآرویی فاصله گرفته بود
3/5
The Lost Mine
نه چندان جالب
1/5
The Third Floor Flat
این یکی جالب بود ولی تم تکراری داشت
3/5
The Chocolate Box
این یکی واقعا خوب بود. رفتن به گذشته پوآرو و زیر و رو کردن پرونده ای که به عنوان تنها مورد شکست پوآرو میشناسیمش
4/5
با تموم کردن این کتاب داستان های کوتاه پوآرو هم تموم شد

[Shabbeer Hassan · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Suchet as the eponymous Belgian super-sleuth, Hercule Poirot outshines his ITV series portrayal in this audio narration. His ability to give life to each and every character in these 18 cases is quite exemplary. Rarely have I heard such brilliant narration and is quite in league with Ralph Cosham's version of Louise Penny's books. Also, present are some stories narrated by Hugh Fraser who is quite good too!

My Rating - 5/5