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Hercule Poirot #0.02
اختطاف رئيس الوزراء
Just as World War I is drawing to an end, the prime minister is kidnapped. It is down to Hercule Poirot to locate him before a crucial conference, to avert an international crisis.
94 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1923
60 people are currently reading
1807 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,738 books75.8k 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 137 reviews
July 12, 2023
The Prime Minister is kidnapped just before the end of World War I. This terrible news is kept a secret as it might cause an international crisis if the public comes to know about it.
Hercule Poirot gets the opportunity to find the Prime Minister. There is a crucial conference that the Minister has to attend, and he should be found before it to prevent the public from knowing about his absence. Will Poirot be able to solve the case before the conference? This book will give you the answer to it.
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Hercule Poirot gets the opportunity to find the Prime Minister. There is a crucial conference that the Minister has to attend, and he should be found before it to prevent the public from knowing about his absence. Will Poirot be able to solve the case before the conference? This book will give you the answer to it.
—————————————————————————
You can also follow me on
Instagram ID - Dasfill | YouTube Channel ID - Dasfill | YouTube Health Channel ID - Dasfill - Health | YouTube Malayalam Channel ID - Dasfill - Malayalam | Threads ID - Dasfill | Twitter ID - Dasfill1 | Snapchat ID - Dasfill | Facebook ID - Dasfill | TikTok ID - Dasfill1
June 15, 2025
Because uncertainty creates panic. Were the Prime Minister dead, it would be a terrible calamity, but the situation would have to be faced. But now you have paralysis. Will the Prime Minister reappear, or will he not? Is he dead or alive? Nobody knows, and until they know nothing definite can be done.
A short story of Hercule Poirot finding The Kidnapped Prime Minister in the nick of time before a big meeting, the plot and inevitable twist are pretty basic and guessable, but good enough for the length. Poirot is Poirot, Hastings is even more of a caricature than usual.
On the whole, recommended for a quick read or if reading all the works with Poirot.
🌟🌟3/4🌟
[Half a star for the premise; Half a star for the plot; 3/4 star for the writing; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the description of world and setting - 2 3/4 stars in total.]
I think my friend might well be excused his moment of vanity.
A short story of Hercule Poirot finding The Kidnapped Prime Minister in the nick of time before a big meeting, the plot and inevitable twist are pretty basic and guessable, but good enough for the length. Poirot is Poirot, Hastings is even more of a caricature than usual.
On the whole, recommended for a quick read or if reading all the works with Poirot.
🌟🌟3/4🌟
[Half a star for the premise; Half a star for the plot; 3/4 star for the writing; Half a star for the characters; Half a star for the description of world and setting - 2 3/4 stars in total.]
I think my friend might well be excused his moment of vanity.
March 25, 2023
You will never guess who gets kidnapped!
Ok, maybe you will.
David MacAdam, the Prime Minister of England, has been kidnapped and it's up to Hercule and Hastings to figure out whodunnit.
This one is kind of (to me) dull for such an exciting story. The PM is set to speak at an Allied conference to help put a stop to the German spies who are promoting pacificist propaganda. If he doesn't show up, England will lose a powerful voice in the war effort.
Keep in mind this was written about five years after WWI.
MacAdam disappears in France, and his car, driven by his also missing chauffeur/bodyguard is found on the side of the road. His personal secretary, chloroformed and gagged, was still in it.
Was the chauffeur in on the plot? Why did they leave the secretary? Why did someone make a half-assed attempt on the Prime Minister's life only days earlier?
And most importantly, can Poirot's little grey cells find this guy in time?
But of course!
Originally published in The Sketch magazine in 1923.
Read as part of the short story collection The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot.
Ok, maybe you will.
David MacAdam, the Prime Minister of England, has been kidnapped and it's up to Hercule and Hastings to figure out whodunnit.
This one is kind of (to me) dull for such an exciting story. The PM is set to speak at an Allied conference to help put a stop to the German spies who are promoting pacificist propaganda. If he doesn't show up, England will lose a powerful voice in the war effort.
Keep in mind this was written about five years after WWI.
MacAdam disappears in France, and his car, driven by his also missing chauffeur/bodyguard is found on the side of the road. His personal secretary, chloroformed and gagged, was still in it.
Was the chauffeur in on the plot? Why did they leave the secretary? Why did someone make a half-assed attempt on the Prime Minister's life only days earlier?
And most importantly, can Poirot's little grey cells find this guy in time?
But of course!
Originally published in The Sketch magazine in 1923.
Read as part of the short story collection The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot.
June 5, 2025
Huh...?!
Back to the illogical stories. The plot was good but for the love of god no one can do investigation in this random and unrealistic ways.
And for the love of god, if he knew from the beginning that them man was trapped in England,why on earth did he travel to France to stay for 5 hours in a hotel doing nothing but closing and opening his eyes, just to decide that they need to travel back to England to actually search for the man.
What kind of logic is that...?!!
Back to the illogical stories. The plot was good but for the love of god no one can do investigation in this random and unrealistic ways.
And for the love of god, if he knew from the beginning that them man was trapped in England,why on earth did he travel to France to stay for 5 hours in a hotel doing nothing but closing and opening his eyes, just to decide that they need to travel back to England to actually search for the man.
What kind of logic is that...?!!
January 20, 2020
This Hercule Poirot short story was first published in the UK in The Sketch magazine on April 25, 1923. It was published in The Blue Book magazine in the US in July 1924.
In this 8th Poirot short mystery, Hastings recounts a past case. Near the end of WWI, Poirot investigated the kidnapping of the English Prime Minister. Poirot had to work quickly. An important meeting of allied leaders was scheduled to begin in France, and the Prime Minister had to be there!
These first Poirot short stories were printed in magazines following the publication of Christie's first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. These magazines featured short fiction and articles from a variety of authors (and lots of advertising...just like today! ha ha), and were no doubt used to garner attention for Christie's writing and characters. It also explains why these initial short stories are brief and relatively simple. The marketing ploy worked famously.....Christie's writing gained popularity, garnering more sales for her subsequent novels and stories. These Poirot shorts can't be read with the same expectations as her novels and later short stories.They were not meant to be in-depth investigations or complex witty writing....they were pure marketing to get Christie's name and the character of Poirot exposed to an expanded readership. Authors do this today all the time -- free short stories offered online.....novelettes listed as Book 0 of a series......first short stories of a series offered free on Amazon......authors sending out short stories in their email newsletters......marketing! She churned all these stories out while on board a ship on a world tour for the British Empire Exposition. 10 months on a ship.....write short stories.....publish upon return....gain readership. Wonderful plan! Marketing strategies like this worked 100 years ago...and still work now. Although most stories aren't written while on a 10-month cruise around the world, but the idea is the same. Pull readers in....give them a taste.....then they buy the book. So, please read these short stories with that in mind -- they are short, simple and one-and-done on purpose. Christie obviously had top-notch advice from her publisher. Her career blossomed into one that has sold billions of books. Billions. Just amazing!
The language and social situations in these stories are from a bygone era. Written almost 100 years ago, these writings can require a bit of understanding of the early 1900s and World War I to make sense to today's readers. Luckily, the internet makes it so much easier to research names, events, places, war history, and other references in Christie's writing! And learning more about the war era and the 1920s can be as simple as watching a documentary or reading a book about the social norms of the time. I find myself led down some fascinating rabbit holes when I start looking up places and events Christie mentions in her writing. :) For those not interested in the history who just want to read the stories....just keep in mind that 100 years brings about a lot of changes. Enjoy the stories for what they are....a glimpse back in time! And interesting mysteries!
The long-running television show, Agatha Christie's Poirot, had an episode based on this short story (Series 2, episode 9).
In this 8th Poirot short mystery, Hastings recounts a past case. Near the end of WWI, Poirot investigated the kidnapping of the English Prime Minister. Poirot had to work quickly. An important meeting of allied leaders was scheduled to begin in France, and the Prime Minister had to be there!
These first Poirot short stories were printed in magazines following the publication of Christie's first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. These magazines featured short fiction and articles from a variety of authors (and lots of advertising...just like today! ha ha), and were no doubt used to garner attention for Christie's writing and characters. It also explains why these initial short stories are brief and relatively simple. The marketing ploy worked famously.....Christie's writing gained popularity, garnering more sales for her subsequent novels and stories. These Poirot shorts can't be read with the same expectations as her novels and later short stories.They were not meant to be in-depth investigations or complex witty writing....they were pure marketing to get Christie's name and the character of Poirot exposed to an expanded readership. Authors do this today all the time -- free short stories offered online.....novelettes listed as Book 0 of a series......first short stories of a series offered free on Amazon......authors sending out short stories in their email newsletters......marketing! She churned all these stories out while on board a ship on a world tour for the British Empire Exposition. 10 months on a ship.....write short stories.....publish upon return....gain readership. Wonderful plan! Marketing strategies like this worked 100 years ago...and still work now. Although most stories aren't written while on a 10-month cruise around the world, but the idea is the same. Pull readers in....give them a taste.....then they buy the book. So, please read these short stories with that in mind -- they are short, simple and one-and-done on purpose. Christie obviously had top-notch advice from her publisher. Her career blossomed into one that has sold billions of books. Billions. Just amazing!
The language and social situations in these stories are from a bygone era. Written almost 100 years ago, these writings can require a bit of understanding of the early 1900s and World War I to make sense to today's readers. Luckily, the internet makes it so much easier to research names, events, places, war history, and other references in Christie's writing! And learning more about the war era and the 1920s can be as simple as watching a documentary or reading a book about the social norms of the time. I find myself led down some fascinating rabbit holes when I start looking up places and events Christie mentions in her writing. :) For those not interested in the history who just want to read the stories....just keep in mind that 100 years brings about a lot of changes. Enjoy the stories for what they are....a glimpse back in time! And interesting mysteries!
The long-running television show, Agatha Christie's Poirot, had an episode based on this short story (Series 2, episode 9).
March 15, 2024
Uncertainty Breeds Panic!
Look what I find, Poirot's Short stories with Richard Armitage's narration!
Look what I find, Poirot's Short stories with Richard Armitage's narration!
January 3, 2024
Again and again, nothing out of common. There is one fact that saves the story: Poirot spending some hours sitting and thinking in France.
A good mind is sometimes more useful than an entire army...
A good mind is sometimes more useful than an entire army...
September 16, 2019
Poirot saves the Prime Minister
January 5, 2022
5 Stars. Hercule Poirot is nothing if he's not a patriot. For both Belgium and England. This 23 page story tells of the time he did his duty behind the scenes to rescue the war effort and start the process towards an honourable peace. "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" is a 1923 story from "Sketch" which was collected with others in 1924 as "Poirot Investigates." Christie again appears to show her feelings on subjects of the day; her PM is David MacAdam, surely a thinly disguised David Lloyd George who held the post in the UK from 1916 to the end of the war in 1918 and on to 1922. He received some credit for the victory and the peace. After dinner, Hastings and Poirot are discussing the news of a failed attempt to assassinate MacAdam. There's a knock on the door. Lord Estair entreats our friend for help. We learn that the assassination attempt was just a preliminary; what is not public is that the PM has now disappeared! There is an Allied Conference in Versailles, France in 24 hours and, "The PM's presence at the conference is a vital necessity." Can the admired leader be found and make it to the meeting? Poirot's little grey cells start slowly but they pick up speed. (August 2020)
August 7, 2020
Plenty of what makes Poirot "Poirot" in this short story with a simple plot and a satisfying conclusion.
January 1, 2017
Who doesn't love a little political intrigue now and then? Poirot sure took his sweet time solving this one, but it all turned out fine in the end. Poor Hastings, as always, was confused until the very last moment. Not too bright, but a marvelous narrator.
February 15, 2018
Audiobook - David Suchet narrates - part of Poirot Investigates
This story was really good. I don't remember reading it, which is a nice surprise for me and an Agatha Christie book. 5 stars.
This story was really good. I don't remember reading it, which is a nice surprise for me and an Agatha Christie book. 5 stars.
July 14, 2024
A short story format seems inadequate for such a complex “idea” to be realized. Of course, the text is somewhat dated, and the politics bygone.
Especially compared to the ITV adaptation the original story feels flat and boring.
Also, having Poirot take the bait and sail to France seems inferior to the TV “solution”.
Overall, a rather weak story.
2.5/5
Especially compared to the ITV adaptation the original story feels flat and boring.
Also, having Poirot take the bait and sail to France seems inferior to the TV “solution”.
Overall, a rather weak story.
2.5/5
August 24, 2014
Rating: 3.5* of five
The Publisher Says: A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook.
Just as the end of the First World War is drawing to an end, the prime minister is kidnapped and it is down to Hercule Poirot to locate him and avert an international crisis before a crucial conference convenes.
My Review: Another 99¢ Kindle Single/second-season episode combination.
The episode and the story are very very close in the course they steer. The difference is that the story is set at the end of WWI and the episode is set, as are all the Poirot episodes, in the 1930s. The main change this causes is that the Versailles conference is no longer the P.M.'s destination in France, but a League of Nations conference regarding German rearmament.
The German spy ring is replaced by an Irish Nationalist ring attempting to cause trouble for England, but otherwise everything remains status quo. Ma Christie does a creditable job with this early story; the espionage stories are generally more likely to age well, since bringing them up to period is easier. Espionage is evergreen, after all.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Publisher Says: A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an ebook.
Just as the end of the First World War is drawing to an end, the prime minister is kidnapped and it is down to Hercule Poirot to locate him and avert an international crisis before a crucial conference convenes.
My Review: Another 99¢ Kindle Single/second-season episode combination.
The episode and the story are very very close in the course they steer. The difference is that the story is set at the end of WWI and the episode is set, as are all the Poirot episodes, in the 1930s. The main change this causes is that the Versailles conference is no longer the P.M.'s destination in France, but a League of Nations conference regarding German rearmament.
The German spy ring is replaced by an Irish Nationalist ring attempting to cause trouble for England, but otherwise everything remains status quo. Ma Christie does a creditable job with this early story; the espionage stories are generally more likely to age well, since bringing them up to period is easier. Espionage is evergreen, after all.
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
May 4, 2023
This is more like it! Some details can just changed the depth of the story and its characters.
Read
January 14, 20233.5 stars. I believe there is no mystery to what happens in the book, yet it makes for an exciting read. Besides Poirot’s typical antics being the story's highlight, I felt that the urgency to find the Prime Minister added to the plot’s complexity. An excellent little quick read that Poirot fans will especially love.
February 27, 2022
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie (1890/1976) dispensa apresentações. Autora de clássicos como “Morte dos dez negrinhos”, “O Assassinato no Expresso do Oriente”, “Morte sobre o Nilo”, “Treze à mesa” e “Assassinato num dia de sol”, além de muitos outros livros protagonizados pelo “super investigador” Hercule Poirot, a escritora é uma das mais adaptadas para o cinema em toda a história da sétima arte. Escritora prolífica Agatha Christie tornou-se membro da Royal Society of Literature e, em 1956 recebeu a Excelentíssima Ordem do Império Britânico e foi promovida em 1971 à condição de “Dama-Grã Cruz” além de ter recebido o título de Doutora Honoris causa pela Exeter University.
Este ebook faz parte do projeto “Literatura Descoberta” que promove a divulgação de histórias inéditas que já estão em domínio público e com uma linguagem mais acessível e ao mesmo tempo fiel ao texto original. Esse projeto é uma iniciativa da bacharelanda em tradução pela UFOP Laura Scaramussa Azevedo. Outro mérito da obra é mostrar o “lado contista” de Agatha Christie mais conhecida como romancista.
“O sequestro do primeiro ministro” coloca o detetive Hercule Poirot diante do desafio de solucionar o sequestro do chefe de governo inglês justamente às vésperas de uma grande conferência a ser realizada na França num momento de uma profunda crise geopolítica europeia no complicadíssimo contexto europeu contemporâneo à eclosão da Primeira Grande Guerra. Utilizando suas excepcionais e privilegiadas capacidades investigativas e dedutivas o detetive se lança à resolução do caso enfrentando, ao mesmo tempo os ardis dos perpetradores do sequestro e o tempo para a conferência que escasseia rapidamente.
História bem contada, bem amarrada e bem concluída mas, em minha opinião serve apenas como “aperitivo” para narrativas mais extensas e mais encorpadas envolvendo o célebre detetive.
August 27, 2020
Poirot is summoned when the prime minister is kidnapped shortly before a meeting at which the prime minister is badly needed.
This is a single-serving short story, good for when a dollop of Christie and Poirot is called for.
This is a single-serving short story, good for when a dollop of Christie and Poirot is called for.
July 6, 2021
In all honesty not a very interesting one for me — it just felt like there were too many degrees of separation between our narrators and the actual mystery.
December 10, 2020
Another tiny vignette of a story. It is more developed and complete than any other Hercule Poirot short stories I have read so far. I am sure they are all a part of the massive canon about Hercule Poirot, but some of them are lengthier than others, and some are on a shorter side, but overall, if you read all of them, you will be able to get some insight into the character of a little Belgian.
On the other hand, detective or mystery fiction very often tends to perpetuate the idea that the sleuths exist in amber when it comes to time and space.
So many things happen and keep happening again and again without any indication that the sleuths and their sidekicks are aging, marrying, divorcing. In this particular case, the situation is slightly different as it has a specific timeline and some live events that can be used as a reference point.
Of course, the story is too short to make anything substantial out of it, but the genius of Hercule Poirot saves the day, and of course, the police forces are clueless.
Nothing breathtaking, but somewhat entertaining. Honestly, it is possibly between two and three stars read, but I could not find major faults ( as if it is my only reading mission), so I settled for 3 stars.
On the other hand, detective or mystery fiction very often tends to perpetuate the idea that the sleuths exist in amber when it comes to time and space.
So many things happen and keep happening again and again without any indication that the sleuths and their sidekicks are aging, marrying, divorcing. In this particular case, the situation is slightly different as it has a specific timeline and some live events that can be used as a reference point.
Of course, the story is too short to make anything substantial out of it, but the genius of Hercule Poirot saves the day, and of course, the police forces are clueless.
Nothing breathtaking, but somewhat entertaining. Honestly, it is possibly between two and three stars read, but I could not find major faults ( as if it is my only reading mission), so I settled for 3 stars.
May 31, 2022
Strange that this one is later in Poirot Investigations because when he is approached by the UK government he asks why they are looking for his help because he is “unknown in London.” Unless he simply means in the sense that government agents would have taken notice?
At least in this short story Poirot is assigned two additional helpers, so Hastings lack of understanding is actually due to his (mostly) being uninformed and uninvolved. However, this story really did grab me as being just a giant red herring with the trip to France and the lack on involvement of Hastings. Without constant interjections from Poirot, the reader only has the information provided by Hastings, which is NEVER good. It was harder to believe this way and luckily it was short.
At least in this short story Poirot is assigned two additional helpers, so Hastings lack of understanding is actually due to his (mostly) being uninformed and uninvolved. However, this story really did grab me as being just a giant red herring with the trip to France and the lack on involvement of Hastings. Without constant interjections from Poirot, the reader only has the information provided by Hastings, which is NEVER good. It was harder to believe this way and luckily it was short.
August 4, 2017
"At last. The spot of grease. He is gone" Delightful.
David Suchet narrated the OneClickDigital version I listened to.
I enjoyed this one (well I always enjoy Christie, particularly Poirot, especially when he is with Hastings).
As in the title, the PM is kidnapped and Poirot's little grey cells are employed to figure out how, where, who, etc.. It's kind of obvious roughly what has happened, especially when you're familiar with Agatha's writing, but as is usually the case, at least for me, it's not till at least 3/4 through that you figure out the details (or very near the end, if your little grey cells are not as 'tip top' as they could be :o ).
David Suchet narrated the OneClickDigital version I listened to.
I enjoyed this one (well I always enjoy Christie, particularly Poirot, especially when he is with Hastings).
As in the title, the PM is kidnapped and Poirot's little grey cells are employed to figure out how, where, who, etc.. It's kind of obvious roughly what has happened, especially when you're familiar with Agatha's writing, but as is usually the case, at least for me, it's not till at least 3/4 through that you figure out the details (or very near the end, if your little grey cells are not as 'tip top' as they could be :o ).
August 11, 2020
I was really happy to see that my library had digital copies of some of the Poirot short stories.
For obvious reasons, whodunnits in short story form are usually pretty lackluster. However, they're worth the read if only to experience more Poirot interactions.
Bonus: there were barely any female characters in this one so my boy Hastings wasn't a complete hindrance.
For obvious reasons, whodunnits in short story form are usually pretty lackluster. However, they're worth the read if only to experience more Poirot interactions.
Bonus: there were barely any female characters in this one so my boy Hastings wasn't a complete hindrance.
June 13, 2017
It's a pretty decent mystery that, quite frankly, felt completely like a Sherlock Holmes story right down to the ending.
November 10, 2018
3.5 stars - I wasn't paying very much attention but from what I could tell, it was interesting and the ending was nice so the end.
July 17, 2021
Very clever!!
May 7, 2021
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The Kidnapped Prime Minister -
a Hercule Poirot Short Story (Hercule Poirot),
by Agatha Christie.
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This seems the second work of the author set in time period circa WWI .
"One evening after dinner — I will not particularize the date: it suffices to say that it was at the time when “Peace by negotiation” was the parrot-cry of England’s enemies — my friend and I were sitting in his rooms. After being invalided out of the Army I had been given a recruiting job, and it had become my custom to drop in on Poirot in the evenings after dinner and talk with him of any cases of interest that he might have on hand.
"I was attempting to discuss with him the sensational news of that day — no less than on attempted assassination of Mr. David MacAdam. England’s Prime Minister. The account in the papers had evidently been carefully censored. No details were given, save that the Prime Minister had had a marvellous escape, the bullet just grazing his cheek. I considered that our police must have been shamefully careless for such on outrage to be possible. I could well understand that the German agents in England would be willing to risk much for such on achievement. “Fighting Mac,” as his own party had nicknamed him, had strenuously and unequivocally combated the Pacifist influence which was becoming so prevalent.
"He was more than England’s Prime Minister — he was England; and to have removed him from his sphere of influence would have been a crushing and paralysing blow to Britain."
Churchill? The description fits, but not the timing, an allied conference towards the end of WWI.
As to the mystery,
" ... Now for Daniels. There is not much against him, except the fact that nothing is known of his antecedents, and that he speaks too many languages for a good Englishman! (Pardon me, mon ami, but, as linguists, you are deplorable!)"
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December 10, 2024
It's the immediate aftermath of World War I and the fictional British PM has been shot at and then kidnapped-all in 24 hours on his way to peace treaty negotiations at Versailles. Poirot is enlisted to find him quickly. And naturally he very quickly solves it doing everything that is the opposite of what's expected.
March 28, 2023
Disappointing and confusing. My unfamiliarity with the political history of the world in the early 1920’s didn’t help. Much time is spent on a voyage to France and back to England which has no bearing on the plot. This one did not hold my interest and the reveal was slightly ridiculous. I understand why Hastings was completely in the dark on this one.
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