The Under Dog: A Short Story

Hercule Poirot #0.28

by Agatha Christie

Previously published in the print anthology The Adventure of The Christmas Pudding.

Pretty Lily Margrave is not convinced that Hercule Poirot is needed in the matter of Sir Atwell’s murder. At the request of her employer, Lady Atwell, she has already recounted what happened ten days ago in the Tower Room, and the victim’s nephew has been charged with the murder. Nevertheless, Lady Atwell brings Poirot up to the great house, Mon Repos, to see if he can find out anything. While at first the family is struck by Poirot’s ardent endeavour to uncover what befell Sir Atwell, his insistence on looking into every nook and cranny becomes too much for some to bear. A scrap of material, the contents of a tiny box, and his singular ingenuity lead the detective to uncover who is behind this violent act.

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

72 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 1, 1926

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 3 out of 5]

What makes an underdog?

Sir Reuben Astwell's neer-do-well nephew gets arrested for the crime of cracking his asshole uncle on the back of the head with a club, killing him with one mighty thwack.
Lady Astwell, however, doesn't believe he's guilty.
Even though he was arguing with Sir Reuben when a loud thud was heard.



Lady Astwell has intuition. And that intuition is telling her that it's not her worthless nephew who killed her husband, it's the mild-mannered secretary, Owen Trefusis.
Poirot is convinced to come check it all out because Lady Astwell's companion, Lily Margrave, is so insistent that he not waste his time. It piques his interest that she seemingly doesn't want his interference. And why is that?



As to the who in whodunnit?
Well.
Of course, I can't tell you.
But I can tell you that I love the way hypnosis is always used as though it's a magical thing in these old stories.
You are feeling sleepy...



Basically what the use of hypnosis proves in this story is something that I do actually believe, which is that intuition is nothing more than your subconscious mind working faster than your conscious mind to recognize a thousand little signs and putting them together. And that's why you should always trust your instincts if you feel something is off.

This isn't a favorite for me, but it's a must-read for completionists.

Originally published in 1926 in The Mystery Magazine in the US.
Read as part of the short story collection
The Under Dog and Other Stories.

[Jack Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. Poirot at his best. One of my favourites, although it's not as well known as many of Christie's others. Poirot realizes and utilizes the effect he has on people - his unique appearance, idiosyncrasies, and exasperating habit of hinting at, but not clarifying his progress. He also understands that many anticipate the activities of detectives when they are looking into a crime. In other entries including the novels, he dismisses such things as searching for clues and following suspects. Instead he questions people and reverts to his little grey cells. Not this time. All of his skills come into play in 'The Under Dog.' The story first appeared in 'Mystery Magazine' in the USA in 1926. My read was from 'Hercule Poirot The Complete Short Stories of 1999. Someone put a knife to Sir Reuben Astwell late in the evening while he worked in his study at Astwell's mansion called Mon Repos (My Resting Place) - certainly not the appropriate name for this household. Sir Reuben and his brother Victor visiting from Africa have mercurial tempers. Did Charles Leverson respond on this occasion and explode killing his uncle? Was he the under dog? Christie kept me guessing. (Ap2021/Jul2025)

[Tatevik · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you read this one, you'll know why I am disappointed, if you didn't, I hope this is not a spoiler 🤔

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspector Hercule Poirot has been sent to investigate the murder of Sir Rueben Astwell who was Bludgeoned to death by a club at Mon Ripos by Lady Astwell. Can he solve the murder? Read on and find out for yourself.

This was a pretty good short story and my first Agatha Christie story I have read. I hope to read more of her work in the future. Definitely check this out at your local library and wherever books are sold.

[Bekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good story. My only complaint, and my reason for removing a star, was that it seemed entirely too long. It dragged on in parts. I know that Christie can be very concise and say a lot in a few words, having read and/or listened to many of her short stories. I only wish she had done so with this one. It is possible, because I have seen the television adaptation of this story and therefore knew the solution, that I felt a bit "Get on with it!" over the pace of the story. Who knows. All I know is that at 2 hours & 4 Minutes, it was the longest short story I've ever listened to.

[Berit Lundqvist · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story deals with the murder of Sir Reuben Astwell for which his nephew Charles Leverson has been arrested.

Despite overwhelming evidence, Sir Reuben's widow, Lady Astwell, a great believer in intuition, is certain that her nephew by marriage is innocent and summons detective Hercule Poirot.

Why do I even bother to read books by Agatha Christie anymore? It’s basically the same story over and over again. So boring. So outdated.

[Teardra · Rating 2 out of 5]

Is it bad that I can't remember the premise of this Christie work let alone "whodunit?"

[Cindy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why I bother to enlist these short stories. I am frustrated by how quickly everything develops and is solved.

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars
A classic whodunnit. Hercule Poirot is self-congratulatory, bossy and in-your-face...as usual! I love Christie's style and the opulent high-class society setting.

[Jovana Vesper · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Dana Cordelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun short, but nowhere near as engaging or fascinating as the big Poirot mysteries. Good to listen to in the car.

[Kathryn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Only an hour long audiobook, but it was too long for me.

I realize it's a short story, but there was no thrill or suspense.

[Agla]

Quite fun. Poirot is summoned by a client to investigate her husband's murder. Someone has been arrested but she is convinced of someone else's guilt. The way he investigates was fun and made sense. A lot of twists and turns as secrets are uncovered. Quite a lot for such a short installment.

[marss · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25

[শাহ্‌ পরাণ · Rating 3 out of 5]

৩.২৫/৫

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audible.com released this short story — long enough for a novella, actually — from Dame Agatha Christie’s 1951 short story collection, eponymously titled The Under Dog and Other Stories. Read as usual by Hugh Fraser, the story deals with the murder of Sir Reuben Astwell for which his ne’er-do-well nephew Charles Leverson has been arrested. Despite overwhelming evidence, Sir Reuben’s widow, Lady Astwell, a great believer in intuition, is certain that her nephew by marriage is innocent and summons detective Hercule Poirot.

No need to doubt that the Belgian detective will apply his little gray cells to the problem and come up with the truth. It even has a finale in which Poirot gathers all of the suspects into the Tower for a dramatic reveal! “The Under Dog” is a great way to while away a few hours.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick little story featuring Poirot at his finest. This is the only short story out of Poirot's Early Cases: 18 Hercule Poirot Mysteries that I hadn't already read, so finding this standalone was lucky.

[Jamie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I probably got a little too excited at the passing reference to Hastings. Also, there is a character in this that read as gay, and some of the comments and half-finished comments in regards to said character also implied it, which piqued my interest further. The ending keeps it from being a higher rated AC piece for me.

[Victor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like all of Christie's stories, the ending you never expected. Read it, is a short story but very enjoyable in my opinion.

[Bear Wiseman · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun tale and a pleasantly quick read.

[Hasselhh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Even though the identity of of the murderer is in the title, it is actually quite enjoyable

[Kirsti · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dated but entertaining

[A Mig · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not my favorite of Hercule Poirot's adventures. It is slow and the very few hints are only found by hypnosis.

[Josephine · Rating 3 out of 5]

The moral of the story don't treat people badly.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read 2020

[Elisa · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik lees zeer graag Agatha Christie maar Hercule Poirot vind ik gewoon iets meer dan eigenaardig. De manier waarop hij een moord oplost vind ik soms te arrogant en ongeloofwaardig tot zelfs kinderachtig. Het is nu de eerste keer dat het mij echt gestoord heeft. Nee, geef mij maar de verhalen met Miss Marple als detective.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Audiobook >> Performed by Hugh Fraser
app 2:06hrs

[Kaitlyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

Listened to as an audiobook on Libby.

[Jill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this on audiobook. I have listened to other Poirot stories on audiobook and I like them because Hugh Frasier is the narrator. His voice is so perfect for these because he can do several voices, and his voice is so familiar and comfortable to listen to because of his long career as Capt. Hastings (Poirot's assistant) on the PBS series.

This is a short story, the audiobook only lasts a couple of hours. Poirot is called to a house outside of London to investigate the murder of Reuben Atwell. There's a suspect in custody, but Mr. Atwell's wife doesn't believe the right person has been arrested. So, she asks Poirot to come down and investigate on his own. Poirot does his work and, in the end, he calls out the real murderer in his typical style of gathering all the people together and accusing several before actually announcing who the murderer truly is. It's a typical Agatha Christie story. If you like Poirot, take a listen!

[Ronald Urizar · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sir Reuben Astwell fue asesinado diez días antes en su casa de campo, Mon Repos, cuando fue golpeado violentamente en la parte posterior de la cabeza con un garrote, y su sobrino Charles Leverson ha sido arrestado. La esposa de Sir Reuben, Lady Astwell, está convencida de que el verdadero criminal es el secretario del difunto, Owen Trefusis, aunque no tiene ni una pizca de evidencia para respaldar esta afirmación, sino que se basa en la "intuición". Envía a su joven compañera, Lily Margrave, a Poirot para que lo emplee en el caso y Poirot acepta, en parte porque siente que Lily no quiere que Poirot investigue el asunto y que tiene algo que ocultar.

Al llegar a Mon Repos, Poirot habla con la intimidante y dominante Lady Astwell, quien le dice que el hermano y socio comercial de Sir Reuben, Victor, también está invitado en la casa. Ambos hermanos tenían el mismo temperamento que el otro y había muchas peleas y desacuerdos en la casa, a menudo involucrando a Charles Leverson, y Sir Reuben a menudo se enfadaba con los sirvientes. Poirot entrevista a Parsons, el mayordomo, que es uno de los principales testigos del caso. Su dormitorio está en la planta baja y encima de él está la "Habitación de la Torre", el santuario de Sir Reuben. Es una habitación elevada con otra habitación arriba a la que se accede por una escalera de caracol y originalmente fue un observatorio construido por un propietario anterior que era astrónomo. Sir Reuben estaba escribiendo a altas horas de la noche y Parsons estaba dormido cuando lo despertó el sonido de Leverson que regresaba a casa cerca de la medianoche y entraba. Oyó que Leverson le gritaba a su tío seguido de un grito y un ruido sordo. A punto de subir las escaleras para ver qué estaba pasando, Parsons escuchó a Leverson decir "No hay daño, afortunadamente" y luego desearle buenas noches a su tío. Al día siguiente, Sir Reuben fue encontrado muerto. Hablando con Trefusis, el hombre algo manso admite que durante sus nueve años de empleo, Sir Reuben lo acosó despiadadamente. Trefusis le muestra a Poirot la escena del crimen y el detective no sabe por qué hay una mancha de sangre en el escritorio, pero el cuerpo de Sir Reuben se encontró en el suelo. Poirot intenta un experimento con su ayuda de cámara, George, y se da cuenta de que Sir Reuben fue golpeado mientras se sentaba en su silla y luego permaneció en su posición ya que la silla está baja en comparación con el escritorio.

Poirot sospecha más que nunca del comportamiento nervioso de Lily Margrave e investiga los dos hoteles locales para ver si alguien se quedó esa noche y salió del hotel cerca de la medianoche. Encuentra a un hombre así, el Capitán Humphrey Naylor, y convencido de que hay un vínculo con Lily, le tiende una trampa al poner su propia sangre en un trozo del vestido que ella llevaba esa noche y le dice que lo encontró en la Habitación de la Torre. Ella confiesa que es la hermana de Naylor y que Sir Reuben lo estafó en una mina de oro africana. Decidida a encontrar pruebas, acordó con su hermano tomar empleo como acompañante de Lady Astwell y en la noche en cuestión, mientras su hermano esperaba afuera, fue a la Habitación de la Torre y vio a Leverson saliendo. Luego entró ella misma en la habitación y encontró el cuerpo en el suelo (también revisó la caja fuerte y encontró la prueba de la estafa que buscaba su hermano), pero es inocente del delito de asesinato. Poirot le cree y también se da cuenta de que Leverson estaba borracho la noche en cuestión y su forma extraña se debe a que comenzó a gritarle a su tío, lo empujó por el hombro y luego se dio cuenta de que estaba muerto cuando el cuerpo se deslizó al suelo. ruido sordo que escuchó Parsons. Es inocente y su tío fue asesinado antes cuando estaba en la habitación.

Poirot persuade a Lady Astwell para que participe en la hipnosis para recordar los eventos de la noche del asesinato. Ella confirma lo que ya le dijo a la policía: que discutió con su esposo en Tower Room unos diez minutos antes de que Leverson regresara a casa. También logra recordar un recuerdo subliminal de Trefusis, normalmente controlado, rompiendo un cortapapeles con ira más temprano en la noche cuando Sir Reuben le gritó nuevamente (lo que provocó sus sospechas sobre el hombre) y un extraño bulto en la cortina que cubría la escalera de caracol a la parte superior de la habitación de la torre. Poirot se da cuenta de que alguien ya estaba allí cuando ella y su esposo estaban discutiendo.

Poirot comienza un juego de nervios con todos en la casa, extendiendo su estadía y registrando las habitaciones de todos, para su molestia. También afirma haber encontrado algo en la escalera de caracol que sellará el destino del asesino y lo deja en una caja en su habitación mientras hace un viaje rápido a Londres. Regresa y le dice a la familia reunida que Trefusis es de hecho el asesino, pero que el crimen no fue premeditado. El secretario había dejado algo en la parte superior de la Sala de la Torre y estaba yendo a buscarlo cuando se encontró siendo un testigo involuntario de la pelea entre Sir Reuben y Lady Astwell. Después de que ella salió de la habitación, él trató de escabullirse, pero fue descubierto y recibió otro aluvión de abusos por parte de su empleador.

Después de que ella salió de la habitación, él trató de escabullirse, pero fue descubierto y recibió otro aluvión de abusos por parte de su empleador. Después de nueve años de tal tratamiento, no pudo soportar más y derribó a Sir Reuben. El artículo que Poirot encontró en las escaleras era falso, pero George, escondido en el armario de la habitación de Poirot, vio a Trefusis robar la caja en la que estaba escondido el artículo cuando Poirot estaba en Londres. Lady Astwell está encantada: su intuición ha demostrado ser correcta.