Triangle at Rhodes: a Hercule Poirot Short Story

Hercule Poirot #0.34

by Agatha Christie, Hugh Fraser (Reader)

One of Christie's most famous short stories.

The story concerns a lonely wife, the use of poison, and a husband attracted to a lady on holiday in the Greek islands with her fifth husband. It just so happens that Hercule Poirot is on holiday on the island of Rhodes at the same time to watch it happening. Will his warning prevent a tragedy?

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

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

1 pages, Audiobook

First published January 1, 1936

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

[Dr. Appu Sasidharan (Dasfill) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hercules Poirot and paradise island are somewhat of a deadly combination.

Whenever Poirot reaches a tourist destination where he can relax, he gets entangled in a murder mystery. This book is not different, either. Here he has to solve the mystery behind the death of a beautiful lady in this case.

Was there a secret love triangle happening behind the scenes? What was the motive behind the murder? Even though Poirot finds out the murderer pretty quickly, this book still gives the readers a decent reading experience.

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[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A love triangle turns deadly in a way I didn't see coming!
Poirot and the other guests notice that the resident hotel hottie appears to be quickly stealing a mousy woman's handsome husband, while simultaneously angering her own.



Poirot sees that there is more going on than meets the eye and tries to warn Mrs. Mousy to leave before...
Well, before.
I liked this one quite a bit!

I read this as part of the short story collection Murder in the Mews.

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. A great title. It's memorable but not that deep. Perhaps the terrific David Suchet portrayal on the tube influences me. The 36 page novella was published in "The Strand" magazine in 1936 and collected with three others under the title, "Murder in the Mews," in 1937. Memorable is the word - the story's simplicity, the beautiful holiday surroundings next to the Mediterranean, and the warning delivered so obtusely by Poirot. I don't want to get too close to the resolution, so enough of that. The popularity of Christie in the 1920s and 30s related partly to the exotic locales where some of her mysteries were set. Few could afford to actually visit but many could enjoy the settings! Rhodes is a Greek island just off the southern Turkish coast, a holiday site for the rich. "Gorgeous and famous" is the way Valentine Dacres describes them. She's the Chanel model married to Naval Commander Tony Chantry - her fifth husband. It's not long before Poirot senses the proverbial triangle. Are Chantry and the good looking Douglas Gold rivals for Valentine's changeable affections? Is murder on the itinerary? Spend a few days on Rhodes and find out! (No2018/Ja2024)

[Karl Jorgenson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christie, exercising her unmatched ability to structure a mystery. This is a long short story, perhaps 15,000 words, but Christie wrings a complex murder from the six characters plus Poirot.

[kezzie ʚ♡ɞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

✩ 4 stars
~
i can definitely tell that this is the most famous agatha christie short story.
~
it’s written really well & the twist!
wow didn’t see that coming at all

[Richard Dominguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

On the Greek island of Rhodes a romantic triangle may have resulted in a murder. Duh, it’s an Agatha Christie story, this one is fun and an interesting murder. The perfectly obvious is the red herring. Neatly tied up and well paced, this one tops my list of the author’s short stories.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was first published in The Strand in 1936 and, in book form, included in, “Murder in the Mews,” in 1937. The themes in this story later became reworked as the novel, “Evil Under the Sun,” in 1940. However, this short story is certainly worth reading in its own right.
Poirot is on holiday in Rhodes, hoping for a relaxing time away from crime. There are only a few residents, including two new couples. The first is the five time married mode, Valentine Chantry, with her latest husband – Naval Commander Tony Chantry. The second couple is Douglas Gold and his mousy wife, Marjorie. When Douglas Gold becomes infatuated with Valentine Chantry, jealousy leads – as Poirot predicted – to murder… This story has a nice setting, good characters and a good twist at the end.

[Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars rounded up to 5 Stars.

[Whitney (The Cover Collector) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A much better version of Evil Under the Sun.

[Aisyah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quite a short story, I dislike the victim which made this quite an unpleasurable read. When the character died, I couldn't care less who the killer was seeing as I was too busy being glad that the deed is done.

[Laur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another great Agatha short. When reading Christie’s stories, if it seems too obvious, the reader is usually wrong. The audio version narrated by Hugh Fraser was very enjoyable to listen too. (Compliments of Scrib)

[Agla]

Poirot is on vacation and meets 2 couples. The two men seem to be in love with one of the women, her husband and another man. The other man's wife is understandably very upset. Poirot sees beneath the surface but fails to stop the crime. He doesn't fail to solve it though 😉. Lovely short

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

[Nour Allam · Rating 1 out of 5]

(70)

...

[YN · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Not sure if this is a spoiler so I didn't mark it as one, I simply wrote about my changing feelings not the content)

DANG.
I got ahead of myself. This short story really got to me.
I was passionately hating on some of the character thinking that this was the stereotypical character/plot type.
Boy was I so wrong.
The plot twist really blew my mind. For once I thought that Agatha Christie was going to serve up some cliches
But dang that got me good.
I was questioning whether I would enjoy such a short story (especially when half of it was actually a description and not murder --> Im accustomed to a death occurring at the beginning and the rest of the novel being centred around analysis and solving the crime) so it was a surprise when I got to the end.

Final Opinion: Definitely should read! Really easy and quick to read, and I found it very enjoyable
If you have a great mind then maybe you may disagree (since i've always been bad at seeing the 'truth')

[belle ☆ﾐ (thisbellereadstoo) · Rating 3 out of 5]

very straightforward with what's happening. hercule poirot just wanted to relax but ended up solving a crime once more.

[Margaryta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why is it that whenever I make a prediction in the beginning I always turn out wrong? I dunno, it's just always been a pattern with the Agatha Christie Poirot novels and TV Series yet I don't mind, as long a my 'grey mass' is working inside of my head (I think Poirot is really starting to get to me, in a good way)

Hum, the way this story was set I was carefully running back and forth between the characetrs trying to understand who was honest and who wasn't, and I was wrong on my whole theory.

The thing that scares me is the rapid speed I'm consuming this whole series at - I only have a few episodes of season 11 left and have to then desperately wait for the next season. Amazing series that will just get you thinking and alert on your toes.

[Bekah · Rating 4 out of 5]

We believe what we are lead to believe. So true. Christie really does understand the human race, doesn't she? Their twisted ideas, their ignorance and naivety. What a very clever, twisted crime. If not for Poirot, they would have gotten away. No one is too clever for our little Belgian.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

The triangle at Rhodes
The incredible theft
Murder in the mews
Dead man's mirror

[Χρύσα Βασιλείου · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5 αστεράκια.

Ποτέ δεν αγάπησα τα διηγήματα. Αν κι έχω διαβάσει άπειρα και έχω γράψει αρκετά και η ίδια, δεν μπορώ να τα εξισώσω με ένα ολοκληρωμένο μυθιστόρημα. Και παρόλο που γνωρίζω καλά και τον βαθμό δυσκολίας τού να 'στριμώξεις' μια ολόκληρη ιστορία μέσα σε συγκεκριμένο αριθμό λέξεων ή σελίδων και το ταλέντο που απαιτεί αυτό, δεν μπορώ να τα αγαπήσω εξίσου - τι να γίνει!

Στη συγκεκριμένη συλλογή περιλαμβάνονται οχτώ διηγήματα, εκ των οποίων τα τέσσερα τα είχα ήδη διαβάσει ξανά στο παρελθόν. Όλα είναι καλογραμμένα, φυσικά, όλα έχουν το μοναδικό και ιδιαίτερο στυλ της Christie, όμως μου φάνηκαν κάπως... ανολοκλήρωτα. Κάπως σαν να μπήκε βιαστικά η τελευταία τελεία. Κάπως σαν να έπρεπε να τελειώσουν χωρίς πολλά-πολλά. Ακόμα και ο Ηρακλής Πουαρό σαν να βιαζόταν να κλείσει τις υποθέσεις του.
Το διάβασα ευχάριστα, εννοείται, αλλά σίγουρα δεν το κατατάσσω ανάμεσα στα βιβλία της συγγραφέως που θα θυμάμαι. Μάλλον θα ξεχαστεί από μόνο του, θα έλεγα...

[Gloria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Poirot goes to an island off of the Italian coast, hoping to stay away from murder. He sees a love triangle play out before him and warns a party to leave the island. They do not and then a member of the triangle is murdered. Poirot explains everything to another vacationer who says he could have done something.

Who done it? Commander Chantry. He poisoned his wife and framed Douglas Gold so that he could get with Marjorie Gold. Poirot had warned Marjorie to leave before she was caught and punished for murder. Marjorie did not.

[Jerika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even for a short story, it's quite short, so it's hard to judge it in comparison to other longer, fuller works. Obviously everything wraps up quite quickly and we don't get as many moments of Poirot investigating as we like. But at the same time, I was still actually surprise by it! So, it was a fun quick read and a good little mystery.

[سلمى العاقل · Rating 2 out of 5]

يجب أن أذكر شيء هنا

أنالا تستهويني روايات أغاثا، مطلقا..لكن في عدة مجموعات قراءة، كانوا يتحدثون عن روعة رواياتيها، أردت التأكد بنفسي ، و أعتقد، أني على حق..بقى لها رواية، أو اثنتين، ولن أعود لها ، بعد ذلكـ أبدا..

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is sort of the "warm-up" to Evil Under the Sun, down to even a few of the lines of prose. A little longer and more developed than some of Christie's short stories, but not nearly as good as the full-length version.

[Nathalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of my favorite Hercule Poirot's adventures! This is due in part to the incredible delivery of reader Nigel Hawthorne's spot-on portrayal of siren Valentin Chantry! I have listened to this mystery multiple times over the years and it never cease to entertain!

[Addi · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh

[Deanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars. Very short story. By the time I was able to keep all the characters straight it was over. Lots of build up then a swift conclusion with the solution plainly stated.

[valentina · Rating 3 out of 5]

i was expecting more of the crime, but te murderer is worth it

[Gwen · Rating 5 out of 5]

First published in 1936. Another case solved by Hercule Poirot.

A short story with only 6 chapters. This story moves quickly with a nice twist at the end.

Blurb:

Hercule Poirot takes a vacation in late October to the island of Rhodes, Greece. As he tries to relax on the beach, an eternal “love” triangle is formed between Mrs. Valentine Chantry, her husband Commander Tony Chantry, and Mr. Douglas Gold. But is this the real enteral triangle or is it an illusion? Hercule Poirot solves the case and explains the eternal triangle at the end of the story. Fun story!

[Farhana Sufi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind if revising the shorter stories by Christie. I really like listening to Hugh Fraser's narrations. This story in particular wasn't that great.