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DEAD MAN'S FOLLY
At the request of his friend Ariadne (an eccentric mystery lover based on Christie herself), Hercule arrives at a sprawling estate to partake in a weekend game of mock murder. But when the victim appears far too dead, the game stops and the detective work begins.
216 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1956
34 people are currently reading
510 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,792 books74.9k 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 117 reviews
August 3, 2021
Characterisations,plot good but…loose ends 🙄!
April 25, 2025
Poirot buttered his toast thoughtfully
April 17, 2025
Ariadne Oliver has a bad feeling about the murder she's planning.
Of course, Mrs. Oliver is only killing for charity. As a famous mystery writer, she's been asked to plan a fake murder and organize the hunt for clues.
But there's just something indefinably wrong with the situation. And when she thinks about it for a second?
Hey! I know a guy...
In typical Mrs. Oliver fashion, she informs Poirot that he needs to immediately pack his bags and head her way whether he wants to or not.
And in typical Poirot fashion, his curiosity gets the better of him and he shows up in time to meet everyone involved before all the murdering starts.
Ok, so as much as I love good old Hastings, Ariadne Oliver is my absolute favorite Poirot sidekick. I think it's because it's almost like a funny version of Agatha Christie interacting with her own character on the page.
The mystery is pretty decent, too. Disguises, secret histories, blackmail, and scary foreigners!
Good stuff.
In case you were wondering:
Dead Man's Folly was an expanded version of Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly, which was published posthumously as a short.
There are differences between the two stories, but the reason Christie originally abandoned Greenshore Folly was that it was too long to be in a magazine.
So? <--you say
Well, the proceeds of the magazine story were supposed to go to her church for renovations. Instead, she ended up writing Greenshaw's Folly - a Miss Marple Short Story and giving the money for that one to the church.
You're welcome for this useless bit of trivia.
Of course, Mrs. Oliver is only killing for charity. As a famous mystery writer, she's been asked to plan a fake murder and organize the hunt for clues.
But there's just something indefinably wrong with the situation. And when she thinks about it for a second?
Hey! I know a guy...
In typical Mrs. Oliver fashion, she informs Poirot that he needs to immediately pack his bags and head her way whether he wants to or not.
And in typical Poirot fashion, his curiosity gets the better of him and he shows up in time to meet everyone involved before all the murdering starts.
Ok, so as much as I love good old Hastings, Ariadne Oliver is my absolute favorite Poirot sidekick. I think it's because it's almost like a funny version of Agatha Christie interacting with her own character on the page.
The mystery is pretty decent, too. Disguises, secret histories, blackmail, and scary foreigners!
Good stuff.
In case you were wondering:
Dead Man's Folly was an expanded version of Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly, which was published posthumously as a short.
There are differences between the two stories, but the reason Christie originally abandoned Greenshore Folly was that it was too long to be in a magazine.
So? <--you say
Well, the proceeds of the magazine story were supposed to go to her church for renovations. Instead, she ended up writing Greenshaw's Folly - a Miss Marple Short Story and giving the money for that one to the church.
You're welcome for this useless bit of trivia.
May 3, 2023
5/5
Boże jakie jaja na koniec, mindfuck totalny.
Boże jakie jaja na koniec, mindfuck totalny.
November 15, 2024
This book was the perfect level of suspense with cozy murder mystery vibes. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and it is a perfect book to read at your leisure.
October 11, 2021
There are some ameliorating factors in my grade, which suggests that this is merely a bad book. First, it features the marvelous Ariadne Oliver, the scatterbrained sleuth who is Christie's charming fictional stand in for herself. Second, Oliver herself gives a disclaimer at the beginning suggesting that this will not be the normal Christean plot. Third, once all the goofiness has, as it were, settled, Poirot gives you all the puzzle pieces you need to sort of fairly solve what is, without his illumination, an unfair 'murder hunt' rather than a mystery in the fine old sense.
All this said, however, there remains the fact that, if this were the first Christie book I picked up, I wouldn't have picked up another.
All this said, however, there remains the fact that, if this were the first Christie book I picked up, I wouldn't have picked up another.
Read
June 7, 2024Can't help but feel when I read Agatha Christie that she genuinely thought the world was an awful place and that people were terrible. And not going to lie, almost all of her characters truly are awful people. So much xenophobia, sexism, etc. in this one.
August 20, 2022
shouldn't have picked this as my first christie cause i don't think i'm picking another one after this
June 20, 2023
Neither Christie nor Poirot on form here. Far too many characters and a complex plot with more holes than my favourite old jumper.
April 22, 2024
This was the first Agatha novel i have read . I really enjoyed it.
this book was so much more than i was expecting.
The concept about a murder hunt was very intresting.
It's a bit intricate to guess the muderer and until the end of the book i was left guessing.
There was a great twist at the end
this book was so much more than i was expecting.
The concept about a murder hunt was very intresting.
It's a bit intricate to guess the muderer and until the end of the book i was left guessing.
There was a great twist at the end
March 31, 2025
Mindfuck
April 21, 2025
An alright reading experience
December 19, 2023
Hercule does it again!
(Listened on Audiobook)
(Listened on Audiobook)
January 15, 2024
I wanted a well-written whodunit and of course that meant an Agatha Christie novel! I chose a random one and I wasn’t disappointed. The ending felt a bit abrupt, other than that it was a good read.
April 29, 2022
My favorite part about this book is that the title is technically a spoiler. However it’s not a spoiler until you’ve finished it. Believe it or not, this is the first Agatha Christie novel I have ever read. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Vivian and I read this aloud, primarily in the evenings, on our porch, with a hot cup of tea. It was perfect for such an experience as it is fairly short, fast paced, and extremely entertaining. It felt more like watching a movie than reading a book.
What impressed me the most was her ability to create an exotic array of characters all with their own eccentricities and suspicions. She implements nearly a dozen red herrings and then finishes the story with a clever and satisfying twist. I would imagine her other books follow a similar pattern, and perhaps it gets repetitive, but as of now I am a big fan.
One element I especially enjoyed in this story was the character of Mrs. Oliver. She is a famous crime novelist who is trying her hand at creating a murder mystery party. Even before the event her intuition warns her of something nefarious and thus enters her good friend M. Poirot. Mrs. Oliver is clearly a parody of Agatha Christie and she has a field day making jokes about the character and poking fun at some idiosyncrasies I’m sure Agatha Christie herself possesses.
If someone were looking to find a book to read aloud with a friend, I would definitely recommend this one. Simple, fast, fun, and allows for intermittent pauses to guess who you think the murderer is and discuss theories. Was it a book I will think about in a weeks time, no. But it held my attention while it was read and I enjoyed the process immensely. I think Vivian and I will continue to read through the Poirot series together.
What impressed me the most was her ability to create an exotic array of characters all with their own eccentricities and suspicions. She implements nearly a dozen red herrings and then finishes the story with a clever and satisfying twist. I would imagine her other books follow a similar pattern, and perhaps it gets repetitive, but as of now I am a big fan.
One element I especially enjoyed in this story was the character of Mrs. Oliver. She is a famous crime novelist who is trying her hand at creating a murder mystery party. Even before the event her intuition warns her of something nefarious and thus enters her good friend M. Poirot. Mrs. Oliver is clearly a parody of Agatha Christie and she has a field day making jokes about the character and poking fun at some idiosyncrasies I’m sure Agatha Christie herself possesses.
If someone were looking to find a book to read aloud with a friend, I would definitely recommend this one. Simple, fast, fun, and allows for intermittent pauses to guess who you think the murderer is and discuss theories. Was it a book I will think about in a weeks time, no. But it held my attention while it was read and I enjoyed the process immensely. I think Vivian and I will continue to read through the Poirot series together.
August 17, 2021
I thought the pacing was off on this one and I didn't enjoy it as much as I usually do the Poirot books.
The first quarter was essentially just setting the scene and cast of characters. Once the action started I was hopeful the pace would rachet up but it was one of those delayed ending plots where the police and Poirot don't have a clue and so the plot doesn't really progress. While the leads and connections did eventually reveal themselves it was in just one chapter and it felt rushed compared to the 75% of nothing that had come before it.
It's a shame actually because the reveal and the whodunits and whydunits were super interesting and I wished they'd been developed a lot more.
The first quarter was essentially just setting the scene and cast of characters. Once the action started I was hopeful the pace would rachet up but it was one of those delayed ending plots where the police and Poirot don't have a clue and so the plot doesn't really progress. While the leads and connections did eventually reveal themselves it was in just one chapter and it felt rushed compared to the 75% of nothing that had come before it.
It's a shame actually because the reveal and the whodunits and whydunits were super interesting and I wished they'd been developed a lot more.
March 16, 2021
Though the plot reveal was an interesting one, I am left feeling as though this was not one of Christie's better storylines. I struggled to make my way through the story for no particular reason other than it felt like the story dragged. I'm sure many people might enjoy this book just as much as any other but, for myself, I wasn't as intrigued or enticed by this one.
January 1, 2022
For all the content considerations below, it was one of Christie’s more engrossing whodunnits—there are a lot of characters to choose from and it isn’t until the very last few chapters that Christie reveals the twists. It also is more ‘realistic’ because Poirot doesn’t stop the crime from happening like he is expected to, and time actually passes without much resolution of crimes central to the plot. His expression of frustration and doubt is actually a refreshing turn from the almost magical ability he has in other books to just happen to find the clue he needs to unlock the whole thing. The more ‘real life’ delays helped make the mystery seem more genuine and worth waiting for in the ending.
Content considerations: foul language including a—, d—-. A passing reference is made to people in S. Africa intermarrying with indigenous people and this is supposed by a character to account for low intelligence levels; several people groups are mocked by a character who stereotypically mimics their ‘gibber’; women are discussed with disparaging remarks regarding looks and intellect, one woman in particular who is central to the plot is said to have been subpar in intellect repeatedly throughout the book, almost ad nauseam. A character rants about how ‘feeble minded’ people shouldn’t be allowed to ‘breed’ and how a woman should be subjected to the ‘lethal chamber’ because she allegedly contributed nothing to society and was merely ornamental (in the character’s opinion). There are some observations made about a character who is deemed rather uninteresting and unattractive wishing she were romantically involved with a boy (pinched kissed and pursued). A young girl (about 14 yo) is murdered by strangling but it is not detailed or gory.
Content considerations: foul language including a—, d—-. A passing reference is made to people in S. Africa intermarrying with indigenous people and this is supposed by a character to account for low intelligence levels; several people groups are mocked by a character who stereotypically mimics their ‘gibber’; women are discussed with disparaging remarks regarding looks and intellect, one woman in particular who is central to the plot is said to have been subpar in intellect repeatedly throughout the book, almost ad nauseam. A character rants about how ‘feeble minded’ people shouldn’t be allowed to ‘breed’ and how a woman should be subjected to the ‘lethal chamber’ because she allegedly contributed nothing to society and was merely ornamental (in the character’s opinion). There are some observations made about a character who is deemed rather uninteresting and unattractive wishing she were romantically involved with a boy (pinched kissed and pursued). A young girl (about 14 yo) is murdered by strangling but it is not detailed or gory.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 13, 2020
Mystery writer Ariadne Oliver invites Poirot to a Devonshire mansion ostensibly to award the prize in a festival "murder hunt" but really to satisfy her suspicions about the local goings-on. Naturally, a real murder intrudes on the make-believe one. On the bright side the reader can enjoy Poirot, Mrs. Oliver, and the deftly drawn characters. Early clues exist but are so hard to put together properly that even Poirot seems totally stumped through at least three quarters of the book. Good luck to the reader. The denouement comes with a rush in the last thirty pages or so, and some of these facts are a bit too much to expect any reader to divine, especially since some decent police work would have revealed a least the start to the mysteries behind the mystery. In that respect, somewhat similar to Christie's 'A Murder is Announced' in which the dislocations of World War II are used as a means of getting away with almost anything.
world War
world War
March 31, 2022
This book actually has 226 pages. I love a good Agatha Christie mystery. They rarely end like the reader imagines and they never fail to surprise. In this novel, the reader finds something surprising: Poirot leaves the scene of a crime without having solved it. A month passes. What is going on? Has Poirot lost his "little grey cells?" No. This mystery took some time to solve, and time needed to pass to make things a little more clear. And Poirot needed to speak with a few more people. In the end, I centered on the correct murderer, but had no evidence. A husband is usually the first suspect in his wife's murder and vice versa. But would a mother tolerate knowing her son is a villainous murderer and keep silent? Even when the first murder necessitates a second and a third? Agatha Christie's answer: yes, some mothers will. The end of the novel is chilling and reminds us no one is ever beyond suspicion, even those we find likeable.
August 6, 2023
Dead Man’s Folly sees Poirot invited down to Devon to participate in a mock murder hunt that is intended to be a more exciting version of the local fete’s usual treasure hunt. Naturally complications soon set in when Poirot finds himself dealing with a real murder. As always, the reader is given an interesting cast of characters (including a novelist based on Agatha herself) and an intricate plot with a clever twist at the end. I thought this one was particularly convoluted and ingenious. When I looked back, there were a couple of clues but they were well hidden. I found this Poirot particularly enjoyable because it was set in Devon where Agatha lived and her love of the area shone through. A relaxing and absorbing read.
January 5, 2025
honestly, i really enjoyed the overconvoluted ending and there was an element of the story that reallt caught me off guard but i felt as though while there were a million red herrings the side characters fell very flat for me. in peril at end house and hickory dickory dock i was very invested in all the characters so when the murderer was revealed i actually cared about how it affected everyone. as i only really cared about 2 characters in this book, the murderer for me was just boring and inconsequential wven though the plot for it was very compelling. my main criticism was that a lot of he book was consumed by the inspector and the constable as opposed to poirot, who makes every dialogue and every character generally more interesting. other than that, it was very well thought out and quite a good plot twist if you want something easy to read
March 14, 2020
Mrs Oliver is organising a murder hunt game at one if the vilage fetes and feels something is wrong, that some forces behind the scenes are at work. She calls Poirot and while he is there an actual.murder takes place, fillowed by the disappearance of the lady of the house. The rest of the book is about the solving of this mystery by Poirot.
is one of the weaker Agatha Christie books, despite the fact that Poirot makes a very early appearance. And even the presence of Ariadne Oliver fails to rise this book beyond three stars. Rarely do i feel bored while reading Christie's books but i had to force myself to complete this one.
Definitely not the best place to start Christie.
is one of the weaker Agatha Christie books, despite the fact that Poirot makes a very early appearance. And even the presence of Ariadne Oliver fails to rise this book beyond three stars. Rarely do i feel bored while reading Christie's books but i had to force myself to complete this one.
Definitely not the best place to start Christie.
March 16, 2021
Not as pacy, gripping or twisty as a lot of Christie’s Poirot novels BUT the reveal is always good, Poirot is one of my favourite literary characters and his skills aren’t perfect in this - at least not for a while.
This is a slow burner and some of the patriarchal opinions Christie writes are maybe best being ignored ‘a Nan doesn’t need a woman to be an intellectual companion...’ 😳
There’s also the use of ‘ejaculate, ejaculated or ejaculation’ to represent verbal outbursts so if you have an immature sense of humour, as I do, then that’s a wee bonus.
I can’t not recommend Agatha Christie but it’s not one of her best.
This is a slow burner and some of the patriarchal opinions Christie writes are maybe best being ignored ‘a Nan doesn’t need a woman to be an intellectual companion...’ 😳
There’s also the use of ‘ejaculate, ejaculated or ejaculation’ to represent verbal outbursts so if you have an immature sense of humour, as I do, then that’s a wee bonus.
I can’t not recommend Agatha Christie but it’s not one of her best.
April 26, 2023
As a big fan of murder mystery dinner parties, I was excited that Christie has a book about a similar-ish theme, though in this case Ariadne Oliver has been asked to create a fun murder mystery at a festival in the country, but just before the festival starts she feels that something is wrong and asks Hercule Poirot to come and make sure everything is as it should be. Of course it isn't and instead of a pretend murder, there is at *least* one murder, probably more. I'm not sure exactly why I loved this installment as much as I did, other than it was perfectly rational but I didn't full catch the solution. It was quite well how it all ties together at the end, so I really enjoyed it.
September 21, 2023
I will preface by saying I actually found the bulk of the book slow and dull. It took me quite a while to get through this book because it felt like it was going nowhere.
HOWEVER, I was definitely proven a fool by the ending of the book as Christie once again proves her genius storytelling with a plot that most definitely makes all the slowness of the book worthwhile. I was completely thrown by the reveal and yet when I think about it all I can think about is the little details seeded through the book that make it all make sense.
This book is definitely worth a read, it is true that Christie knows people better than anyone.
HOWEVER, I was definitely proven a fool by the ending of the book as Christie once again proves her genius storytelling with a plot that most definitely makes all the slowness of the book worthwhile. I was completely thrown by the reveal and yet when I think about it all I can think about is the little details seeded through the book that make it all make sense.
This book is definitely worth a read, it is true that Christie knows people better than anyone.
July 27, 2021
Once again, I had no particular memory of this, but it's quite a good one. Mrs Oliver has been roped into setting up a Murder Mystery for a fete. She has A Bad Feeling about it and gets Poirot down to check out the atmosphere. There are all kinds of rich people who may have Motives, but the victim is unexpected. The plot's quite tricksy, it's set in Cornwall so all rhododendrons and the Helford river under another name and etc. And Poirot is unexpectedly stumped until he realises he's been looking at it backwards.
January 26, 2025
Poirot is invited by the mystery author, Ariadne Oliver, to her estate to participate in a murder mystery scavenger hunt. Some of the guests are given characters to play and clues are placed around the house and grounds. The goal is to be be the first to follow the clues, find the victim, and solve the murder. However, before festivities begin, Ariadne shares with Poirot that, given the guest list, she wonders if a real murder might not occur. After all, a few of her guests have requested minor changes to the game set up - possibly for their own purposes?
August 15, 2019
The story begins with a rather boring or confusing introduction. Too many people at once but soon after the pivotal event occurs, everything is so gripping. Agatha Christie is at her best and Hercule Poirot does it again. The book after the first hundred pages is so gripping that I took nearly 2 months to slog through the first 100 and took just 3 days to finish the rest of it.
Another gem of a murder mystery.
Another gem of a murder mystery.
August 22, 2020
The plot/mystery of this book (concerting a murder of a teenage girl, supposed to be a mock victim in a murder hunt quest - Christie didn't seem to like children/teens much) isn't bad, but the characters and their dialogue are very flat. We rarely see them interacting with each other. Unlike with better Christies, we don't really get to see much of their thoughts and perceptions, and so, the book doesn't hold much reader interest.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 117 reviews