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Hercule Poirot #0.19
The Kidnapping of Johnny Waverly
An illustrated short story from the Queen of Crime. Poirot is called in to investigate the kidnapping of three-year old Johnnie Waverly, the son of Marcus Waverly, from his home, Waverly Court in Surrey. Prior to the kidnapping, the family received anonymous letters that threatened to take the boy unless twenty-five thousand pounds was paid. The police took little interest until the final letter which stated that the boy would be kidnapped at twelve o'clock the next day.
24 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1923
39 people are currently reading
1484 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,812 books75.4k 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 91 reviews
February 6, 2024
In this book, Hercule Poirot deals with the case of the kidnapping of Johnnie Waverly.
The strange thing about the missing of Waverly is that he was kidnapped right in front of the police, and the police were strangely not able to do anything related to this case.
The case becomes more complicated when Poirot learns about the threatening letters that Johnnei’s parents used to get.
The kidnapper challenges everyone by even announcing the time at which he will kidnap Johnnie, and the fact that he managed to pull out the act despite all the precautions makes this case more interesting.
This is yet another Poirot mystery that will give you an enjoyable reading experience.
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The strange thing about the missing of Waverly is that he was kidnapped right in front of the police, and the police were strangely not able to do anything related to this case.
The case becomes more complicated when Poirot learns about the threatening letters that Johnnei’s parents used to get.
The kidnapper challenges everyone by even announcing the time at which he will kidnap Johnnie, and the fact that he managed to pull out the act despite all the precautions makes this case more interesting.
This is yet another Poirot mystery that will give you an enjoyable reading experience.
—————————————————————————
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 | Twitter ID - Dasfill1 | Snapchat ID - Dasfill | Facebook ID - Dasfill | TikTok ID - Dasfill1
July 31, 2025
‘You can understand the feelings of a mother,’ said Mrs Waverly for perhaps the sixth time. She looked appealingly at Poirot. My little friend, always sympathetic to motherhood in distress, gesticulated reassuringly.
Poirot is beseeched by a mother in distress to find her son who has been kidnapped after receiving several warning letters. Following his usual processes of order and method in attention to details, Poirot has to treat this as not just a kidnapping case, but also look closely at motives over means and opportunity.
The case was interesting, but the plot and characters weren't really in the top tier of Agatha Christie's short stories. A good read nonetheless as an example of the psychology of some people.
🌟🌟🌟1/4
[3/4 star for the premise; 3/4 star for the characters; Half a star for the plot; Half a star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 1/4 star in total.]
‘Au contraire, it advances us enormously, but enormously! If you must wear a tie pin, Hastings, at least let it be in the exact centre of your tie. At present it is at least a sixteenth of an inch too much to the right.’
Poirot is beseeched by a mother in distress to find her son who has been kidnapped after receiving several warning letters. Following his usual processes of order and method in attention to details, Poirot has to treat this as not just a kidnapping case, but also look closely at motives over means and opportunity.
The case was interesting, but the plot and characters weren't really in the top tier of Agatha Christie's short stories. A good read nonetheless as an example of the psychology of some people.
🌟🌟🌟1/4
[3/4 star for the premise; 3/4 star for the characters; Half a star for the plot; Half a star for the world-building; 3/4 star for the writing - 3 1/4 star in total.]
‘Au contraire, it advances us enormously, but enormously! If you must wear a tie pin, Hastings, at least let it be in the exact centre of your tie. At present it is at least a sixteenth of an inch too much to the right.’
July 30, 2025
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.
It seems that for several weeks, the parents had been getting letters threatening to kidnap little Johnni if a large sum of money wasn't paid to keep him safe. After ignoring the first letter, the father, Marcus Waverly, fired almost all of the house's staff when another one showed up, saying that Jonnie would be kidnapped at 12 the next day. That night, his wife was ill with (perhaps?) a mild case of food poisoning, and the police were called in to keep an eye on things.
And yet. At 12 o'clock, the boy was missing.
But how?! Johnnie was just right there!
As a car with a little boy pulls out of the drive (toot! toot!) a man shows up with a ransom note.
He swears he was paid to deliver it by a man who looks suspiciously like the family butler, but he has an airtight alibi because he was with Johnnie's father at the time the man was supposedly approached to deliver it.
Johnnie's mother just wants to pay up and get her baby back, but Poirot thinks there might be more to this story than meets the eye.
A fun short with a twisty ending!
Originally published in The Sketch magazine in 1923.
Read as part of the short story collection The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot & Three Blind Mice and Other Stories.
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.
It seems that for several weeks, the parents had been getting letters threatening to kidnap little Johnni if a large sum of money wasn't paid to keep him safe. After ignoring the first letter, the father, Marcus Waverly, fired almost all of the house's staff when another one showed up, saying that Jonnie would be kidnapped at 12 the next day. That night, his wife was ill with (perhaps?) a mild case of food poisoning, and the police were called in to keep an eye on things.
And yet. At 12 o'clock, the boy was missing.
But how?! Johnnie was just right there!
As a car with a little boy pulls out of the drive (toot! toot!) a man shows up with a ransom note.
He swears he was paid to deliver it by a man who looks suspiciously like the family butler, but he has an airtight alibi because he was with Johnnie's father at the time the man was supposedly approached to deliver it.
Johnnie's mother just wants to pay up and get her baby back, but Poirot thinks there might be more to this story than meets the eye.
A fun short with a twisty ending!
Originally published in The Sketch magazine in 1923.
Read as part of the short story collection The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot & Three Blind Mice and Other Stories.
February 3, 2021
Real Rating: 3.5* of five
The sheer bloodyminded awfulness of the British Country Squire is on flagrant display here, as is Poirot's tinge of snobbishness in his willingness to cater to the dreadful man. As the story progresses, the unkidnappèd kid who is the focus of an escalating set of written ransom demands to *not* nab him is, finally, snatched. Mother and Father each react peculiarly...but Poirot, with a series of tiny details and a low opinion of Humanity, sifts, collates, and solves.
The ending was delightful.
Agatha Christie's Poirot S01E03
Rating: 2.5* of five
The kid was awful, the dad was *terrible*, and what worked well on the page decidedly did not on screen. The ending, which I thoroughly enjoyed in writing, came across as distastefully and avoidably callous and uncaring. It was the first season so there's a mitigating factor but overall stick to the story version.
The sheer bloodyminded awfulness of the British Country Squire is on flagrant display here, as is Poirot's tinge of snobbishness in his willingness to cater to the dreadful man. As the story progresses, the unkidnappèd kid who is the focus of an escalating set of written ransom demands to *not* nab him is, finally, snatched. Mother and Father each react peculiarly...but Poirot, with a series of tiny details and a low opinion of Humanity, sifts, collates, and solves.
The ending was delightful.
Agatha Christie's Poirot S01E03
Rating: 2.5* of five
The kid was awful, the dad was *terrible*, and what worked well on the page decidedly did not on screen. The ending, which I thoroughly enjoyed in writing, came across as distastefully and avoidably callous and uncaring. It was the first season so there's a mitigating factor but overall stick to the story version.
September 23, 2019
Poirot solves a kidnapping
January 29, 2020
This early Agatha Christie short story featuring Hercule Poirot was first published in the UK in October 1923 in The Sketch magazine. It was published in the United States in The Blue Book magazine in June 1925.
Wealthy parents hire Hercule Poirot to investigate the kidnapping of their son Johnnie. Days before the kidnapping the father started to receive threatening notes. The writer promised their son would be kidnapped on a certain date if they were not paid a huge sum of money. The money was not paid and the boy was kidnapped out of a house filled with people and even the police. How was this done? And by who? And....where is Johnnie?? Hercule is on the case!
Great story! And the television adaptation from Agatha Christie's Poirot (Season 1, episode 3) was also quite good! They had to pad the story a bit to lengthen it, but it stays basically true to the original. These stories were used to gain readers for Christie's writing in the months after the publication of her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The first 25 short stories were first published in magazines that featured writings by various authors and started building the reader base for Christie's writing and the character of Poirot. Later the short stories were gathered into collections such as Poirot Investigates.
These short stories just give a taste of Poirot's immense sleuthing skills (and Christie's writing talent, of course)...his little grey cells. The length of only a few pages doesn't allow for the famous twist endings and reveals like Christie uses in her novels, but still showcase her most famous character. I'm having the best time reading these short investigations! I'm reading the text while listening to an audio book at the same time. I like hearing Poirot's dialogue in his lovely accent....and the audio narrator (Charles Armstrong in the versions I'm listening to) can pronounce the French correctly whereas I can't even come close. I'm reading/listening to each story and then watching the television adaptation. David Suchet is amazing as Poirot!
Because I am reading one version and listening to another I am reviewing each story separately. I will review the short story collections as soon as I have read all the stories in them.
On to the next story: The Market Basing Mystery!
Wealthy parents hire Hercule Poirot to investigate the kidnapping of their son Johnnie. Days before the kidnapping the father started to receive threatening notes. The writer promised their son would be kidnapped on a certain date if they were not paid a huge sum of money. The money was not paid and the boy was kidnapped out of a house filled with people and even the police. How was this done? And by who? And....where is Johnnie?? Hercule is on the case!
Great story! And the television adaptation from Agatha Christie's Poirot (Season 1, episode 3) was also quite good! They had to pad the story a bit to lengthen it, but it stays basically true to the original. These stories were used to gain readers for Christie's writing in the months after the publication of her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The first 25 short stories were first published in magazines that featured writings by various authors and started building the reader base for Christie's writing and the character of Poirot. Later the short stories were gathered into collections such as Poirot Investigates.
These short stories just give a taste of Poirot's immense sleuthing skills (and Christie's writing talent, of course)...his little grey cells. The length of only a few pages doesn't allow for the famous twist endings and reveals like Christie uses in her novels, but still showcase her most famous character. I'm having the best time reading these short investigations! I'm reading the text while listening to an audio book at the same time. I like hearing Poirot's dialogue in his lovely accent....and the audio narrator (Charles Armstrong in the versions I'm listening to) can pronounce the French correctly whereas I can't even come close. I'm reading/listening to each story and then watching the television adaptation. David Suchet is amazing as Poirot!
Because I am reading one version and listening to another I am reviewing each story separately. I will review the short story collections as soon as I have read all the stories in them.
On to the next story: The Market Basing Mystery!
December 23, 2023
The plot is far from being an exquisite one, as a child aged three seems to be kidnapped from his family.
So far, the best from this collection, even if for one single reason: the way Poirot eliminates the possible suspects. But even the better was on its way, as The Murder on the Orient Express was yet to come...
So far, the best from this collection, even if for one single reason: the way Poirot eliminates the possible suspects. But even the better was on its way, as The Murder on the Orient Express was yet to come...
July 30, 2024
4 Stars. He's only three. He has no knowledge of the serious matter his parents are dealing with - his potential kidnapping. If it actually occurred and then, if the criminals didn't hurt or frighten him, the 11 page short story might be better titled 'Johnny Waverly's Adventure!' It first appeared in 'Sketch' in 1923. The little boy would have turned 100 in 2020! It re-surfaced as #15 of the 51 entries in 'Hercule Poirot The Complete Short Stories' of 1999. It's one of Agatha Christie's better known shorts. Poirot is consulted by Johnny's parents, Ada and Marcus Waverly; she was the one who insisted they go to the "wonderful" detective rather than continue with the police. Her mother's instinct proved prescient. The family had been receiving anonymous letters and notes threatening the kidnapping of Johnny unless they paid 25,000 pounds. With an exact date and time for it to be carried out. That's big money a century ago. But the police accomplished little. As a reader, I kept asking, "Why does someone want to kidnap this child?" And, "How will they do it?" Sit back, put your feet up, and have faith in Papa Poirot. (No2020/Jul2024)
December 25, 2016
Interesting story! Now I understand where Castle (the TV show) writers get their ideas from!
March 30, 2023
Poitou investigates the threat of the kidnapping of the child Johnny Waverly. Despite everyone’s precautions the child manages to get kidnapped right under everyone’s nose, including Poirot. As is any of Agatha’s stories it is well written and moves at a quick pace as it is a short story.
May 2, 2016
Sometimes it's the most shortest of stories that can be equally as clever as longer ones :)
December 1, 2025
One of the stories in The Collection by Agatha Christie
June 24, 2018
Another quick read by the master of the cozy mystery, Agatha Christie. Delightful as always. While waiting on the rest of the house to get ready to go out and about, I enjoyed an entertaining story.
Hercule Poirot has been called in by the parents of a missing three year old boy. He was kidnapped and the police have been unable to locate him despite being forewarned that he would be taken at 12 noon on the 29th. Now that family must pay $50,000 or suffer the consequences. As always, Hercule Poirot employees his little grey cells and hears the story from the family. He visits the scene of the crime and asks a few questions of those people who were in the house at the time of the kidnapping. By talking out his reasoning and evidence with Hastings, the truth comes to light.
Yes, I could have been doing something productive while waiting to go out and about but, reading a short mystery story was a much more pleasurable use of my time. I am getting better at following Agatha Christie's evidence and misleads to the point where I am thrilled if I reach the end and am even half way right. She writes in a way that makes you want to follow the misleads until you remind yourself that there are other ways to look at a problem. I love a challenge and I love making good mystery especially ones with characters I have met before so Ms. Christie and her wonderful stories all delight me.
Hercule Poirot has been called in by the parents of a missing three year old boy. He was kidnapped and the police have been unable to locate him despite being forewarned that he would be taken at 12 noon on the 29th. Now that family must pay $50,000 or suffer the consequences. As always, Hercule Poirot employees his little grey cells and hears the story from the family. He visits the scene of the crime and asks a few questions of those people who were in the house at the time of the kidnapping. By talking out his reasoning and evidence with Hastings, the truth comes to light.
Yes, I could have been doing something productive while waiting to go out and about but, reading a short mystery story was a much more pleasurable use of my time. I am getting better at following Agatha Christie's evidence and misleads to the point where I am thrilled if I reach the end and am even half way right. She writes in a way that makes you want to follow the misleads until you remind yourself that there are other ways to look at a problem. I love a challenge and I love making good mystery especially ones with characters I have met before so Ms. Christie and her wonderful stories all delight me.
July 8, 2021
One that I did not really connect with — though the premise of kidnapping seems interesting, the way it played out fell flat for me.
Read
February 12, 2024Another nice short. Poirot is looking for a kidnapped 3 year old. A ransom demand has been made and everything. Very nice twists 😀
July 31, 2018
Interesting premise, but so short that the culprit became swiftly evident.
February 7, 2024
Enjoying listening to these Agatha Christie books read by Charles Armstrong. These short stories can be equally as clever as the longer ones! Such fun!
2/7/2024
So much fun to revisit this one!! So clever! This time read by Hugh Fraser and David Suchet.
2/7/2024
So much fun to revisit this one!! So clever! This time read by Hugh Fraser and David Suchet.
November 16, 2013
Simple and creative but I felt like something was missing...
April 8, 2018
"Always sweep in the corners!" - Hercule Poirot
March 27, 2020
Read 2020
November 18, 2020
Took a turn I really didn't expect. Weird. What was the motivation on this one?? The criminal in this case is a complete idiot!
3.25/5
3.25/5
June 2, 2022
A short story featuring Hercule Poirot. Quick and entertaining.
December 30, 2025
Haven't read a short story in ages! (Did I need to, to meet my reading goal for 2025? Yes, yes I did.) A quick, clever and engaging read. Reading two Agatha Christie stories to end the year reminded me of how much I enjoy a little mystery. You have your favourite genres for a reason I guess!
January 29, 2022
Always sweep the corners!
A peculiar case arrives on Poirot’s doorstep: a little boy is kidnapped after the parents received multiple warning letters. Who has motivate to steal young Johnnie and demand a ransom? Poirot quickly gathers the facts and outs the kidnapper. It’s nice to see that, for a change, Hastings is showing some personal growth by making his own observations.
A peculiar case arrives on Poirot’s doorstep: a little boy is kidnapped after the parents received multiple warning letters. Who has motivate to steal young Johnnie and demand a ransom? Poirot quickly gathers the facts and outs the kidnapper. It’s nice to see that, for a change, Hastings is showing some personal growth by making his own observations.
August 6, 2024
kai auto mia apo ta idia. aplo mikro audiobook
December 20, 2025
Ik kon vannacht niet slapen en dit boek hield mij gezelschap. Ideaal verhaaltje
May 9, 2021
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The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly: A Short Story
(Hercule Poirot), by Agatha Christie.
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"“The scandal —”
"“Exactly. Your name is an old and honoured one. Do not jeopardize it again. Good evening, Mr. Waverly. Ah, by the way, one word of advice. Always sweep in the corners!”"
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The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly: A Short Story
(Hercule Poirot), by Agatha Christie.
................................................................................................
................................................................................................
"“The scandal —”
"“Exactly. Your name is an old and honoured one. Do not jeopardize it again. Good evening, Mr. Waverly. Ah, by the way, one word of advice. Always sweep in the corners!”"
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January 21, 2022
The Story reminds me of Arsene Lupin.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 91 reviews