Christmas Adventure: a Hercule Poirot Short Story

Hercule Poirot #0.002

by Agatha Christie

Poirot finds himself in an old English country mansion for the Christmas festivities. We open with the two elderly people present, Poirot and Aunt Emily, sitting around the fire and enjoying the disorderly chatter of the family's young folks. Poirot is interrupted by a cautionary note "Don't eat any plum-pudding." What is this all about? And why is our detective with the egg-shaped head even here?

Enjoy a classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time as an eBook.

The story now known as "Christmas Adventure" first came out in 1923; it was published in the anthology "While The Light Lasts and Other Stories." It was later expanded into "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" and "The Theft of the Royal Ruby."

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Short Stories, Christmas, Fiction, Crime, Holiday

27 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 11, 1923

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 4 out of 5]

There are several adventures that Poirot had around Christmas time, but this one will probably feel more familiar than most to Christie completionists.
Why?
Well, this was later expanded into The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding aka The Theft of the Royal Ruby. And while there isn't much of a difference in the core mystery, there were a few definite changes made.



The main difference is that this is far more condensed. But Poirot is still staying with a family at Christmas in order to catch the thieves who stole the ruby from a gullible rich boy. And the children in the family still attempt to pull a prank on Poirot and convince him there is a murder the day after Christmas, which he (of course) uses to his advantage to catch the criminals. And there is still that mysterious note telling him not to eat the Christmas pudding.
Although, in this one, the young woman isn't enamored with an unsuitable boyfriend. This time around she is in love with the boy next door (so to speak) but has agreed to marry the other guy because he gave her the money to get her mother a life-saving operation. Of course, the fiance and his sister are still the thieves, but in this version, he does take his "sister" with him when he runs off.
I definitely prefer the expanded version, but I'd been trying to find this one forever (because crazy completionists are crazy) and I was absolutely thrilled to finally get a chance to read it.



Originally published in 1923 in The Sketch magazine.
Read as part of the short story collection Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery.

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Agatha Christie, I picked this e-book up from by local library. It was part of a set of twelve novellas Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery. I found each individual story entertaining with a great mystery. I would recommond to readers of Agatha Christie. 2023

[Jesika · Rating 3 out of 5]

How Christie managed to fit a sweet budding romance with its own back story, two fake murders, a burglary ring and Poirot's signature explanation scene into such a short book is honestly beyond me. It is festive, light and a lovely quick Christmas read (plus a very quick tick on my Poirot reading list).

I can't help but feel that this story would have benefited from being a bit longer - I mean, it has all of the plot of a full novel so this really could have done with a little more prose dedicated to suspense between the reveals. However, I know that this was an early draft of The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding which is longer and listed separately on the official Poirot reading list so I can only assume that it is a different reading experience (even if it isn't a particularly different story, which I very much doubt). It will be nice to see how Christie reworked her story to make it more substantial - but I think that's a read for next Christmas.

[Lovely Day · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

A fun little story where Hercule receives a note at a Christmas dinner not to eat the pudding….but why?

[Dennis Brock · Rating 3 out of 5]

SOLID...I always love any Poirot, and this was good. Not great or amazing, but good! On to the next one...

[Jack Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. It's a stripped-down version of "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding." Poirot is staying at the country home of Squire Endicott for Christmas. Yet, unlike the longer version which came along years later, there is no up-front explanation of the reason for his visit. Especially no reference to his wariness of drafts and wholesome English cooking which one could anticipated in such surroundings. "Christmas Adventure" was initially published in 1923 in "Sketch." I read it in "While the Light Lasts," a 1997 Collins collection. The plot is decidedly abbreviated, just the bare-bones of it's longer relative. Complications start while Poirot and the squire's elderly sister are enjoying the noisy companionship of 6 young people in one of the family rooms. The butler brings a strange note to Poirot. It warns him, in poor handwriting, to avoid the Christmas pudding at the festive dinner soon to follow. We meet the guests including Oscar Levering, the betrothed of Evelyn Haworth. Poirot finds her unhappy, rather than excited by her imminent marriage. I was in the dark for much of the story, but eventually a ruby-red light came on. (November 2021)

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story featuring Hercule Poirot. Light and entertaining.

[As You Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love that the kids set out to trick the old detective, and there was another surprise awaiting them. Again loving the glimpse into British traditions through the eyes of an outsider.

M. Poirot, always ten steps ahead of the rest of us. Joyeux Noel

[Nidhi Srivastava · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ah. A short story. Not as much punch. Tch Tch.

[Gustavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short story, (really short), but entertaining

[Alasdair Peterson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read an earlier draft of the Adventure of the Christmas Pudding.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read 2020

[Lottie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Liloh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a pleasure to re read about mon ami Poirot!
Short story picked admittedly because I am running late on my reading challenge!

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another wonderful Christie masterpiece.

[Chanover55 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Poirot has been invited to an estate to partake in the Christmas Festivities. At dinner he receives a note telling him not to eat the Plum Pudding. And thus the adventure begins.

[Jina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sounds familiar.. but I did catch a few differences.
Listened to audio preformed by Fenella Woolgar. She does a marvelous job!

[Viivs]

Siis kuuntelin tän läpäl ku kesti 36min bookbeatis. en ymmärtäny ihan kauheesti mut maybe thats just me

[Jenny Hicks · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought a short story would be a good distraction amidst Christmas chaos but found it fell rather short. Murder mystery needs more suspense?

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this is one of the best Poirot short stories. It is set around Christmas day and it has a cozy English atmosphere. It starts with a robbery and continues with a apparent murder. Poirot as usual solves the case.