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Hercule Poirot #3
Poirot Investigates
An alternate cover edition for ISBN10: 0553148516 can be found HERE
What do a movie star, an archaeologist, a French maid, a prime minister, a wealthy dowager, and an Italian count have in common? Half of them have fallen victim to a terrible crime. The others have fallen under suspicion. Leave the deductions to Hercule Poirot.
198 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published March 1, 1924
5533 people are currently reading
41579 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,796 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 4,565 reviews
June 16, 2015
A summary of every Poirot book where Hastings is the sidekick:
June 9, 2019
This is a collection of Hercule Poirot short stories – eleven of them altogether, and each case more deviously clever than the last.
I am not a huge fan of short stories, in general, because I like longer, more involved stories where I can explore the surroundings and the characters in more depth. I am also a big fan of plots that include sub-plots, and short stories don’t have the space for most of those ‘extras’.
However, I must add that Agatha Christie writes short stories very, very well. The pace is fast, and even though there is only one main plot, it always has sufficient sides to it to keep Poirot and Captain Hastings on their toes.
Well, having said that – Captain Hastings is always a step or two behind Poirot. Luckily, Monsieur Poirot is also a gentleman and he is adept at smoothing ruffled feathers – even Captain Hastings’.
For me, the best part of these short stories is that they were all very good, very entertaining, and I wasn’t left wondering for very long how each crime was committed and what tiny inconsistencies led Hercule Poirot to the solution.
I am not a huge fan of short stories, in general, because I like longer, more involved stories where I can explore the surroundings and the characters in more depth. I am also a big fan of plots that include sub-plots, and short stories don’t have the space for most of those ‘extras’.
However, I must add that Agatha Christie writes short stories very, very well. The pace is fast, and even though there is only one main plot, it always has sufficient sides to it to keep Poirot and Captain Hastings on their toes.
Well, having said that – Captain Hastings is always a step or two behind Poirot. Luckily, Monsieur Poirot is also a gentleman and he is adept at smoothing ruffled feathers – even Captain Hastings’.
For me, the best part of these short stories is that they were all very good, very entertaining, and I wasn’t left wondering for very long how each crime was committed and what tiny inconsistencies led Hercule Poirot to the solution.
July 24, 2022
I did enjoy this book, however I feel Christie is a much better storyteller when in long form. I will probably read another short story collection in the future, but for now I'll stick to her novels.
The Adventure of "The Western Star" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the longest story in the book, and one of the most memorable. I did have to reread the ending to make sure I fully understood what had happened, but when I did I saw the quick clues I had missed.
The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This took an unexpected turn at what you would think is the end, and David Suchet gets 5 stars for his audio performance alone. I legitimately cackled at one point. It was glorious.
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat - ⭐⭐
To be honest, I didn't care for this one. I don't like being confused for a tale's entirety. Poirot had a lot of information that wasn't revealed to Hastings (and therefore the reader) until the end. I'd rather have a piece of the plot here and there as the story goes on. Instead it was a bunch of random choices and actions that made no sense being taken until the very end. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge - ⭐⭐⭐
While I did like this story, I felt it would've been better if it was longer. I loved the premise even though we as readers were once again missing information. I would've liked more detail about the murder itself, and the suspects, but all in all it was an interesting story.
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was one of the more enjoyable ones for me. Granted it wasn't particularly exciting, I still rated it highly due to it's conciseness. There weren't 50 people to keep track of, and none of the clues or epiphanies were far-fetched. Poirot's breakdown of the case was very logical and easy to follow, and Hastings' obtuseness was quite comical. I hope more of the remaining stories are like this one.
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one had an intriguing premise--I mean, who doesn't love an Egyptian curse, am I right?--but unfortunately it fell short of the mark. It was mostly a bunch of name dropping--about a dozen altogether, way too many for me to keep track of anyway--and next to no clues. The saving grace of this story is that I'm listening to the audiobook. David Suchet's voice acting is simply superb. All the voices were distinct, and I especially loved hearing all the different accents he can do.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I actually really liked this one. The story was interesting and had a good pace. The group of people involved was small, making it easy to follow. The clues were there without being too obvious. Of course, Hercule Poirot had a couple tidbits of information we didn't have but when does he not. It probably would've earned another star had it not been wrapped up in a neat little bow by Poirot without Hastings, and therefore the reader, being present.
The Kidnapped Prime Minister - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly I didn't love or hate this one. If anything I would say it was mediocre, and a little on the boring side. It started off interesting, but with most of the case solving happening in Poirot's head--and with practically no dialogue and little narration--it simply lacked anything to entice or keep me interested.
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was absolutely fantastic! I was engrossed the whole time. There was a lot of dialogue between the three main characters as they discussed the case, and I loved the sporting competition between Japp and Poirot. We knew all the same clues that Poirot did and none of his conclusions were far-fetched for once. It had everything I could ask for, and was easily my favorite tale from this collection.
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one started out interesting but lost its momentum pretty quickly. This case was more about what wasn't there than what was. A lot of the clues were clues of omission, so they were hard to pick up on, except by Poirot of course. It wasn't a bad story. I just wish it had more oomph.
The Case of the Missing Will - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one could've been better. The clues didn't really make sense and the end was underwhelming. It honestly had the feeling that it was either over edited or unfinished. There simply wasn't enough meat on the bones in this one.
The Veiled Lady - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story threw me off at first. I'm listening to the audiobook, and suddenly Poirot barely had an accent. I don't know if it's a different narrator or if they were just recorded at different times, but I did find out that the last three stories weren't in the original UK version of this book. The switching voices made it difficult to concentrate and follow who was talking at first, but the story itself was interesting, to the point, and kept a good pace.
The Lost Mine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was told as Hercule relating a story to Hasting. It was decently hard to follow due to all the name dropping of companies and suspects alike, and the conclusion--while believable--wasn't really discernable from the text. I'll also point out that it was pretty offensive to people of East Asian decent, but when reading something written in this time period, I sadly expect to see that kind of overt racism.
The Chocolate Box - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a fantastic story to end on! This was one of my favorites. Another tale recounted as a story to Hastings, it tells of Hercule's only failure, back when he was a policeman. I loved being able to actually follow Poirot and his thought processes as he investigated the case for once. This definitely ended the book on a high note.
*I listened to the audiobook with David Suchet as the narrator. For most of the stories, his voice as Poirot was perfection. Unfortunately something was different for the last three stories, and Poirot's accent all but disappeared. I don't know why this happened, but it made listening to those stories a little off-putting. I much prefer the strong Belgian accent to the barely French one.
The Adventure of "The Western Star" - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is the longest story in the book, and one of the most memorable. I did have to reread the ending to make sure I fully understood what had happened, but when I did I saw the quick clues I had missed.
The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor - ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
This took an unexpected turn at what you would think is the end, and David Suchet gets 5 stars for his audio performance alone. I legitimately cackled at one point. It was glorious.
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat - ⭐⭐
To be honest, I didn't care for this one. I don't like being confused for a tale's entirety. Poirot had a lot of information that wasn't revealed to Hastings (and therefore the reader) until the end. I'd rather have a piece of the plot here and there as the story goes on. Instead it was a bunch of random choices and actions that made no sense being taken until the very end. It just wasn't my cup of tea.
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge - ⭐⭐⭐
While I did like this story, I felt it would've been better if it was longer. I loved the premise even though we as readers were once again missing information. I would've liked more detail about the murder itself, and the suspects, but all in all it was an interesting story.
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was one of the more enjoyable ones for me. Granted it wasn't particularly exciting, I still rated it highly due to it's conciseness. There weren't 50 people to keep track of, and none of the clues or epiphanies were far-fetched. Poirot's breakdown of the case was very logical and easy to follow, and Hastings' obtuseness was quite comical. I hope more of the remaining stories are like this one.
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one had an intriguing premise--I mean, who doesn't love an Egyptian curse, am I right?--but unfortunately it fell short of the mark. It was mostly a bunch of name dropping--about a dozen altogether, way too many for me to keep track of anyway--and next to no clues. The saving grace of this story is that I'm listening to the audiobook. David Suchet's voice acting is simply superb. All the voices were distinct, and I especially loved hearing all the different accents he can do.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I actually really liked this one. The story was interesting and had a good pace. The group of people involved was small, making it easy to follow. The clues were there without being too obvious. Of course, Hercule Poirot had a couple tidbits of information we didn't have but when does he not. It probably would've earned another star had it not been wrapped up in a neat little bow by Poirot without Hastings, and therefore the reader, being present.
The Kidnapped Prime Minister - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Honestly I didn't love or hate this one. If anything I would say it was mediocre, and a little on the boring side. It started off interesting, but with most of the case solving happening in Poirot's head--and with practically no dialogue and little narration--it simply lacked anything to entice or keep me interested.
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story was absolutely fantastic! I was engrossed the whole time. There was a lot of dialogue between the three main characters as they discussed the case, and I loved the sporting competition between Japp and Poirot. We knew all the same clues that Poirot did and none of his conclusions were far-fetched for once. It had everything I could ask for, and was easily my favorite tale from this collection.
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one started out interesting but lost its momentum pretty quickly. This case was more about what wasn't there than what was. A lot of the clues were clues of omission, so they were hard to pick up on, except by Poirot of course. It wasn't a bad story. I just wish it had more oomph.
The Case of the Missing Will - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one could've been better. The clues didn't really make sense and the end was underwhelming. It honestly had the feeling that it was either over edited or unfinished. There simply wasn't enough meat on the bones in this one.
The Veiled Lady - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This story threw me off at first. I'm listening to the audiobook, and suddenly Poirot barely had an accent. I don't know if it's a different narrator or if they were just recorded at different times, but I did find out that the last three stories weren't in the original UK version of this book. The switching voices made it difficult to concentrate and follow who was talking at first, but the story itself was interesting, to the point, and kept a good pace.
The Lost Mine - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
This one was told as Hercule relating a story to Hasting. It was decently hard to follow due to all the name dropping of companies and suspects alike, and the conclusion--while believable--wasn't really discernable from the text. I'll also point out that it was pretty offensive to people of East Asian decent, but when reading something written in this time period, I sadly expect to see that kind of overt racism.
The Chocolate Box - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
What a fantastic story to end on! This was one of my favorites. Another tale recounted as a story to Hastings, it tells of Hercule's only failure, back when he was a policeman. I loved being able to actually follow Poirot and his thought processes as he investigated the case for once. This definitely ended the book on a high note.
*I listened to the audiobook with David Suchet as the narrator. For most of the stories, his voice as Poirot was perfection. Unfortunately something was different for the last three stories, and Poirot's accent all but disappeared. I don't know why this happened, but it made listening to those stories a little off-putting. I much prefer the strong Belgian accent to the barely French one.
August 26, 2020
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie is a 2001 Harper publication- originally published in 1925
A clever and lively group of eleven short stories by Agatha Christie, featuring Hercule Poirot!
Short stories are a hard sell for me, normally, but this book was a perfect fit for me right now. The stories in this collection are very short and I could read one or two a night a feel a sense of accomplishment.
Not only that, the mysteries were so entertaining and fun I felt my mood lightening with each session with Agatha’s brilliant detective!
4 stars!
A clever and lively group of eleven short stories by Agatha Christie, featuring Hercule Poirot!
Short stories are a hard sell for me, normally, but this book was a perfect fit for me right now. The stories in this collection are very short and I could read one or two a night a feel a sense of accomplishment.
Not only that, the mysteries were so entertaining and fun I felt my mood lightening with each session with Agatha’s brilliant detective!
4 stars!
June 11, 2025
A fantastic bunch of short stories featuring Poirot.
I've linked longer reviews for each of the stories if you're interested.
The Adventure of the Western Star
A movie star and a Lady both get letters threatening to steal their supposed star-crossed jewels. And they both go to Poirot for help.
Poirot investigates.
The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor
A man with financial troubles dies and leaves his much younger wife with a fat insurance policy.
Was it really natural causes?
Poirot investigates.
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
A young couple finds an amazing flat at a deal that looks too good to be true.
Is it?
Poirot investigates.
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
A wealthy uncle dies, a housekeeper disappears, and the nephew and his wife ask Poirot for answers.
Poirot investigates.
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
When a young English bank employee is entrusted with carrying a million dollars in bonds across the ocean to extend credit to an American bank, only to have the whole shebang disappear into thin air. His fiancee thinks he needs help.
So, Poirot investigates.
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
Several men die after opening a supposedly cursed tomb. A frantic mother calls the Belgian detective in the hopes of saving her son from the same fate.
Poirot investigates.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
A very highly insured jewel disappears in a locked room scenario that points to the lady's maid as the only possible suspect.
Poirot investigates.
The Kidnapped Prime Minister
The Prime Minister, his secret service chauffeur, and his close friend all disappear. High-level political talks hinge on the PM being able to speak, and now he's gone.
Poirot investigates.
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
A very important banker walks toward town and disappears. Japp bets Poirot that he can't just sit in his armchair and solve the case.
Poirot investigates. <--and wins five pounds
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
A Count is poisoned after a contentious dinner party at his home. He phones a doctor for help while Poirot and Hastings are at his home.
Poirot Investigates.
The Case of the Missing Will
When Violet Marsh's wealthy uncle threatens to disinherit her if she furthers her education, she heads off to school. But when he dies he decides to test her wits against his.
And she was clever enough to call in Poirot to...investigate.
If you're looking to dip your toes into the water and check out the vibe this famous detective gives off in his full-length books, this is a great place to start.
Highly Recommended.
I've linked longer reviews for each of the stories if you're interested.
The Adventure of the Western Star
A movie star and a Lady both get letters threatening to steal their supposed star-crossed jewels. And they both go to Poirot for help.
Poirot investigates.
The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor
A man with financial troubles dies and leaves his much younger wife with a fat insurance policy.
Was it really natural causes?
Poirot investigates.
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
A young couple finds an amazing flat at a deal that looks too good to be true.
Is it?
Poirot investigates.
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
A wealthy uncle dies, a housekeeper disappears, and the nephew and his wife ask Poirot for answers.
Poirot investigates.
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
When a young English bank employee is entrusted with carrying a million dollars in bonds across the ocean to extend credit to an American bank, only to have the whole shebang disappear into thin air. His fiancee thinks he needs help.
So, Poirot investigates.
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
Several men die after opening a supposedly cursed tomb. A frantic mother calls the Belgian detective in the hopes of saving her son from the same fate.
Poirot investigates.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
A very highly insured jewel disappears in a locked room scenario that points to the lady's maid as the only possible suspect.
Poirot investigates.
The Kidnapped Prime Minister
The Prime Minister, his secret service chauffeur, and his close friend all disappear. High-level political talks hinge on the PM being able to speak, and now he's gone.
Poirot investigates.
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
A very important banker walks toward town and disappears. Japp bets Poirot that he can't just sit in his armchair and solve the case.
Poirot investigates. <--and wins five pounds
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
A Count is poisoned after a contentious dinner party at his home. He phones a doctor for help while Poirot and Hastings are at his home.
Poirot Investigates.
The Case of the Missing Will
When Violet Marsh's wealthy uncle threatens to disinherit her if she furthers her education, she heads off to school. But when he dies he decides to test her wits against his.
And she was clever enough to call in Poirot to...investigate.
If you're looking to dip your toes into the water and check out the vibe this famous detective gives off in his full-length books, this is a great place to start.
Highly Recommended.
July 16, 2024
[4.8⭐] 𝙋𝙤𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖 es un libro de ficción detectivesca escrito por Agatha Christie y publicado en 1924. Este presenta 11 historias cortas que están narradas por Hastings, el compañero de Hércules Poirot. Además, en varias de estas historias está Japp, un inspector que es muy recurrente en los libros de Christie. Nos encontramos con raptos, robos y asesinatos, donde Poirot resuelve cada uno de los casos con destreza e ingenio.
Considero que este libro ha sido muy revelador para conocer el verdadero ingenio de Poirot y, de esa manera, tener una amplia gama de casos resueltos. Mediante estas historias, adquirimos más conocimiento sobre cómo operan las “células grises” que emplea el famoso detective a la hora de resolver los crímenes. Incluso, en una de las historias, Poirot apuesta a Hastings que puede resolver el caso sin necesidad de moverse de su casa.
Lo más probable es que, cuando tenga hijos (en muchos años más), les lea una historia por noche de este libro. Las historias suelen tener entre 10 y 20 páginas, así que son rápidas de leer.
Como consejo, les recomiendo no leer el inicio de los capítulos ya que vienen con un resumen de todo el caso y hasta hay ocasiones en las que te dicen cosas relevantes de la trama. Claramente, no te dicen quién es el culpable, pero sí te revelan detalles como quién gana en la apuesta, si Poirot o Hastings.
A continuación, dejo el ranking de la historia que más me gustó a la que menos me gustó:
1. El rapto del primer ministro.
2. Robo de joyas en el Grand Metropolitan.
3. La aventura de la tumba egipcia.
4. La desaparición del Sr. Davenheim.
5. La aventura de la Estrella del Oeste.
6. El misterio de Hunter's Lodge.
7. La aventura del noble italiano.
8. Tragedia en Marsdon Manor.
9. La aventura del piso barato.
10. El robo del millón de dólares en bonos.
11. El caso del testamento desaparecido.
Finalmente, tengo que decir que 𝙋𝙤𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖 es un libro sumamente dinámico, interesante y muy entretenido. El hecho de que tenga tantas historias permite que el lector pueda conocer con mayor profundidad el ingenio de Poirot y se familiarice más con su trabajo. Encuentro que es una muy buena opción para las personas que aman el género policial y quieren algo que sea rápido de leer.
Considero que este libro ha sido muy revelador para conocer el verdadero ingenio de Poirot y, de esa manera, tener una amplia gama de casos resueltos. Mediante estas historias, adquirimos más conocimiento sobre cómo operan las “células grises” que emplea el famoso detective a la hora de resolver los crímenes. Incluso, en una de las historias, Poirot apuesta a Hastings que puede resolver el caso sin necesidad de moverse de su casa.
Lo más probable es que, cuando tenga hijos (en muchos años más), les lea una historia por noche de este libro. Las historias suelen tener entre 10 y 20 páginas, así que son rápidas de leer.
Como consejo, les recomiendo no leer el inicio de los capítulos ya que vienen con un resumen de todo el caso y hasta hay ocasiones en las que te dicen cosas relevantes de la trama. Claramente, no te dicen quién es el culpable, pero sí te revelan detalles como quién gana en la apuesta, si Poirot o Hastings.
A continuación, dejo el ranking de la historia que más me gustó a la que menos me gustó:
1. El rapto del primer ministro.
2. Robo de joyas en el Grand Metropolitan.
3. La aventura de la tumba egipcia.
4. La desaparición del Sr. Davenheim.
5. La aventura de la Estrella del Oeste.
6. El misterio de Hunter's Lodge.
7. La aventura del noble italiano.
8. Tragedia en Marsdon Manor.
9. La aventura del piso barato.
10. El robo del millón de dólares en bonos.
11. El caso del testamento desaparecido.
Finalmente, tengo que decir que 𝙋𝙤𝙞𝙧𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙖 es un libro sumamente dinámico, interesante y muy entretenido. El hecho de que tenga tantas historias permite que el lector pueda conocer con mayor profundidad el ingenio de Poirot y se familiarice más con su trabajo. Encuentro que es una muy buena opción para las personas que aman el género policial y quieren algo que sea rápido de leer.
November 15, 2022
Poirot's earliest cases
Originally published in 1924, this is the first collection of short stories featuring the pairing of the rotund, little Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, and his friend and companion, Captain Arthur Hastings.
It is quite clear that Dame Agatha Christie owes a great deal to her predecessor, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and his creation of the pairing of Holmes and Watson. Indeed, the comparisons are so clear and so plentiful that it would undoubtedly make a very interesting English literature essay to prepare an exhaustive list of the similarities and differences between these stories and the ones that Doyle published a quarter century earlier.
This is not to suggest that these stories are derivative by any means. Poirot is his own man and, in the hands of Dame Agatha Christie, became a fascinating character, well loved by all fans of the mystery genre.
Whether you prefer Holmes or Poirot, Conan Doyle or Christie, I think it's safe to say that all readers will reach at least one unanimous conclusion. In the short story genre, the mystery and plot of necessity is less complex. The real joy in these stories rests in the detectives' methods and the near magical solution of a perplexing mystery; the development of the characters; the interplay between Holmes and Watson or Poirot and Hastings; and the playful way in which Holmes or Poirot irreverently tweak their partners' noses with their ability to see without observing.
Here's my personal take on the winner in the early 20th century mystery stakes. In the short story department, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle beats out Dame Agatha Christie by a nose. But, in the full length novel arena, Poirot beats out Holmes by several lengths.
Regardless of whether you agree with that general thought, Poirot Investigates is great fun. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
Originally published in 1924, this is the first collection of short stories featuring the pairing of the rotund, little Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, and his friend and companion, Captain Arthur Hastings.
It is quite clear that Dame Agatha Christie owes a great deal to her predecessor, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and his creation of the pairing of Holmes and Watson. Indeed, the comparisons are so clear and so plentiful that it would undoubtedly make a very interesting English literature essay to prepare an exhaustive list of the similarities and differences between these stories and the ones that Doyle published a quarter century earlier.
This is not to suggest that these stories are derivative by any means. Poirot is his own man and, in the hands of Dame Agatha Christie, became a fascinating character, well loved by all fans of the mystery genre.
Whether you prefer Holmes or Poirot, Conan Doyle or Christie, I think it's safe to say that all readers will reach at least one unanimous conclusion. In the short story genre, the mystery and plot of necessity is less complex. The real joy in these stories rests in the detectives' methods and the near magical solution of a perplexing mystery; the development of the characters; the interplay between Holmes and Watson or Poirot and Hastings; and the playful way in which Holmes or Poirot irreverently tweak their partners' noses with their ability to see without observing.
Here's my personal take on the winner in the early 20th century mystery stakes. In the short story department, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle beats out Dame Agatha Christie by a nose. But, in the full length novel arena, Poirot beats out Holmes by several lengths.
Regardless of whether you agree with that general thought, Poirot Investigates is great fun. Highly recommended.
Paul Weiss
December 11, 2017
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May 27, 2024
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie is Hercule Poirot, Book #3!
I was in the mood for a Short Story Collection for my Agatha Christie read this month and what could be better than working in my garden or taking a long walk while listening to Richard Armitage narrate each one?
Poirot Investigates is a collection of fourteen mysteries involving robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy, murder, illusive characters, and more. Hercule Poirot is at the top of his game as he uncoils the deception, greed, and impossibility behind each of these crimes. His confidant, Captain Hastings is ever present as the narrator of each of these short stories.
An enjoyable listen that was mostly satisfying but I did crave more depth from some of them. I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read a physical copy instead. Just an afterthought...
Poirot Investigates was first published in the UK in March 1924 as a collection of eleven short stories. It was published a year later in the US with three additional stories, which are my three favorite stories in the collection: The Veiled Lady; The Lost Mine; The Chocolate Box.
3.5⭐
I was in the mood for a Short Story Collection for my Agatha Christie read this month and what could be better than working in my garden or taking a long walk while listening to Richard Armitage narrate each one?
Poirot Investigates is a collection of fourteen mysteries involving robbery, kidnapping, conspiracy, murder, illusive characters, and more. Hercule Poirot is at the top of his game as he uncoils the deception, greed, and impossibility behind each of these crimes. His confidant, Captain Hastings is ever present as the narrator of each of these short stories.
An enjoyable listen that was mostly satisfying but I did crave more depth from some of them. I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had read a physical copy instead. Just an afterthought...
Poirot Investigates was first published in the UK in March 1924 as a collection of eleven short stories. It was published a year later in the US with three additional stories, which are my three favorite stories in the collection: The Veiled Lady; The Lost Mine; The Chocolate Box.
3.5⭐
January 19, 2022
Agatha Christie was an extraordinary mystery writer, and several of her earlier works are now free on Project Gutenberg, where I was poking around a few days ago to see what new books from 1926 are now in the public domain and available for downloading there. I got sucked into this collection of eleven early short stories featuring Christie's favorite detective, Hercule Poirot. The stories are a bit of a mixed bag but it was still fun reading, and Agatha Christie still fools me pretty much every time.
This collection includes:
1. "The Adventure of 'The Western Star'" - written warnings are sent to two women, an American movie star visiting London and a British lady, ordering them to turn over their identical, valuable diamonds (the Star of the East and the Western Star) ... or else. Solid thumbs up for the mystery element. Minus points for the casual use of racial insults to describe Chinese people (keep in mind this was written in the early 1920s, so this kind of thing comes with the territory).
2. "The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor" - a middle-aged man dies in a strange way, leaving a beautiful young wife behind. Was it suicide?
3. "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat" - a very nice apartment is rented for a suspiciously low price. Poirot too is suspicious. Nefarious dealings ensue.
4. "The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge" - Mr. Havering, a baronet's younger son, consults Poirot and his friend Hastings about the murder of his wealthy uncle at their hunting box in the country. Poirot is ill, so the intrepid Hastings goes to the lodge with Havering, sure he can solve the mystery as well as Poirot could. Hastings is, of course, wrong.
5. "The Million Dollar Bond Robbery" - an enjoyable story featuring a cross-Atlantic voyage and a million dollars in Liberty bonds stolen from a locked chest on board. The chest was in the custody of a nice young banker, who’s now in hot water. His distraught fiancee begs Poirot to figure it out. I came thisclose to figuring it out, and a little more pondering probably would have done it. Still, a good story.
6. "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb" - this story plays with the popular idea of a deadly curse against those who open ancient Egyptian tombs. Several people die. A solid mystery.
7. "The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" - How did wealthy Mrs Opalson'sopals pearls get taken from jewel case in her hotel room while her maid and the hotel chambermaid were right there, except for about 15 seconds a couple of times when the maid stepped into a connecting room? I like these stolen jewels mysteries, and this is a tricky one.
8. "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" - The British Prime Minister needs to attend a secret peace conference in France, but someone first tries to shoot him and then kidnaps him on the way. Another interesting one that I had half-figured out ...
9. "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim" - A banker mysteriously disappears from his country home one afternoon, and soon after it is found that the safe in his home has been forced open and emptied. More stolen jewels! plus money and bonds. Christie is at her trickiest here. I thought I had the answer but I was barking up the wrong tree.
10. "The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman" - an Italian count staying in England is murdered, his head crushed by a small marble statue. How then did he telephone his doctor for help? And what is one to make of the remains of the dinner found in the count's apartment? Only Poirot knows.
11. "The Case of the Missing Will" - I really enjoyed this one! No murder, stolen jewels, or other dastardly crimes for a change, just a sneaky, rich dead uncle who wants to make his niece prove herself in order to inherit his wealth. Not being stupid, she turns the case over to Poirot.
3.5 stars overall. Not bad at all for a freebie if you like little mystery bites, though I think I like Christie's full-length novels better.
This collection includes:
1. "The Adventure of 'The Western Star'" - written warnings are sent to two women, an American movie star visiting London and a British lady, ordering them to turn over their identical, valuable diamonds (the Star of the East and the Western Star) ... or else. Solid thumbs up for the mystery element. Minus points for the casual use of racial insults to describe Chinese people (keep in mind this was written in the early 1920s, so this kind of thing comes with the territory).
2. "The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor" - a middle-aged man dies in a strange way, leaving a beautiful young wife behind. Was it suicide?
3. "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat" - a very nice apartment is rented for a suspiciously low price. Poirot too is suspicious. Nefarious dealings ensue.
4. "The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge" - Mr. Havering, a baronet's younger son, consults Poirot and his friend Hastings about the murder of his wealthy uncle at their hunting box in the country. Poirot is ill, so the intrepid Hastings goes to the lodge with Havering, sure he can solve the mystery as well as Poirot could. Hastings is, of course, wrong.
5. "The Million Dollar Bond Robbery" - an enjoyable story featuring a cross-Atlantic voyage and a million dollars in Liberty bonds stolen from a locked chest on board. The chest was in the custody of a nice young banker, who’s now in hot water. His distraught fiancee begs Poirot to figure it out. I came thisclose to figuring it out, and a little more pondering probably would have done it. Still, a good story.
6. "The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb" - this story plays with the popular idea of a deadly curse against those who open ancient Egyptian tombs. Several people die. A solid mystery.
7. "The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" - How did wealthy Mrs Opalson's
8. "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" - The British Prime Minister needs to attend a secret peace conference in France, but someone first tries to shoot him and then kidnaps him on the way. Another interesting one that I had half-figured out ...
9. "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim" - A banker mysteriously disappears from his country home one afternoon, and soon after it is found that the safe in his home has been forced open and emptied. More stolen jewels! plus money and bonds. Christie is at her trickiest here. I thought I had the answer but I was barking up the wrong tree.
10. "The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman" - an Italian count staying in England is murdered, his head crushed by a small marble statue. How then did he telephone his doctor for help? And what is one to make of the remains of the dinner found in the count's apartment? Only Poirot knows.
11. "The Case of the Missing Will" - I really enjoyed this one! No murder, stolen jewels, or other dastardly crimes for a change, just a sneaky, rich dead uncle who wants to make his niece prove herself in order to inherit his wealth. Not being stupid, she turns the case over to Poirot.
3.5 stars overall. Not bad at all for a freebie if you like little mystery bites, though I think I like Christie's full-length novels better.
August 5, 2019
A collection of eleven short stories featuring Hercule Poirot. because of the short story format there are too many coincidences, loose ends and often a boring end. None of the stories hold your attention for long. Avoidable read
January 24, 2021
One of the few positives of 2020 was that I turned to Dame Agatha Christie to keep me from falling into a number of reading slumps. By year’s end I had read an average of one book a month although many of them came in the second half of the year when I had hit the proverbial wall. After going through my reading, I noticed that I still had a number of Poirot cases to left and decided to continue reading about my favorite Belgian detective in chronological order until I got through all of this cases of interest to me. For my first Hercule Poirot mystery of 2021, I went back to near the beginning of his career with Poirot Investigates. A book of short stories, a genre I tend to avoid due to lack of character development, Poirot explains his detecting methods to Captain Hastings. Although there is little plot in any of these stories, I was intrigued to find out Poirot’s methods of using his little grey cells.
Hercule Poirot is described by Captain Hastings, who narrates here, as a cat with green eyes, ready to pounce when he has his aha moment and deduces whodunit. Early in Poirot’s career it is already apparent that he is steps ahead of the police, or at figures out the one key clue before they do. Since moving from Belgium to London, Poirot has made the acquaintances of Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard, a convenience when he is called to investigate and other principal figures may not know of his identity. Even Japp, in most of these cases, is only around to do Poirot’s investigating after the Belgian figures on the criminal, motive, and possible alibis. With Scotland Yard at his disposal to do background checks, Poirot is able to sit for hours in his suites, his grey cells hard at work, and nearly 100% of the time, he comes up with whodunit correctly before anyone else explores his avenues of deduction.
Although fascinated to pick apart Poirot’s detecting methods, I did find many of these cases to be similar. This is only the third of his cases, so Christie perhaps had not fully developed his character yet. There are fourteen cases that feature jewel heists, robberies, missing people, and a few murders. The cases that intrigued me the most were the ones out of the ordinary such as The Kidnapped Prime Minister, where Prime Minister MacAdam is supposed seized by the Germans en route to a key conference in Paris. Poirot is given twenty four hours and a vital fifteen minutes to locate the missing Prime Minister. Of course, he is located but Poirot’s reasoning process is diametrically opposed to anyone else on the case. With espionage involved in this case, at least there was some action involved. Most of the other cases lacked even that. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb also provided some time away from London. We find out that Poirot is not a good sea traveler, preferring his feet to be on land. While this case took Poirot and Hastings out of England, it was straight forward once Poirot met all of the principals involved. The location, however, set the stage for some of Christie’s later cases situated in the Middle East, a region of the world that she was fascinated by.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan shows Poirot’s propensity to live a life of luxury. Hastings knew this and invited Poirot for a weekend by the sea. As with many later cases, it did not matter if Poirot was vacationing, crime just finds him. In this instance, it is a Mrs Opalsen who has a cherished pearl necklace stolen. She notes that if Poirot can’t find her necklace, then no one can. In other cases, women seek out Poirot’s services because he has the reputation of being the best, and these young women realize that his mind is far superior to theirs. The Case of the Missing Will and The Veiled Lady provide such instances, Poirot prevailing in both, with the latter providing a twist at the end. Even in these short stories with little time to develop a plot, Christie has made it a point to omit a key piece of information until the end. Even Hastings is baffled at times, leading Poirot to often state that the Captain rarely uses his grey cells. Hastings, as narrator, does admit to being stumped by Poirot’s methods, often coming to the same conclusions as the polices. Poirot notes on more than one occasion that 99 people out of 100 would come up with the same idea, and that is what makes him, Hercule Poirot, the best detective in the world. In Hastings’ eyes, Poirot might be conceited, but he is indeed the best, and never wrong.
With my first Poirot case of the year under my belt, I am looking forward to the rest of the cases featuring the Belgian sleuth I still have to read. As Christie developed his character over time, she also made it a point to develop the surroundings and principal players in the crime, creating a backdrop for whodunit before Poirot arrives on the scene. Readers knowing key information before Poirot starts his investigation makes it that much trickier for us to figure out whodunit before Poirot; we just think we know, and Poirot reveals a key clue that we never thought of. Perhaps one day I will deduce whodunit before Poirot does. I found it fascinating to read about his investigative methods, even in short story form. Poirot always knows, and here we have an insight as to the why. Until next time, Poirot is there.
🕵️♂️ 4 stars 🧐
Hercule Poirot is described by Captain Hastings, who narrates here, as a cat with green eyes, ready to pounce when he has his aha moment and deduces whodunit. Early in Poirot’s career it is already apparent that he is steps ahead of the police, or at figures out the one key clue before they do. Since moving from Belgium to London, Poirot has made the acquaintances of Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard, a convenience when he is called to investigate and other principal figures may not know of his identity. Even Japp, in most of these cases, is only around to do Poirot’s investigating after the Belgian figures on the criminal, motive, and possible alibis. With Scotland Yard at his disposal to do background checks, Poirot is able to sit for hours in his suites, his grey cells hard at work, and nearly 100% of the time, he comes up with whodunit correctly before anyone else explores his avenues of deduction.
Although fascinated to pick apart Poirot’s detecting methods, I did find many of these cases to be similar. This is only the third of his cases, so Christie perhaps had not fully developed his character yet. There are fourteen cases that feature jewel heists, robberies, missing people, and a few murders. The cases that intrigued me the most were the ones out of the ordinary such as The Kidnapped Prime Minister, where Prime Minister MacAdam is supposed seized by the Germans en route to a key conference in Paris. Poirot is given twenty four hours and a vital fifteen minutes to locate the missing Prime Minister. Of course, he is located but Poirot’s reasoning process is diametrically opposed to anyone else on the case. With espionage involved in this case, at least there was some action involved. Most of the other cases lacked even that. The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb also provided some time away from London. We find out that Poirot is not a good sea traveler, preferring his feet to be on land. While this case took Poirot and Hastings out of England, it was straight forward once Poirot met all of the principals involved. The location, however, set the stage for some of Christie’s later cases situated in the Middle East, a region of the world that she was fascinated by.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan shows Poirot’s propensity to live a life of luxury. Hastings knew this and invited Poirot for a weekend by the sea. As with many later cases, it did not matter if Poirot was vacationing, crime just finds him. In this instance, it is a Mrs Opalsen who has a cherished pearl necklace stolen. She notes that if Poirot can’t find her necklace, then no one can. In other cases, women seek out Poirot’s services because he has the reputation of being the best, and these young women realize that his mind is far superior to theirs. The Case of the Missing Will and The Veiled Lady provide such instances, Poirot prevailing in both, with the latter providing a twist at the end. Even in these short stories with little time to develop a plot, Christie has made it a point to omit a key piece of information until the end. Even Hastings is baffled at times, leading Poirot to often state that the Captain rarely uses his grey cells. Hastings, as narrator, does admit to being stumped by Poirot’s methods, often coming to the same conclusions as the polices. Poirot notes on more than one occasion that 99 people out of 100 would come up with the same idea, and that is what makes him, Hercule Poirot, the best detective in the world. In Hastings’ eyes, Poirot might be conceited, but he is indeed the best, and never wrong.
With my first Poirot case of the year under my belt, I am looking forward to the rest of the cases featuring the Belgian sleuth I still have to read. As Christie developed his character over time, she also made it a point to develop the surroundings and principal players in the crime, creating a backdrop for whodunit before Poirot arrives on the scene. Readers knowing key information before Poirot starts his investigation makes it that much trickier for us to figure out whodunit before Poirot; we just think we know, and Poirot reveals a key clue that we never thought of. Perhaps one day I will deduce whodunit before Poirot does. I found it fascinating to read about his investigative methods, even in short story form. Poirot always knows, and here we have an insight as to the why. Until next time, Poirot is there.
🕵️♂️ 4 stars 🧐
February 24, 2023
An excellent selection of Poirot's shorts.
This collection has a lot of my personal favorites and would be a great place for anyone interested in reading bite-sized stories featuring Christie's famous Belgian detective.
I've left links to slightly longer reviews of each individual story if anyone is interested in a particular one.
The Adventure of "The Western Star"
Cursed jewelry?
The famous American actress, Miss Mary Marvell, has been receiving menacing letters telling her that the jewel given to her as a wedding present is about to get repoed. The jewel will supposedly be reunited with its twin (which belongs to Lady Yardly) before the next full moon as they are the stolen eyes of an idol.
It's very spooky stuff. Really.
The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor
A heavily insured man facing financial ruin suddenly drops dead, leaving his much-younger wife set for life.
The insurance company wants Poirot to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death before they pay up, though. And so, with Hastings in tow, Hercule takes a trip to Essex to visit Marsdon Manor to see if anything looks fishy.
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
When something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Words to live by.
When a young married couple dives into the housing market to look for an affordable apartment, they toss that adage right into the trash bin and almost end up paying the ultimate price for it.
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
Hasting gets to take off the training wheels!
Sort of.
A man contacts Poirot asking for his help in solving the murder of his elderly uncle, but Hercule (still recovering from the flu) sends Hastings in as his proxy. As you can imagine, Hastings gets it all wrong and Poirot ends up solving the case from his comfy chair.
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
Did a young bank employee steal a million dollars in bonds?
When the portmanteau carrying the bonds is clumsily broken into on a ship bound for the United States, Philip Ridgeway's fiancee goes to Poirot and begs him to clear his name.
Could Hercule ever say no to a pretty young woman?
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
I love this one and always have. The tv episode is one of my favorites as well, so this was a win-win for me.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
Did the French maid make off with Mrs. Opalsen's pearls?
Nah. That would be too easy, right?
The Kidnapped Prime Minister
You will never guess who gets kidnapped!
Ok, maybe you will.
David MacAdam, the Prime Minister of England, has been kidnapped and it's up to Hercule and Hastings to figure out whodunnit.
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
Never bet against a Belgian!
Japp tells Poirot about a case he's working on that deals with a wealthy banker who walked out of his house to go into the town and mail a few letters, and disappeared off the face of the earth.
He was supposed to meet up with a man he had some bad blood with, but he never showed back up at this house. Did this man have something to do with his disappearance?
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
Count Foscatini has been coshed over the head!
But who is Count Foscatini? And why should we care if he got his head coshed in?
Poirot and Hastings get pulled into this murder mystery because they were having dinner with their friend and neighbor, Dr. Hawker, when he got a desperate call from the Count telling him he had been attacked.
Help! <--says Foscatini
The Case of the Missing Will
What good is an education?
More specifically, what good is an education for women? <--said Violet Marsh's Uncle Andrew.
When she was orphaned at 14, Violet went to live with her uncle on his farm, and they mostly got along very well.
However, after defying him and continuing with her schooling, Violet was cut from her uncle's will. Unless that is, she can figure out a riddle that he left her. Turns out, having an education means that you know when to call in Poirot.
The next 3 stories were originally only in the American edition - suck it my UK friends!
The Chocolate Box
Poirot outwitted?! Say it ain't so!
But it is so.
Sitting around together one evening, Poirot tells Hastings of the one case that he failed to solve.
And Poirot tells Hastings to say the words chocolate box if he ever feels that Hercule gets a bit too big for his britches. I'm sure Hastings was tempted to walk behind Poirot with a megaphone repeating those words at the top of his lungs for most of the time they spent together.
He didn't.
Such is the power of friendship.
The Veiled Lady
A hot chick wearing a veil walks into a bar...
How do you know she's hot, my rotund Belgian friend?
Shut up.
My mustache gives my little grey cells super-deduction skills.
The Lost Mine
Poirot visits an opium den.
So that shouldn't be boring, right? But it is. I've read and listened to this story multiple times over the years and it's never managed to keep my interest.
Recommended for fans of Hercule Poirot.
This collection has a lot of my personal favorites and would be a great place for anyone interested in reading bite-sized stories featuring Christie's famous Belgian detective.
I've left links to slightly longer reviews of each individual story if anyone is interested in a particular one.
The Adventure of "The Western Star"
Cursed jewelry?
The famous American actress, Miss Mary Marvell, has been receiving menacing letters telling her that the jewel given to her as a wedding present is about to get repoed. The jewel will supposedly be reunited with its twin (which belongs to Lady Yardly) before the next full moon as they are the stolen eyes of an idol.
It's very spooky stuff. Really.
The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor
A heavily insured man facing financial ruin suddenly drops dead, leaving his much-younger wife set for life.
The insurance company wants Poirot to investigate the circumstances surrounding his death before they pay up, though. And so, with Hastings in tow, Hercule takes a trip to Essex to visit Marsdon Manor to see if anything looks fishy.
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
When something looks too good to be true, it probably is.
Words to live by.
When a young married couple dives into the housing market to look for an affordable apartment, they toss that adage right into the trash bin and almost end up paying the ultimate price for it.
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
Hasting gets to take off the training wheels!
Sort of.
A man contacts Poirot asking for his help in solving the murder of his elderly uncle, but Hercule (still recovering from the flu) sends Hastings in as his proxy. As you can imagine, Hastings gets it all wrong and Poirot ends up solving the case from his comfy chair.
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
Did a young bank employee steal a million dollars in bonds?
When the portmanteau carrying the bonds is clumsily broken into on a ship bound for the United States, Philip Ridgeway's fiancee goes to Poirot and begs him to clear his name.
Could Hercule ever say no to a pretty young woman?
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
I love this one and always have. The tv episode is one of my favorites as well, so this was a win-win for me.
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
Did the French maid make off with Mrs. Opalsen's pearls?
Nah. That would be too easy, right?
The Kidnapped Prime Minister
You will never guess who gets kidnapped!
Ok, maybe you will.
David MacAdam, the Prime Minister of England, has been kidnapped and it's up to Hercule and Hastings to figure out whodunnit.
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
Never bet against a Belgian!
Japp tells Poirot about a case he's working on that deals with a wealthy banker who walked out of his house to go into the town and mail a few letters, and disappeared off the face of the earth.
He was supposed to meet up with a man he had some bad blood with, but he never showed back up at this house. Did this man have something to do with his disappearance?
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
Count Foscatini has been coshed over the head!
But who is Count Foscatini? And why should we care if he got his head coshed in?
Poirot and Hastings get pulled into this murder mystery because they were having dinner with their friend and neighbor, Dr. Hawker, when he got a desperate call from the Count telling him he had been attacked.
Help! <--says Foscatini
The Case of the Missing Will
What good is an education?
More specifically, what good is an education for women? <--said Violet Marsh's Uncle Andrew.
When she was orphaned at 14, Violet went to live with her uncle on his farm, and they mostly got along very well.
However, after defying him and continuing with her schooling, Violet was cut from her uncle's will. Unless that is, she can figure out a riddle that he left her. Turns out, having an education means that you know when to call in Poirot.
The next 3 stories were originally only in the American edition - suck it my UK friends!
The Chocolate Box
Poirot outwitted?! Say it ain't so!
But it is so.
Sitting around together one evening, Poirot tells Hastings of the one case that he failed to solve.
And Poirot tells Hastings to say the words chocolate box if he ever feels that Hercule gets a bit too big for his britches. I'm sure Hastings was tempted to walk behind Poirot with a megaphone repeating those words at the top of his lungs for most of the time they spent together.
He didn't.
Such is the power of friendship.
The Veiled Lady
A hot chick wearing a veil walks into a bar...
How do you know she's hot, my rotund Belgian friend?
Shut up.
My mustache gives my little grey cells super-deduction skills.
The Lost Mine
Poirot visits an opium den.
So that shouldn't be boring, right? But it is. I've read and listened to this story multiple times over the years and it's never managed to keep my interest.
Recommended for fans of Hercule Poirot.
May 14, 2018
Well, I had to wait for this book to arrive, as I unexpectedly found that I didn't have it, what ??? So I am a little, oh ok 2 months, behind everyone else who is doing the Poirot unofficial challenge, but as you can tell from my 4 star marking, i am really enjoying this challenge. If i'm honest I didn't realise how many Poirot's I had not read.
So this was a book of short stories published in"The Sketch" through 1923 and although they are not all excellent (some are better than others) they are all good fun. They all showcase Poirot's prodigious talent in a variety of differing situations. Ably "assisted" as ever by the wonderful Captain Hastings who bumbles through every case wondering what on earth Poirot is up to.
A great collection of short stories for every Poirot fan
So this was a book of short stories published in"The Sketch" through 1923 and although they are not all excellent (some are better than others) they are all good fun. They all showcase Poirot's prodigious talent in a variety of differing situations. Ably "assisted" as ever by the wonderful Captain Hastings who bumbles through every case wondering what on earth Poirot is up to.
A great collection of short stories for every Poirot fan
March 25, 2025
Who better than the infamous Hercule Poirot (in his mind, anyway) to investigate the crime?
In these many short story crimes we have the Belgian detective who seems the only one who knows how to detect the hows and whys and the who-dunit with such brilliance.
And we as the reader can’t help but enjoy being pandered to, as we wait it out to the very end wondering just how he figured it out.
In these many short story crimes we have the Belgian detective who seems the only one who knows how to detect the hows and whys and the who-dunit with such brilliance.
And we as the reader can’t help but enjoy being pandered to, as we wait it out to the very end wondering just how he figured it out.
April 4, 2025
A book of short stories is perhaps not the best way to display Agatha Christie's talents. She is known to fashion inventive plots, but has little skill at characterisation. Most of her stereotypical characters could happily be switched between stories. For some reason this seems even more annoying in the short story; perhaps because she does not even attempt to flesh them out. The only exceptions to cardboard characterisation are the two protagonists, Poirot and Hastings, and anyone who already regards these two with affection may enjoy these stories. I didn't.
There is altogether too much explaining what must have happened rather than revealing it. It makes no difference that this is via a monologue by "our favourite detective" - it is a very boring simplistic style.
A two-evening read for me, yet I still wished I could read faster to get through this pedestrian book.
There is altogether too much explaining what must have happened rather than revealing it. It makes no difference that this is via a monologue by "our favourite detective" - it is a very boring simplistic style.
A two-evening read for me, yet I still wished I could read faster to get through this pedestrian book.
May 5, 2022
Promedio, calificación de los 13 cuentos: [3.46/5]
Experiencia lectora: [3/5]
Promedio total: [3.23/5]
Tenía poco más de un mes que no leía nada de mi autora de novelas policíacas favorita, lo cual quise compensar leyendo esta colección de cuentos publicados bajo el nombre de Poirot investiga, y si tengo que ser honesto, no podría decir que ha sido una grata experiencia. Mala no fue, estoy seguro, pero tampoco fue lo que tenía en mente, y es que definitivamente disfruto mucho más leyendo una novela de la autora a un cuento en el que no alcanza el tiempo para desarrollar a profundidad la resolución que podría dar el detective belga en cada cuestión.
Por ejemplo, en algunos casos Poirot escuchaba el problema, posteriormente lo parecía estudiar, para enseguida dar su veredicto, sin ponerse a pensar en las posibilidades. Básicamente, se saltaba toda la parte interesante que se halla en sus novelas, lo cual si bien lo veía venir dada la extensión del texto, no pensé que sería tanto. También, algo que me parece importante destacar, sentí a Poirot un tanto más odioso, pretensioso en estos cuentos, siempre diciendo cada dos por tres porque él era mejor que tú resolviendo los casos, y porque siempre estaba un paso adelante de los demás. Hastings narra todos los cuentos, así que ya se imaginarán quien se llevaba casi todas las burlas del detective. No sé, me quedo ligeramente con un mal sabor de boca tras haberlos leído.
En conclusión, quizá recomendaría esta antología a quienes se encaminen a leer todo lo escrito por Christie, o a quien sea muy fan del género policíaco; de otra manera, quizá sería mejor enfocarse en sus novelas, que ahí sí que funciona mejor la fórmula de la autora.
—Vamos, monsieur, no irá usted ahora a despreciar el valor de los detalles como pistas.
—De ninguna manera. Esas cosas son buenas hasta cierto punto. El peligro está en que puede dárseles una importancia indebida. La mayoría de los detalles son insignificantes; sólo uno o dos son vitales. Es en el cerebro, en las pequeñas células grises —se golpeó la frente—, en lo que uno debe confiar. Los sentidos se equivocan. Hay que buscar la verdad dentro... no fuera.”
- La desaparición del señor Davenheim
La lista de cuentos y mi experiencia leyéndolos:
1. La aventura del Estrella del Oeste (3/5)
2. La tragedia de Marsdon Manor (4/5)
3. La aventura del piso barato (3/5)
4. El misterio de la cabaña del cazador (4/5)
5. El robo de bonos del millón de dólares (3/5)
6. La aventura de la tumba egipcia (3.5/5)
7. El robo de joyas en el “Grand Metropolitan” (5/5)
8. El primer ministro secuestrado (4/5)
9. La desaparición del señor Davenheim (3.5/5)
10. La aventura del noble italiano (4/5)
11. El caso del testamento perdido (2.5/5)
12. El caso del baile de la Victoria (3.5/5)
13. La aventura de la cocinera (2/5)
Experiencia lectora: [3/5]
Promedio total: [3.23/5]
Tenía poco más de un mes que no leía nada de mi autora de novelas policíacas favorita, lo cual quise compensar leyendo esta colección de cuentos publicados bajo el nombre de Poirot investiga, y si tengo que ser honesto, no podría decir que ha sido una grata experiencia. Mala no fue, estoy seguro, pero tampoco fue lo que tenía en mente, y es que definitivamente disfruto mucho más leyendo una novela de la autora a un cuento en el que no alcanza el tiempo para desarrollar a profundidad la resolución que podría dar el detective belga en cada cuestión.
Por ejemplo, en algunos casos Poirot escuchaba el problema, posteriormente lo parecía estudiar, para enseguida dar su veredicto, sin ponerse a pensar en las posibilidades. Básicamente, se saltaba toda la parte interesante que se halla en sus novelas, lo cual si bien lo veía venir dada la extensión del texto, no pensé que sería tanto. También, algo que me parece importante destacar, sentí a Poirot un tanto más odioso, pretensioso en estos cuentos, siempre diciendo cada dos por tres porque él era mejor que tú resolviendo los casos, y porque siempre estaba un paso adelante de los demás. Hastings narra todos los cuentos, así que ya se imaginarán quien se llevaba casi todas las burlas del detective. No sé, me quedo ligeramente con un mal sabor de boca tras haberlos leído.
En conclusión, quizá recomendaría esta antología a quienes se encaminen a leer todo lo escrito por Christie, o a quien sea muy fan del género policíaco; de otra manera, quizá sería mejor enfocarse en sus novelas, que ahí sí que funciona mejor la fórmula de la autora.
—Vamos, monsieur, no irá usted ahora a despreciar el valor de los detalles como pistas.
—De ninguna manera. Esas cosas son buenas hasta cierto punto. El peligro está en que puede dárseles una importancia indebida. La mayoría de los detalles son insignificantes; sólo uno o dos son vitales. Es en el cerebro, en las pequeñas células grises —se golpeó la frente—, en lo que uno debe confiar. Los sentidos se equivocan. Hay que buscar la verdad dentro... no fuera.”
- La desaparición del señor Davenheim
La lista de cuentos y mi experiencia leyéndolos:
1. La aventura del Estrella del Oeste (3/5)
2. La tragedia de Marsdon Manor (4/5)
3. La aventura del piso barato (3/5)
4. El misterio de la cabaña del cazador (4/5)
5. El robo de bonos del millón de dólares (3/5)
6. La aventura de la tumba egipcia (3.5/5)
7. El robo de joyas en el “Grand Metropolitan” (5/5)
8. El primer ministro secuestrado (4/5)
9. La desaparición del señor Davenheim (3.5/5)
10. La aventura del noble italiano (4/5)
11. El caso del testamento perdido (2.5/5)
12. El caso del baile de la Victoria (3.5/5)
13. La aventura de la cocinera (2/5)
August 8, 2020
Leer un libro de cuentos de los detectives de Agatha Christie me ayuda mucho a conocer cómo actúa ese detective frente a diferentes casos. Aquí se nos muestra mucho más la personalidad de Poirot, es un tipo que me cayó muy bien.
No creo que el fin de estos cuentos sea sorprender con quien es el culpable, sino con mostrar lo inteligente que es Agatha para crear casos y hacer que Poirot los resuelva de una manera brillante. Me gustó mucho, y creo que el cuento "la desaparición de mister Davenheim" era material para una novela porque ese final sí me sorprendió, fue mi favorito.
No creo que el fin de estos cuentos sea sorprender con quien es el culpable, sino con mostrar lo inteligente que es Agatha para crear casos y hacer que Poirot los resuelva de una manera brillante. Me gustó mucho, y creo que el cuento "la desaparición de mister Davenheim" era material para una novela porque ese final sí me sorprendió, fue mi favorito.
April 15, 2021
«Τα μικρά φαιά κύτταρα» αξία ανεκτίμητη.
«Τι θες να κάνω ;; Όταν κάποιος είναι διαφορετικός,είναι μοναδικός, το ξέρει!!
Ηρακλής ΠΟΥΑΡΟ
.✘◯✘◯
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς και σεμνούς ασπασμούς
«Τι θες να κάνω ;; Όταν κάποιος είναι διαφορετικός,είναι μοναδικός, το ξέρει!!
Ηρακλής ΠΟΥΑΡΟ
.✘◯✘◯
Καλή ανάγνωση.
Πολλούς και σεμνούς ασπασμούς
May 28, 2013
Mon ami, ce sont des histoires agréables!
Lovely stuff this! Poirot Investigates is a nice, compact selection of stories about cases quickly and concisely solved. No, not every story is a mind-boggler, though one or two went clear over my head, but for the most part I could follow these. Occasionally I even solved the crime well in advance of Poirot. I'm no heavy reader of mysteries, so I attribute this to the age of the stories and the modern-day prevalence on TV for such things. By now we can't help but to have seen it all before.
What's not to love about Hercule Poirot? Okay, yes he is conceited. However, it seems almost impossible that someone so infinitely ahead of everyone else in their field could be anything but conceited. Modesty in such a person would seem disingenuous. If Sherlock Holmes kept eschewing the well-deserved praise thrust upon him ("Oh no no, it was you. I couldn't have managed a bit of it without you!") the defensive deflection would come to be almost offensive. Also, conceit acts as an innocent flaw, a positive negative if you will, that keeps the hero from saintliness, a very annoying trait indeed. We mortals need something to grasp on to that lets us know this person we are reading about is actually human.
I haven't read much Christie, only Murder on the Orient Express comes to mind, but I will be reading more thanks to Poirot Investigates.
Lovely stuff this! Poirot Investigates is a nice, compact selection of stories about cases quickly and concisely solved. No, not every story is a mind-boggler, though one or two went clear over my head, but for the most part I could follow these. Occasionally I even solved the crime well in advance of Poirot. I'm no heavy reader of mysteries, so I attribute this to the age of the stories and the modern-day prevalence on TV for such things. By now we can't help but to have seen it all before.
What's not to love about Hercule Poirot? Okay, yes he is conceited. However, it seems almost impossible that someone so infinitely ahead of everyone else in their field could be anything but conceited. Modesty in such a person would seem disingenuous. If Sherlock Holmes kept eschewing the well-deserved praise thrust upon him ("Oh no no, it was you. I couldn't have managed a bit of it without you!") the defensive deflection would come to be almost offensive. Also, conceit acts as an innocent flaw, a positive negative if you will, that keeps the hero from saintliness, a very annoying trait indeed. We mortals need something to grasp on to that lets us know this person we are reading about is actually human.
I haven't read much Christie, only Murder on the Orient Express comes to mind, but I will be reading more thanks to Poirot Investigates.
June 26, 2020
The third volume in the collection of Christie's Poirot series, a collection of short stories, better than most mystery collections, I would have to assume, having been written by the best-selling author of all time. Still, I had a hard time getting into them, in part because they are stories, and sort of for me pale in comparison to the novels from her I have read.
My biggest problem (yes, this continues for me as a problem) is the clueless sidekick Hastings she devised in part out of her mimicking Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes and Watson (and it's so great to see Lucy Liu's much smarter Watson in the tv series Elementary! Recommend! But really, almost any Watson is better than Hastings). Being mired in Doyle fan-fiction-dom limits all these early volumes to some extent. Hastings is a constant idiot and Poirot is arrogant to the point of being mean with his "friend" that he has nothing in common with. Feels like a device. IS a device. And one she knows later doesn't quite work.
One way to appreciate these essentially tightly written stories is that the still young Christie is developing her chops as a young mystery writer, sharpening her little narrative hooks, polishing this great dandy Poirot as a character, with his fussiness and ego and order and logic and insistence on the importance of the use of "grey cells" in the solving of crime. When Poirot speaks, everything comes alive, she has it down, he is pretty irresistible.
The best is yet to come in after volumes. I'll let you know when I get there. But make no mistake: this still stands as very good mystery writing, even in her early attempts, and if you like your mysteries quick and clean, check it out. Some people prefer short stories to novels, and the problem with some of the early Christie novels is that they take a while to develop. They can meander. But here's a kind of template or series of templates she is developing even in these stories you might begin to see (and follow, if you wanted to try writing mysteries).
You can probably read much of it online now. I especially liked "The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" and "The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim" where Poirot, ill, solves the case without leaving his apartment.
My biggest problem (yes, this continues for me as a problem) is the clueless sidekick Hastings she devised in part out of her mimicking Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Holmes and Watson (and it's so great to see Lucy Liu's much smarter Watson in the tv series Elementary! Recommend! But really, almost any Watson is better than Hastings). Being mired in Doyle fan-fiction-dom limits all these early volumes to some extent. Hastings is a constant idiot and Poirot is arrogant to the point of being mean with his "friend" that he has nothing in common with. Feels like a device. IS a device. And one she knows later doesn't quite work.
One way to appreciate these essentially tightly written stories is that the still young Christie is developing her chops as a young mystery writer, sharpening her little narrative hooks, polishing this great dandy Poirot as a character, with his fussiness and ego and order and logic and insistence on the importance of the use of "grey cells" in the solving of crime. When Poirot speaks, everything comes alive, she has it down, he is pretty irresistible.
The best is yet to come in after volumes. I'll let you know when I get there. But make no mistake: this still stands as very good mystery writing, even in her early attempts, and if you like your mysteries quick and clean, check it out. Some people prefer short stories to novels, and the problem with some of the early Christie novels is that they take a while to develop. They can meander. But here's a kind of template or series of templates she is developing even in these stories you might begin to see (and follow, if you wanted to try writing mysteries).
You can probably read much of it online now. I especially liked "The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" and "The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim" where Poirot, ill, solves the case without leaving his apartment.
March 2, 2018
This is an interesting collection of Poirot stories; first published in 1924 and all of which feature Hastings as narrator. Hastings often comments on how conceited Poirot is, although this is justified, as Poirot uses his ‘little grey cells,’ to solve many mysteries and even wins a bet with Japp, during this book.
The stories involve missing jewels, blackmail, mysterious insurance claims, the even more intriguing case of a ‘very cheap flat,’ in an expensive part of London (unheard of!) which piques Poirot’s interest, and more. With Italian nobleman, a missing Prime Minister and a possible Egyptian curse (obviously inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922), this is a really fun collection, with some influential clients beating a past to Poirot’s London flat to ask his advice.
Although I do prefer novels to short stories, this was an interesting book. Poirot is at his ease in these stories – brimming with confidence in his abilities and always eager to take on a new case. This is the third Poirot book, and the very first collection of short stories featuring Poirot and Hastings.
The stories involve missing jewels, blackmail, mysterious insurance claims, the even more intriguing case of a ‘very cheap flat,’ in an expensive part of London (unheard of!) which piques Poirot’s interest, and more. With Italian nobleman, a missing Prime Minister and a possible Egyptian curse (obviously inspired by the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922), this is a really fun collection, with some influential clients beating a past to Poirot’s London flat to ask his advice.
Although I do prefer novels to short stories, this was an interesting book. Poirot is at his ease in these stories – brimming with confidence in his abilities and always eager to take on a new case. This is the third Poirot book, and the very first collection of short stories featuring Poirot and Hastings.
September 16, 2019
I really enjoyed these. Poirot is a hilarious character as always, and the mysteries are good fun.
December 21, 2025
Тринайсет безспорни успеха и един неуспех през годините, нахвърляни набързо в тези кратички истории за Еркюл Поаро.
За съжаление, намирам тези разкази за по-слаби от романите за гениалния белгийски детектив - в тях той просто няма време и възможности да се развихри, както си трябва…
"Приключението на "Звездата на Запада"" - 3*.
"Трагедията при Марсдън Менър" - 3*.
"Приключение в евтиния апартамент" - 3*.
"Загатката на Хънтърс Лодж" - 3*.
"Кражбата на облигации за един милион долара" - 2*.
"Загатката на египетската гробница" - 2*
"Кражбата на бижута в "Гранд Метрополитън"" - 3*.
"Отвлеченият министър-председател" - 4*.
"Изчезването на господин Давънхайм" - 4*.
"Авантюрата на италианския благородник" - 3*.
"Случаят с изчезналото завещание" - 3*.
"Дамата с воала" - 3*.
"Изгубената мина" - 2*.
"Кутията с шоколадови бонбони" - 3*.
За съжаление, намирам тези разкази за по-слаби от романите за гениалния белгийски детектив - в тях той просто няма време и възможности да се развихри, както си трябва…
"Приключението на "Звездата на Запада"" - 3*.
"Трагедията при Марсдън Менър" - 3*.
"Приключение в евтиния апартамент" - 3*.
"Загатката на Хънтърс Лодж" - 3*.
"Кражбата на облигации за един милион долара" - 2*.
"Загатката на египетската гробница" - 2*
"Кражбата на бижута в "Гранд Метрополитън"" - 3*.
"Отвлеченият министър-председател" - 4*.
"Изчезването на господин Давънхайм" - 4*.
"Авантюрата на италианския благородник" - 3*.
"Случаят с изчезналото завещание" - 3*.
"Дамата с воала" - 3*.
"Изгубената мина" - 2*.
"Кутията с шоколадови бонбони" - 3*.
February 19, 2023
One of the earliest Christie books published in 1924, this anthology of mystery stories all feature the incredible master of detection Hercule Poirot. Although most of these stories are high-level mysteries, IMHO, they are not all perfect. Yet, I would unequivocally state that the entire collection is a classic because it matches my three criteria: longevity (published almost one hundred years ago); paradigm shifting (Poirot is a capricious, yet fastidious standard that almost every detective is measured by); and exceptionalism (every story in this anthology is great to exceptional). Poirot continues to be portrayed in movies, books, and TV shows despite his creator being dead since 1976. I had this anthology read to me via audible and I was engaged throughout. This is my thirteenth book of the year, and it is also my 7th of 50 books on my TBR list that has been there for over 5 years. I speak a lot about Ms. Paladino who was the librarian at the Forest Hills public library. She got me interested in Agatha Christie when I was in Junior High, and I continue to read and re-read the books with immense joy and satisfaction almost every single time. Thanks, Ms. Paladino.
June 26, 2023
A fun bunch of stories featuring Hercule Poirot. While these shorts are missing Christie's usual multiple plot twists and intricate storylines (an unfortunate necessity due to their brevity), Poirot Investigates is still a delightful read. I can't say that I enjoyed this collection quite as much as a fully fleshed out Poirot novel, but if you're as fond of a certain quirky Belgian detective as I am, these stories are definitely worth a bit of your time.
May 29, 2025
A fascinating read! I loved every sentence! My first foray into Agatha Christie and won’t be my last! The 14 short stories were wonderfully creative.
September 22, 2024
What's there to say? She's Agatha Christie, the absolute queen of mystery! Sure, it's outdated by current standards of the genre (let's not forget this book was first published in 1924) and Poirot is a tad bit obnoxious in continuously underlining his superior intelligence, but her books go down like wonderfully aged wine.
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Cosa c'è da dire? È Agatha Christie, la regina assoluta del giallo! Certo, è sorpassato per gli standard attuali del genere (non dimentichiamo che questo libro è stato pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1924) e Poirot è un tantino odioso nel sottolineare continuamente la sua intelligenza superiore, ma i suoi libri vanno giù come vino meravigliosamente invecchiato.
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Cosa c'è da dire? È Agatha Christie, la regina assoluta del giallo! Certo, è sorpassato per gli standard attuali del genere (non dimentichiamo che questo libro è stato pubblicato per la prima volta nel 1924) e Poirot è un tantino odioso nel sottolineare continuamente la sua intelligenza superiore, ma i suoi libri vanno giù come vino meravigliosamente invecchiato.
December 31, 2020
Poirot Investigates is a collection of short stories featuring the Belgian detective and his powerful, little grey cells. First printed in the UK in 1925, the book included 11 stories. The US edition added three additional stories. I read a US edition from 1970.
These first few Poirot short stories were written in 1922 while Christie was on an around the world tour to publicize the British Empire Exposition. The stories in Poirot Investigates plus 11 more were published in a collection, The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot, published in 1974. The 25 stories were first published in The Sketch magazine in the UK in 1923 and in The Blue Book magazine in the US in 1924/25.
I love these short, entertaining Poirot cases. Because the tales are all so short, they don't feature the twists, complex reveal moments, and character development found in Christie novels....but they still showcase Poirot's amazing wit and Christie's stellar writing. Much like writers today who pen short stories or novellas to bring attention to their books and characters, Christie published these stories to bring attention to her detective fiction. It worked! Poirot books became quite popular. When she published The Man in the Brown Suit in 1924, some readers and reviewers complained because Poirot wasn't in the book!
The stories included in this collection (US edition) are:
The Adventure of the Western Star
The Tragedy at Marston Manor
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
The Kidnapped Prime Minister
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
The Case of the Missing Will
The Veiled Lady (US Editions)
The Lost Mine (US Editions)
The Chocolate Box (US Editions)
My favorite is The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb. The story is about a supposed curse on those who opened a tomb. Poirot investigates to see if the curse is real, or imagined. Since King Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered in 1922 about the time Christie was writing this story, I think she was thinking about the sensational journalism at the time reporting a curse causing deaths of those who had opened and entered the tomb. It made for a great Poirot story!
The long running (and wonderfully awesome) television series Agatha Christie's Poirot adapted each of these stories into episodes. The characters and plots are changed somewhat to lengthen them to fill an hour episode, but most stay very true to the original story.
All in all, a very entertaining short story collection! One must keep in mind the fact that these stories were short on purpose because they were originally printed in magazines. A bit of very smart marketing to get readers hooked on her writing and characters so more novels would sell! :)
These first few Poirot short stories were written in 1922 while Christie was on an around the world tour to publicize the British Empire Exposition. The stories in Poirot Investigates plus 11 more were published in a collection, The Early Cases of Hercule Poirot, published in 1974. The 25 stories were first published in The Sketch magazine in the UK in 1923 and in The Blue Book magazine in the US in 1924/25.
I love these short, entertaining Poirot cases. Because the tales are all so short, they don't feature the twists, complex reveal moments, and character development found in Christie novels....but they still showcase Poirot's amazing wit and Christie's stellar writing. Much like writers today who pen short stories or novellas to bring attention to their books and characters, Christie published these stories to bring attention to her detective fiction. It worked! Poirot books became quite popular. When she published The Man in the Brown Suit in 1924, some readers and reviewers complained because Poirot wasn't in the book!
The stories included in this collection (US edition) are:
The Adventure of the Western Star
The Tragedy at Marston Manor
The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb
The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
The Kidnapped Prime Minister
The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman
The Case of the Missing Will
The Veiled Lady (US Editions)
The Lost Mine (US Editions)
The Chocolate Box (US Editions)
My favorite is The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb. The story is about a supposed curse on those who opened a tomb. Poirot investigates to see if the curse is real, or imagined. Since King Tutankhamen's tomb was discovered in 1922 about the time Christie was writing this story, I think she was thinking about the sensational journalism at the time reporting a curse causing deaths of those who had opened and entered the tomb. It made for a great Poirot story!
The long running (and wonderfully awesome) television series Agatha Christie's Poirot adapted each of these stories into episodes. The characters and plots are changed somewhat to lengthen them to fill an hour episode, but most stay very true to the original story.
All in all, a very entertaining short story collection! One must keep in mind the fact that these stories were short on purpose because they were originally printed in magazines. A bit of very smart marketing to get readers hooked on her writing and characters so more novels would sell! :)
October 19, 2018
Ne mislim da je ova zbirka kriminalističkih priča o Herkulu Poarou loša, ali su romani daleko bolji.
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