Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection) [Hardcover]

Agatha Christie (Author)

Book Description

Series: Agatha Christie Collection | Publication Date: September 17, 2007

Simeon Lee has demanded that all four of his sons—one faithful, one prodigal, one impecunious, one sensitive—and their wives visit the family home for Christmas. But the cantankerous patriarch has anything but a heartwarming family holiday in mind. He bedevils each of his sons with barbed insults, while at the same time lavishing attention on his very attractive, long-lost granddaughter. Finally he announces that he is cutting off his sons' allowances and changing his will to boot.

So when the old man is found lying a pool of blood on Christmas Eve, there is no lack of suspects. Did Lee's taunts push one of the boys or their wives to a desperate act of murder? Or was the killer really after the fortune in uncut diamonds Lee kept locked away in his safe? And how did the murderer escape from the locked room?

Intrepid Belgian detective Hercule Poirot suspends his holiday sorting through the myriad suspects and motives to find the truth behind the old man's death.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and created the detective Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). She achieved wide popularity with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and produced a total of eighty novels and short-story collections over six decades. Twenty-four of Christie's best whodunits are now available from Black Dog & Leventhal as part of their bestselling hardcover Agatha Christie Collection.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (September 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579127355
• ISBN-13: 978-1579127350
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #977,085 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and created the detective Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). She achieved wide popularity with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and produced a total of eighty novels and short-story collections over six decades.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting murder, dreary characters, October 16, 2007

By 

Joseph Boone (Irvine, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (2008 HOLIDAY TEAM)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection) (Hardcover)

Hercule Poirot's Christmas follows the trials of a wealthy English family in the days immediately before and after Christmas day. The family patriarch is a despicably unlikable old fellow. About the only things he seems to enjoy are tormenting his family and fondling some uncut diamonds he keeps in his room. As you might imagine, he ends up murdered and the stones go missing. The police are called in to investigate and it just so happens that Poirot is visiting at the station when the call comes in. The usual interviews ensue. The old man was such an obnoxious sort that you can easily imagine almost anyone killing him. The little Belgian puts his grey cells to the task and, of course, solves the crime in the end.

The murder plot itself is the strongest aspect of this novel. It's typically Byzantine and will certainly keep you guessing. The story moves along at a decent pace, though the murder could have come a bit more quickly. Unfortunately, the cast and most of the story is uninspired and recycled from numerous other Christie novels. I don't really mind re-using concepts if they're well done, but this book generally has a plodding feel as if it is just going through the motions. Not one of the family was a truly interesting character and even Poirot seemed a bit flat.

Overall, this book was something of a disappointment. It isn't as bad as the worst Poirot novels I've read but it's far from the best. The intricate murder can't make up for the insipid characters. I recommend this book only to established fans of Hercule Poirot. First time readers can do much better with books like Evil Under the Sun: A Hercule Poirot Mystery or Murder on the Orient Express: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot).

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Murder for Christmas, November 22, 2007

By 

Nash Black "Troubadour" (Jamestown, KY) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection) (Hardcover)

Originally published in 1938, as A MURDER FOR CHRISTMAS and later as A HOLIDAY MURDER, HERCULE POIROT'S CHRISTMAS is a stock story. An old man invites his family for the holidays and gets a few unexpected visitors. The disappearance of the murder weapon and its hiding place add a little spice, but this is not one of Christie's best.
In some regards, Georgette Heyer's ENVIOUS CASA, which was published in 1941 is similar.
Got a little spare time during the holidays, enjoy because like all Cristies it is a clever puzzle, it is the characters that leave you bored.
Nash Black, author of TRAVELERS and SINS OF THE FATHERS.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Herclule Poirot's Christmas is an Agatha Christie murder mystery which is a difficul case for the Belgian detective of genius, December 8, 2010

By 

C. M Mills "Michael Mills" (Knoxville Tennessee) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Hercule Poirot's Christmas: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Agatha Christie Collection) (Hardcover)

Agatha Christie often used illustrations and quotes from famous literary works; the Bible; fairy tales and folklore. The preface to "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" is culled from Shakespeare's "Macbeth." "Yet who would have thought the old man had so much blood in him?" The elderly chap in question is Simeon Lee. Lee has called his dysfunctional family together at his estate for a Christmas gathering. Lee has been a dishonest businessman and is worth a fortune, He is found murdered in his upstairs bedroom. The doors are locked but the room is filled with gallons of blood; it appears there was fierce struggle prior to the murder. Whodunit? Only Hercule Poirot can solve this most nettlesome murder puzzle. The old man's valuable collection of uncuts diamonds are stolen! Among the suspects:
Harry Lee-A prodigal son of old Simeon who returns home from South Africa.
George and Magdalene Lee-This son is a member of parliament. His much younger sexy wife Magdalene is greedy for money and prestige.
David and Hilda Lee-George is a painter while his wife Hilda mothers him. They have not seen Simeon in several years prior to the Christmas reunion.
Albert and Lydia Lee: Albert is the son who has remained in business with his father for several years. He is to receive 50% of the estate of old Lee with the rest of his siblings and family members having to divide the other 50% amongst themselves.
Stephen Farr-A South African who is supposedly the son of Simeon Lee's business partner.
Conchita Lopez-the supposed daughter of Lee's late daughter Jennifer who was wed to a Latin man.
Sugden-a local police offical who is assinged the Lee case.
All of the major characters have reasons to murder Simeon Lee. This is a a difficult mystery to solve. The plot is ingenious even though the characters are lifeless. A good Poirot mysterey novel from 1938. A good lightweight way to while away an afternoon. Christmas is much merrier devoid of murder! Happy Reading!