Peril at End House: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) [Hardcover]

Agatha Christie (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 17, 2007 | Series: Hercule Poirot Mysteries

Hercule Poirot is vacationing on the Cornish coast when he meets Nick Buckly. Nick is the young and reckless mistress of End House, an imposing structure perched on the rocky cliffs of St. Loo.

Poirot has taken a particular interest in the young woman who has recently narrowly escaped a series of life-threatening accidents. Something tells the Belgian sleuth that these so-called accidents are more than just mere coincidences or a spate of bad luck. It seems all too clear to him that someone is trying to do away with poor Nick, but who? And, what is the motive? In his quest for answers, Poirot must delve into the dark history of End House. The deeper he gets into his investigation, the more certain he is that the killer will soon strike again. And, this time, Nick may not escape with her life.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The actual solution is quite unusually ingenious." Times Literary Supplement --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

On holiday on the Cornish Riviera, Hercule Poirot is alarmed to hear pretty Nick Buckley describe her recent “accidental brushes with death.” First, on a treacherous Cornish hillside, the brakes on her car failed. Then, on a coastal path, a falling boulder missed her by inches. Later, an oil painting fell and almost crushed her in bed.

So when Poirot finds a bullet hole in Nick’s sun hat, he decides that this girl needs his help. Can he find the would-be killer before he hits his target?

--This text refers to the Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Black Dog & Leventhal Publishers (September 17, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1579127371
• ISBN-13: 978-1579127374
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (42 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #667,198 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant Plotting and Surprise Ending Make This A Favorite April 25, 2001

By Antoinette Klein TOP 1000 REVIEWER

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Poirot and Hastings return in this novel set in the resort town of St. Loo on the Cornish coast. While on a week's holiday, the pair meet Miss Magdala Buckley who has had a series of life-threatening accidents. Poirot believes these "accidents" are more likely attempts on her life. In true Christie tradition, a murder soon occurs. However, Miss Buckley is not the victim, but the newly-deceased is a cousin of hers. Poirot must prevent another murder while discovering why anyone would want Miss Buckley dead. Into the mix enters her friends Frederica Rice and Commander Challenger as well as a mysterious couple from Australia who live in a cottage on the grounds of End House, possible narcotics involvement, and a surprise ending that will truly amaze. I won't reveal what the ending is, of course, but it is one that Christie will successfully use again in later works.

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Rules are made to be broken... January 30, 2004

By Jeanne Tassotto VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

Mystery writers are supposed to play by a set of rules, ie give the reader all the clues, no rare, undetectable poisons, the murder can't be the butler, detective, victim or someone we've never met etc. Agatha Christie always played fair in that all the clues were present for the reader, and she didn't rely on obscure poisons unknown-to-science but she was somewhat more creative in her interpretations of some of the others. PERIL AT END HOUSE is an example of Christie's creativeness with one of the rules of mystery writing (but you'll have to read the book to find out which rule).

Poirot and Hastings are spending some time at a seaside resort. Poirot is still insisting that he has retired but concedes that "...if a bullet should strike the wall by my head, I would ...investigate the matter!" Needless to say one does and Poirot is soon investigating the numerous attempts on the life of a young woman. Poirot sorts his way through a murder, drug trafficking, false identities, secret engagements and attempted frauds to reach the truth.

The ending is clever and we are treated to Poirot being forced to ask someone else for the answer to a minor secondary puzzle.

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Poirot Stumped April 13, 2001

By George R Dekle VINE™ VOICE

Format:Mass Market Paperback

This mystery is less a who-done-it than it is a who's-gonna-do-it. Attempts are being made on the life of Nicky Buckley, the pert proprietress of End House. Poirot sets out to foil the would-be murderer, but feels that he's failed miserably when Nicky's cousin dies instead. Poirot redoubles his efforts to save Nicky and to solve the cousin's murder, but he finds himself in a quandary. As Poirot fruitlessly attempts to discern a motive and discover the murderer, Nicky has another narrow escape from a poisoning attempt. Poirot finally decides that the only way to flush the murderer out is to fake Nicky's death. The denouement is both surprising and satisfying. Another nice thing about the story is the glimpse into the mind of Poirot as he sorts out the clues. In this case he does not keep his thoughts and surmises secret from Captain Hastings, and we follow him step by step as he winnows through the evidence to come to his conclusions. He does, however, hold back enough to surprise the reader in the final chapter.

Now for the critique: [1] Christie either knows nothing about the behavior of bullets or expects her readers to know nothing. Her description of the near fatal shooting of Nicky is as full of holes as Nicky's hat. Poirot took no notice of the fact that there was no noise from the report of the pistol, no noise from the ricochet of the bullet, and no scuff mark on the wall. No mention was made of the bullet being deformed by striking the wall. This is not the first time Christie has betrayed such ignorance. In the short story "Dead Man's Mirror", a bullet struck a gong without denting the gong, deforming the bullet, or depositing a lead scuff on the gong. [2] Although Poirot twice stated that the simplest explanation was the best, the final explanation was not simple. It was so complex and convoluted that such a series of events could never have converged to produce Christie's result. [3] Again we see Christie borrowing from Arthur Conan Doyle. One of Sherlock Holmes' favorite maxims was "When you have eliminated the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth." Poirot paraphrases Holmes thus: "when you have eliminated other possibilities you turn to the one that is left and say - since the other is not - this must be so." I can't say Poirot improved on Holmes' proverb.