Customer Reviews

Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot Mysteries)

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All of these stories (narrated by Hastings) first appeared in _The Sketch_ (a magazine) throughout 1923; all have been adapted by A&E. I've sorted them by original publication date.

"The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan" - (14 March, 1923) Locked-room theft. Hastings, having had a windfall, persuades Poirot to join him on holiday at the Grand Metropolitan in Brighton. When a fellow guest's pearls are stolen, nobody seems to have had opportunity both to steal and conceal them.

"The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim" - (28 March, 1923) Locked-room disappearance: the senior partner of a financial firm went for a walk, just before meeting a competitor in his own home - but Davenheim was never seen again. Japp bets Poirot a fiver that he can't solve it without leaving his flat, even if he gets all the information Japp does.

"The Adventure of 'The Western Star'" - (11 April, 1923) Movie star Mary Marvell has been receiving mysterious letters, saying that her husband's wedding gift to her - a fabulous diamond - is actually one of a pair, the stolen eyes of an idol. And now she and her husband, Gregory Rolf, are negotiating a deal to film at Yardly Chase - where the Star of the East is the most famous gem of Lord Yardly's collection. (Incidentally, the Valerie Saintclair and Lord Cronshaw cases mentioned in passing can be found in _The Under Dog_).

"The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor" - (18 April, 1923) An insurance company hires Poirot to check on the death of a man who, on the verge of bankruptcy, had taken out a lot of life insurance just before his death. (Poirot, with his love of psychology, actually stoops so low as to test suspects with word-association games here.)

"The Kidnapped Prime Minister" - (25 April, 1923) Set during WWI, after _The Mysterious Affair at Styles_ but before Hastings became Poirot's roommate. The kidnapping occurred just after an assassination attempt and just before a major peace conference; the government is afraid that without him, they'll get "a premature and disastrous peace." Poirot wonders why, after trying to shoot him, the kidnappers are now making an effort to keep him alive. Contrast this case with another kidnapping much later in Poirot's career: "The Girdle of Hyppolita" in _The Labours of Hercules_ (Christie's ability to flesh out characters and make the reader care about the victim had increased greatly by then).

"The Million Dollar Bond Robbery" - (2 May, 1923) Poirot would have loved to investigate the theft of the London & Scottish Bank's bonds during their transfer to New York, if it hadn't happened on an ocean liner (he's prone to seasickness). Fortunately, the problem has come to *him*.

"The Adventure of the Cheap Flat" - (9 May, 1923) Hastings and his friend Gerald Parker (who continually makes real estate deals in London, constantly moving about) meet the Robinsons at a dinner party, and the question is, why is their landlord virtually giving them a furnished flat in fashionable Knightsbridge?

"The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge" - (16 May, 1923) Locked-room. Poirot, laid up with influenza, solves this from his sickbed as Hastings and Japp provide him with data; Roger and Zoe Havering have called on him to investigate the death of Roger's rich uncle.

"The Chocolate Box" - (23 May, 1923) Though narrated by Hastings, this time he is merely relaying the story that Poirot is telling *him*: a story from Poirot's career as a policeman in Belgium, before WWI.

"The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb" - (26 September, 1923) Soon after the discovery of Tut's tomb, another excavation near Cairo found the tomb of an 8th dynasty pharaoh (much earlier than Tut). And when members of the expedition begin dying tragically, and the papers pounce on the idea of a curse, one of the widows hires Poirot to sort out fact from fancy, since her son has now taken his father's place.

"The Veiled Lady" - (3 October, 1923) Just as Poirot laments that the criminal underworld fears to do anything interesting with him around, a blackmail victim (hence the veil, for discretion) engages him to retrieve a compromising letter. The story plays out in a way inviting comparison with Doyle's "The Case of Charles Augustus Milverton".

"The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman" - (24 October, 1923) Dr. Hawker, a neighbour, is summoned from an evening at Poirot's by an emergency call from Count Foscatini, but nobody at his apartment building knows of anything wrong - and when the manager lets them in with a passkey, the Count is found dead in the empty flat, hit from behind by a marble statue.

"The Case of the Missing Will" - (31 October, 1923) Miss Violet Marsh's uncle disapproved of book-learning, especially for women. But she was his only relation, so upon his death, his will offered a sporting challenge: his house is at her disposal for a year, before going to charity. She engages Poirot to find the missing will. I also recommend Dorothy L. Sayers' "The Problem of Uncle Meleager's Will" (see _Lord Peter Views the Body_), in which an uncle chose to attack a quite different characteristic.

"The Lost Mine" - (21 November, 1923) As with 'The Chocolate Box', Hastings is relaying a story that Poirot has told him: the story of how Poirot came to earn a fee paid with 14000 shares in the Burma Mines, Limited.

This is the first collection of Poirot short stories, originaly published in 1924. Christie appears to have been very heavily influenced by the Sherlock Holmes stories while writing these. The relationship between Poirot and Hastings is very like that of Holmes/Watson, the stories in general are reminiscent of some of the Sherlock Holmes stories, particularly "The Veiled Lady" and "A Scandal in Bohemia". While the tone and settings of the stories are somewhat derivative the solutions are pure Christie.

The stories included in this collection are:
The Adventure of the Western Star
The Tragedy of Marsdon 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
The Lost Mine
The Chocolate Box

Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie's wonderful Belgium creation, plows through the short stories in Poirot Investigates with somewhat less literary success than he does through the author's delightful Poirot novels. The short story form does not suit the mystery as practiced by Christie as there are always too few suspects and too few clues (or red herrings) and it becomes easier and easier to guess the solution. The author relies too heavily on similar devices, particularly the use of disguises (taken to an unbelievable level in "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" but stretching at the levels of credibility even before then). The stories can still be delightful for Poirot fans and there is even a story in which the great detective gets it wrong. Perhaps on a muggy, steamy day (like today for me) these stories can be fun when one wants to read a mystery but realizes the air is too heavy to concentrate for more than a dozen or so pages at a time. Recommended for those already enamored of the Belgian and his little gray cells. Not so much for readers new to Christie.

This was Christie's second Poirot book and the first collection of Poirot short stories. The stories are taut, well-plotted, and surprise endings abound. Not all the cases are murders, but Poirot acquits himself admirably no matter what type conundrum he faces. To me, Poirot is more enjoyable in the short story format than in novel-length stories. The plots have to be simpler, the cast of suspects smaller, and the clues and red herrings less abundant.

Christie's Poirot is still heavily indebted to Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes. I don't mean this as a negative. Doyle's Holmes was likewise heavily indebted to Edgar Allen Poe's Dupin. Let's catalog a few of Christie's more obvious borrowings from Doyle. Many of the stories are entitled "The Adventure of . . ." Almost all Doyle's short stories were entitled "The Adventure of . . ." As the first story opens, Poirot and Captain Hastings (aka Dr. Watson) are living in a second story apartment and have a landlady. The first story opens like Doyle's "Beryl Coronet" or "Case of Identity", and has a denouement strongly suggestive of "The Mazarin Stone". One story, "The Adventure of the Cheap Flat", is an interesting twist on the plot of "The Red Headed League". In one story Captain Hastings is seen fetching books off the bookshelf for Poirot just as Watson did for Holmes. Once Poirot echoes Holmes when he says "You know my methods by now, use them." "The Veiled Lady" takes its title from Doyle's "The Veiled Lodger", its opening from "A Scandal in Bohemia", and its plot is a very interesting twist on "Charles Augustus Milverton".

Christie is beginning to declare her independence from Doyle's influence, however, as evidenced by Poirot's disdainful recitation of Holmes' methods for examining crime scenes. Christie even attempts to put Poirot above Holmes when she has Poirot solve a mystery that stumped Holmes. One of Holmes' rare failures was the incredible mystery of Mr. James Phillimore (who stepped back into his house to get his umbrella and was nevermore seen in this world). Poirot solves a very similar case in "The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim". Christie even includes one of his failures, "The Chocolate Box". This story ends with Poirot asking Hastings "If at any time you think I am growing conceited. . . . You shall say to me `chocolate box', it is agreed?" just as Holmes once said to Watson "If it should ever strike you that I am getting a little overconfident in my powers . . . kindly whisper `Norbury' in my ear. . . ."

POIROT INVESTIGATES is the first short story collection of Agatha Christie's legendary Belgium detective. All the Poirot trademarks are here, his incredible vanity, his desire for neatness and order, the brilliance of his 'little grey cells'. Captain Hastings is ever present in these adventures, always baffled, loyal to the core, the perfect Watson. There are many great stories in this volume, including The Kidnapped Prime Minsiter, The Adventure of the Egyptian's Tomb, and The Veiled Lady. One should especially read the final story in this volume The Chocolate Box because it is a tale of one of Poirot's rare failures. It's also one of her better short story puzzles.

This volume is typical of Dame Christie and is immensely readable. Many of the stories show the cleverness that would soon become her trademark. I feel, however, that many of her other volumes of short stories are sharper than these, especially Miss Marple's first short story collection The Thirteen Problems, one of the more important volumes of short stories in mystery fiction. But these are still enjoyable and baffling. It is a fine addition to your Christie library and is highly entertaining, which, of course, was Christie's goal in the first place.

This is a very pleasant collection of short stories;
Although we have a tipical Poirot and the Agatha Christie style is evident, I think it was intended as a sort of tribute to the Sherlock Holmes adventures: the titles, subject matter and general feel reminded me of those. These stories are to be found also in the tv series starring David Suchet.

Feeling a bit bruised from my encounter with Marquez (see my review of One Hundred Years of Solitude (P.S.)) I sought some solace with an old friend. Dame Christie did not disappoint. _Poirot Investigates_ is a collection of brief (15 - 25 page) mysteries. While I am more familiar with her longer work (my personal favorite is And Then There Were None; Ustinov was great in Death on the Nile, although David Suchet *is* Poirot as demonstrated in Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Definitive Collection) I had not previously read her shorter works. I was entertained.

What strikes me most in reading this collection is the characterization - the mannerisms of Poirot and the banter between the Belgian detective and Cpt. Hastings - the similarities between sleuth and side-kick have become a bit of a cliche by now, but in Christie's writing they seem honest and fresh. The stories themselves are the literary version of a petit four: they are sweet, short, empty calories and can be consumed in a few minutes. Just what I needed, and perfect diversionary reading. Some of the mysteries had me calling "foul!" as a critical piece of information was witheld (a suspect's shoes, the speed of an ocean liner), but most of the time Christie provided all the information one needs to figure out the puzzle. The variety in the collection also kept the reading fresh - tales of murder, stolen gems, missing persons, blackmail and my favorite - a missing will.

This is ideal summer reading, given the length of the stories and the content. Also recommended for those seeking a bit of "lighter" reading, and especially for fans of Christie in general and of Poirot in particular.

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

Fine collection of stories with Hastings narrating all of them. Humorous and far fetched and still diverting enough to finish. A nice way to see Poirot's earlier cases plus one he even failed -(the best story of the bunch.) Compared to her other story collections, this one isn't great, but it's still highly readable. Try her Witness for the Prosecution collection, too and the shorter Jane Marple pieces. They make a well rounded whole. Christie was skilled in many forms of writing (novels, plays, etc, even romance, under another name)

The book contains Poirot mysteries that were also produced for the television series. Reading the book, I was immediately familiar with several of the stories- but was quickly disappointed completely.

Each mystery is presented as brief as possible, almost in a Cliff Notes fashion-- no, make that in newspaper-article fashion. There is little in the way of atmosphere, almost no character development. The names of faceless characters in each story swim by, surrounded by a brevity of facts and mismash of details, with Poirot incredibly solving each in the final paragraph. In many of the mysteries, Poirot presents the solution with facts from out of nowhere. Each mystery has the feel of a book report written in 200 words or less. I'm halfway through the book, and Poirot's signature moustache has not even been mentioned once!

The book is subtitled "A Hercule Poirot Anthology", and should be treated as such: a miscellaneous assortment of.. not much. If you're looking for a good read, go elsewhere. This one is not worth a look.