Hercule Poirot’s Casebook (Hercule Poirot, #42)
by Agatha Christie
This collection of fifty short stories with Hercule Poirot is wonderful! Poirot is one of my favorite fictional detectives, and it’s so fun to see all these mysteries being solved very quickly in just a few pages. I love the longer Poirot novels as well, but I enjoyed reading these short stories because I could quickly finish each one within a few minutes when I had little time to read.
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Death on the Nile (Hercule Poirot, #18)
by Agatha Christie
Hercule Poirot is on vacation in Egypt, taking a boat trip down the Nile. Linnet Doyle, a young bride on her honeymoon, asks for Poirot’s help. She has stolen her new husband from her former best friend, Jackie, and now Jackie is following them everywhere they go, pestering them with her very presence. Poirot agrees to talk with Jackie and try to persuade her to leave them alone. He warns Jackie that if she continues on her present course, she will invite evil into her heart. And yet, the next day she is there on the boat, following the newlyweds once again. As he observes their behavior, Poirot begins to worry that some drastic violence will tear apart this love triangle… ending in murder.
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Appointment with Death (Hercule Poirot, #19)
by Agatha Christie
A family group are visiting Jerusalem, and they make the trip to see the ruins of Petra. Their fellow travelers notice that the family seem on edge, nervous, and even afraid. Their mother, Mrs. Boynton, controls every aspect of their lives, and she takes delight in cruelty, torturing them emotionally and mentally for years until they are almost crazed.
When Mrs. Boynton is poisoned at Petra, suspicion falls on each of her children. They are relieved that she is dead. They must have killed her to escape from her brutality. Only Poirot can discover the true killer and sift through the timeline of events that led to Mrs. Boynton’s death.
Murder in Mesopotamia (Hercule Poirot, #14)
by Agatha Christie
A nurse is called in to assist Mrs. Leidner, a lady with a case of nerves. Mrs. Leidner imagines that she sees a face at the window, tapping on the walls, and seems to be afraid of strangers. When a murder seems to confirm Mrs. Leidner’s fears, Poirot is called in to investigate. It is difficult to find definite proof, but Poirot trusts his little gray cells to unravel the mystery of the personalities involved. If he can only understand the personality of each person who was present at the time of the murder, their little jealousies and rivalries will point to the killer. Poirot relies on the eye-witness testimony of the nurse as the only unbiased person there.
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Thirteen at Dinner/ Lord Edgware Dies (Hercule Poirot, #9)
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars
Captain Hastings tells the reader about one of Hercule Poirot’s most baffling cases, a mystery so convoluted that Poirot described it as one of his failures. A disgruntled wife is seen to enter the home of her estranged husband. Hours later he is found dead. But the wife has a perfect alibi; she was at a dinner party with twelve other people. How could she have been in two places at once? Only Poirot can discover the truth!
The Murder on the Links
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars
Hercule Poirot and his friend, Captain Hastings, have been called to a small village in France, where a millionaire is in fear for his life. But when Poirot arrives, the man has already been murdered. The body was discovered nearby on a golf course, and a myriad of conflicting clues surround the murder.
I loved this mystery! All the clues and red herrings kept me guessing and wondering, and it was amazing to see the methodical way in which Poirot sifts through the evidence to find the truth.
When I read the final reveal of who the murderer was, I literally yelled out, “WHAT?!?!” I was completely surprised and amazed, but once I read the explanation, I realized that it made perfect sense. I love being surprised at the end of a Christie novel!
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Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot, #8)
by Agatha Christie
5 out of 5 stars
Hercule Poirot begins to investigate the murderous attempts on the life of Nick Buckley, a pretty young lady living at End House by the seaside. A heavy picture falls, the brakes in her car are cut, a bullet makes a hole in her hat, but she miraculously escapes death each time. All around her are family and friends with a possible motive to kill her, but only Hercule Poirot can unravel the clues to find the truth.
I loved this mystery! So many twists and turns in the plot. I had no idea until the very end who could possibly be the killer. I was completely fooled. Every clue comes together perfectly at the end. Each character is hiding a secret, and it was so interesting to gradually discover their backstories, and speculate about who is lying and who is telling the truth.
I adore Poirot and Hastings. They are such a great team, and I love their merry friendship. The dialogue between them is priceless! I really love the mysteries that are told from Hastings point of view. He’s such a great narrator and sidekick for Poirot.
The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot, #6)
by Agatha Christie
4 out of 5 stars
Poirot is traveling on the blue train when one of the passengers is murdered and a famous ruby called the Heart of Fire is stolen. There are several mysterious clues in the case that only the great Hercule Poirot can bring to light.
Poirot really is one of my favorite detectives! He definitely shines in this book, and I love the way that he is so protective of the innocent victims. He is wonderfully shrewd. His strong temperament pulls the story forward. Even if he is just having tea with some friends, every word takes on a special meaning when Poirot is part of the conversation!
I love the complex characters in this book! There is a lot of focus on unraveling their personalities and there are so many good scenes where they interact and react to one another. I just love the way each person has their own vivid and memorable personality.
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I really loved the cast of characters in this book! The three or four main suspects are quite interesting and strange characters with forceful personalities, but the remaining extra characters are fairly nondescript, staying in the background.
Poirot is absolute perfection, of course, and the delicious Mrs. Oliver is a wonderful oddball, full of imagination and half-finished thoughts.
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