Review: Poirot Investigates

Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot #3)
by Agatha Christie
Mystery
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Plot Summary:

The very first collection of superb short stories featuring Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings...

First there was the mystery of the film star and the diamond! then came the 'suicide' that was murder! the mystery of the absurdly chaep flat! a suspicious death in a locked gun-room! a million dollar bond robbery! the curse of a pharoah's tomb! a jewel robbery by the sea! the abduction of a Prime Minister! the disappearance of a banker! a phone call from a dying man! and, finally, the mystery of the missing willl. What links these fascinating cases? Only the brilliant deductive powers of Hercule Poirot!

Review:

This is a wonderful short story collection!  Every story features a mystery that is well set-up, difficult to solve, and an utter surprise when Poirot explains it all in the end.  It's still so astonishing to me how inventive Agatha Christie can be, and how well she can craft a solid mystery in only a few pages.  In this book there is more to learn of Poirot and his quirks, as well as a finer shading of Hastings' character as you see how low-key petty he can be in the face of Poirot's delightful arrogance.  I feel bad for Hastings sometimes, but I also find it amusing how he can almost want to see Poirot fail just because Poirot is so self-assured.

There are many stand out stories in this book, but I think my favorite is The Kidnapped Prime Minister.  The misdirection, and the stakes of the story gives it a lot of interest.  And there is something satisfying in seeing Poirot poised for failure, but triumphant in the end.  I have to note the last story in the book - The Chocolate Box - which is a story that Poirot tells Hastings of a past case when he was still in Belgium, where he 'failed', and it's so interesting to have that side of him in this book.  Obviously Poirot is still a marvel, but I like that this story humanized him a bit more.

I love this particular collection of Poirot short stories because it is early days for Poirot, and the later mysteries can get a bit sadder and more poignant.  And because these are short stories, the mysteries come off as more of a romp and are thoroughly enjoyable for it.

Review: The Murder on the Links

The Murder on the Links (Hercule Poirot #2)
by Agatha Christie
Mystery
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Plot Summary:

An urgent cry for help brings Hercule Poirot to France. But he arrives too late to save his client, whose brutally stabbed body now lies facedown in a shallow grave on a golf course.

But why is the dead man wearing an overcoat that is too big for him? And for whom was the impassioned love letter in the pocket? Before Poirot can answer these questions, the case is turned upside down by the discovery of a second, identically murdered corpse.…

Review:

This is another ingenious mystery of course.  Even though I'm re-reading this (albeit many years later), there was a shocker moment when the real murderer was revealed.  I was just not expecting it at all.  And I love that Christie can always surprise in her mysteries!

The building of this mystery was especially good I think.  Because there are so many details to go over, and Christie masterfully parcels out all the information and then gradually starts explaining parts of it.  Yet there is still that surprise in the end.  The story also introduces a French detective - Giraud  - who is a counterpoint to Poirot and his methods, and it's fun to read about their antagonism.  Especially when you know Poirot will triumph in the end.

This story is also an important one for the character of Captain Hastings.  I thought the romance was a little swift between him and his 'Cinderella', but it is very sweet and I love that Poirot is always looking out for Hastings, even if Hastings is not exactly up to doing the same for Poirot.  That point was a bit sad for me actually - that Hastings could not trust Poirot enough.  But their friendship has always had a bit of an edge, because Poirot can be exasperating sometimes.  But in a good way to me!

This is a well crafted and mystifying mystery and it is so easy to fall in love with the setting, the storytelling and the character of Poirot.

Review: The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot #1)
by Agatha Christie
Mystery
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Plot Summary:

In her first published mystery, Agatha Christie introduced readers to her Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. Poirot, a Belgian refugee of the Great War, is settling in England near the home of Emily Cavendish, who helped him to his new life. His friend Hastings arrives as a guest at her home. When the woman is killed, Poirot uses his detective skills to solve the mystery.

The story is told in the first person by Hastings, and features many of the elements that have become icons of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, largely due to Christie's influence. It is set in a large, isolated country manor. There are a half-dozen suspects, most of whom are hiding facts about themselves. The plot includes a number of red herrings and surprise twists.

Review:

This book is momentous alone for being Agatha Christie's first mystery, and for it being the first case for her famous detective Hercule Poirot.  The atmosphere, the eclectic mix of characters and British sensibilities, makes this a wonderful read as well.  There is something so immersive about a Christie novel - she is adept at setting up a story and the characters quickly, and weaving up a mass of details and drama.  This is rather a short book for a Christie novel, so even though the characters feel natural and realistic, they are sort of only there to prop up the mystery.

In this mystery, there really is a sense that the reader is being given all the clues (through the delightfully clueless Arthur Hastings) - even with drawings of the rooms, and facsimiles of the tangible evidence.  Every detail is given, but in the end it is Poirot who must unite and clarify and this is all done so skillfully through Christie's writing.  I felt just as Hastings did, a little awed and a little abashed that I couldn't draw the right conclusions.

Poirot, with all of his eccentricities and quirks, seems fully formed and riveting in this book.  It is interesting to me that Poirot is so completely what he will be in the next books of his series - he's so unique too in his fastidious and exacting manner that it surprises me that Christie had such a grip on his character from the very first.  Poirot is a character who has always delighted me, and I love the sense that he is a formidable personality, while also being kind and generous to everyone.  Hastings, too, has always appealed to me - he's the perfect foil to Poirot - very British and correct, and observant enough of Poirot to be of aid to him.  And there is such a droll sense of humor in how many times Hastings dismisses Poirot's words or actions when it doesn't fit in with his own ideas and conclusions.  Hastings is so well meaning, but completely unaware of how badly he follows in Poirot's detective footsteps.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a wonderful mystery too - it's pretty impossible to guess the murderer I think, and the twist in the end is absolutely genius.  The methodology of the murder is so clever as well - this is a mystery that is packed with incident and suspense, and is a perfect beginning for Poirot.

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[This book is a reread for me - when I was in high school and into college, I read all of Poirot's mysteries, but lately I've had a longing to reread his stories, so I plan to read and review them for my blog - in order of publication.  It's a long oeuvre, so I won't rush to complete it - I'll just sprinkle in a Poirot mystery now and again!]