POIROT INVESTIGATES
UK publication: 1924 (Bodley Head)
US publication: 1925 (Dodd, Mead)
Detective: Hercule Poirot
Genre: Short stories
Plot
summary and comments: Short stories starring Poirot, originally serialized
in the weekly paper The Sketch (London). The British edition contains
11 stories, while there are 14 in the American. The 11 are:
- The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman (includes Inspector
Japp)
- The Case of the Missing Will (a young woman seeks out Poirot)
- The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb (deaths of a number of people involved
in the opening of a Tutankhamun-like tomb)
- The Kidnapped Prime Minister
- The Adventure of the Western Star
- The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor
- The Adventure of the Cheap Flat
- The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge
- The Million Dollar Bond Robbery
- The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan
- The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim
In the American edition, additionally: The Lost Mine; The Chocolate Box; The Veiled Lady . (The 3 American stories were eventually published in England in Poirot's Early Cases).
::READERS REVIEWS::
"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
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. . . ."
"This
is a very good light book of Poirot stories, including his very first
case as a detective when he was still in Belgium. I strongly reccommend
that once the book is finished, the readers should watch the TV series
starring David Suchet and Hugh Fraser. Lavishly produced, the series enhances
the book."
"Vey
good book with all the little details a reader wants : mystery, very good
plot and puzzles, short stories in order not to tire you. I recommend
it because of its unique caracter."
::YOUR OPINION::
