Written by Agatha Christie & Cover Illustration by Jenny Tylden-Wright
SUMMARY:
Dating back to 1923, this 246-page reprint was published by Harper Paperbacks in 1992. This paperback assembles fourteen Hercule Poirot short stories, with the diminutive Belgian sleuth at the height of his deductive powers. Accompanied by the ever-loyal Captain Arthur Hastings, Poirot’s assorted mysteries mostly set in 1920’s London appear as follows:
- The Adventure of the ‘Western Star.’ With ominous threats of theft imperiling a pair of priceless diamonds, Poirot and Hastings intercede to protect two different clients.
- Tragedy at Marsdon Manor. A routine insurance company case darkly suggests that a businessman’s suicide may well have been premeditated murder.
- The Adventure of the Cheap Flat. Poirot smells skullduggery after a married couple of Hastings’ acquaintance lucks out in renting a highly-coveted apartment for a fraction of its value.
- The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge. With Poirot at home convalescing from the flu, Hastings and Scotland Yard’s Inspector Japp must decipher a baffling homicide at a secluded country home.
- A Million Dollar Bond Robbery. After a British bank’s invaluable Liberty bonds are pilfered during an overseas voyage to New York City, Poirot suspects that this vanishing act is likely an inside job.
- The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb. Multiple suspicious deaths linked to a high-profile archaeological dig send Poirot and Hastings to the Egyptian desert in search of a killer.
- The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan. Poirot & Hastings’ seaside vacation is interrupted by the theft of a fellow guest’s pearl necklace.
- The Kidnapped Prime Minister. Seeking to avert a national crisis, the Belgian sleuth must solve the ingenious wartime abduction of the British Prime Minister.
- The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim. Poirot accepts Scotland Yard Inspector Japp’s bet that he can unravel a banker’s baffling disappearance without leaving his apartment.
- The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman. Accompanying a physician friend, Poirot and Hastings become involved in examining the violent homicide of an Italian businessman.
- The Case of the Missing Will. At risk of losing a substantial inheritance, a would-be heiress hires Poirot and Hastings to locate her late uncle’s hidden will.
- The Veiled Lady. Poirot & Hastings tangle with an insidious blackmailer harassing their female client prior to her high-profile wedding.
- The Lost Mine. Hastings learns how a homicide led Poirot to obtain his investment in a Burmese mining company.
- The Chocolate Box. In a flashback to his days as a Belgian policeman, Poirot confides in Hastings of a rare instance where his deductive reasoning failed him on a homicide case.
REVIEW:
It’s a definite eye-opener revisiting these tales after seeing them expanded and/or altered by David Suchet’s high-caliber TV series. Nearly all fourteen stories merit multiple reads, as Christie’s Poirot is in vintage form. Among this book’s gems are “The Chocolate Box;” “The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge;” and “The Kidnapped Prime Minister.”
It’s tempting to deem “The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim” another masterpiece, but its similarity to Sherlock Holmes’ “The Man With the Twisted Lip,” is frankly hard to dismiss. Between the two of them, Christie’s inspired twists convey a more plausible enigma than what Sir Arthur Conan Doyle had devised.
Some of these stories aren’t too remarkable, such as “The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan;” “The Veiled Lady;” “The Lost Mine;” and “The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman.” Yet, they’re still satisfying reads. As an amusing trifle, “The Case of the Missing Will” is a worthwhile change-of-pace, as there isn’t a homicide or jewel heist in sight.
However, an initially-promising opener (The Adventure of the ‘Western Star’) is the book’s sole detriment. Christie’s unnecessary usage of glaring racist Chinese stereotypes (including a contemptuous recurring slur) ruins “Western Star” enough that this first story deserves being skipped altogether. It’s unfathomable why the present-day publisher couldn’t have edited Christie’s offensive text in an appropriate manner.
There are a few other quirks to this collection that might be surprising. For instance, “Tragedy at Marsdon Manor” is unusual by Christie’s standards re: its violently abrupt finish. “Marsdon Manor” and “Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb,” as fair warning, also tease ghoulishly supernatural elements that may not play well with readers. In another instance, Poirot’s near-omniscient deductions during “The Adventure of the Cheap Flat” may ring hollow due to such an outlandish plot.
Despite a few blips, the novel stays anchored to a plausible sense of 1920’s reality. Aside from its disappointing opener, Poirot Investigates makes a reliable bedtime read for both Christie buffs and casual mystery fans alike.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
There’s a table of contents.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 8 Stars
