Reviews with content warning for Misogyny - Poirot Investigates

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Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie

9 reviews

ijustreallyliketrees's review

mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

Most of the stories were okay (helped a lot by the fact I was listening to the audiobook while doing household chores and not reading it myself). Can't give it higher than 2 stars because of how much I was cringing at the anti-asian slurs in the first story.

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poirot's review

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adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition

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challenging mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

A collection of 11 short stories featuring Poirot & (unfortunately) Hastings, who still hasn't come to terms with being the comedic relief.

1 - The Adventure of "The Western Star" where the owner of a diamond receives warning that it
will be stolen. Not bad plot-wise but TWs for the racial slurs. 3.5/5

2 - The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor sees a tragic shooting: murder, suicide, or accident? 4/5

3 - The Adventure of the Cheap Flat - strange goings-on at a flat offered for well below market rate
- is it haunted? 3/5

4 - The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge - man killed by a mysterious stranger who disappears into thin
air. 3.5/5

5 - The Million Dollar Bond Robbery - bonds go missing from a locked case aboard a ship. 3/5

6 - The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb - deaths follow the opening of a tomb. Curse? One of the
better stories here. 4/5

7 - The Jewel Robbery at the 'Grand Metropolitan' - more jewellery goes missing. 4/5

8 - The Kidnapped Prime Minister - the (fictional) PM of the UK goes missing before an important
conference. Very good this one. 4/5

9 - The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim - banker goes missing from home. 3.5/5

10 - The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman - Count Foscatini is murdered in London. 3.5/5

11 - The Case of the Missing Will - overblown missing will saga. 3/5

Mixed bag here but none of them are really bad & a couple are rather ingenious in their solutions.

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prashiie's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

“The impossible, it pleases me always.”

Overall it was a satisfactory book. Some solutions that Poirot comes up with felt a little far-fetched. As this book is a collection of short stories, character depth was lacking, which is a pity. It's mainly focused on Poirot and his deductions, and the stories loosely resemble Sherlock Holmes and Watson.

Hastings is still getting teased a lot for his weakness for brown-haired girls. A never-ending story.

“Ah, mon ami, one can have romance without golden-haired girls of matchless beauty – no, I am wrong; it is auburn hair that so excites you always. You remember–”

The story I enjoyed most is the last one called ‘The Chocolate Box’ and it’s part of the US edition only. But no worries, in the UK this story is part of ‘Poirot’s Early Cases’. In this story Poirot tells Hastings about a case where his grey cells failed him. It does not remain a mystery though so no worries, we do get closure! But what I really liked is the ending:

“Forget it. Or no – remember it, and if you think at any time that I am growing conceited – it is not likely, but it might arise.”

“Eh bien, my friend, you shall say to me, ‘Chocolate box’. Is it agreed?”

“After all,” said Poirot reflectively, it was an experience! I, who have undoubtedly the finest brain in Europe at present, can afford to be magnanimous!”

“Chocolate box,” I murmured gently.

“Pardon, mon ami?”

When you think Poirot is humbled, he quickly proves you wrong. Oh Poirot… so smart, yet so clueless.

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emory's review

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adventurous funny lighthearted mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

Fun, entertaining reads, but nowhere near as satisfying as the longer novels (of the two I've read). Poirot is humorous, if a bit irritating in such concentrated bursts, as is his banter with Hastings, and the mysteries are intriguing to tinker over and great for reading on a lunch break. But, with so few pages, the explanations occasionally feel unearned and as if they were cheaply reaching for what the reader is most unlikely to guess. A few didn't fully make sense.

If you'd like to read the mysteries and need to avoid encountering the 1920s racism, skip stories The Western Star and The Cheap Flat in particular, as both include racial slurs and the first includes a racist and orientalist view of a theoretical Chinese character. The story regarding the Egyptian expedition is similar. The final story, The Missing Will, also includes disdain for "modern women", the whole thing seeming to be a setup for a distasteful punchline. Other occasional 1920s-isms throughout.

Standout stories to me were The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor, The Adventure of the Cheap Flat, The Million Dollar Bond Robbery, and The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim. Apparently I read the edition lacking 3 extra stories; I think I'll have to track them down.

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thequeeraunt's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

This is a collection of short stories that amount to brief summaries of some of Hercule Poirot's cases. Most of them are recounted as being told by Poirot to Hastings (and by extension the reader). This is a case of narrative being told rather than shown. And, as with my comments regarding The Big Four, I must warn potential readers about some very casual racist slurs and xenophobia in some of the shorts.

One redeeming quality of this collection is that because the individual case stories are short, it's an easy book to pick up and put down without feeling like you have to finish just one more chapter. I found myself able to enjoy a more leisurely pace through Poirot Investigates, and even with that in mind, I finished it in under a day.

I do think that Christie, like many classic authors, is worth a passing study. Just be aware before you begin reading her works that they now exist in a context very different from the one in which they were originally written.

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lucyselim's review

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adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious reflective fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

This is my first short story collection by Agatha Christie and I thought they were very clever and intriguing. Despite their length I think they are still able to give just enough information for you to investigate yourself without also giving it away. A very enjoyable read.

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mira_pasricha's review

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

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mx_eyebrows's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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