The Labours of Hercules by Agatha Christie

Polished off another set of Poirot mysteries last night. This time, Hercule Poirot apparently wants to retire, and takes on a final twelve mysteries that fit into the twelve Labours of Hercules - handy, that the twelve mysteries all fit in in some clear way. I say apparently, because the list of books on the back of this paperback lists this as 26 out of 39 books, and the 39th book is Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (which I read some time ago but would love to read again).

An enjoyable little read, with an unexpected entrance from one of the characters from The Big Four, which was number five on the list.

In fact, here is the list given on the back of the book, with the ones I am sure I have read in red:

1. The Mysterious Affair at Styles
2. The Murder on the Links
3. Poirot Investigates
4. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
5. The Big Four
6. The Mystery of the Blue Train
7. Black Coffee
8. Peril at End House
9. Lord Edgware Dies
10. Murder on the Orient Express (I read this in French, for fun!)
    
11. Three-Act Tragedy
12. Death in the Clouds
13. The ABC Murders
14. Murder in Mesopotamia
15. Cards on the Table
16. Murder in the Mews
17. Dumb Witness
18. Death on the Nile
19. Appointment with Death
20. Hercule Poirot's Christmas
21. Sad Cypress
22. One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
23. Evil Under the Sun
24. Five Little Pigs
25. The Hollow
26. The Labours of Hercules
27. Taken at the Flood
28. Mrs McGinty's Dead
29. After the Funeral
30. Hickory Dickory Dock
31. Dead Man's Folly
32. Cat Among the Pigeons
33. The Adventures of the Christmas Pudding
34. The Clocks
35. Third Girl
36. Hallowe'en Party
37. Elephants can Remember
38. Poirot's Early Cases
39. Curtain: Poirot's Last Case

I think I have probably read some of the others too, and although I can remember many of the titles, I cannot remember 'whodunnit' in most, if not all, the above red books! And there must be more, for example Ten Little Indians (or alternative title) and At Bertram's Hotel are not mentioned here. Could they be all the Poirot books? In which case, his Labours were by no means the last mysteries he investigated! I used to love reading Agatha Christie books when I was a teenager. Still do - although I am probably more aware of the stylistic features being employed now!

The Big Four by Agatha Christie

I finally got round to joining my local library today. Should have done it ages ago, but the school library has been sufficient until now! I've taken out a few books, including a couple of Agatha Christie's that I don't think I've read before.

Well, I know I haven't read The Big Four before. I started it as I waited for H to use the internet in the library, continued on the DLR, and have finished it while watching Michael Jackson's Moonwalk and Newsnight.

This time Poirot and Hastings are trying to find out the identity of the Big Four, criminal masterminds from around the world who want to spread anarchy and fear in the world, and who may already have been responsible for some of the recent atrocities in the world. Needless to say, his little grey cells are put to work and he organises his evidence in order to try and find the answers before any more people are murdered. Lots of intrigue, as befits Agatha Christie.