The Labors of Hercules

The Labors of Hercules (Poirot, 26), Agatha Christie. Wm. Morrow Paperbacks (ISBN: 9780061746383) 2006, first published 1947.

Summary: As Poirot approaches retirement, he solves twelve cases that parallel the “labors” of his namesake, Hercules.

One evening, an old friend drops by for a social visit. In the course of conversation, the subject of Poirot’s Christian name comes up, one actually derived from Greek mythology. Later, they discuss his approaching retirement and how he might conclude his career, joking about “the twelve labours of Hercules.” After his guest departs, Poirot ponders this aside and determines that he will indeed take on twelve cases that mimic the twelve labors of Hercules. And so the remainder of the book chronicles Poirot moving from and solving them one by one.

The Nemean Lion. In this case, the “lion” is a kidnapped Pekingese dog who is a “veritable lion.” Several Pekingese have been kidnapped from their owners and returned unharmed for a ransom.

The Lernaean Hydra. Letters claiming Dr. Oldfield poisoned his wife are like a “many headed hydra” and destroying the innocent doctor’s practice. But when the body is exhumed, she has indeed been poisoned with arsenic!

The Arcadian Deer. A car breakdown results in meeting a mechanic reminding Poirot of an Arcadian shepherd. The mechanic recognizes Poirot and asks his help to find Nita, a maid to a famous dancer he’d briefly met and fell in love with. She is Poirot’s Arcadian deer.

The Erymanthian Boar. Enroute to a remote lodge, Poirot receives a note from Lementeuil, the Swiss Commissaire of Police, who has recognized him. As it turns out, Marrascaud, who Lementeuil describes as a “wild boar” is going to the same lodge. Marrascaud is a gangster connected to many killings. But Poirot, eager to help, struggles to identify him from among the guests.

The Augean Stables. So, Poirot is back in England, called on the new prime minister to deal with scurrilous rumors about his wife. He devises a clever solution to clean out the “Augean Stables” of rumors.

The Stymphalean Birds. Harold Waring, a British undersecretary is on holiday when two Polish women, reminiscent of birds in their appearance, blackmail him. These are the “Stymphalean Birds” However, Poirot discovers they are not the real blackmailers.

The Cretan Bull. Diana Maberly is engaged to a Hugh Chandler, a promising officer and a “bull of a young man.” But after he breaks off the engagement, claiming he is going insane. Diana asks Poirot to investigate.

The Horses of Diomedes. A doctor seeks Poirot’s help with a young girl, Sheila Grant who is developing a cocaine addiction. Poirot likens drug purveyors to the horses of Diomedes, who feed on human flesh. But as in many cases, things are not what they seem.

The Girdle of Hippolyta. An art owner asks Poirot to investigate the theft of a Rubens painting, The Girdle of Hippolyta. However, another case of a missing schoolgirl interests him more. Subsequently, we discover there is a connection between the two cases.

The Flock of Geryon. The Pekingese kidnapper of The Nemean Lion turns over a new leaf by offering to help Poirot expose a religious huckster (“Geryon”) connected with the deaths of three wealthy women. But her undercover work in the cult puts her own life at risk.

The Apples of the Hesperides. The apples here are on a goblet an art collector bought at auction. But thieves stole the goblin before he received it. He asks Poirot to track it down, a journey that will take him to a remote convent.

The Capture of Cerberus. Cerberus is Dou-Dou, the guard dog at a popular night club run by Poirot’s old friend, Madame Rossakoff. He learns of a drug ring operating out of the club, of an impending raid, and helps Inspector Japp to find who is behind it.

What a novel way to present twelve Poirot short stories and tie them all together. Each one is about the length of what one might read at a sitting. Instead of long, twisty plots, we have short ones with a few twists and a quick denouement. And then Poirot matches his namesake and can retire with honor!

Hickory Dickory Dock (Hercule Poirot, 34), Agatha Christie. William Morrow (ISBN: 9780062073969) 2011 (first published in 1955).

Summary: Poirot’s secretary’s sister is warden at a student hostel subject to a baffling string of petty thefts.

Miss Lemon never makes mistakes. So when Poirot’s secretary makes three mistakes on a routine letter, Poirot deduces there is something wrong. It turns out Miss Lemon’s sister, Mrs. Hubbard is dealing with a troubling string of thefts. Mrs. Hubbard is the warden at a student boarding house. Men live on one side, the women on the other, and students from many countries as well as England live there. There seems no rhyme or reason to the thefts: a shoe, a stethoscope, a bracelet, a powder compact, a cookbook, some lightbulbs, some old flannel trousers, a box of chocolates, a rucksack, a silk scarf, some boracic powder, some green ink, and a diamond ring.

As it turns out, the baffling character of the list intrigues Poirot, and he agrees to investigate. Under the pretense of a talk on crime, Poirot meets the students, and at the end recommends calling in the police. While Mrs. Nicoletis, the hostel owner, tries to stall, Poirot’s recommendation gets results. One of the girls, Celia Austin, confesses to some of the thefts and promises restitution. Later that evening, she announces her engagement to another resident, Colin McNabb, a psychology graduate student.

However, this apparently happy ending quickly turns more serious. Celia is found dead of a morphine overdose, apparently a suicide from the scrap of a note left behind. But the authorities quickly see through this. Someone in the house murdered Celia. The murder reveals the problems beneath the placid appearances, and many of the students are plausible suspects.

Only one is the killer and before this is over, two more will die. As Poirot aids in the investigation, the thefts and incidents Celia wasn’t responsible for, and the order in which they took place, become important. Things as baffling as a cut up rucksack and missing lightbulbs are key. In the process, it is apparent that much more than petty theft is going on.

In addition to serious crime, it turns out the murderer got away with murder in the past. But not with Poirot!

This is the first mystery I can think of to take place in a student boarding house. What an ideal setting for a household full of suspects. Not only that, Christie creates an interesting cast of characters and a liberal number of red herrings. It was fun to try to unravel this one!

Peril at End House (Hercule Poirot, 8), Agatha Christie. William Morrow (ISBN: 9780063376014) 2024 (First published in 1932).

Summary: “Nick” Buckley has several “accidents” which Poirot believes are attempts on her life by someone in her inner circle.

Poirot and his old friend Captain Hastings are united for a stay at a Cornish resort. During an encounter with a young actress, Magdala “Nick” Buckley, something buzzes past them that they take for a wasp–until Poirot spots a hole in Buckley’s hat and a bullet on the ground. Then she confides that this is the latest in a string of “accidents.” Poirot suspects there is more to them than that. And his investigation confirms his fears, though Nick seems determined to defy death. Poirot believes someone in her inner circle is trying to kill her. In typical Poirot fashion, he takes on the mission of defending the lady and finding the murderer.

The inner circle are gathered around End House, the property Nick has inherited and struggles to maintain–a house with a questionable history. Charles Vyse is the lawyer cousin who arranged a mortgage for her to keep the house. She is hosting several friends. Her closest is Freddie Rice, a wife in an abusive marriage and closet cocaine user. Jim Lazarus, an art dealer is in love with Freddie. He also offered to buy a painting from Nick well above market value. Captain Challenger is a military officer with affections for Nick that she has indulged but not returned. Mr. and Mrs. Croft are transplanted Aussies renting a nearby lodge. They encouraged Nick to make a will before surgery six months earlier. They mailed it but Charles claims it was never received. Finally, there is Ellen, the housekeeper, who closely watches all the goings on at End House.

Poirot suggests Nick have the company of a trusted friend. Nick invites her cousin Maggie, a minister’s daughter. Shortly after her arrival, Maggie hosts a garden party. At one point, Maggie borrows a scarlet wrap of Nick’s. Masked by fireworks, gunshots take her life. Meanwhile, Nick had absented herself to take a phone call.

Next morning, Poirot notes the story of the death of a wealthy airman, Michael Seton. He surmises that Nick was his secret fiancée and stood to inherit the flyer’s wealth. So, for her safety, Poirot arranges her seclusion in a sanitarium with no visitors allowed. Yet somehow a box of chocolates laced with cocaine gets to her and she nearly dies from an overdose. The card said they were from Poirot.

Motive, and the contents of the missing will from Nick are on his mind. Freddie seems a prime suspect, having sent chocolates. And she is a cocaine addict. But Poirot is not so sure. So he stages a gathering at End House after Nick’s will turns up. The “official” word is that Nick died from the overdose. There will be a reading of the will. Poirot then suggests a seance, with Hastings as medium. And here, Nick stages her ultimate performance, triggering all sorts of mayhem and the exposure of the murderer.

To sum up, I thought this one of Christie’s near greats. The ingenious plot leaves you guessing and scratching your head and asking at the end, “why didn’t I see that?”. But we’re not the only ones, as you will see.

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Curtain, (Hercule Poirot, 44) Agatha Christie. William Morrow (ISBN: 9780062074096) 2011 (first published in 1975).

Summary: In Poirot’s last case, he and Captain Hastings reunite at Styles to catch a murderer involved in but unsuspected in five murders.

It all began with The Mysterious Affair at Styles when Poirot and Arthur Hastings team up to solve a murder. Now they are back at the country manor of Styles once more. But this time, the matter is far more urgent. Poirot believes that their is a mysterious figure identified as X in the party. X has committed at least five murders and gotten off unsuspected in each case. Poirot believes he is out to murder again. He has asked for Hastings help.

Poirot is a dying man. He has a heart that is failing, arthritic joints that confine him to a wheel chair, and he is a shadow of his former self. Only his hair and moustache are still black. Hastings is there to be his eyes and ears. But this is hard for Hastings. He wants to know who the murderer is and spends most of the story trying to figure that out. Yet Poirot won’t reveal what he knows. It could be deadly for his old friend, who has a hard time with secrets.

Colonel and Mrs. Luttrell now own and run Styles. The guests all know each other. Sir William Boyd-Carrington has invited Dr. John Franklin and his wife Barbara, often needy of bedrest. Hastings daughter Judith is a research assistant with Dr. Franklin. Major Allerton is a ladies man. Hastings fears he will try to make Judith his next conquest, so much so that he makes a failed attempt to murder him. Elizabeth Cole is the sister of the accused in one of the murders. And Norton is a quiet, retiring type who spends his time watching birds, as well as the other guests.

A certain sense of foreboding rests over the party. At one point, Mrs. Luttrell is accidentally wounded when Colonel fires at what he thinks a rabbit. Paradoxically, the accident draws them closer. Then, after a busy day with Boyd-Carrington in town, Barbara Franklin dies under suspicious circumstances. Even Judith is a suspect. Is this once again the work of X? And why did Poirot not stop him?

In the end Poirot does stop the killer in a most unusual ending that I will not spoil. It will be his last time working with Hastings and as some editions note, his last case. What is fascinating is that this was actually written in the 1940’s and locked up until late in the author’s life, along with Miss Marple’s last case. Certainly, in terms of plotting, it reflects Christie at her peak rather than in her later works. It reflects an interesting decision to plan the denouement of her detective before her own. And Styles and Hastings provide the ideal bookends to Poirot’s illustrious career.