Poirot's Early Cases is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by Collins Crime Club in September 1974. The book retailed at £2.25. under the slightly different title of Hercule Poirot's Early Cases in an edition retailing at $6.95.

Robert Barnard: "A late collection of early stories (most from the 'twenties), which had been published in the States but not in Britain. This may suggest discarded chips from the workshop, but in fact the standard here is distinctly higher than the stories in Poirot Investigates, which were the ones Christie did publish at the time."

Film, television or theatrical adaptations

Early television play

Wasp's Nest was the first Agatha Christie story to be adapted for television; a live transmission took place on 18 June 1937. Christie adapted it for the screen, and transmission was restricted to a small area in and around London.

British television series

All the stories in the collection have been adapted for episodes in the ITV series Agatha Christie's Poirot with David Suchet in the role of Poirot, Hugh Fraser as Hastings, Philip Jackson as Japp and Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon. Fifteen stories were directly adapted, while one story was merged into another episode, and two stories were reworked by the author, with new titles, which were then adapted for television in the series.

Fifteen adaptations (in order of transmission) were:

Series One

  • The Adventure of the Clapham Cook: 8 January 1989

Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon are put into the story although they do not appear in the short story.

  • The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly: 22 January 1989

The adaptation has a few changes. Miss Lemon is put into the story though she does not appear in the short story. Inspector McNeil is replaced with recurring character Chief Inspector Japp. Mr Waverly asks Poirot for help, not his wife. When Poirot solves the case, Mr Waverly tells him that Johnnie is with Jessie Withers, Tredwell's niece, not his old nurse. Mr Waverly, Poirot and Hastings go to Jessie's house.

  • The Third Floor Flat: 5 February 1989

The adaptation is faithful to the original short story, except for the addition of Captain Hastings and Miss Lemon and replacing Inspector Rice with Chief Inspector Japp. Donovan Bailey tries to escape during Poirot's denouement and crashes Hastings's car during the attempted runaway when Hastings jumps in front of the car.

  • Problem at Sea: 19 February 1989

The adaptation is faithful to the original story except for adding Captain Hastings to the story and replacing the stewardess in Poirot's denouement with the little girl Ismene.

  • The King of Clubs: 5 March 1989

The adaptation adds Chief Inspector Japp to the story. Poirot and Hastings are on the movie set and there Prince Paul asks Poirot for help, unlike in the short story where he asks the question in Poirot's flat. Valerie Saint Clair is an actress, unlike in the short story, where she is a dancer, and she and Prince Paul are engaged at the outset. There is no mention of a visit to a clairvoyant.

Series Two

  • The Veiled Lady: 14 January 1990

The adaptation adds Miss Lemon to the story. Poirot is arrested as an attempted burglar and Hastings manages to escape; later he informs Japp about the incident, who afterwards lets Poirot go. Gertie has an accomplice who pretended to be Lavington and Lavington's real name is Lavington indeed, not Reed as it was in the short story.

  • The Lost Mine: 21 January 1990

The adaptation adds Miss Lemon to the story and replaces Inspector Miller with Chief Inspector Japp. Charles Lester has a wife who visits Poirot, unlike in the short story where the fact about his status is left unknown. Pearson's plan is little changed from the story. In the adaptation he never saw Wu Ling, but in the story he saw him, but acted as if he didn't. Also, Poirot calls Pearson into the den, unlike in the short story where it was Pearson who called Poirot.

  • The Cornish Mystery: 28 January 1990

Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon are put into the story. Mrs. Pengelley wants Poirot to help her but is afraid to go to his flat. In the adaptation, Hastings uses the two men on the street to look like they are police officers in disguise to scare Radnor, unlike in the short story where it is Poirot who does so. This story is set in July 1935, as seen in the victim's casket.

  • Double Sin: 11 February 1990

Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon are put into the story. Joseph Aarons does not appear in the adaptation as Poirot and Hastings go to Windermere on a holiday after Poirot announces that he is going to retire (all to hide the fact that he is actually going there to hear Japp's presentation about the crime cases). Norton Kane becomes a famous writer.

Series Three

  • How Does Your Garden Grow?: 6 January 1991

The adaptation has a few changes. Captain Hastings is put into the story. Inspector Simms has been replaced by Chief Inspector Japp. Poirot meets Miss Barrowby at an event about the new rose. In the original short story, he got Miss Barrowby's letter long after her death and then went to her house to investigate.

  • The Affair at the Victory Ball: 20 January 1991

Miss Lemon is put into the story. Poirot is at the Victory Ball with Hastings and Japp, unlike in the original short story, where he heard about the case from Chief Inspector Japp, as he wasn't at the Victory Ball himself.

  • Wasp's Nest: 27 January 1991

Captain Hastings, Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon are put into the story. The basic premise of the story is left unchanged but the original story comprised mainly a bare-bones narrative by Poirot and included him recalling events from some time ago. This would have been almost impossible to dramatize as is. In the episode, events are presented sequentially with many added plot elements and scenes.

  • The Double Clue: 10 February 1991

Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon are put into the story. Countess Rossakoff does not go to Poirot's flat; instead, Poirot is with her all the time, and Hastings and Miss Lemon investigate the case by themselves. Poirot employs a private detective to act like a tramp near Hardman's house to throw Hastings and Miss Lemon after the wrong clue. During Poirot's denouement, Japp finds the missing jewels. Afterwards, Poirot is at the train station, where he sees the countess off.

  • The Plymouth Express: 3 March 1991

Miss Lemon is put into the story. Gracie Kidd wasn't in the train at the time the murder happened. Red Narky's name is changed to the surname MacKenzie.

Series Five

  • The Chocolate Box: 21 February 1993 (Note: Some scenes were filmed in Brussels, Belgium.)

There are small differences in the television adaptation of The Chocolate Box from the short story. Captain Hastings is not involved. Poirot and Chief Inspector Japp visit Belgium for Japp to receive the prestigious Branche d'Or (Golden Branch) Award. The case is told in flashback and Poirot admits his error in a circular fashion. The chemist is Belgian, Jean-Louis Ferraud. Virginie Mesnard marries him and has two sons. During the investigation, Poirot and Virginie became close. At the end of the episode, Poirot and Virginie meet again and he tells her that Jean-Louis is most fortunate. The flashback year is changed from 1893 to 1914.

Two of the stories in this collection were reworked by Agatha Christie with new titles, and adapted for television under the new titles, both in series one of Agatha Christie's Poirot. Submarine Plans was extended into The Incredible Theft, which aired 26 February 1989 as the eighth episode of series one. The Market Basing Mystery was reworked as Murder in the Mews, which first aired 15 January 1989 as the second episode in series one. Elements of the remaining story, The Lemesurier Inheritance, were worked into the plot of The Labours of Hercules, which first aired 6 November 2013 in the UK.

French television series

The story The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly was adapted as the twelfth episode of season 2 of the French television series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie, airing in 2016.

Japanese animated television series

Two of the stories (Plymouth Express and The Adventure of the Clapham Cook) were adapted as 2005 episodes of the Japanese animated television series Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple.

Publication history

  • 1974, Collins Crime Club (London), September 1974, Hardcover, 256 pp;
  • 1974, Dodd Mead and Company (New York), 1974, Hardcover, 250 pp;
  • 1975, G.K. Hall & Company Large-print edition, Hardcover, 491 pp;
  • 1978, Fontana Books (Imprint of HarperCollins), Paperback, 224 pp;
  • 1990, Ulverscroft large-print edition, Hardback;

First publication of stories

All but five of the stories were first published in the UK, unillustrated, in The Sketch magazine. Christie wrote them following a suggestion from its editor, Bruce Ingram, who had been impressed with the character of Poirot in The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The stories first appeared in The Sketch as follows:

  • The Affair at the Victory Ball: 7 March 1923 – Issue 1571 (This was Christie's third published short story).
  • The King of Clubs: 21 March 1923 – Issue 1573 (under the title The Adventure of the King of Clubs).
  • The Plymouth Express: 4 April 1923 – Issue 1575 (under the title The Mystery of the Plymouth Express). The plot was later reworked as the novel The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928).
  • The Chocolate Box: 23 May 1923 – Issue 1582 (under the title The Clue of the Chocolate Box).
  • The Veiled Lady: 3 October 1923 – Issue 1601 (under the title The Case of the Veiled Lady).
  • The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly: 10 October 1923 – Issue 1602 (under the title The Kidnapping of Johnny Waverly).
  • The Market Basing Mystery: 17 October 1923 – Issue 1603. Later rewritten and expanded under the title Murder in the Mews, published December 1936 in Woman's Journal.
  • The Submarine Plans: 7 November 1923 – Issue 1606. The plot was later reworked as the novella The Incredible Theft, published in the 1937 collection, Murder in the Mews.
  • The Adventure of the Clapham Cook: 14 November 1923 – Issue 1607.
  • The Lost Mine: 21 November 1923 – Issue 1608.
  • The Cornish Mystery: 28 November 1923 – Issue 1609.
  • The Double Clue: 5 December 1923 – Issue 1610.
  • The Lemesurier Inheritance: 18 December 1923 – Issue 1612.

The remaining stories were published as follows:

  • Double Sin: First published in the 23 September 1928 edition of the Sunday Dispatch.
  • Wasp's Nest: First published in the 20 November 1928 edition of the Daily Mail.
  • The Third Floor Flat: First published in the January 1929 issue of Hutchinson's Adventure & Mystery Story Magazine.
  • How Does Your Garden Grow?: First published in issue 536 of The Strand magazine in August 1935. The story was illustrated by R. M. Chandler.
  • Problem at Sea: First published in issue 542 of The Strand magazine in February 1936 (under the title of Poirot and the Crime in Cabin 66).

The Market Basing Mystery had previously appeared in book form in the UK in the 1966 collection Thirteen for Luck!, which otherwise reprinted stories which had previously appeared in book collections.

US book appearances of stories

Although Poirot's Early Cases was published in the US, all of the stories had previously appeared in the following US collections:

  • Poirot Investigates (1924) – The Chocolate Box, The Veiled Lady, The Lost Mine.
  • The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (1939) – Problem at Sea, How Does Your Garden Grow?
  • Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (1950) – The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly, The Third Floor Flat.
  • The Under Dog and Other Stories (1951) – The Affair at the Victory Ball, The King of Clubs, The Plymouth Express, The Market Basing Mystery, The Submarine Plans, The Adventure of the Clapham Cook, The Cornish Mystery, The Lemesurier Inheritance.
  • Double Sin and Other Stories (1961) – The Double Clue, Double Sin, Wasp's Nest.

References

  • Poirot's Early Cases at the official Agatha Christie website
  • Poirot's Early Cases at the Home of Agatha Christie website