Poirot Investigates is a short story collection written by English author Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by The Bodley Head in March 1924. In the eleven stories, famed eccentric detective Hercule Poirot solves a variety of mysteries involving greed, jealousy, and revenge. The American version of this book, published by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1925, featured a further three stories. The UK first edition featured an illustration of Poirot on the dust jacket by W. Smithson Broadhead, reprinted from the 21 March 1923 issue of The Sketch magazine.

The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6)

The New York Times Book Review chose to review the 1924 UK publication of the novel in its edition of 20 April that year, rather than wait for the 1925 Dodd, Mead publication. The unnamed reviewer liked the book but seemed to consider the stories somewhat clichéd and not totally original, making several comparisons to Sherlock Holmes. He began, "Agatha Christie's hero...is traditional almost to caricature, but his adventures are amusing and the problems which he unravels skilfully tangled in advance." He did admit that "it is to be feared that some of the evidence [Poirot] collects would fare badly in criminal courts" but concluded, "Miss Christie's new book, in a word, is for the lightest of reading. But its appeal is disarmingly modest, and it will please the large public which relishes stories of crime, but likes its crime served decorously."

The Observer of 30 March 1924 said, <blockquote>"The short story is a sterner test of the 'detective' writer than the full-grown novel. With ample space almost any practised writer can pile complication upon complication, just as any man could make a puzzling maze out of a ten-acre field. But to pack mystery, surprise and a solution into three or four thousand words is to achieve a feat. There is no doubt about Miss Christie's success in the eleven tales (why not a round dozen?) published in this volume. All of them have point and ingenuity, and if M. Poirot is infallibly and exasperatingly omniscient, well, that is the function of the detective in fiction."</blockquote> Unlike The New York Times, the reviewer favourably compared some of the stories to those of Sherlock Holmes and concluded, <blockquote>"We hope that the partnership [of Poirot, Hastings and Japp] will last long and yield many more narratives as exciting as these. With The Mysterious Affair at Styles and this volume to her credit (to say nothing of others) Miss Christie must be reckoned in the first rank of the detective story writers."</blockquote>

The Scotsman of 19 April 1924 said, <blockquote>"It might have been thought that the possibilities of the super-detective, for the purposes of fiction, had been almost exhausted. Miss Agatha Christie, however, has invested the type with a new vitality in her Hercule Poirot, and in Poirot Investigates she relates some more of his adventures. Poirot is most things that the conventional sleuth is not. He is gay, gallant, transparently vain, and the adroitness with which he solves a mystery has more of the manner of the prestidigitator than of the cold-blooded, relentless tracker-down of crime of most detective stories. He has a Gallic taste for the dramatic, and in The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor he perhaps gives it undue rein, but mainly the eleven stories in the book are agreeably free from the elaborate contrivance which is always rather a defect in such tales. Poirot is confronted with a problem and Miss Christie is always convincing in the manner in which she shows how he lights upon a clue and follows it up.</blockquote>

Robert Barnard remarked that this was one of her "Early stories, written very much under the shadow of Holmes and Watson." His critique was that "The tricks are rather repetitive and the problems lack variety".

References in other works

The Prime Minister who features in the story The Kidnapped Prime Minister is also referenced in the 1923 short story The Submarine Plans, which was published in book form in the 1974 collection Poirot's Early Cases. It is possible that his name, "David MacAdam", is a Celtic wordplay on the name of the real Prime Minister during the latter days of the First World War, David Lloyd George.

In The Adventure of the Western Star, Lady Yardly was advised to visit Poirot by her friend Mary Cavendish, a long time friend of Hastings. Cavendish appears in The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Christie's first mystery novel, and the one which introduced Hercule Poirot to the literary world.

Adaptations

TV play

The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim was presented on television as a thirty-minute play by CBS as an episode in the series General Electric Theater on 1 April 1962 under the title of Hercule Poirot. Introduced by Ronald Reagan and directed by John Brahm, the adaptation starred Martin Gabel as Poirot. The program was made as a pilot for a series that did not happen; instead it was the debut of the character on English-language television. (An earlier adaptation of the same story starring José Ferrer as Hercule Poirot had been filmed by MGM in 1961 but never aired, and in 1955, German television aired Murder on the Orient Express.)

British television series

All of the stories contained in Poirot Investigates have been adapted as episodes in the ITV television 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. As is the custom with these adaptations, they differ somewhat from their originals.

The Kidnapped Prime Minister was partly filmed in Kent at Ingress Abbey in Greenhithe, St Margaret's Bay and Dover.

The adaptations (in order of transmission) were:

Series Two

  • The Veiled Lady – 14 January 1990

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

  • The Lost Mine – 21 January 1990

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

  • The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim – 4 February 1990

The adaptation see Hastings play a large role, and, in a complete change from the short story, Poirot gets a parrot (leading to one of the famous exchanges: Delivery boy: "I've a parrot here for Mr Poy-rott." Poirot: "It is pronounced 'Pwa-roh'." Delivery boy: "Oh sorry. I've a Poirot here for a Mr Poy-rott.").

  • The Adventure of the Cheap Flat – 18 February 1990

Miss Lemon is inserted into the story. Elsa Hardt is renamed to Carla Romero. Poirot sets a trap for an Italian assassin and later tricks him with giving him an empty gun which the assassin uses as a threat, unaware that the gun is empty. The Italian assassin is also arrested by Japp.

  • The Kidnapped Prime Minister – 25 February 1990

Inspector Barnes is omitted from the adaptation while Miss Lemon is inserted instead of him. The year of the plot is changed from towards the end of First World War to the 1930s. Daniels' sister's name is changed from Bertha Ebenthal to Imogen Daniels and is not a German spy, but a fighter for Ireland's independence.

  • The Adventure of the "Western Star" – 4 March 1990

Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon are put into the story. Rolf is arrested by Japp along with the man who tries to buy the diamond, rather than sent away by Poirot.

Series Three

  • The Million Dollar Bond Robbery – 13 January 1991

Miss Lemon is inserted into the story. The character of Mr Vavasour appears in the episode, unlike in the short story, where he is only mentioned.

  • The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor – 3 February 1991

Chief Inspector Japp is inserted into the story. Poirot gets a call from an amateur novelist for help with the plot of his new book and hears from him about Maltraver's death. Maltraver's wife stages an attempt on her life and blood on a mirror.

  • The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge – 10 March 1991

The adaptation is slightly changed. Poirot and Hastings are guests of Roger Havering. Poirot doesn't want to investigate because of his illness. The pistol isn't found. Roger Havering refuses to give his alibi because he didn't want his wife to know where he was. Japp and Hastings want to search for Mrs Middleton, but Poirot explains to them that she does not exist.

Series Five

  • The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb – 17 January 1993

Miss Lemon is inserted into the story. Dr Ames does not kill himself with the cyanide, and instead he tries to escape, but is arrested.

  • The Case of the Missing Will – 7 February 1993

The adaptation was heavily changed: the death of Andrew Marsh is changed into a murder. The "missing will" of the title was also changed: it is not a hidden will but an old document that is stolen from Marsh's papers after it is made clear that Marsh intends to write a new will leaving everything to Violet Wilson (as she is renamed in the adaptation). Andrew Marsh is an old friend of Poirot's and Poirot was already in Andrew's house when he died. Chief Inspector Japp and Miss Lemon are put into the adaptation.

  • The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman – 14 February 1993

Miss Lemon is inserted into the adaptation, and is in a relationship with Foscatini's butler Graves, who is given the first name Edwin. Prior to the murder, Graves is invited to tea and tells Poirot that he is concerned about his employer being blackmailed. The unnamed inspector from the short story is replaced by Chief Inspector Japp. Ascanio's name is changed from Paolo to Mario, and he isn’t arrested. A new character of Mr Vizzini is added, along with a storyline about Hastings buying a new car from him. Graves tries to escape after the denouement.

  • The Chocolate Box – 21 February 1993

Captain Hastings is removed from the story. Instead, a framing plot is added where Poirot and Chief Inspector Japp go to Belgium (with scenes shot in Brussels and Antwerp), in order for Japp to receive the prestigious Branche d'Or (Golden Branch) Award. When they meet with people who were involved in the case, Poirot begins to tell the story to Japp in flashback. The American character is replaced with a Belgian neighbor, and most of the French characters in the story are made Belgian. The death of Deroulard's wife is shown in flashback at the beginning of the episode. Virginie Mesnard, instead of being in love with Deroulard, has a somewhat innocent flirtation with Poirot, and is revealed to have given him the silver lapel pin that David Suchet wore throughout the series. The character of Poirot's friend Chantalier is added to the adaptation, and Virginie is revealed in the present to have married him and had two sons. The flashback year is changed from 1893 to 1914.

  • The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan – 7 March 1993

Miss Lemon and Chief Inspector Japp are inserted into the episode (in the original story, Japp is only mentioned). An elaborate storyline is added, making Mr. Opalsen a theater producer with his wife as his leading lady, and the pearls a famous necklace given to a silent film actress by a tsar, which the Opalsens have acquired to drum up publicity for their new play. Two new characters are added: a playwright, who is also Celestine's boyfriend, and a mysterious "Mr. Worthing" who turns out to be the Opalsens' driver Saunders in disguise (he is Grace's husband and accomplice, and replaces the valet in the story). Celestine is English rather than French (although they go out of their way to have Poirot note that she has a French name). The jewels were due to be smuggled out of the country hidden among the props for the play, which is about to begin a run in New York. Poirot's gaff with the "specially treated fingerprint card" is removed. A strange subplot is also added, where Poirot is being continuously recognized as a newspaper advertisement figure and hounded by readers trying to claim a prize.

Japanese anime

Five of the stories were adapted as anime episodes of the Japanese television series Agatha Christie's Great Detectives Poirot and Marple. These were as follows:

  • The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan – 4 July 2004
  • The Adventure of the Cheap Flat – 18 July 2004
  • The Kidnapped Prime Minister – 5–12 September 2004
  • The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb – 19–26 September 2004
  • The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim – 17 April 2005

Stage adaptation

The Adventure of the Western Star was adapted by Stuart Landon into a "Mel Brooks-eque" comedic play titled Poirot Investigates! and performed at Open Stage, a regional theater in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The show premiered virtually on 6 November 2020 in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Subsequent productions for in-person audiences premiered in April 2021 and May 2023, receiving generally positive reviews from critics.

Publication history

  • 1924, John Lane (The Bodley Head), March 1924, Hardcover, 310 pp
  • 1925, Dodd Mead and Company (New York), 1925, Hardcover, 282 pp
  • 1928, John Lane (The Bodley Head), March 1928, Hardcover (Cheap edition – two shillings)
  • 1931, John Lane (The Bodley Head, February 1931), As part of the An Agatha Christie Omnibus along with The Mysterious Affair at Styles and The Murder on the Links, Hardback (Priced at seven shillings and sixpence; a cheaper edition at five shillings was published in October 1932)
  • 1943, Dodd Mead and Company, As part of the Triple Threat along with Partners in Crime and The Mysterious Mr Quin), Hardback
  • 1955, Pan Books, Paperback (Pan number 326) 192 pp
  • 1956, Avon Books (New York), Avon number 716, Paperback
  • 1958, Pan Books, Paperback (Great Pan G139)
  • 1961, Bantam Books, Paperback, 198 pp The stories first appeared in The Sketch as follows:
  • The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan – 14 March 1923, Issue 1572 (under the title The Curious Disappearance of the Opalsen Pearls)
  • The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim – 28 March 1923, Issue 1574
  • The Adventure of "The Western Star" – 11 April 1923, Issue 1576
  • The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor – 18 April 1923, Issue 1577
  • The Kidnapped Prime Minister – 25 April 1923, Issue 1578
  • The Million Dollar Bond Robbery – 2 May 1923, Issue 1579
  • The Adventure of the Cheap Flat – 9 May 1923, Issue 1580
  • The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge – 16 May 1923, Issue 1581
  • The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb – 26 September 1923, Issue 1600
  • The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman – 24 October 1923, Issue 1604
  • The Case of the Missing Will – 31 October 1923, Issue 1605

In the US, all of the stories first appeared in the monthly Blue Book Magazine. Each story carried a small, uncredited illustration. The publication order was as follows:

  • The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan – October 1923, Volume 37, Number 6 (under the title Mrs Opalsen's Pearls)
  • The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim – December 1923, Volume 38, Number 2 (under the title Mr Davenby Disappears – the character's name was changed throughout this original magazine publication)
  • The Adventure of The Western Star – February 1924, Volume 38, Number 4 (under the title The Western Star)
  • The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor – March 1924, Volume 38, Number 5 (under the title The Marsdon Manor Tragedy)
  • The Million Dollar Bond Robbery – April 1924, Volume 38, Number 6 (under the title The Great Bond Robbery)
  • The Adventure of the Cheap Flat – May 1924, Volume 39, Number 1
  • The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge – June 1924, Volume 39, Number 2 (under the title The Hunter's Lodge Case)
  • The Kidnapped Prime Minister – July 1924, Volume 39, Number 3 (under the title The Kidnapped Premier – although the title "Prime Minister" was used within the text of the story)
  • The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb – August 1924, Volume 39, Number 4 (under the title The Egyptian Adventure)
  • The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman – December 1924, Volume 40, Number 2 (under the title The Italian Nobleman)
  • The Case of the Missing Will – January 1925, Volume 40, Number 3 (under the title The Missing Will)
  • The Chocolate Box – February 1925, Volume 40, Number 4
  • The Veiled Lady – March 1925, Volume 40, Number 5
  • The Lost Mine – April 1925, Volume 40, Number 6

Publication of book collection

The preparation of the book marked a further downturn in the relationship between Christie and the Bodley Head. She had become aware that the six-book contract she had signed with John Lane had been unfair to her in its terms. At first she meekly accepted Lane's strictures about what would be published by them, but by the time of Poirot Investigates Christie insisted that their suggested title of The Grey Cells of Monsieur Poirot was not to her liking and that the book was to be included in the tally of six books within her contract. The Bodley Head opposed this because the stories had already been printed in The Sketch. Christie held out and won her case.

Book dedication

This was the first Christie book to carry no dedication.

Dustjacket blurb

The dustjacket front flap of the first edition carried no specially written blurb. Instead it carried quotes from reviews for In the Mayor's Parlour by J. S. Fletcher, whilst the back flap carried the same for The Perilous Transactions of Mr Collin by Frank Heller.

References

  • Poirot Investigates at the official Agatha Christie website
  • Poirot Investigates audio book at Archive.org