Poirot³

75. THE BIG FOUR (Poirot)
Poirot meets his Moriarty! The ultimate evil impersonated by the Big Four. Clever, rich, and fearless. Much too conspiratory for my liking, too many random deaths and too unspecific for a physicist. Besides, for most of the time we have no idea what Poirot is actually doing or thinking, we just read Hastings' rambling ideas. Oh well ...

Memorable quotes:
-"To commit a murder on a Monday is a mistake."
-"I don't think even a Russian would murder another man in order not to be beaten at chess."
-"Poirot has his virtues, but modesty is not one of them." 
-"Do you not know that all celebrated detectives have brothers who would be even more celebrated than they are were it not for constitutional indolence?"
-"Be prepared."

Favourite Guest Character: Achille Poirot!
Mystery: **
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: ***
9/15


74. THE LABOURS OF HERCULES (Poirot)
Poirot as Parker Pyne! A great collection of Poirot stories based on the twelve labours of Hercules. It really helps if you're familiar with the Greek legend ... but Christie explains enough of the original stories to understand the similarities and inspiration.

Memorable quotes:
-"These blondes, sir, they're responsible for a lot of trouble."
-"If a man poisons his wife in order to travel to the North Pole or to enjoy the peace of a bachelor existence - it would not interest his fellow-villagers for a minute!"
-"A woman needs a lot of looking after when she's travelling."
-"A man's got a right to a little peace in his own home." 
-"The good God had never intended people to live out of tins."

Favourite Guest Character: Dr. Charles Oldfield from The Lernaean Hydra
Favourite Story: Hmmm... The Cretan Bull, probably
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: ****
11/15


73. POIROT'S EARLY CASES (Poirot)
Another collection of short stories. Poirot finds missing jewels, a missing cook, a missing boy, and missing military plans, solves some murder cases and some mysteries... Not very exciting stories, the TV adaptations were actually better.

Memorable quotes:
-"Most of us are selfish, Mr Radnor. Not all of us admit it so freely."
-"In the autumn of a woman's life, there comes always one mad moment when she longs for romance, for adventure - before it is too late."
-"Wherever there is human nature, there is drama."
-"There are many things not called poison which can kill a man."

Favourite Guest Character: Lady Millicent aka the veiled lady.
Favourite Story: The Submarine Plans
Mystery: ***
Final Solution: ****
Entertainment: **
9/15