Book Club

Poirot Stories

Poirot is Agatha Christie's most famous and popular detective.  No doubt he would agree that he deserves that accolade!

Here is the place to discuss all of his stories in detail with other fans.  The most insightful comments will be added to the Stories pages.  But remember to beware spoilers!

If you can't find your favourite Poirot story here, don't worry - we'll be adding them all soon.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

Lord Edgware Dies

Jemma 25 Sep 09 at 3:44 p.m. GMT

Actress Jane Wilkinson wants to be rid of her husband Lord Edgware and makes sure Poirot knows it. When Edgware is found stabbed to death and it appears it was Jane Wilkinson who murdered him surely it's an open and shut case? But, Jane was at a dinner party that night and nowhere near Lord Edgware's house. This is the beginning of not only a baffling case for Poirot but one that gives him the feeling that he is perhaps being played for a fool! This story was inspired by a visit Christie made to the theatre to see the American entertainer Ruth Draper. Isn't it fascinating to imagine her mind working overtime plotting the story? If you've seen a screen version of this novel, is it a plot line that works as well on screen as it does in the book? 

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25 replies

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stitchicle 20 Feb 10 at 6:34 p.m. GMT

i've just (yesterday) finished reading this book, and i quite enjoyed it. did jane really kill her husband? SPOILER: yes, she did. she also killed two other people. up until the end, it didn't look as though she had, as she was at that dinner party on the night of the murder, giving herself an alibi, and making everyone think she was innocent.

after reading the book, i don't think i'll ever watch the programme again, as (thinking about it now) doesn't stick to the plot. SPOILERS: in the programme, edgeware wanted his wife to give up acting. in the book, she (jane) wanted to marry someone else.

MissQuin 24 Feb 10 at 6:31 p.m. GMT

I love this book and the murder's line at the end is a classic. "Do you think they'll put me in Madame Tussards?" it sums up the character in one phrase. 

HeiseiHolmes 24 Feb 10 at 6:56 p.m. GMT

I LOVE Madame Tussauds! I remember prtending to be a dummy there, standing on an emty pedestal. Then I scared an old lady. In retrospect, it wasn't a very nice thing to do, but even she smiled and said "You were so convincing!"  But I was younger, and less well-behaved, of course...

MissQuin 25 Feb 10 at 3:01 p.m. GMT

Less well behaved? ok, I believe you..

Is Poirot or Marple or Agatha Christie in Madame Tussauds? They should be.

Theres a scene in one of the hour lond Poirot's where he has his waxwork in a simular place. He's being bigheaded, so Japp and Hastings wind him up by pretending to think it's of Charlie Chaplin. You might not know CC as he's way before our time. But he was a silent filmstar.

Agathasmykid 02 May 10 at 8:20 p.m. GMT

I hate to say it but I found this to be one of her weaker stories.  It start's out good, however the suspense just didn't hold up to the very end for me, and I also felt there were not enough strong suspects.  I enjoyed it, just feel it is not one of Christie's best.

Tommy_A_Jones 04 May 10 at 4:02 p.m. GMT

|You are More generous than me Agathasmykid, I didn't enjoy it at all.

Lone_Wolf 04 May 10 at 5:28 p.m. GMT

I didn't enjoy it because I realized the possibility of the events enfolding as they actually did from the very beginning, and was spending the whole book being annoyed with Poirot for being less astute then me.

go_leafs_nation 04 May 10 at 6:01 p.m. GMT

I did not enjoy it either, although the adaptation, in my humble opinion, is one of the most entertaining Poirot episodes to date. I saw the surprise coming from the very start, but it was spoiled for me midway, and so I don't count it as something I solved- after all, I might have still gone off on an unrelated tangent had the ending been unknown to me.

The story is fairly weak, but it has one of Christie's more interesting murderers, with the final line of the confession perfectly encapsulating the guilty party's character.

As to the waxworks mentioned earlier, for a great novel revolving around a waxworks museum, I highly recommend Carr's The Corpse in the Waxworks (sometimes refereed to as The Waxworks Murder). It is a total triumph of fair play and ingenuity.

ctown28 30 Jun 10 at 1:20 p.m. GMT

I couldn't help but feel disappointed on this one.  I am going through all the Poirot stories and reading them in the order they were published.  From the start, I had it figured out but kept telling myself that AC wouldn't reuse something that she had in the past.  But all signs were pointing to Lady Edgeware.  I felt this was way to similar to the way an fake alibi was established in "Murderous Affair At Styles" 

I was hoping that I had missed something adnd there would be some great twist, but it wsn't there.

All in all though, I do enjoy the Poirot novels and can't wait to get the next one, "Three Act Tragedy"

Tommy_A_Jones 12 Aug 10 at 4:58 p.m. GMT

I was dissapointed with this one, it seemed unfair to the reader and so a waste of Agatha's Talents, I haven't read them in ordwr but when I go back and re-read the Novels as I haven't rewad them all yet this is one of the ones I will leave out.

MissQuin 12 Aug 10 at 5:23 p.m. GMT

I seem to among the few fans Of Lord Edgware. Although I suspecting the murderer, I thought it would be obvious if she was a killer, so I suspected the daughter instead.

It could be the only AC book where we hear of the views of a killer after theyve been arrested. The enormous ego of the murderer is breathtaking. No wonder they were a match for Poirot. I do love the last chapter. The way Chrisite got under the skin of how boastful someone might feel afetr killing someone. It's seems quite chilling.

Littlegirl 03 Sep 10 at 8:26 p.m. GMT

I have to agree with you MissQuin. I thought the same thing. I did suspect the murderer, but I had no idea how it was done.

emilytrefusis 26 Sep 10 at 10:34 a.m. GMT

I enjoyed reading it, but to me it was one of the easier ones to spot the murderer. Everybody assumed that the real Jane was at the dinner party, as confirmed by twelve witnesses; while nobody believed the secretary, who said she saw Jane at Lord Edgware's house.

I immediately thought: those twelve people at dinner only knew her from newspaper photos or from on the stage, while the secratary knew her very well.

Mr_west 30 Jan 11 at 1:51 p.m. GMT

one of Christie's best.

the story is hard to read, but yet it worth it. I'm one of the only fans this book has?

Lord Edgware dies, who murder him and want to blame his wife? SPOILERS: she herself! so hard to belive that no one suspect that option!

I think the last 100 pages were very interesting (not like the other 150 pages in the book).

also, Christie created (I think) her most amazing, convinsing, charming murderer and character, her last word (in the letter and in the  adaptation) represent all of her personality:

"Do you think they'll put me in Madame Tussards?"

ChristieFanBlogger 31 Jan 11 at 1:30 p.m. GMT

Hey, I like a Christie where I'm smarter than Poirot.  I can feel good about myself until I read the next one, am totally fooled, and bang my head on the table.

It seemed obvious to me from the start, always looking at the least likely suspect first, that everything was in reverse.  Carlotta imitated Jane at the dinner party, not at her house.  Once I decided that made sense, the rest fell into place.

I like being smart!  Maybe they'll put me in Madame Tussauds too.

Tommy_A_Jones 14 Feb 11 at 2:31 p.m. GMT

I saw the Adaptation yesterday on ITV3, I still like it but even though I saw it yestrerday I can't remember if it was revealed at the beginning whose Journal it was, If it doesit telegraphs who the Murderer is which doesn't make the Adaptation as gopd as I thought but I still prefer it to the book.

Skizo 31 Mar 11 at 12:37 a.m. GMT

Apart from the character of the killer nothing n this book was good. Hastings really annoyed me this time and the solution was obvios from the begining. 

Tommy_A_Jones 31 Mar 11 at 4:57 p.m. GMT

I didn't like this book, I didn't even like the Murderer but at least it had Poirot, Hastings and Japp.

Skizo 31 Mar 11 at 8:50 p.m. GMT

@Tommy : Don't you find Hastings rather irritating! I Prefer the one in The moving Finger.Right now I'm reading POirot's books that doesn't have Hastings.

Tommy_A_Jones 01 Apr 11 at 4:32 p.m. GMT

Skizo it is over 20 years since I last read Lord Edgware Dies It is the only book I was tempted to look ahead as I reakky didn't like the book, I can't remember Hastings being Irritating in this book, What do you mean by "I prefer the one in Moving Finger? Hastings is irritating and thinks he is cleverer thanm he is but I like him.