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!

Third Girl

Moderator1 09 Nov 09 at 2:51 p.m. GMT

It isn't often that someone comes to Hercule Poirot to confess they've committed a murder and it's very worrying for him that the girl now seems to have disappeared.  Fortunately for Poirot, Ariadne Oliver is on hand to help.  She knows the missing girl, Norma Restarick and tracks her down.  When more evidence comes to light that incriminates Norma, Poirot really has his work cut out to save her.

Does Ariadne Oliver get the chance to really be a sleuth in this story?  Does Christie convince with her story set in the 1960s?  Has she captured the feel of the time or was she too old at 76 to do so? 

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35 replies

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Angelina_ 13 Dec 11 at 9:25 p.m. GMT

Lone_Wolf

Christie had an annoying manner of pairing characters up in the end. It is cute by the time you've read your first three AC novels, slightly annoying by the fourth one, and makes you sigh heavily by the sixth. Especially when she does the "Pair the Spare" method (especially egregious in case of one endgame pairing in Aрроintmеnt with Dеаth).

Οh, how I agree...in this one, especially, I was holding my breath towards the end, praying that the good doctor would NOT propose, for a change, but alas! I had to gulp it down, along with the au pair girl, getting married to the half blind-half deaf old man. This endings make me nostalgic of "The murder of Roger Acroyd" and "Endless Night".

Other than that, it was very medium AC. For once, I knew one of the accomplishes from the start (the male one) and I also knew that he and his wife were impostors, only I thought that his wife was Claudia and not Frances. I believe the story had a lot of gaps. My favourite character in this one, funnily enough, was Ariadne Oliver and I found the begginig of the book hilarious.

ErkutSoyer 26 Jul 11 at 12:51 p.m. GMT

I've just finished this book.I like it.Book's atmosphere is wonderful.Rainy and cold!Poirot solves crime another solving style.It isn't a manor murder.This crime is thriller and collecting information.Poirot bad at collecting information but Ariadne Oliver appears now.She is good at collecting information.I don't estimate the ''murderers''.I recommend everybody.It is my eleventh book.Its score is 9/10

go_leafs_nation 14 Feb 11 at 1:19 p.m. GMT

Some pairings really do stretch it, and yet, due to her habit, when she toys with them (ATTWN), the exceptions are that much better.

Lone_Wolf 12 Feb 11 at 9:02 a.m. GMT

Christie had an annoying manner of pairing characters up in the end. It is cute by the time you've read your first three AC novels, slightly annoying by the fourth one, and makes you sigh heavily by the sixth. Especially when she does the "Pair the Spare" method (especially egregious in case of one endgame pairing in Aрроintmеnt with Dеаth).

ChristieFanBlogger 09 Feb 11 at 8:14 p.m. GMT

I'm always brought to Austin Powers whenever Christie describes the young men in her novels set in the 60's.  It cracks me up!

This was a good read, and half fooled me.  I thought it was obvious from the start that the father, Andrew Restarick, was an imposter poisoning his (not) daughter to get the family money.  I was stumped by who his accomplice might be though, because there had to be an accomplice drugging Norma in the city too.  Just when I feel so smart.  I never picked the step-mother and roommate as being the same person.  I thought David, clearly the portrait forger, might be his real son and in cahoots.

And this story features the plot line that drives modern me crazy - innocent young damsels in distress swept off their feet and married at the drop of a hat to dashing older men who save them.  I'm learning to just accept that as part of the Christie mystique.

Tommy_A_Jones 21 Sep 10 at 2:35 p.m. GMT

Thanks. I am only on Chapter 7 and am enjoying it, My Mum says she has another she will lend me.

InspectorGrant 21 Sep 10 at 1:46 p.m. GMT

Yes, I like Josephine Tey's novels very much - you are lucky to be reading A Shilling for Candles and Brat Farrah for the first time!!  I am only sorry that Tey died relatively young and didn't write more detective novels.  She was a very good writer indeed.

Happy belated birthday ;)

Tommy_A_Jones 21 Sep 10 at 11:59 a.m. GMT

I agree Inspector, Are You a Josephine Tey Fan? I am reading A Shilling For Candles, I got that and Brat Farrah this weekend for my Birthday.

InspectorGrant 20 Sep 10 at 5:24 p.m. GMT

Tommy_A_Jones

Third Girl made no impression on me whatsoever apart from the Tony Hancock reference which as a Hancock fan I enjoyed.

Same here - I liked the 'Lady Don't Fall Backward' allusion as well.  A very funny episode of Hancock's Half Hour ;)

Tommy_A_Jones 17 Sep 10 at 3:16 p.m. GMT

Third Girl made no impression on me whatsoever apart from the Tony Hancock reference which as a Hancock fan I enjoyed.

antonia1990 16 Sep 10 at 7:23 p.m. GMT

I must be the only one who likes the adaptation. The acting was great in my opinion and it made up for all the diffrences between the book and the film.

MissQuin 02 Jul 10 at 3:25 p.m. GMT

No traveling abroad isn't the same now. Back in Agatha Chrisite's day, the places would be so  exotic. But now, with the TV and interent, things have lost their mystery. If people is ACs time wanted to know about far off palces, the best they could learnn before hand were black and white photos. Places have lost some of their traditions and culture too.

But the England Agatha knew so well, changed so rapidly. It must be very strange and difficult to be born in the Victorian era. Then grow up during Edwardian times and then spend your latter years in the fast paced 1960's. The fashions and morals were so different and back then outragous. Third girl really picked up on that "scary" new times feel.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 02 Jul 10 at 8:59 a.m. GMT

I'd love to get my hands on an original ABC or a Baedeker!  Or even a Who's Who - do they still publish that? I love the way characters walk around ancient monuments with their Baedekers, correcting the local guides - makes me wonder if AC did the same?  I can just see her with her sun hat and walking-stick touring around Syria.  It just wouldn't be the same now would it?

MissQuin 01 Jul 10 at 4:23 p.m. GMT

Oh, have you any plans for those foxglove leaves then?  Only joking!

I learnt they used to soak fly papers for the posion. I shouldn't know that I suppose, but I should hope I'd never murder anyone ever!! AC murderers usually face some form of punishment.

I learnt a bit about The Borgia family, then get a few refrences. Also learnt about other crime works. Also learnt some French phrases. The travel books are fantastic as their so vividly described.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 01 Jul 10 at 4:11 p.m. GMT

All the time.  I love the insight into Bromide powders in 'Mysterious Affair at Styles'.  I might use that someday if I can ever get hold of the stuff .  And I didn't realise that lots of harmless sounding stuff like nicotine could be used as poisons either. 

One thing that did puzzle me for ages was in the short story 'The Herb of Death' (I think) it is suggested that foxglove leaves could be mistaken for sage.  I thought 'no way' as they are huge and sage leaves are small, but then in the garden this spring I noticed small seedling foxgloves, and they really DID look like sage leaves!  I thought I was a pretty hot gardener, but it seems that AC beats me at that too!

MissQuin 01 Jul 10 at 4 p.m. GMT

My spelling is terrible.  I didn't even spell Jonathan Firth correctly, maybe as he makes my mind wander..

Pierrot. I can spell that without looking it up, thanks to reading so many Chrisites! Ive learnt a fair bit aboiut poisons, rather deadly  But also phrase used, laws of the time, all sort of things. Do you find you learn info from AC stories??

Miss_Eylesbarrow 01 Jul 10 at 3:54 p.m. GMT

Of course!  I had forgotten - if I'd remembered then I would have got Puffinjill's question right in the quiz just now :( 

And I had to look up the spelling of Pierrot!

MissQuin 01 Jul 10 at 3:20 p.m. GMT

Mr Quin, not your fave? He's mine, as you might be able to guess.

Third Girl and Mr Quin spoilers: Mr Quin appaears when people are due to die. David Baker died and his body was found with a Harlequin painting, above his head.

Bundle It's true- JJ Feild is the only reason I feel like watching the Pale horse. I didn't know but Jnonthan Firth was in Sparkling Cyanide. I wonder how bad it is? I might watch it for one reason only..

Miss_Eylesbarrow 01 Jul 10 at 2:37 p.m. GMT

MissQuin

I'd love to see Witness the film, it sounds like a fine piece of cinema. I'd also love to read Partners in Crime. I've been recording the epsiodes of ITV3 and think their fabulous! I'd love Tuppence's wardrobe!

Have you read Mr Quin stories Miss e? There's a tiny refrence in Third Girl, that I didn't notice until I read Mr Quin.

You shouldn't miss 'Witness for the Prosecution' if it comes around on TV, it's superb and the changes from the short story are (for once) all good.  It's not been on TV for years but I managed to track it down on DVD (good old Amazon!).

I have read (and re-read!) the Mr Quin stories, but I can't think of the bit you are referring to.  Which story is it, and I'll have another look?  I'm sorry to say that he's not one of my faves, so perhaps I wasn't paying enough attention. 

Bundle_ 30 Jun 10 at 6:33 p.m. GMT

The Pale horse is currently still being made into a Marple. I already know theyve made some changes. In fact the only thing good about it is JJ Feild. 

Very true! You sound like me!

***Hugs***