Hercule Poirot, in all his pompousness, decides to retire after solving twelve mysteries that resemble the mythical labours of his Greek namesake - mais biensûr, mon ami! This is a spectacular collection, and I think it's probably Christie's best. The theme is outlandish and the stories are somewhat contrived, but that's the whole point, isn't it? Agatha Christie has given us twelve rollicking tales of mystery and adventure in which the reader has to pit his wits (not his muscles) against Hercules. Another legendary hero also gets a mention or two; yes, Sherlock Holmes! And rightly so, because these tales are quite possibly only second to those of Christie's greatest influence.