The Big Four

by Agatha Christie

Poirot was an extraordinary-looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. Yet this quaint dandified little man who, I was sorry to see, now limped badly, had been in his time one of the most celebrated members of the Belgian police. As a detective, his flair had been extraordinary, and he had achieved triumphs by unravelling some of the most baffling cases of the day.

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot 3-Book Collection 1: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder on the Links, Poirot Investigates (Kindle Locations 308-313). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

I love Hercule Poirot. Such a great detective. Such a character. There's always a great mystery with lots of twists and turns and red herrings, all of which keep me riveted. The characters are interesting and have complex motives for their actions. I've read many Agatha Christie books before but not all and not in order so I'm in the process of commencing a reread. Highly recommend to crime lovers.


The Big Four was not my favourite. Was a bit too disjointed for my tastes. And Hastings is back. I don't understand why he gets married and then spends all his time away from her. Seems pointless to get married. I did enjoy the humor though. Particularly the cutting marks directed at Hastings by Poirot and Japp. And even the villains get in on it. “I should not advise it,” he remarked. “Remember what came of your hasty action in Paris. Let me assure you that my way of retreat is well assured. Your ideas are inclined to be a little crude, Captain Hastings, if I may say so.”

Christie, Agatha. The Big Four: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot series Book 5) (p. 190). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition. Hastings is always so offended which cracks me up. And Poirot's self confidence. My favourite was this;

“You guessed this beforehand?” “‘Forecast the probable result of the deal,’” quoted Poirot from a recent bridge problem on which I had spent much time. “Mon ami, when you do that successfully, you do not call it guessing.”

Christie, Agatha. The Big Four: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot series Book 5) (p. 124). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition. Hastings is right - modesty is not his strong point.

“And his mistake?” I asked, although I suspected the answer. “Mon ami, he overlooked the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot.” Poirot has his virtues, but modesty is not one of them.

Christie, Agatha. The Big Four: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot series Book 5) (p. 130). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition.

But that's alright because it makes for great reading. For all that, with the mystery being so disjointed - investigating each of the Four individually - I just couldn't get into it. 2.5 stars, rounded down to 2.