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A review by eesh25
Poirot Investigates by Agatha Christie
3.0
3.5 Stars
I put this book on hold less than two weeks ago because I thought I wouldn't want to continue it anytime soon. Then suddenly I did, and I finished the second half in one evening.
This was an interesting but okay read. It's a collection of short stories, all told by Hastings, of cases Poirot has solved. My edition of the book had 14 stories, though I know some have 11. I liked all of them, though some were more interesting than others. Of the ones I read recently, I remember really liking The Case of the Missing Will and The Chocolate Box.
Most of the stories are a bit formulaic. And I don't have an issue with formulaic things (one of my favourite shows is Phineas and Ferb), but this wasn't a formula I loved. So many of these mysteries ended with the culprit being arrested because they'd already been wanted for a previous crime.
One good thing the book accomplished was making me warm up to Hastings. I've never disliked Poirot's sidekick though he can be too oblivious. But his genuine fondness and patience toward Poirot are... nice? Poirot can be a conceited ass, and anyone having to deal with his remarks regularly (his "use your grey cells!" is so annoying) deserves some sympathy.
Overall, this was a decent read. I don't think you'd be missing much if you skipped it, but if you're in the mood for a short story, this is a good book to try.
I put this book on hold less than two weeks ago because I thought I wouldn't want to continue it anytime soon. Then suddenly I did, and I finished the second half in one evening.
This was an interesting but okay read. It's a collection of short stories, all told by Hastings, of cases Poirot has solved. My edition of the book had 14 stories, though I know some have 11. I liked all of them, though some were more interesting than others. Of the ones I read recently, I remember really liking The Case of the Missing Will and The Chocolate Box.
Most of the stories are a bit formulaic. And I don't have an issue with formulaic things (one of my favourite shows is Phineas and Ferb), but this wasn't a formula I loved. So many of these mysteries ended with the culprit being arrested because they'd already been wanted for a previous crime.
One good thing the book accomplished was making me warm up to Hastings. I've never disliked Poirot's sidekick though he can be too oblivious. But his genuine fondness and patience toward Poirot are... nice? Poirot can be a conceited ass, and anyone having to deal with his remarks regularly (his "use your grey cells!" is so annoying) deserves some sympathy.
Overall, this was a decent read. I don't think you'd be missing much if you skipped it, but if you're in the mood for a short story, this is a good book to try.