A review by romonko
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding: A Hercule Poirot Short Story by Agatha Christie

adventurous funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I thought I had read every Agatha Christie book, story or play that she ever wrote, but I somehow missed this little gem.  It's a Christmas story with the great Hercule Poirot, and it is an English country manor mystery like so many of Agatha Christie's stories are.  Poirot is asked to attend a Christmas celebration at an English county manor in order to apprehend a jewel thief.   Poirot is tempted to attend this family Christmas partly because he can never ignore a possible mystery, and partly because of the promise of central heating.  At the manor he finds a large array of different people, and indeed all is not as it seems.  Poirot waits and listens and uses his "little grey cells" to figure out who the thief is, and sets a trap to catch that person,  Even in short story format, Ms. Christie cannot be beat in the mystery genre.  There are many who have tried to match her skill, but few have ever achieved it.  This was an enjoyable little story for this time of the year.