Part of Series
Many of Poirot's early cases are short stories. With each one, Poirot further proves his reputation as the greatest mind in detective fiction. In "The Plymouth Express," the body of the daughter of a wealthy American industrialist is found stuffed under a train seat. "Problem at Sea" finds a disliked rich woman murdered in a locked room on a ship. "The King of Clubs" involves a prince, his dancer fiancée, and a fiendish bit of blackmail. There are 15 more! This "Mystery Masters" audiobook includes all the tales, unabridged, from the print book first published in 1974. These gems are alternately read by David Suchet and Hugh Fraser, whose roles as, respectively, Poirot and his sidekick, Captain Hugh Hastings, in PBS's "Mystery!" series and the Arts and Entertainment's "Poirot" series are considered definitive. This collection contains the following stories: 1) The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly, 2) The Adventure of the Clapham Cook, 3) The Affair of the Victory Ball, 4) The Chocolate Box, 5) The Cornish Mystery, 6) The Double Clue, 7) Double Sin, 8) How Does Your Garden Grow?, 9) The King of Clubs, 10) The Lemesurier Inheritance, 11) Lost Mine, 12) Market Basing Mystery, 13) The Plymouth Express, 14) Problem at Sea, 15) The Submarine Plans, 16) The Third-Floor Flat, 17) The Veiled Lady, and 18) Wasps' Nest. Librarian's note: this entry is for the collection of short stories, "Poirot's Early Cases." Entries for the individual titles can be found elsewhere on Goodreads. All Agatha Christie's Poirot short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Hercule Poirot Short Story."
Author
Agatha Christie is the top-selling author of all time, with a legacy spanning 66 crime novels, 14 plays, and six romance novels under a pseudonym. Her works have sold over two billion copies globally, translated into at least 103 languages, making her the most translated author. She introduced the world to iconic characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple, and wrote *The Mousetrap*, the record-holding longest-running play in modern theater. The youngest in the Miller family, her experience as a nurse during WWI and later roles in pharmacies during both World Wars deeply influenced her mystery novels, often featuring poisons. Christie’s writing career launched in 1920 with *The Mysterious Affair at Styles*. Her life was as captivating as her fiction, notably her 1926 disappearance after her first husband’s affair became public, sparking a nationwide search. Christie's second marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan enriched her life and work, with travels and homes like the Greenway Estate and Abney Hall providing settings for several novels. Her marriage to Mallowan lasted until her death in 1976. Christie's contributions to literature earned her the title Commander of the Order of the British Empire, solidifying her place in literary history.
