An underappreciated and underrated Hercules Poirot novel
I highly recommend you read it if you haven’t
Even if you are not a crime fiction reader or even someone who only reads sporadically you still know or might have at least heard about Agatha Christie. According to https://www.agathachristie.com she has only been outsold by the bible and Shakespeare!
She is according to me one of the greatest Crime Fiction writers ever. She has created two of the most well-known detectives in the literary world- Hercules Poirot and Miss Marple(Jane Marple).
In this article let’s focus on the small Belgian man with an egg-shaped head.
Hercules Poirot featured in 33 novels, 2 plays, and more than 50 short stories.
Some of the most popular Poirot featuring novels include- Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, Evil Under the Sun, The A.B.C Murders, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and the Mysterious Affairs at Styles.
And to be fair these are great books filled with captivating plots, mysterious characters, and ineffable plot twists and endings.
But what kills me is that many people have not read the book I am talking about. In fact, this was the first Agatha Christie, not the first crime fiction novel I read. It pulled me so deep into the genre that it still is my favorite.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Yes. The book is named after a nursery rhyme! It’s a small book which you can complete in a single day and believe me you will because it is very hard to put down.
I don’t want to spoil the book even a little bit for you so I’ll keep the synopsis to a bare minimum.
Synopsis
Like most of us, even the great Mr. Poirot fears the chair of a dentist. Reluctantly however he has to book an appointment with Dr. Morley. Poirot goes to the dentist and gets a checkup done, but only a few hours later the dentist is found dead, shot on his right temple by a small pistol. The case seems to be solved when another patient who visited Dr. Morley that day committed suicide. Everyone thinks the case is solved. Everyone except of course our beloved Belgian man with an upward curled mustache. He talks to every patient who visited the doctor after him. The case becomes more complex after an angry boyfriend comes into the picture and another patient’s dead body is found. What unfolds then is a big criminal conspiracy that you could not have guessed till the very end.
Why the book is so great?
The characters and plot of the book is just *chefs' kiss*. The one thing which makes a mystery novel great is the enigma revolving around every suspect. Everyone should remain a suspect till the very end. The book does this greatly.
Also, the book is very brisk and at the same time does not feel rushed at all. The pace of the book is great and perfectly balanced. The book tells you all the necessary details but still does not feel dragged at all.
The novel makes you think alongside Poirot and you start to put together the clues as to if you were actually his aide. With more than one possible explanation at every step, this book is a great read for everyone.
Even if you are a novice reader you will find the book very engaging and easy to understand.
I hope you enjoy the book. If you do please comment and tell me your thoughts about the book.
If you have already read the book tell me whether you agree with my review or not.
Thank you, Winston and the amazing editors at Coffee Times for publishing my article. As a new writer on medium, I appreciate your support.
Buy the book from the link below-
Want to get some books for your kids, read the article below for suggestions-
Want to improve vocabulary? Read about a tip I have for you here-
