In 2013, when I was first asked by Agatha Christie’s family to write a new Hercule Poirot mystery (I have since written three more), I decided I needed to set myself the incredibly enjoyable homework of rereading all her books – not only the famous titles that are talked about all the time, but also the ones that don’t get mentioned so often, some of which are wonderfully enjoyable and memorable, and deserve more attention.
Everyone already knows that Christie is the unsurpassable godmother of crime fiction, whose twists have not been bettered in 100 years, and whose plotting acumen is legendary, and most of us are familiar with the Christie novels that make all the best-of lists: Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None are usually the frontrunners, with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Death on the Nile following close behind.
All of these novels are brilliant, of course, and sales figures show that they are undeniably Christie’s most popular books. However, I have a theory: if everyone would read (or reread) the entire Christie oeuvre and give each novel a fair chance, irrespective of its fame and reputation, I suspect that they would discover, as I did, some unfairly neglected and underrated gems. Such as …
1. The Big Four
This novel, in which Poirot and his best friend Captain Hastings become embroiled in international intrigue as they race to stop four super-baddies in their quest for world domination, doesn’t sound like standard Christie and it isn’t. And although it is much maligned for its melodrama and implausibility, it is nevertheless hugely entertaining and full of joie de vivre. Also, this book contains one of the best portrayals of the relationship between Poirot and Hastings, whose affection for one another is tangible throughout.
