Book Review: The Big Four by Agatha Christie

The Big Four. Agatha Christie. William Morrow (2011) (First Published 1927). 211 pages. Genre: Mystery.

First Line: "I have met people who enjoy channel crossing; men who can sit calmly in their deck chairs and, on arrival, wait until the boat is moored, then gather their belongings together without fuss and disembark."

Summary:  Hastings returns to England and shows up unexpectedly at Hercule Poirot's residence.  As they are catching up, a mysterious man stumbles out of Poirot's bedroom and collapses.  How did the man get into the house?  Who is he and why did he write the number four repeatedly on a piece of paper.

Poirot has recently been approached by Abe Ryland, the American Soap King, to investigate some "hocus-pocus" going on in connection with a company in Rio.  Poirot has no desire to take an ocean voyage, but the sum of money offered him to investigate was such that he couldn't say no.  In the course of his investigation he has come across the term "The Big Four".  As far as he can tell it refers to a gang of international criminals.  Could the number four written on the paper by the man who collapsed be referring to this gang?  

My thoughts:  This was a bit of an unusual mystery for Hercule Poirot.  It felt more like a Mrs. Pollifax novel than an Agatha Christie novel.  

The mystery begins with the man who somehow gets into Poirot's home and then collapses.  The doctor is called for and after examining him, gives him a piece of paper to see if he will write anything.  He writes the number four repeatedly.  The doctor advises they let the man rest and recover his senses.  After the doctor leaves, the man sits up and begins reciting some things that give Poirot and Hastings several clues about The Big Four.  Now they have a puzzle to solve.  

I was bothered by the way this man showed up at Poirot's home.  There was never a definite explanation about how he entered the bedroom.  It also seemed way too convenient that he would tell Poirot and Hastings all the information about The Big Four.  Once I was able to let that go, I enjoyed the rest of the mystery.  

There are plenty of puzzles to solve and clues to follow.  There is also danger, deception and intrigue. There are explosions and kidnappings.  In usual Poirot fashion, the little gray cells are used.  I am always thankful for Hastings and his inability to use his little gray cells.  I tend to be in the dark right along with him.  

While this wasn't a typical Poirot novel, it was still a lot of fun.  

Quotes:

"Women are such wonderful observers - they see everything, they notice the little detail that escapes the mere man.  I have seen a woman identify one man out of a dozen others - and why, do you think?  She had observed that he had a trick of stroking his nose when he was agitated."

"Poirot employs a peculiar manner sometimes which makes it wellnigh impossible to know whether he is jesting or in earnest."