I recently found out that the character of Arthur Hastings (Poirot's friend who chronicles many of his adventures in several Agatha Christie novels) was played for almost 25 years on TV by the narrator of this book, Hugh Fraser. In the interim, there are suspects, witnesses, red herrings, subtle clues, and a roulette wheel. For reasons that later become apparent, it takes Poirot to the fourth murder (in Doncaster) to solve the problem and find the murder. This mystery involves a series of alphabetical murders - the person's name and their town, running down the alphabet - that have been fortold in a series of taunting letters sent to Poirot, daring him to stop them or solve them. Although I'm not a huge fan of the egotistical Poirot, I am a big fan of Christie's mysteries and her (other) characters and, yes, Poirot is growing on me, if only as a somewhat laughable genius. I really do enjoy these well-narrated Agatha Christie novels, and this one doesn't disappoint. An interesting mystery, unique in many ways, and yet still classic Christie / Poirot style. Trusty narrator Fraser again did not disappoint, incorporating numerous voices and accents to distinguish not only the traditional cast but more than a dozen other major and minor players. Still a nice little surprise or two in the denouement after that. Until he said something in the early moments of his speech about the nature and personality of the killer, and it suddenly dawned on me. Leading up to the traditional reveal scene I still had no clue how the explanation would go.my suspicions had been thoroughly diverted. And as always he (and the narrative) employed a little misdirection and suggestion while the pieces fell into place. He hinged much throughout the investigation on what would come to light in the course of discussion - and, of course, he was right. I particularly liked a comment Poirot made about how conversation was the undoing of concealment and his quoting that speech was man's invention to prevent thinking.
I liked the new investigative legion of victims' family/friends to help hone in on the culprit.
The alphabetical nature did have me wondering. Rather fantastic seeming, the first serial murder case Hastings has told us about.
First Serial Murder Case Told by HastingsĪnother installment illustrations the methodical workings of Hercule Poirot's little gray cells.
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