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    Murder in the Mews: Four Cases of Hercule Poirot: The Official Authorized Edition
    Murder in the Mews: Four Cases of Hercule Poirot: The Official Authorized Edition
    Murder in the Mews: Four Cases of Hercule Poirot: The Official Authorized Edition
    Ebook93 pages1 hour

    Murder in the Mews: Four Cases of Hercule Poirot: The Official Authorized Edition

    By Agatha Christie

    3.5/5

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    About this ebook

    Agatha Christie’s classic Murder in the Mews presents a mystifying criminal conundrum that will seriously test the superior detecting skills of the unflappable Hercule Poirot.

    Barbara appears to have committed suicide while her flatmate was away for the weekend. But how did a woman holding a pistol in her right hand manage to shoot herself in the left temple? Inspector Japp calls for the assistance of Hercule Poirot. 

    Murder in the Mews is a miniature classic of characterization, incident, and suspense.

     
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins
    Release dateJul 30, 2013
    ISBN9780062298324
    Author

    Agatha Christie

    Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in a hundred foreign languages. She died in 1976, after a prolific career spanning six decades.

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    Reviews for Murder in the Mews

    3.5/5

    442 ratings11 reviews

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    • 4/5
      I didn't expect this, the next in my chronological read of Christie's Hercule Poirot series, to be a collection of short stories but there you are. The title refers only to the first story, where a young widow is found dead of apparent suicide in a locked room but suspicion quickly mounts that her death was murder. The ending has the characteristic Christie twist that makes her mysteries a delight to read. The second story, The Incredible Theft, features no murder at all, but rather the mysterious theft of a set of top-secret military plans from a government minister's home. This wasn't quite a locked-room mystery but nearly so. Poirot has the key, as always.Dead Man's Mirror is another locked-room apparent suicide that turns out to be murder. Christie plays with fire by including two such similar puzzles in the same collection but manages to come up with two very different solutions without breaking a sweat.And finally, Triangle in Rhodes finds Poirot on holiday, where the sun is hot and the tourist ménage à trois even hotter. Once again, though, all is not what it seems to the mere bystander, and it is up to Poirot to clear things up.
    • 3/5
      The four stories in "Murder in the Mews" all work as puzzles, and – at a length hovering somewhere between short story and novel – manage to incorporate enough shades of character without ever tapping the well dry.

      There’s nothing groundbreaking here, no, but as an example of “classic era” Christie, "Murder in the Mews" is not too shabby. The title story is perhaps the most engaging, with a murder plot that will keep you guessing. "The Incredible Theft" and "Triangle at Rhodes" are more opaque mysteries, focussing as much on character and ambience, which makes for a surprisingly good read. "Dead Man’s Mirror" – a retelling of an earlier Poirot short story, "The Submarine Plans" (which, poor thing, is now erased from most Poirot collections due to redundancy) – is my least favourite, failing to engage me for unknown reasons. However it is the most typically ‘Christie’ of the bunch – with a country house full of eccentrics – and there are some lovely pseudo-supernatural touches in for good measure.

      Poirot ranking: 29th out of 38.
    • 4/5
      This collection of four not quite so short stories is great as each story has a twist in the tale. Even so Poirot solves each puzzle. The collection is also interesting as there are hints of plots to come in later novels.
    • 3/5


      I found the stories to be odd and can not say I really liked any except the 3rd story.

      1. Murder in the Mews: Poirot joins Inspector Japp at the scene of a murder, posed to look as a suicide. Mrs Allen shot herself during a fireworks display and was found the following morning by her roommate, Miss Plenderlieth, in her bedroom behind a locked door.

      It seems as though Mrs Allen had a visitor of dubious reputation and was being blackmailed by the man who was seen at the scene of the crime during the fireworks display.


      2. The Incredible Theft: A house party is underway with a large variety of guests including: Lord Charles (the engineer of a new bomber), his secretary, an MP (Sir George Carrington), his wife, his son, & the dubious Mrs. Macatta (a suspected spy).

      After dinner Lord Charles & sir George stroll the grounds and then go into the study where the secretary has laid out the plans for the bomber, only to find the plans stolen.

      Who stole the plans out from plain sight?


      3. Dead Man's Mirror: Sir Gervase Chevenix-Gore having written to M. Poirot, imploring him to come help him before it is too late is found dead in his study prior to dinner. It appears to be suicide, with the bullet hitting the mirror as the main clue. Everyone heard the shot, but no one recognized it for what it was.

      The family all had reasons for wanting Sir Gervase dead, he was a controlling despot more concerned with pride of family name than care of his family and his family resented his control of them.

      Of all the stories this is the one I liked.... I liked the characters, the plot, the twists, & the romances.


      4. Triangle at Rhodes: While on holiday during the off season M. Poirot an overtly observed love triangle turned deadly. However the victim was not who the other guests supposed it would be.

      The sleight of hand, an unobserved triangle, and "wrong" victim are all sorted out by M. Poirot.

      This was my least favorite of all. I didn't like the characters, the story was not involved enough and it left me wanting.....
    • 4/5
      The audio version I listened to contains three Poirot stories: “Murder in the Mews”, “Triangle at Rhodes”, and “The Incredible Theft”. In the first story, Poirot assists Chief Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard in the investigation of a suspicious death. Coincidentally, just the evening before, the two men had walked together through the quiet street where the death occurred. In “Triangle at Rhodes”, a vacationing Poirot solves the murder of a fellow tourist. There's no death in the final story. Instead, Poirot investigates the mysterious disappearance of top secret plans for a bomber.“Murder in the Mews” is the most original of the three stories. The other two stories remind me of some of her other works, and seemed vaguely familiar to me as I listened. The three stories are a fairly representative sample of Christie's work, and it might be a nice introduction to Christie for readers who don't want to commit to a full length novel.
    • 4/5
      A nice little collection featuring four mysteries involving Hercule Poirot, with Agatha Christie displaying her skill with the short story. My favourite was the locked-room murder mystery 'Dead Man's Mirror', where Poirot dazzles the reader with his ability to deduct a sequence of events and pinpoint the perpetrator from the seemingly most random and unconnected statements and objects.In particular, the stories are:Murder in the Mews: The morning after bonfire night a woman is found dead in her apartment. At first things point to suicide, but on closer inspection doubts are beginning to emerge. Inspector Japp asks his old friend Hercule Poirot to become involved in the investigation.The Incredible Theft: At a gathering at a country mansion, the plans for a top-secret bomber are stolen. One of the house guests suggests calling in Hercule Poirot to investigate the matter and restore the plans before they fall into the hands of a foreign power.Dead Man's Mirror: A peer of the realm is found shot to death at his country mansion, having apparently committed suicide. Unbeknown to the hostess, secretary and guests, he had contacted Poirot and asked him to investigate in a delicate matter, but when Poirot arrives, the host is already dead. Poirot then assists Major Riddle in the investigation.Triangle at Rhodes: While holidaying on Rhodes, Hercule Poirot tries to prevent a murder.
    • 4/5
      This was a collection of three short stories starring Hercule Poirot. Of course, they were mysteries that only Poirot could solve with twists and turns. In one story, only Poirot realized who the real victim was. Classic stories and mysteries--a story of blackmail, a story about a love triangle, and a story of political intrigue.
    • 3/5
      A collection of four short stories featuring Poirot. The title story concerns an arrogant Lord who summons Poirot to his manor to discuss fraud, but the detective finds himself investigating a locked room murder instead. This is the only Christie I've read so far where the answers seemed so glaringly obvious.This book also goes by the title of Murder in the Mews, which is the best story in the collection. A young woman with a good life commits suicide, or maybe someone has made it look like suicide. Poirot is assisted by Inspector Japp and the woman's roommate.
    • 4/5
      Murder in the MewsThis novella gives the collection it's name.The investigation of suspicious suicide that begins with Hercule Poirot and his friend Inspector Japp from Scotland Yard walking home on Guy Fawkes Night after meeting for dinner. They speculate that all the noise of firecrackers could disguise the report of a gun, and that a murder could easily go undetected.Next morning a young lady is found dead in her flat, shot, apparently suicide. Japp invites Poirot to join him on the investigation.The Incredible TheftThe disappearance of top secret military plans.A honey trap to ensnare an espionage agent who is a house guest apparently backfires when plans disappear from a study moments before top level discussions of them are to take place. Hercule Poirot is brought in to investigate before the news leaks out.Dead Man's MirrorThe bullet that kills Gervase Chevenix-Gore shatters a mirror.Hercule Poirot receives an urgent summons from "the last baronet", Gervase Chevenix-Gore and catches up with his old friend Mr Satterthwaite to learn what he can about the baronet. He learns that Chevenix-Gore is extremely wealthy, very arrogant, very eccentric and the last of his line.When Hercule Poirot arrives for dinner and Sir Gervase does not appear when the dinner gong is sounded, he realizes he is already too late. Sir Gervase is dead.It looks like suicide but the shattered mirror points in another direction.Triangle at RhodesHercule Poirot is sitting on the beach watching the byplay between the sunbathers.mValentine Chantry, recently married for the fifth time, flirts with a new arrival, Douglas Gold, while sending her own husband off on petty tasks. As his holiday progresses, Poirot finds what is happening rather distressing.When Valentine Chantry dies his interpretation of the crime show that others have seen what they wanted to see, not the way he saw it.-------------I suspected I had already read these novellas, perhaps not as this collection, and perhaps seen a television version of at least one of them. They all show how acutely Hercule Poirot observes others, and how he often interprets things very differently.
    • 3/5
      I was rather surprised, if not disappointed, to learn only after I started reading Murder in the Mews, that this book in the Poirot series in fact consists out of four totally independent stories. Even for Agatha Christie I would say that four mysteries in less than 350 pages is a bit of a stretch.

      All four of them were - of course - very nice and again unique examples of Christies' endless wittiness, but I would rather have enjoyed them wrapped in longer stories.
    • 4/5
      This was a collection of four short stories featuring Poirot. The first two were excellent, the third so-so, and the fourth dreadful.

    Book preview

    Murder in the Mews - Agatha Christie

    Contents

    Murder in the Mews

    One

    Two

    Three

    Four

    Five

    Six

    Seven

    Eight

    Nine

    Ten

    About the Author

    The Agatha Christie Collection

    Copyright

    About the Publisher

    MURDER IN THE MEWS

    One

    I

    "Penny for the guy, sir?"

    A small boy with a grimy face grinned ingratiatingly.

    Certainly not! said Chief Inspector Japp. And, look here, my lad—

    A short homily followed. The dismayed urchin beat a precipitate retreat, remarking briefly and succinctly to his youthful friends:

    Blimey, if it ain’t a cop all togged up!

    The band took to its heels, chanting the incantation:

    Remember, remember

    The fifth of November

    Gunpowder treason and plot.

    We see no reason

    Why gunpowder treason

    Should ever be forgot.

    The chief inspector’s companion, a small, elderly man with an egg-shaped head and large, military-looking moustaches, was smiling to himself.

    "Très bien, Japp, he observed. You preach the sermon very well! I congratulate you!"

    Rank excuse for begging, that’s what Guy Fawkes’ Day is! said Japp.

    An interesting survival, mused Hercule Poirot. The fireworks go up—crack—crack—long after the man they commemorate and his deed are forgotten.

    The Scotland Yard man agreed.

    Don’t suppose many of those kids really know who Guy Fawkes was.

    "And soon, doubtless, there will be confusion of thought. Is it in honour or in execration that on the fifth of November the feu d’artifice are sent up? To blow up an English Parliament, was it a sin or a noble deed?"

    Japp chuckled.

    Some people would say undoubtedly the latter.

    Turning off the main road, the two men passed into the comparative quiet of a mews. They had been dining together and were now taking a short cut to Hercule Poirot’s flat.

    As they walked along the sound of squibs was still heard periodically. An occasional shower of golden rain illuminated the sky.

    Good night for a murder, remarked Japp with professional interest. Nobody would hear a shot, for instance, on a night like this.

    It has always seemed odd to me that more criminals do not take advantage of the fact, said Hercule Poirot.

    "Do you know, Poirot, I almost wish sometimes that you would commit a murder."

    Mon cher!

    Yes, I’d like to see just how you’d set about it.

    "My dear Japp, if I committed a murder you would not have the least chance of seeing—how I set about it! You would not even be aware, probably, that a murder had been committed."

    Japp laughed good-humouredly and affectionately.

    Cocky little devil, aren’t you? he said indulgently.

    II

    At half past eleven the following morning, Hercule Poirot’s telephone rang.

    ’Allo? ’Allo?

    Hallo, that you, Poirot?

    Oui, c’est moi.

    Japp speaking here. Remember we came home last night through Bardsley Gardens Mews?

    Yes?

    And that we talked about how easy it would be to shoot a person with all those squibs and crackers and the rest of it going off?

    Certainly.

    Well, there was a suicide in that mews. No. 14. A young widow—Mrs. Allen. I’m going round there now. Like to come?

    Excuse me, but does someone of your eminence, my dear friend, usually get sent to a case of suicide?

    Sharp fellow. No—he doesn’t. As a matter of fact our doctor seems to think there’s something funny about this. Will you come? I kind of feel you ought to be in on it.

    Certainly I will come. No. 14, you say?

    That’s right.

    III

    Poirot arrived at No. 14 Bardsley Gardens Mews almost at the same moment as a car drew up containing Japp and three other men.

    No. 14 was clearly marked out as the centre of interest. A big circle of people, chauffeurs, their wives, errand boys, loafers, well-dressed passersby and innumerable children were drawn up all staring at No. 14 with open mouths and a fascinated stare.

    A police constable in uniform stood on the step and did his best to keep back the curious. Alert-looking young men with cameras were busy and surged forward as Japp alighted.

    Nothing for you now, said Japp, brushing them aside. He nodded to Poirot. So here you are. Let’s get inside.

    They passed in quickly, the door shut behind them and they found themselves squeezed together at the foot of a ladderlike flight of stairs.

    A man came to the top of the staircase, recognized Japp and said:

    Up here, sir.

    Japp and Poirot mounted the stairs.

    The man at the stairhead opened a door on the left and they found themselves in a small bedroom.

    Thought you’d like me to run over the chief points, sir.

    Quite right, Jameson, said Japp. What about it?

    Divisional Inspector Jameson took up the tale.

    "Deceased’s a Mrs. Allen, sir. Lived here with a friend—a Miss Plenderleith. Miss Plenderleith was away staying in the country and returned this morning. She let herself in with her key, was surprised to find no one about. A woman usually comes in at nine o’clock to do for them. She went upstairs first into her own room (that’s this room)

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