Hickory Dickory Dock (Hercule Poirot Series) by Agatha Christie

Product Details

Synopsis

Normally, a mere outbreak of petty thefts in a youth hostel wouldn’t be enough to interest the great detective Hercule Poirot. However, the warden of the hostel is sister to Poirot’s secretary Miss Lemon, and concern for her sister is interfering with Miss Lemon’s typing abilities. Poirot finds himself with an intriguing puzzle on his hands, and before long, murder increases the mystery. The fastidious Belgian sleuth is brought to life by the voice of veteran British actor Hugh Fraser.

Annotation

Miss Lemon is the perfect secretary. She runs Hercule Poirot's life so that order and method rule supreme. Then one morning, she presents to Poirot a freshly typed letter--containing three mistakes. And Poirot knows that something is terribly wrong . . . Previously titled Hickory Dickory Death. Reissue.

Publishers Weekly

Fraser, who played Captain Hastings, the sidekick for arch Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the PBS Mysteryseries, now performs the entire cast in Christie's 1955 mystery. Fraser's Poirot is derivative of the stellar performance of the series' star, David Suchet; nevertheless, Fraser gives Christie's work his own imprimatur. Poirot is absent much of the time in this tale of kleptomania, malice and murder set at a boarding house for students. Add to the mix a number of students from England, a temperamental Greek landlady and an Italian house staff, and one must conclude that Fraser is some sort of magician to keep all the players sorted out as they converge in the common room. Not to be missed among the clamoring voices is Christie's narrative, from which Fraser manages to wring every wry drop. The producers at the Mystery Masters division of the Audio Partners were smart to hire Fraser to record this classic, and listeners will find it a delightful romp that passes all too quickly. (Dec.)

Biography

Agatha Christie is nearly synonymous with upper-class British mysteries, for good reason. She set the standard for the genre in over 60 novels and dozens of short stories, also creating two classic detectives: the fastidious Belgian, Hercule Poirot, and English spinster Jane Marple. No one could match Christie's knack for weaving clues into her stories, then turning the whole thing inside out -- shocking her readers every time.