By Agatha Christie
4 Stars
The Greek hero Hercules and the Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot might share the same name, but one can see the clear dissimilarities in their outward appearance and mental capabilities. Yet, Poirot realized a subtle similarity between him and Hercules. Both had worked hard to rid society of certain evils. As he had planned to retire from his detective work, he decided to take up only twelve cases before he retired, the modern version of The Labors of Hercules.
Generally, Poirot mysteries are written as novels, as it allowed Agatha Christie to flesh out the characters and build up suspense leading up to thrilling climaxes. On the other hand, short stories offer little to no time for character and mystery development. Yet, Christie manages to brilliantly use small sets of characters, subtle words and minuscule hints to build up mystery and suspense in her short stories. The book has twelve short stories in total, each related to one of the labours of Hercules symbolically. Christie shows again why she is respected as the “Queen of Mystery”, as she is able to pack so much mystery in such compact stories.
Overall, it is a great book for anyone who enjoys mysteries and detective stories with interesting characters. Christie ensures that each story is different from the others, so the stories do not feel repetitive. The book may not be a great choice for those who are new to the Poirot series, as one of the stories spoils the identity of the antagonist of one of the books in the series. However, for everyone else, especially those who are into Christie novels, I would recommend this book for its wonderful storytelling, mystery buildup, and intriguing characters.
Reviewed by Ritchiel
Add a comment to: Book Review: The Labors of Hercules