Review: Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas by Agatha Christie


Review by Lauren


Source: bought a copy; all opinions are my own


Official Summary: It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered when the
tyrannical Simeon Lee is found dead in a pool of blood, his throat
slashed. When Hercule Poirot offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere
not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own
reason to hate the old man.

Review: I’ve been trying to read more Agatha Christie, and in particular, the stories that involve her iconic detective, Hercule Poirot. Amazon is currently selling many Christie e-books at a good price, so I happily picked up this story and read it in a matter of days. I’m sure many of you could finish it in one day, actually, as it’s not very long. I was hoping to have this review up yesterday, for Christmas Day, but I figured most of you would be skipping the internet so I might as well wait for the day after!

Now, as to the story, I really enjoyed this one. Simeon Lee, the head of the Lee family, is not someone that people really like…not even his own family. He’s giving, yes, but he’s also mean and able to hold a grudge for years. He invites his whole family to spend Christmas with him, but when the patriarch is found with his throat slashed, Hercule Poirot comes in to help the police catch the killer. As those who have the most motive and opportunity, Simeon Lee’s family are immediately the main suspects.

When I’m reading a mystery, I don’t always think too deeply about who may have committed the crime, especially if the book is a quick read. I just let the author take me on the ride. For this one, it was mostly the same. There is a curious moment in the book that relates back to the perpetrator in the end that I did notice at the time. If I’d really stopped to think about it more, I probably would have had the ultimate criminal in sights before it was revealed. As it was, I wasn’t terribly surprised by the killer…but how they went about the crime was definitely interesting.

Overall, I enjoyed this story and I’m excited to check out more Christie!