Hercule Poirot

Hercule Poirot, Book 1

The Mysterious Affair At Styles

Hercule Poirot, Book 2

The Murder on the Links

Hercule Poirot, Book 3

Poirot Investigates

Hercule Poirot, Book 4

Dr. James Sheppard, a country doctor residing with his spinster sibling Caroline in a quaint village outside of London, finds himself entangled in a web of enigma, suicide, and murder over the span of nine days. His medical practice leads him to the home of his deceased patient, Mrs. Ferrars, a prosperous widow who had lost her husband a year prior to alcoholism. Dr. Sheppard had overseen Mr. Ferrars's demise as well, determining the cause to be severe gastritis due to excessive drinking. Now, he is charged with identifying Mrs. Ferrars's cause of death. Caroline, a woman of insatiable curiosity and a fertile imagination, speculates that Mrs. Ferrars's demise was not accidental, but a suicide born out of remorse for poisoning her husband.

At the time of her demise, Mrs. Ferrars was courting Roger Ackroyd, a fellow patient of Dr. Sheppard and a wealthy widower whom the town expected her to wed. Ackroyd had lost his wife to alcoholism two decades prior and had since adopted her son from a previous marriage, Ralph Paton. The affluent Ackroyd household includes his late brother's widow and her daughter, along with a staff comprising a secretary, housekeeper, butler, parlormaid, and housemaid. Ackroyd, troubled by an issue, invites Dr. Sheppard to his home for a private discussion. He discloses to the doctor that he had been engaged to Mrs. Ferrars for three months and the day before her death, she confessed to having poisoned her husband and being blackmailed. She intended to disclose the blackmailer’s identity within a day. A letter in Mrs. Ferrars's handwriting arrives, but Ackroyd discontinues reading it aloud before the blackmailer's identity is revealed. Dr. Sheppard leaves, only to rush back later that night upon receiving a call informing him of Ackroyd's murder.

Upon arrival, however, Parker, the butler, denies making the call and knows nothing of a murder. They break down the study door, where Ackroyd is found dead, with a dagger lodged in his throat and Mrs. Ferrars's letter missing. The police discover footprints leading into and out of the room through an open window. All residents of the house are interrogated, but no one saw anything suspicious. Ralph, last seen at a local inn, is nowhere to be found, and a pair of his muddy boots matching the footprints is discovered. The following day, Flora, the daughter of Ackroyd's late brother's widow, requests Dr. Sheppard to solicit their famous detective neighbor's assistance in clearing Ralph's name, to whom she is engaged. The detective agrees and identifies crucial aspects of the crime scene. As he assembles the puzzle and uncovers truths, the killer's identity is revealed to be none other than Dr. Sheppard, who is also the blackmailer. With no way out, Dr. Sheppard concludes his manuscript with a confession and ends his life in the same way as Mrs. Ferrars.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Hercule Poirot, Book 5

The Big Four

Hercule Poirot, Book 6

The Mystery of the Blue Train

Hercule Poirot, Book 7

Black Coffee

Hercule Poirot, Book 8

Peril at End House

Hercule Poirot, Book 9

Lord Edgware Dies

Hercule Poirot, Book 10

Three Act Tragedy

Hercule Poirot, Book 11

The renowned retired detective, Hercule Poirot, embarks on a train journey to Istanbul, sharing his ride with Mary Debenham and Colonel Arbuthnot, who seem intimately acquainted despite pretending to be strangers. Upon reaching Istanbul, Poirot is summoned back to London, and while waiting for his return journey, he encounters his old acquaintance, M. Bouc, who arranges for his accommodation on the Orient Express. In the interim, Poirot crosses paths with Ratchett and Hector McQueen, who arouse his suspicion, particularly Ratchett, who approaches him for protection against death threats, but is rebuffed by Poirot. Despite the train being unusually crowded, Poirot manages to secure a first-class cabin where he experiences a series of peculiar incidents, including a cry from Ratchett's compartment indicating possible danger.

The following morning, Poirot is informed by M. Bouc that Ratchett has been brutally murdered, prompting Poirot to launch an investigation. A detailed examination of Ratchett's compartment reveals multiple clues such as twelve stab wounds on Ratchett's body, an open window, and a handful of miscellaneous items that include a handkerchief with an initial "H", a peculiar match, and a burnt piece of paper with the name "Armstrong" on it. This leads to Poirot deducing that Ratchett was actually Cassetti, the infamous kidnapper and murderer of the toddler, Daisy Armstrong, whose crime had shocked the nation. 

Poirot proceeds with interviewing the passengers, starting with Hector McQueen, who was startled that Poirot had discovered the Armstrong note, believed to have been destroyed. Several interviews subsequently provide Poirot with potential alibis, but also raise doubts about the identity of an unseen woman in a red kimono and the presence of an unfamiliar man in a Wagon Lit uniform. A thorough examination of the passengers' belongings brings forth more suspicious findings, leading Poirot to unveil the true identities of several passengers who were closely connected with the Armstrong case. Finally, Poirot presents two possible explanations for the murder and reveals the collective guilt of twelve passengers, all of whom were connected to Daisy Armstrong. To protect the involved parties, Poirot proposes that the authorities be informed of the less plausible theory, which is ultimately agreed upon by M. Bouc and Dr. Constantine.

Murder on the Orient Express

Hercule Poirot, Book 12

Death in the Clouds

Hercule Poirot, Book 13

The A.B.C. Murders

Hercule Poirot, Book 14

Murder in Mesopotamia

Hercule Poirot, Book 15

Cards on the Table

Hercule Poirot, Book 16

Dumb Witness

Hercule Poirot, Book 17

Death on the Nile

Hercule Poirot, Book 18

Murder in the Mews

Hercule Poirot, Book 19

Appointment with Death

Hercule Poirot, Book 20

Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Hercule Poirot, Book 21

Sad Cypress

Hercule Poirot, Book 22

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Hercule Poirot, Book 23

Evil Under the Sun

Hercule Poirot, Book 24

Five Little Pigs

Hercule Poirot, Book 25

The Hollow

Hercule Poirot, Book 26

The Labours of Hercules

Hercule Poirot, Book 27

Taken at the Flood

Hercule Poirot, Book 28

Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Hercule Poirot, Book 29

After the Funeral

Hercule Poirot, Book 30

Hickory Dickory Dock

Hercule Poirot, Book 31

Dead Man's Folly

Hercule Poirot, Book 32

Cat Among the Pigeons

Hercule Poirot, Book 33

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

Hercule Poirot, Book 34

The Clocks

Hercule Poirot, Book 35

Third Girl

Hercule Poirot, Book 36

Hallowe'en Party

Hercule Poirot, Book 37

Elephants Can Remember

Hercule Poirot, Book 38

Poirot’s Early Cases

Curtain

Hercule Poirot Books in Order (39 Book Series)

The Mysterious Affair At Styles

Hercule Poirot, Book 1

The Murder on the Links

Hercule Poirot, Book 2

Poirot Investigates

Hercule Poirot, Book 3

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

Hercule Poirot, Book 4

The Big Four

Hercule Poirot, Book 5

The Mystery of the Blue Train

Hercule Poirot, Book 6

Black Coffee

Hercule Poirot, Book 7

Peril at End House

Hercule Poirot, Book 8

Lord Edgware Dies

Hercule Poirot, Book 9

Three Act Tragedy

Hercule Poirot, Book 10

Murder on the Orient Express

Hercule Poirot, Book 11

Death in the Clouds

Hercule Poirot, Book 12

The A.B.C. Murders

Hercule Poirot, Book 13

Murder in Mesopotamia

Hercule Poirot, Book 14

Cards on the Table

Hercule Poirot, Book 15

Dumb Witness

Hercule Poirot, Book 16

Death on the Nile

Hercule Poirot, Book 17

Murder in the Mews

Hercule Poirot, Book 18

Appointment with Death

Hercule Poirot, Book 19

Hercule Poirot's Christmas

Hercule Poirot, Book 20

Sad Cypress

Hercule Poirot, Book 21

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe

Hercule Poirot, Book 22

Evil Under the Sun

Hercule Poirot, Book 23

Five Little Pigs

Hercule Poirot, Book 24

The Hollow

Hercule Poirot, Book 25

The Labours of Hercules

Hercule Poirot, Book 26

Taken at the Flood

Hercule Poirot, Book 27

Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Hercule Poirot, Book 28

After the Funeral

Hercule Poirot, Book 29

Hickory Dickory Dock

Hercule Poirot, Book 30

Dead Man's Folly

Hercule Poirot, Book 31

Cat Among the Pigeons

Hercule Poirot, Book 32

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

Hercule Poirot, Book 33

The Clocks

Hercule Poirot, Book 34

Third Girl

Hercule Poirot, Book 35

Hallowe'en Party

Hercule Poirot, Book 36

Elephants Can Remember

Hercule Poirot, Book 37

Poirot’s Early Cases

Hercule Poirot, Book 38

Curtain

Hercule Poirot, Book 38

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