Scan barcode
boyd94's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
kaitlinthern's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
manon_rcrd's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
l00u's review against another edition
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
mo_mentan's review against another edition
4.0
clever little stories. i might have been able to enjoy them even more if i ha known more about the stories around the original hercules. also there was some subtle though quite disturbing anti-semitism. augustus was a real delight as was hell.
michelehoward's review against another edition
Loved this little collection and how it related back to the ancient classics.
lesserjoke's review against another edition
3.0
The loose thread linking the twelve detective stories in this collection is that Hercule Poirot is planning to retire, but first wants to solve a sequence of grand cases mirroring the legendary feats of his namesake, the Greco-Roman demigod Hercules. Honestly, though, that's largely a distraction, especially as most of the tasks that ensue represent fairly strained parallels at best. (Is convincing a town to stop gossiping about a widower they suspect of murder akin to successfully cutting off all the heads of the mythical Hydra? Sure, kind of, maybe. Is cracking a ring of dognappers like wrestling the Nemean Lion? That's significantly harder to justify.)
Outside of the odd framing device and the fact that we know the investigator is not truly giving up his practice anytime soon, these tales fluctuate between just okay and pretty good. Of course, as ever with author Agatha Christie's short fiction, it tends to be a bit easier to figure out the solutions yourself than in her full-length novels -- look for proof that people really are who they say they are and you're often halfway there already. But it's a solid entry overall, and not one to miss as you work your way through the series.
[Content warning for antisemitism, sexism, racism including slurs, gun violence, suicide, drug abuse, and gaslighting.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog
Outside of the odd framing device and the fact that we know the investigator is not truly giving up his practice anytime soon, these tales fluctuate between just okay and pretty good. Of course, as ever with author Agatha Christie's short fiction, it tends to be a bit easier to figure out the solutions yourself than in her full-length novels -- look for proof that people really are who they say they are and you're often halfway there already. But it's a solid entry overall, and not one to miss as you work your way through the series.
[Content warning for antisemitism, sexism, racism including slurs, gun violence, suicide, drug abuse, and gaslighting.]
Like this review?
--Throw me a quick one-time donation here!
https://ko-fi.com/lesserjoke
--Subscribe here to support my writing and weigh in on what I read next!
https://patreon.com/lesserjoke
--Follow along on Goodreads here!
https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/6288479-joe-kessler
--Or click here to browse through all my previous reviews!
https://lesserjoke.home.blog