Poirot novel may prove a test for even his most dedicated fans
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| The Big Four was the seventh Poirot novel |
I was intrigued by her seventh novel,The Big Four, which was published in 1927, because, although it features Poirot and Hastings,
it is a far cry from the mystery with a country house setting that readers have
come to know and love.
Poirot enters the world of international espionage in
this story and races from country to country, trying to track down four master
criminals who are working together to achieve world domination.
The first is Abe Ryland, an American businessman, the
second is Madame Olivier, a French scientist, and the third is a sinister
Chinaman called Li Chang Yen.
The fourth, who Poirot does not unmask until close to the
end of the book, is able to evade him because he turns out to be a master of
disguise.
The Big Four was not my favourite Poirot novel, as it
was more of an espionage thriller, with Poirot chosen to be the unlikely hero
whose mission is to save the world.
Delving into the background of the book, I found that
it originated from 12 separate short stories that had already been published.
Apparently, Agatha, who was at a low point in her life, needed to come up with a
new book for her publisher. With the help of her brother-in-law, she gathered up some of her old stories, reworked them, and submitted them as a new novel to her publisher.
But she was never satisfied with The Big Four and used
to refer to it herself as ‘that rotten book.’ It came after her sixth novel,
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, which had been a spectacular success and was a
tough act to follow.
The Big Four was adapted for television in 2013
starring David Suchet as Poirot. It is worth persevering with, if only to be able
to say in the future that you have read every one of Agatha Christie’s 66
detective novels.
