“Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” by Agatha Christie

Once I started reading Agatha Christie’s book, I could not be stopped. After finishing “Elephants Can Remember”, I jumped straight into “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” and wrapped that one up in two days (I guess, this is exactly what the vacations are for!).

I enjoyed “Hercule Poirot’s Christmas” more than “Elephants Can Remember”. To start with, it was written much better – it was accounted from the third-person which made it way more interesting and engaging. I also could not guess the final solution which means that the book was really well done.

In the center of the story, we have a family that is gathering for Christmas together. They come to visit the head of the family, Simeon Lee who is a millionaire that made his fortune in South Africa selling diamonds. The guests that arrive are his granddaughter Pilar from Spain, his two sons David and George along with their wives, and his estranged son Harry who disappeared many years ago. We also have Stephen Farr who is a guest from South Africa and the son of his business partner. Lastly, we have Simeon’s son Alfred and his wife Lydia who live in the house with the old man. Once everyone is assembled, there is a murder of Simeon and a theft of diamonds from his safe, and the game is on.

I can’t say much more than that to not spoil the plot but the book itself is well-written and quite entertaining. I recommend giving it a try for the light holiday read.