Poirot: the War Years: “One,Two Buckle My Shoe”, “Five Little Pigs”,”Taken at the Flood”

Book Description

A brand new three-in-one Poirot omnibus, featuring the world-renowned detective’s wartime adventures. Includes One, Two Buckle My Shoe, Five Little Pigs, Taken at The Flood.

It seems Hitler’s Luftwaffe aren’t the only ones responsible for the deaths of innocent people as World War II rages – it seems plenty of murderers are willing to help them reduce Britain’ war-torn population even further. And it’s up to Hercule Poirot to stop them…

ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE
The dentist was found with a blackened hole below his right temple. A pistol lay on the floor near his outflung right hand. Later, one of his patients was found dead from a lethal dose of anaesthetic. A clear case of murder and suicide – but why would a dentist commit a crime in the middle of a busy day of appointments?
A show buckle holds the key to the mystery. Now – in the words of the rhyme – can Poirot pick up the sticks and lay them straight?

FIVE LITTLE PIGS
Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, yet there were five other subjects: Philip Blake (the stockbroker) who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist) who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcee) who had roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess) who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister) who cried ‘wee wee wee’ all the way home.
It is sixteen years later, but Hercule Poirot just can’t get that nursery rhyme out of his head…

TAKEN AT THE FLOOD
A few weeks after marrying an attractive young widow, Gordon Cloade is tragically killed by a bomb blast in the London Blitz. Overnight, the former Mrs Underhay finds herself in sole possession of the Cloade family fortune.
Shortly afterward, Hercule Poirot receives a visit from the dead man’s sister-in-law, who claims she has been warned by ‘spirits’ that Mrs Underhay’s first husband is still alive. Yet, what mystifies Poirot most is the woman’s true motive for approaching him.

Review

‘Mrs Christie as usual puts a ring through the reader’s nose and leads him to one of her smashing last-minute showdowns’ Observer

‘The empress of the crime novel’ Daily Express

‘Told briskly, vivaciously, and with ever-fertile imagination’ Manchester Evening News

About the Author

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became, quite simply, the best-selling novelist in history. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written towards the end of the First World War, introduced us to Hercule Poirot, who was to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since Sherlock Holmes. She is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in over 100 foreign languages. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.