Black Coffee (Hercule Poirot, #7.5) in Reading the Detectives

Apr 04, 2015 BrokenTune rated it did not like it

Shelves: reviewed

"‘George,’ he called, ‘please take my heavy tweed suit and my dinner jacket and trousers to the cleaners. I must have them back by Friday, as I am going to the Country for the Weekend.’ He made it sound like the Steppes of Central Asia and for a lifetime."

Tweed? No, I cannot....no to Poirot in tweeds.

I am all in favour of fan fiction, especially when it is done well. Unfortunately, Black Coffee fell flat on so many counts.
What is, in my opinion, even worse is that the book was authorised, even "‘George,’ he called, ‘please take my heavy tweed suit and my dinner jacket and trousers to the cleaners. I must have them back by Friday, as I am going to the Country for the Weekend.’ He made it sound like the Steppes of Central Asia and for a lifetime."

Tweed? No, I cannot....no to Poirot in tweeds.

I am all in favour of fan fiction, especially when it is done well. Unfortunately, Black Coffee fell flat on so many counts.
What is, in my opinion, even worse is that the book was authorised, even commissioned, by Christie's estate. Subsequently it was published as part of the official Agatha Christie catalogue. This is just plain wrong.

Christie did write the play Black Coffee in 1929 to experiment with play-writing herself after stage adaptations of her previous books failed to impress her. However, I guess she must have had her reasons for not developing this particular story into a full novel - although many, many elements in the story do appear in later stories.
Or maybe Charles Osborne would just regurgitate the tricks and techniques of Dame Agatha's better known works to cover his lack of imagination? After all, he did write the book some 20 years after Christie's death.

My dismay at Agatha Christie Ltd and the publishers for allowing this book to be published as part of the official series is not, however, solely because it is so obvious that it was a financial decision to milk the franchise.
I'm disliking that this book should be the best available work of fan fiction and should be worthy of publication - especially when readers may pick this up and actually think it was written by Christie.

The obvious lack in sincerity in Osborne's portrayal of the characters is downright upsetting. So, not only does he make Poirot wear tweeds, but he also turns him into something that he is not. For all of Poirot's eccentricities, the Poirot Christie had created may have had high standards but he has always had some empathy with other people.

"An inveterate snob, he was already predisposed in Sir Claud’s favour by virtue of his title. If he were to be found in Who’s Who, a volume in which the details of Poirot’s own career could also be discovered, then perhaps this Sir Claud was someone with a valid claim on his, Hercule Poirot’s, time and attention."

No. Just, no. ...more

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Aug 05, 2018 Susan rated it liked it · review of another edition

This addition to the Poirot series is really the novelisation of a 1930’s play, published in 1998 and adapted by Charles Osborne.

Sir Claud Amory is a reclusive and rich scientist, who has currently devised a formula for a new explosive. He now fears one of his household is trying to steal the formula and asks Poirot to come and stay and then return to London and give it to the ministry. He catches Poirot at a time when the detective is feeling bored and also at a time when Hastings is visiting L ...more

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Nov 12, 2018 Frances rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery-series

This is a novelization of an Agatha Christie play, and I've read it mainly because I'm in the middle of a Hercule Poirot read with a Goodreads bookclub. This falls a bit flat and definitely misses the Christie touch. ...more

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Jul 28, 2018 Jill rated it it was ok

Shelves: agatha-christie

I'm not really keen on Fan-Fiction and am surprised this has been included on the Christie list. The plot was ok, but then it would be as that was Christie's, but to me it never really read as a Christie book. Poirot in tweeds! surprised galoshes weren't included as well, just to shoot down the whole character. A big disappointment, but suppose it was a money thing for the family. ...more

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