From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Hercule Poirot's Christmas (Hercule Poirot, #20)

Agatha Christie

Start date: December 1, 2022

Finish date: December 31, 2022

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: Finishing off our 2022 Detection Club challenge with a Christie classic.
[close] Finishing off our 2022 Detection Club challenge with a Christie classic.

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Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 14 posts · 16 views

last updated Sep 02, 2025 12:08AM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
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last updated Sep 01, 2025 04:16PM

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What Members Thought

Dec 10, 2019 Susan in NC rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: my-library, currently-re-reading, tbr-with-gr-groups, audiobook, reread, christie, tbr-retro, want-to-reread, holiday-rereads

11/29/23 - Listened to the audiobook for this reread, Hugh Fraser is my favorite! 4.5 stars for this Christmas murder mystery, a seemingly impossible locked room mystery, but of course Christie and Poirot make it all perfectly clear with a wonderful twist at the end.

11/26/22 - I remembered whodunnit, but still enjoyed this reread. Hugh Fraser is a terrific narrator, and this is classic Christie, a knotty puzzle surrounding the murder of a nasty, rich old man. Unsavory, feuding relatives, all fin 11/29/23 - Listened to the audiobook for this reread, Hugh Fraser is my favorite! 4.5 stars for this Christmas murder mystery, a seemingly impossible locked room mystery, but of course Christie and Poirot make it all perfectly clear with a wonderful twist at the end.

11/26/22 - I remembered whodunnit, but still enjoyed this reread. Hugh Fraser is a terrific narrator, and this is classic Christie, a knotty puzzle surrounding the murder of a nasty, rich old man. Unsavory, feuding relatives, all financially controlled by said old man, gathering for a country house family holiday - yes, please! Great conclusion to the Reading the Detectives Group “Detection Club” challenge

12/2/2020 - I enjoyed my reread, I had forgotten much of the plot! But then once I started listening to the audiobook, and I think it was the daughter-in-law’s miniature gardens that reminded me of “whodunnit” and how. I still feel like it was a satisfying twist at the end, and I always enjoy getting there with Poirot.

12/2019- This was fun, a new-to-me Poirot, which is pretty rare! I read it with the Reading the Detectives group, right on the tail of Evil Under the Sun.

That title brought up some very interesting points from fellow group members - such as the “fair play” or not of Christie in some of her mysteries, whether the solution involved vital clues not supplied to readers until Poirot sums up the solution in the climactic ending. I usually read Christie on auto-pilot, just enjoying the ride, visualizing the film version I’ve usually enjoyed with David Suchet as Poirot! This group has got me treasuring my rereads, but paying closer attention...

Like here, we start with a nominal Christmas house party scene, but not much holiday feeling! Wealthy, elderly invalid Simeon Lee has summoned his adult children, including spouses and an estranged son and granddaughter, for a family Christmas- but he’s a manipulative, rather vindictive old man, clearly toying with his financially dependent offspring. The atmosphere is poisonous, and sure enough, the old man is found dead, his throat cut. Poirot is spending Christmas with a local police official and asked to assist with the case.

There are hidden secrets, jealousies and old wounds - Poirot prods them all, coming up with a humdinger of a climactic reveal of the killer, and I was truly shocked! But, as with Evil Under the Sun, the killer relies on chance and a risky, involved murder method to succeed, much of which is unknowable to the reader, so I kept my rating at four stars for lack of fair play. But as for a sheer fun, enjoyable ride, where you don’t question the method, and since I’d never read it before, this was 4.5-5 stars! I read some on ebook, but mostly listened to the audiobook, narrated wonderfully by David Suchet. ...more

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Apr 05, 2017 Nanosynergy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries-thrillers-espionage, series, british, reviewed, fiction, 2017read, fiction-1930s

Wealthy, elderly, womanizing, Simeon Lee is brutally murdered at Christmas in his locked study. His contentious family is assembled there for the holiday at Mr. Lee's invitation. They break down the door of his study after hearing a violent struggle - falling furniture and breaking dishes - followed by an unearthly scream. They find him dead, throat cut, lots of blood everywhere, and the raw diamonds in his safe missing, but no one in the room. Hercule Poirot partners with a bright, local police ...more

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Dec 30, 2012 Jan C rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: gr-group-read, mystery, 2013, re-read, sleuth

This was a multiple read for me.

Isn't it nice for families to be reminded why they only get together once a year? In my family it was always just bicker, bicker, bicker. How lucky we were not to have a murder! Although there were temptations. But we wouldn't have had as many suspects. [My family isn't really all that bad, as long as we stay away from certain subjects.]

There are more characters in here than in the production shown on PBS. I'm sitting here going, "Who is Stephen Farr?" Well, I fou ...more

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Dec 03, 2008 Carol Evans rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: christmas, mystery

This is a classic Christie mystery with lots of suspects, most of whom are family and have motives galore, from money to pure hatred. Christie does leave the clues, but amid many red herrings. I didn't know who the killer was until Poirot had one of his famous get-togethers with all the suspects. After stating why each of them could be guilty, he announces the truth. And the murderer is.. .you'll have to read the story.

I'm sure I read this when I was a teenager, but honestly didn't remember much ...more

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Jun 02, 2019 Michelle rated it liked it

Shelves: mystery

I felt this was one of the weaker Poirots — the way in which the murder was ultimately committed seemed rather preposterous. But the book is three stars only in relation to other Agatha Christie books (other than Passenger to Frankfurt, *shudder*) — it far outshines most books I read nowadays.

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