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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 · 16 posts · 18 views

last updated Sep 12, 2025 08:12PM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
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What Members Thought

Nov 28, 2022 Susan rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

When Hercule Poirot is staying with his friend Colonel Johnson for Christmas, you would hope he would have a peaceful holiday. However, wherever Poirot is crime is not far away, and they are called to a murder at Gorston Hall where Mr Simeon Lee has met his end in a bloody and violent way. The house is full of family and visitors and there are plenty of suspects for Poirot to get his teeth into, as well as a robbery to make things more interesting.

Mr Lee had all his family to stay for Christmas ...more

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Nov 08, 2019 Christine PNW rated it it was amazing

Finished my almost yearly reread of this Poirot mystery.

Let me just say that this is not one of Christie's best mysteries. If I were judging it based solely on it's merit as a Poirot novel, I would probably give it three and a half stars. It's not a bad book, but it's rather pedestrian, and is significantly inferior to Five Little Pigs, Murder on the Orient Express, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Peril at End House, Sad Cypress, Dead Man's Folly, Appointment With Death and a number of her other He ...more

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Jan 01, 2022 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: british-mystery, virtual-mount-tbr-2022

From all appearances Simeon Lee is looking for a good old-fashioned Christmas with his family gathered round him. His daughter-in-law Hilda Lee hopes that he is ready to reconcile with her husband David--a breach having occurred when David's mother died. But Simeon Lee, a nasty patriarch who has always taken great enjoyment in stirring up as much trouble as possible, provided he always came out of it all right, has other plans. A good shake-up and threats of will changing are on the agenda. On t From all appearances Simeon Lee is looking for a good old-fashioned Christmas with his family gathered round him. His daughter-in-law Hilda Lee hopes that he is ready to reconcile with her husband David--a breach having occurred when David's mother died. But Simeon Lee, a nasty patriarch who has always taken great enjoyment in stirring up as much trouble as possible, provided he always came out of it all right, has other plans. A good shake-up and threats of will changing are on the agenda. On the guest list are all his sons and their wives. Alfred, the good boy who has stayed home and allowed himself to be kept under father's thumb; George, the "respectable" one--a member of parliament and in need of a generous supply of cash to support the life-style...and his rather expensive, spoiled wife; David, the one who resents his father most...primarily because of the way dear old dad treated his mum; and Harry, the black sheep of the family who left home after certain unmentionable events and is ready to be welcomed back to the bosom of his loved ones. Surprise guests include Pilar, Simeon's granddaughter by his only daughter--who ran off with a Spaniard--and Stephen Farr, son of Simeon's partner from the old days in South Africa.

Simeon starts the party off with a bang--first by making it clear that Harry is not only home for a visit, but will be staying for good. This does not please Alfred at all--he and Harry never got along and he, like the good son in parable of the prodigal resents the black sheep being taken back into the fold like nothing ever happened. The patriarch of the Lee family also indicates that he has taken a great fancy to his granddaughter and the message is clear that changes to his will are in order. George, who has relied on a generous allowance from his father to meet his bills, is informed that future installments will be greatly reduced. There are other minor skirmishes, but those are the big battles. It's no surprise that the evening after relaying the news about the will Simeon is found murdered--with his throat cut after what appears to be a violent struggle. It is a surprise that the door was locked from the inside and there is initially no indication of how the murderer got out. It is also a surprise for the murderer that Hercule Poirot is staying with the Chief Constable and is soon on the spot to get to the bottom of it all.

As Poirot proves in the final wrap-up, they all had motives and they all could have done it--even the ones who were apparently alibied. There are red herrings and clues a-plenty and an astute reader should be able to reach the proper answer. That's not to say that you will--I didn't neither the first or this, the second time of reading--but it's there for the taking if you can grab onto all the correct clues. Tight plotting and interesting twists are par for the course in a good Christie novel--and this is definitely one of that rank. Hugh Fraser always does an excellent job performing the Christie audio novels which made this an even better experience.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block. ...more

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Dec 14, 2013 Roger Pettit rated it liked it

The Crime Writers' Association, the body that promotes and supports the writing of crime fiction in the UK, recently celebrated its 60th birthday. In a poll organised in honour of the event, its members voted Agatha Christie as the "Best Ever Author" and her book "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" as the "Best Ever Novel". It's not hard to see why Dame Agatha continues to receive such accolades. She is, in my view, unquestionably the greatest ever writer of what are termed 'whodunits'. The reason why The Crime Writers' Association, the body that promotes and supports the writing of crime fiction in the UK, recently celebrated its 60th birthday. In a poll organised in honour of the event, its members voted Agatha Christie as the "Best Ever Author" and her book "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" as the "Best Ever Novel". It's not hard to see why Dame Agatha continues to receive such accolades. She is, in my view, unquestionably the greatest ever writer of what are termed 'whodunits'. The reason why is that she seems to have worked out very quickly that what most readers of such novels are looking for first and foremost is an entertaining puzzle and the enjoyment of trying to guess who the murderer is. They do not really want anything more than that. Dame Agatha appeals to the simple need in all of us for a good story, told in a light and readable manner. If we want thought-provoking, challenging reading, we can go elsewhere. But sometimes all we want is a few hours' diversion from the stresses and strains of modern life - airport delays, long train journeys, traffic jams, etc. Dame Agatha's puzzle stories, with their ingenious plots and their uncomplicated characterisation, fit the bill nicely. They are the literary equivalent of a game of "Cluedo". Dame Agatha cornered the market in the construction of entertaining, ingenious whodunits - and, virtually singlehandedly, she thought of all the best plot twists and trick endings. She deserves her pre-eminent position in what is now a crowded field.

"Hercule Poirot's Christmas" is not one of Dame Agatha's very best books. But it is nonetheless an enjoyable read. It reminded me a little of the stories of John Dickson Carr (who also wrote under the name of Carter Dickson) in that it is essentially a locked room mystery. Simeon Lee, the wealthy and eccentric owner of Gorston Hall, is murdered in his room during the run-up to Christmas. Various members of his family, and some other visitors to the family home, become suspects in the investigation, for which Hercule Poirot is on hand to assist the local police superintendent. It would be unfair to say more than that. The truth does, of course, eventually emerge. The plot is dialogue-driven and, as with all of Dame Agatha's work, the reader is not invited to become emotionally engaged with any of the characters. The puzzle element is all. And, on that basis, the story falls a little short of the author's very best work. Although Dame Agatha provides all the clues that the reader needs to be able to solve the mystery, the murder method is rather more convoluted - and implausible - than in most of her stories. Nonetheless, "Hercule Poirot's Christmas" is an engaging read. 6/10 ...more

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Dec 26, 2019 Frances added it

Shelves: mystery-series

As I'm working my way through the Poirot series this was a fun read to do over the Christmas holidays, although there wasn't a particularly Christmas'y feel to it, just an excuse to gather all the family together for what always happens when families are gathered together in Golden Age Mystery novels-murder! Fortunately Poirot is staying in the neighbourhood, and things unfold as they ought, and once again I don't figure it out. As always, a treat! ...more

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