From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Taken at the Flood (Hercule Poirot, #29)

Agatha Christie

Start date: April 1, 2020

Finish date: April 30, 2020

Discussion: Archive: Poirot Buddy Reads

Why we're reading this: Latest in our series of Poirot buddy reads.
[close] Latest in our series of Poirot buddy reads.

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

Showing 2 of 71 topics — 1,981 comments total

Archive: Poirot Buddy Reads

* Reading Order for the Unofficial Poirot Buddy Reads
By Jessica-sim · 54 posts · 155 views

last updated Dec 27, 2020 08:20AM

Poirot Buddy Read 40: SPOILER THREAD Curtain
By Jessica-sim · 20 posts · 35 views

last updated Feb 05, 2021 06:12PM

showing 2 of 2 topics view all »

What Members Thought

Jan 06, 2017 Christine PNW rated it it was ok

Shelves: vintage-women

After listening to The Sittaford Mystery on the drive TO a vacation destination, my daughter and I needed an audiobook for the return home trip. This is NOT one of my favorite Christie's, but it is one that she has not read, so we jointly decided on this one.

Plot point reveal below (although not whodunit)

We listened to around the first half of the book on the drive home on 1/1/17, and then she finished reading it upon our return. I kept up with the listen and finished it just this morning. There ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Jul 14, 2022 Bev rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery, vintage-mystery, british-mystery, mount-tbr-2024, bought-2010

During the war, Gordon Cloade had met a young widow and married her. Just two weeks into the marriage a bomb hit his London home--killing everyone but Rosaleen Cloade and her brother David Hunter. Previous to his marriage, Cloade had served as the financial buffer for his family. He provided capital for new ventures, money for unexpected expenses, and promised to see everyone taken care of in his will. But he hadn't had a chance to write a new will since marrying Rosaleen...which means his widow During the war, Gordon Cloade had met a young widow and married her. Just two weeks into the marriage a bomb hit his London home--killing everyone but Rosaleen Cloade and her brother David Hunter. Previous to his marriage, Cloade had served as the financial buffer for his family. He provided capital for new ventures, money for unexpected expenses, and promised to see everyone taken care of in his will. But he hadn't had a chance to write a new will since marrying Rosaleen...which means his widow scooped the pot. Rosaleen seems inclined to help her inlaws, but she is firmly under brother David's thumb and he believes in "finders keepers."

During another air raid, Hercule Poirot is sheltering with men from the Concordia Club and listens to Major Porter comment on the death of Cloade. Cloade's widow was previously married to Porter's best friend, Robert Underhay. The marriage wasn't a happy one and while Robert supposedly died in Africa, he had confided to Porter that "If a report of my death gets back that will make Rosaleen a widow, which is what she wants...maybe a Mr. Enoch Arden will turn up somewhere a thousand miles or soa away and start life anew."

So...when a Mr. Enoch Arden shows up in the village where the Cloades live and Rosaleen and David have taken up residence, one wonders if Underhay has come back. And when Arden is found murdered one evening after having met with David in the morning, one wonders if David has silenced the one man who could throw a spanner into the inheritance works. But more death follows and it will take Hercule Poirot to figure out the twists and turns that lead to the real killer.

I read this once before...long ago and far away when a pre-teen and I was making my way through every Agatha Christie our Carnegie Library had on the shelves. At the time, I awarded four stars (with no explanation because past Bev didn't believe in reviews). Present Bev does not disagree. The plot is very nice and twisty. Just when I thought I'd figured it out, Dame Agatha would throw another curve ball and I'd change mind. So, actually, I would give the mystery plot five stars. But...there are two quibbles. First, Poirot does not show up (after the initial scene with the club bore telling his story about Underhay) until way late in the book. And then there's not quite enough of him. Two--that ending. (view spoiler) Agatha, honey, I'm not buying it.

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

4 likes · Like · see review

Apr 11, 2020 Frances rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-series

Another solid Christie, which left me guessing until the end. A bit of a slower start, perhaps because Poirot doesn't feature much until half-way through, but enjoyable as ever. ...more

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 24, 2017 Damaskcat rated it it was amazing

Wealthy Gordon Cloade and most of his household are killed in an air raid leaving his immediate family without his financial support as he hasn't updated his will since his recent marriage. Under the laws of intestacy at the time his surviving wife has a life interest in his fortune. She seems t be under the thumb of her pretty obnoxious brother, David.

Then Gordon's sister in law visits Hercule Poirot and tells him that she believes Mrs Gordon Cloade's previous husband is still alive meaning th ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Mar 01, 2022 Marilyn Maya rated it really liked it

Shelves: the-baby-boomer-booktuber, tbr, baby-boomer-booktuber, murder-mystery-madness

I've never read this Poirot mystery before and had the pleasure of reading it with a friend. It is not a super-popular Agatha Christie, but it is well worth reading. With well-drawn characters, the main protagonist's actions were understandable. My only gripe is that the book does not depict women in a more modern way.
This book is one of Agatha Christie's few books that talk about WW2. She shows that the people that stay might have learned how to cope with adversity more than the people who go ...more

2 likes · Like · see review

Apr 08, 2020 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: agatha-christie

I was convinced I had read this before, but I was wrong. By quite early on I really thought I had worked it all out, however Christie did beat me on this one. Some of the clues I picked up on were right, but then there were other happenings that I did not foresee. I think a weak point in it was the fact that Poirot took up the case because of something he had heard some time before this case was brought to him, made him bother with it. As was stated within the book, the whole of the Cloade famil ...more

Like · see review

Jan 03, 2019 Pranit rated it really liked it

Shelves: hercule-poirot

Another Poirot novel adding to my list. This novel was very interesting for me as I could imagine the situation very well. Somehow probably because of a few movies/series on the similar lines. No doubt well-written by the queen of crime. Cross and double-cross done right. Things unfold right till the very end. A good-read indeed!  

Like · see review

May 20, 2019 Becky rated it really liked it

Spoilers ahead...

The thing that really annoyed me it was Lynn's behavior towards the end. The guy tried to kill her so she decided to marry him? Come on ...more

Like · see review