Сър Клод Еймъри е откривател на формулата за нов мощен експлозив, която е открадната от дома му.
Като заключва всички свои роднини и гости в библиотеката, сър Клод угася светлината, за да позволи на крадеца да върне формулата.
Когато лампите отново светват, той е мъртъв.
Еркюл Поаро - с помощта на Хейстингс и инспектор Джап - трябва да разнищи възела, заплетен от семейни вражди, стари любовни връзки и подозрителни чужденци, за да открие убиеца.

At last - all 20 Miss Marple short stories in a single volume!

Jane Marple is from the village of St Mary Mead and applies her skills of observation and deduction to a wide variety of mysteries. Several of the supporting characters appear in many of these stories, including her nephew Raymond West, Dolly and Arthur Bantry of Gossington Hall, and Sir Henry Clithering formerly of Scotland Yard.

Miss Marple made her first appearance in a book in 1930, and her twelfth and final novel was published shortly after Agatha Christie's death almost 50 years later. In the intervening years Miss Marple also featured in 20 short stories, published in a number of different collections. But never before have they been available together.

In this complete volume, Miss Marple uses her unique insight to deduce the truth about a series of unsolved crimes - cases of a girl framed for theft, some disappearing bloodstains, the cryptic last message of a poisoned man, a woman killed within days of writing her will, a spiritualist who predicts death, a mortally wounded stranger in a church, a Christmas tragedy...

In all 20 ingenious crimes, every one guaranteed to keep you guessing until the turn of the final page.


'The plots are so good that one marvels... most of them would have made a full length thriller'
- Daily Mirror

The twenty stories are:
1. The Tuesday Night Club (1927)
2. The Idol House of Astarte (1928)
3. Ingots of Gold (1928)
4. The Bloodstained Pavement (1928)
5. Motive v. Opportunity (1928)
6. The Thumb Mark of St Peter (1928)
7. The Blue Geranium (1929)
8. The Companion (1930)
9. The Four Suspects (1930)
10. A Christmas Tragedy (1930)
11. The Herb of Death (1930)
12. The Affair at the Bungalow (1930)
13. Death by Drowning (1931)
14. Miss Marple Tells a Story (1935)
15. Strange Jest (1941)
16. Tape-Measure Murder (1941)
17. The Case of the Caretaker (1942)
18. The Case of the Perfect Maid (1942)
19. Sanctuary (1954)
20. Greenshaw's Folly (1956)

First published in book form in 1947, The Labours of Hercules comprises an even dozen mysteries starring Christie's most popular sleuth, the ever-dignified Hercule Poirot. The introductory chapter of the collection sets up the rest of the book. At a dinner party, another guest compares the labors of Poirot to those of Hercules, and the little Belgian is not amused. He has already decided to retire, but makes up his mind to take on 12 great cases - each somehow reflecting the labors accomplished by Hercules - as a farewell to crime solving. All of the cases are quite different from each other, from searching for a lost poet to hunting down a particularly ferocious murderer, from solving mysterious deaths of religious cult members to saving a young would-be politician from potential blackmailers. Frequent Christie interpreter Hugh Fraser brings stories like The Cretan Bull and The Apples of the Hesperides to dazzling life.

In this startling historical mystery, unique in the author's canon, Agatha Christie presents the puzzle of a deadly mystery at the heart of a dissonant family in ancient Egypt. Imhotep, wealthy landowner and priest of Thebes, has outraged his sons and daughters by bringing a beautiful concubine into their fold. And the manipulative Nofret has already set about a plan to usurp her rivals' rightful legacies. When her lifeless body is discovered at the foot of a cliff, Imhotep's own flesh and blood become the apparent conspirators in her shocking murder. But vengeance and greed may not be the only motives...

In Mrs. McGinty’s Dead , one of Agatha Christie’s most ingenious mysteries, the intrepid Hercule Poirot must look into the case of a brutally murdered landlady.

Mrs. McGinty died from a brutal blow to the back of her head. Suspicion falls immediately on her shifty lodger, James Bentley, whose clothes reveal traces of the victim’s blood and hair. Yet something is amiss: Bentley just doesn’t seem like a murderer.

Could the answer lie in an article clipped from a newspaper two days before the death? With a desperate killer still free, Hercule Poirot will have to stay alive long enough to find out. . . .

An outbreak of kleptomania at a student hostel was not normally the sort of crime that aroused Hercule Poirot’s interest.

But when he saw the list of stolen and vandalized items – including a stethoscope, some old flannel trousers, a box of chocolates, a slashed rucksack and a diamond ring found in a bowl of soup – he congratulated the warden, Mrs. Hubbard, on a "unique and beautiful problem". The list made absolutely no sense at all. But, reasoned Poirot, if this was merely a petty thief at work, why was everyone at the hostel so frightened?

PS: did you know that Mrs. Hubbard is Miss Lemon's sister? That's how the case came to M. Poirot in the first place!

,,Miért nem szóltak Evansnak?" - ezt kérdezi a haldokló, akit Bobby Jones talál a népszerű golfpálya alatt, a völgyben. Bobby először is arra lenne kíváncsi, ki zuhant a szakadékba, és halt meg a szeme láttára, azonosító iratot ugyanis nem találnak a férfinál. Csak egy gyönyörű fiatal nő fényképét... Bobby nyomozni kezd, és hamarosan kiderül, hogy a végzetes baleset nem véletlen történt: ez bizony gyilkosság volt, mégpedig igen rejtélyes gyilkosság. Szerencsére Bobbynak merész segítőtársa is akad Lady Frances Derwent személyében. Frankie, ahogy az ifjú arisztokrata lányt mindenki nevezi, hatalmas lelkesedéssel veti bele magát a rejtélybe. Az sem riasztja vissza, hogy Bobbyt is, őt is megpróbálják eltenni láb alól. A meglepetésekben és kalandokban bővelkedő könyv végére kiderül, kicsoda Evans, miért nem szóltak neki, és hogy egy lelkész negyedik fia és egy arisztokrata lánya csak nyomozóként alkot-e nyerő párost.

Sheila Webb, typist-for-hire, has arrived at 19 Wilbraham Crescent in the seaside town of Crowdean to accept a new job. What she finds is a well-dressed corpse surrounded by six clocks. Mrs. Pebmarsh, the blind owner of No. 19, denies all knowledge of ringing Sheila's secretarial agency and asking for her by name -- yet someone did. Nor does she own that many clocks. And neither woman seems to know the victim. Colin Lamb, a young intelligence specialist working a case of his own at the nearby naval yard, happens to be on the scene at the time of Sheila Webb's ghastly discovery. Lamb knows of only one man who can properly investigate a crime as bizarre and baffling as what happened inside No. 19 -- his friend and mentor, Hercule Poirot.

A man is shot at in a juvenile reform home – but someone else dies…

Miss Marple senses danger when she visits a friend living in a Victorian mansion which doubles as a rehabilitation centre for delinquents. Her fears are confirmed when a youth fires a revolver at the administrator, Lewis Serrocold. Neither is injured. But a mysterious visitor, Mr Gulbrandsen, is less fortunate – shot dead simultaneously in another part of the building.

Pure coincidence? Miss Marple thinks not, and vows to discover the real reason for Mr Gulbrandsen’s visit.

Librarian's note: this entry is for the novel, "They Do It with Mirrors." Collections and other Miss Marple stories are located elsewhere on Goodreads. The series includes 12 novels and 20 short stories. Entries for the short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Miss Marple Short Story."

This old-fashioned London hotel may not be quite as reputable as it makes out!

When Miss Marple comes up from the country for a holiday in London, she finds what she's looking for at Bertram's: traditional décor and impeccable service. But she senses an unmistakable atmosphere of danger behind the highly polished veneer. Not even Miss Marple can foresee the violent chain of events set in motion when an eccentric hotel guest makes his way to the airport one day late!

Librarian's note: this entry is for the novel, "At Bertram's Hotel." Collections and other Miss Marple stories are located elsewhere on Goodreads. The series includes 12 novels and 20 short stories. Entries for the short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Miss Marple Short Story."

Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners.

Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These readers have been carefully adapted using the Collins COBUILD grading scheme to ensure that the language is at the correct level for an intermediate learner. This book is Level 5 in the Collins ELT Readers series. Level 5 is equivalent to CEF level B2+ with a word count of 22,000 – 30,000 words.

Each book includes:
• Full reading of the adapted version available for free online
• Helpful notes on characters
• Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot
• A glossary of the more difficult words
• Free online resources for students and teachers

The plot:
Late one night, two teachers investigate a mysterious light in the school Sports Pavilion. Among the tennis racquets and lacrosse sticks, they find the body of the unpopular games mistress – shot through the heart. Schoolgirl Julia Upjohn knows too much, and begins to worry that she might be the next victim. Can detective Hercule Poirot find the killer before the ‘cat’ strikes again?

Each level is carefully graded to ensure that the learner both enjoys and benefits from their reading experience.

Hastings, el fiel amigo de Hércules Poirot, relata una serie de casos felizmente resueltos por el famoso detective belga que, convencido de la infalibilidad de su método deductivo, es capaz de aprovechar cualquier incidente trivial, sin aparente relación con el caso investigado, para descubrir siempre la verdad. El secreto de su éxito reside, según confiesa con orgullo el propio Poirot, en la calidad de las células grises de su privilegiado cerebro.

Incluye los siguientes relatos:

1- La aventura de la Estrella del Oeste
2- Tragedia en Marsdon Manor
3- La aventura del piso barato
4- El misterio de Hunter's Lodge
5- El robo del millón de dólares en bonos
6- La aventura de la tumba egipcia
7- Robo de joyas en el Grand Metropolitan
8- El rapto del primer ministro
9- La desaparición del Señor Davenheim
10- La aventura del noble italiano
11- El caso del testamento desaparecido

著名女子学院“芳草地”迎来了新的学期。新入学的女孩里有一位谢斯塔公主，她的表哥刚刚在一场政变中被害，大批珠宝也随之遗失。随着她的到来，一连串阴谋渐渐笼罩了这所学校，不断有教师被害，谢斯塔公主也随即失踪。究竟谁是潜伏在温顺鸽群里的那只露出爪子的猫？

A superb collection of treats for mystery lovers, featuring both the indomitable English gentlewoman, Miss Marple, and the inimitable Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. The publisher has even added a few of Ms. Christie's supernatural stories to entice you.

The stories are: (1) Double Sin, (2) Wasp's Nest, (3) The Theft of the Royal Ruby, (4) The Dressmaker's Doll, (5) Greenshaw's Folly, (6) The Double Clue, (7) The Last Séance, and (8) Sanctuary. Of the eight, Hercule Poirot stars in (1), (2), (3), and (6). Miss Marple is the lead in (5) and (8). And there are two Christie standalones, not part of any novel or short story series, (4) and (7).

"The Theft of the Royal Ruby" is actually an expanded version of 1923's "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding." A young prince from the Middle East, during a visit to London, has dabbled with the wrong woman and lost a magnificent jewel which only Hercule Poirot may be able to recover. Talking of dabbling, that is what Miss Marple does in "Sanctuary." She offers advice to her goddaughter on a religious matter; a man has died in the woman's church under mysterious circumstances. Readers are also sure to enjoy "The Last Séance" in which a young medium holds one too many.

Librarian's note: this entry is for the collection of short stories, "Double Sin and Other Stories." Individual entries for each of the stories, including the title story, can be found elsewhere on Goodreads. The entries for Hercule Poirot short stories can be found by searching: "a Hercule Poirot Short Story." For Miss Marple, "a Miss Marple Short Story," and for Christie short stories without such leading characters, "an Agatha Christie Standalone Short Story."

A dead heiress, a murdered recluse, and a slain playboy are but a few of the unfortunate victims of confounding crimes committed in the pages of Agatha Christie’s "The Under Dog and Other Stories," a superior collection of short story, mystery fiction all featuring Hercule Poirot.

The beautiful heiress was found dead on a train. The forgotten recluse made headlines after he was shot in the head, and the wealthy playboy was stabbed through the heart during a costume ball. We shouldn't forget the elderly woman who suspected that she was slowly being poisoned to death, and the prince who feared for his reputation when his fiancée became embroiled in another man's murder.

Who but Agatha Christie could concoct such uncanny crimes? Who but Belgian detective Hercule Poirot could possibly solve them? It's a challenge to be met, and a triumph of detection.

The stories are: 1. The Under Dog, 2. The Plymouth Express, 3. The Affair at the Victory Ball, 4. The Market Basing Mystery, 5. The Lemesurier Inheritance, 6. The Cornish Mystery, 7. The King of Clubs, 8. The Submarine Plans, and 9. The Adventure of the Clapham Cook.

Librarian's note: this entry is for the collection of short stories, "The Under Dog and Other Stories." Entries for the individual titles, including the title story, can be found elsewhere on Goodreads. All Agatha Christie's Poirot short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Hercule Poirot Short Story."

Never before published—the lost classic, unseen for sixty years!
A party game goes dead wrong in this ingenious mystery from the most beloved novelist of all time. Hercule Poirot, the world's favorite detective, has agreed to take part in a mock murder mystery in a charming English village—but when tragedy strikes, a different sort of game begins ...
In 1954, Agatha Christie wrote this novella with the intention of donating the proceeds to a fund set up to buy stained glass windows for her local church at Churston Ferrers, and she filled the story with references to local places, including her own home of Greenway. But, having completed it, she decided instead to expand the story into a full-length novel, Dead Man's Folly , which was published two years later, and donated a Miss Marple story ( Greenshaw's Folly ) to the church fund instead.
Unseen for sixty years, Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly is finally published in this ebook-exclusive edition.

Belgian investigator Hercule Poirot, now London based, tasks his friend Arthur Hastings with solving a murder that is more like a riddle. It occurs at a hunting lodge. The owner has been murdered, and his nephew wants Poirot to investigate. But our favourite private detective has the flu so its Hastings or nobody!

Originally published in "Sketch" on May 26, 1923.

Librarian's note: this entry is for the story, "The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge." Collections of short stories by the author can be found elsewhere on Goodreads. The individual entries for all Poirot short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Hercule Poirot Short Story."

Young Lord Cronshaw is murdered at a masked ball, and his fiancée dies of a cocaine overdose later the same evening. Who was wearing which costume? Can Poirot find out who the killer is?

Behold, the publisher's summary, just a little improved!

Poirot receives an unusual request for help from Miss Violet Marsh who was orphaned as a child and went to live with her very peculiar Uncle Andrew. He died almost a month before the Poirot / Marsh meeting, leaving a will with a strange clause. In it he gave instructions that his "clever" niece was allowed to live in his house for one month, and in that time she has to "prove her wits" and find a more recent second will. At the end of that time, if she hasn't, all his worldly goods go to charitable institutions and she will be left with nothing. Her request? Can Poirot help?

Librarian's note: this entry is for the story, "The Case of the Missing Will." Collections of short stories by the author can be found elsewhere on Goodreads. The individual entries for all Poirot short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Hercule Poirot Short Story."

We are told that the Lemesuriers are under a curse that can be traced back to a medieval ancestor. He suspected his wife of being unfaithful, and that their son was not his own. As punishment he murdered them both. While dying, she cursed his family to never have a first-born son live to inherit.

In modern times, Hercule Poirot and Hasting meet the latest heir, an eldest son. But later that night he apparently commits suicide. After the death of another heir, the mother of the next heir asks Poirot to protect her young son who has been having accidents that could have been fatal. Can the ancient curse be true? Is there a riddle which Hercule Poirot can solve in time to save her son?