THE HERCULE POIROT READING LIST UK
An expert in human psychology. A refugee and an eccentric. A world-famous private detective. Hercule Poirot
arrived in readers’ lives in 1920, and has been captivating them ever since. We’re often asked where to start with
the Belgian detective. Which book should you read rst? Should the stories be read in order? What are the top
ten titles? This list acts as an answer to these questions. Enjoy discovering Hercule Poirot’s great cases, late
cases, and his lesser known ones too.
Rate the top ten stories and let us know your thoughts using #Poirot10
TOP TEN POIROT NOVELS
For more reading ideas visit www.agathachristie.com
Sometimes Poirot’s previous cases are referenced in
other books. For those looking to avoid spoilers we’d
make the following suggestions:
If you’re going to read all the stories, you can read
Curtain last
If you’re going to read 10 Poirot stories in your life,
make sure Curtain is one of them
Elephants Can Remember references plots
from Five Little Pigs, Hallowe’en Party, and Mrs
McGinty’s Dead, so if you are keen to spot these,
read the other three rst.
Cat Among the Pigeons namechecks a character
from Hallowe’en Party. Can you nd out who?
The plot of Mrs McGinty’s Dead is discussed in
Hallowe’en Party, so it’s a good idea to read the
former before embarking on the latter.
We’d recommend reading Murder on the Orient
Express before Cards on the Table to avoid spoilers.
Watch out for a spoiler from Three Act Tragedy if
you’re reading Hercule Poirot’s Christmas rst
THE GUIDE THE LIST
Keep track of your Hercule Poirot reading.
How many stories have you read?
THE CHALLENGE
Bearing in mind the guide on the left, it is possible to read the Poirot
stories in any order. If you want to consider them chronologically (in
terms of Poirot’s lifetime), we recommend the following:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles [
1920
]
The Murder on the Links [
1923
]
While the Light Lasts (UK Short Story Collection) [
1997
]
Poirot Investigates (Short Story Collection) [
1924
]
Poirot’s Early Cases (Short Story Collection) [
1974
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd [
1926
]
The Big Four [
1927
]
The Mystery of the Blue Train [
1928
]
Peril at End House [
1932
]
Lord Edgware Dies [
1933
]
Murder on the Orient Express [
1934
]
Three Act Tragedy [
1935
]
Death in the Clouds [
1935
]
Poirot and the Regatta Mystery [
1936
]
(Published in The Complete Short Stories: Hercule Poirot, 2008)
The ABC Murders [
1936
]
Murder in Mesopotamia [
1936
]
Cards on the Table [
1936
]
Problem at Pollensa Bay (UK Short Story Collection) [
1991
]
Murder in the Mews (Short Story Collection) [
1937
]
Dumb Witness [
1937
]
Death on the Nile [
1937
]
Appointment with Death [
1938
]
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas [
1938
]
Sad Cypress [
1940
]
One, Two Buckle my Shoe [
1940
]
Evil Under the Sun [
1941
]
Five Little Pigs [
1942
]
The Hollow [
1946
]
The Labours of Hercules (Short Story Collection) [
1947
]
Taken at the Flood [
1945
]
Mrs McGinty’s Dead [
1952
]
After the Funeral [
1953
]
Hickory Dickory Dock [
1955
]
Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly [
2014
]
Dead Man’s Folly [
1956
]
Cat Among the Pigeons [
1959
]
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding
(UK Short Story Collection) [
1960
]
The Clocks [
1963
]
Third Girl [
1966
]
Hallowe’en Party [
1969
]
Elephants Can Remember [
1972
]
Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case [
1975
]
[
] Date indicates publication
“My name is Hercule
Poirot, and I am
probably the greatest
detective in the world.
The Mystery of the Blue Train,
Agatha Christie
THE HERCULE POIROT READING LIST US
An expert in human psychology. A refugee and an eccentric. A world-famous private detective. Hercule Poirot
arrived in readers’ lives in 1920, and has been captivating them ever since. We’re often asked where to start
with the Belgian detective. Which book should you read rst? Should the stories be read in order? What are
the top ten titles? This list acts as an answer to these questions. Enjoy discovering Hercule Poirot’s
great cases, late cases, and his lesser known ones too.
Rate the top ten stories and let us know your thoughts using #Poirot10
TOP TEN POIROT NOVELS
For more reading ideas visit www.agathachristie.com
Sometimes Poirot’s previous cases are referenced in
other books. For those looking to avoid spoilers we’d
make the following suggestions:
If you’re going to read all the stories, you can read
Curtain last
If you’re going to read 10 Poirot stories in your life,
make sure Curtain is one of them
Elephants Can Remember references plots
from Five Little Pigs, Hallowe’en Party, and Mrs
McGinty’s Dead, so if you are keen to spot these,
read the other three rst.
Cat Among the Pigeons namechecks a character
from Hallowe’en Party. Can you nd out who?
The plot of Mrs McGinty’s Dead is discussed in
Hallowe’en Party, so it’s a good idea to read the
former before embarking on the latter.
We’d recommend reading Murder on the Orient
Express before Cards on the Table to avoid spoilers.
Watch out for a spoiler from Three Act Tragedy if
you’re reading Hercule Poirot’s Christmas rst.
THE GUIDE THE LIST
The Short Story entitled ‘Christmas Adventure’ is
not currently published in the US. However, it is
interesting to note that it is acknowledged to be a
shorter, earlier version of ‘The Theft of the Royal Ruby
A NOTE FOR
AMERICAN READERS
Keep track of your Hercule Poirot reading.
How many stories have you read?
THE CHALLENGE
“My name is Hercule
Poirot, and I am
probably the greatest
detective in the world.
The Mystery of the Blue Train,
Agatha Christie
Bearing in mind the guide on the left, it is possible to read the Poirot
stories in any order. If you want to consider them chronologically (in
terms of Poirot’s lifetime), we recommend the following:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles [
1920
]
The Murder on the Links [
1923
]
The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories [
1939
]
(US Short Story Collection)
Poirot Investigates (Short Story Collection) [
1924
]
Poirot’s Early Cases (Short Story Collection) [
1974
]
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd [
1926
]
The Big Four [
1927
]
The Mystery of the Blue Train [
1928
]
Peril at End House [
1932
]
Lord Edgware Dies [
1933
]
Murder on the Orient Express [
1934
]
Three Act Tragedy [
1935
]
Death in the Clouds [
1935
]
Poirot and the Regatta Mystery [
1936
]
(Published in The Complete Short Stories: Hercule Poirot, 2008)
The ABC Murders [
1936
]
Murder in Mesopotamia [
1936
]
Cards on the Table [
1936
]
The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories [
1948
]
(US Short Story Collection)
Murder in the Mews (Short Story Collection) [
1938
]
Dumb Witness [
1937
]
Death on the Nile [
1937
]
Appointment with Death [
1938
]
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas [
1938
]
Sad Cypress [
1940
]
One, Two Buckle my Shoe [
1940
]
Evil Under the Sun [
1941
]
Five Little Pigs [
1942
]
The Hollow [
1946
]
The Labours of Hercules (Short Story Collection) [
1947
]
Taken at the Flood [
1945
]
Mrs McGinty’s Dead [
1952
]
After the Funeral [
1953
]
Hickory Dickory Dock [
1955
]
Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly [
2014
]
Dead Man’s Folly [
1956
]
Cat Among the Pigeons [
1959
]
Double Sin and Other Stories (US Short Story Collection) [
1961
]
The Under Dog and Other Stories (US Short Story Collection) [
1951
]
The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories [
1997
]
(US Short Story Collection)
The Clocks [
1963
]
Third Girl [
1966
]
Hallowe’en Party [
1969
]
Elephants Can Remember [
1972
]
Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case [
1975
]
[
] Date indicates publication