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The Big Four

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The Big Four

By: Agatha Christie
Narrated by: Hugh Fraser
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Summary

Framed in the doorway of Poirot’s bedroom stood an uninvited guest, coated from head to foot in dust. The man’s gaunt face stared for a moment, then he swayed and fell.

Who was he? Was he suffering from shock or just exhaustion? Above all, what was the significance of the figure 4, scribbled over and over again on a sheet of paper? Poirot finds himself plunged into a world of international intrigue, risking his life to uncover the truth about ‘Number Four’.

 Amateur Sleuths Classics Crime Fiction Mystery Suspense Thriller & Suspense Traditional Detectives Fiction Crime Exciting
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This is one of my favourite Agatha Christie books. It's a rollicking adventure narrated perfectly by Hugh Fraser.

One of Christie's best...

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Exciting story, very different from Poirot's usual cases, a little let down by the ending.

An enjoyable listen.

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This was very badly cobbled together from a series of short stories and published drung a low point in Christie's life. It is not at all like the usual silly escapist class-ridden nonsense that can be comforting in chaotic times like these - but has storylines beyound ridiculous about an international group seeking world domination. I only went on listening - vaguely - because of Hugh Fraser's always brilliant narration.

Tedious stupid book with brilliant narration

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Amazingly published in 1927, this lesser known Chrstie novel is more of an adventurous romp than a murder mystery, but it is ahead of its time in plot, characterisation & humour. I forgot how laugh out loud funny Christie can be! I also forgot how she portrayed women in equally powerful roles to men, which, less than a handful of authors did at that time. (Those authors, of course, were all female).

Some of the terminology may seem old-fashioned today, but it's accurate, not offensive. If anything ages it, it's Hugh Fraser's spiffing narration, which submerses the story into full-on romp mode. However, let yourself be swept along & just enjoy the fun of it.

The format is more GK Chesterton than normal Christie, but I love it when she explores different styles. This is well worth a listen, although confusing at times, it speeds along & reveals so much about Poirots character & relationship with Hastings, it is a hidden gem.

A big hit! More spiffing yarn than detective story

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Another great performance by Hugh Fraser.
Fraser's performance helped individualise the numerous players and keep the complex narrative flowing smoothly

A great sinister plot by Agatha Christie with much better use of it's characters than the film.

However, the world building is not quite as immersive as other stories due to Hastings' limited perspective on a far-reaching narrative.

Also... where is his wife the whole time? Does he not miss her?

Much better than the film.

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