Steven Helmer Publications

Synopsis: While vacationing with his friend, Arthur Hastings, the now-retired Hercule Poirot encounters a young woman, Nick Buckley. There is nothing overly special about Nick. She has only a few friends, has no money and her family home, End House, is heavily mortgaged. Yet, somebody is trying to kill her. Image courtesy of Pixabay Review: When I started reading this book earlier this month, I was excited to get back to reading what sounded like it would be an interesting whodunit mystery. I managed to finish the book a little earlier today (while waiting for an oil change) and I have to say this is now one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels. This was definitely an interesting mystery, largely because the young Nick Buckley is such an unlikely would-be victim. Poirot has every reason to suspect her life is in danger from the start and that suspicion seemed to be confirmed when her cousin, Maggie, is murdered in what appears to be a case of mistaken identity. However, at...

Synopsis: After 18 months in Argentina with his new wife, Captain Arthur Hastings returns to England and is reunited with his detective friend, Hercule Poirot. Ironically, when he meets up with Poirot, he learns his friend has accepted a well-paying job in South America and is about to board a boat. However, before he departs, Poirot suddenly changes his mind because he realizes the job offer is a ruse by a criminal group he has heard about called the Big Four and believes they are trying to get him out of the way. With Hastings' help, he chooses to stay in Europe, discover the group's identities and plans so he stop them, even though it means putting their lives in danger. Review: Ever since I started working my way through Agatha Christie's novels, I have had nothing but positive things to say about her as a writer. In fact, when I began reading this book earlier this week, I had high expectations for it simply because she had yet to disappoint me. Unfortunately, t...

Synopsis: Hercule Poirot receives a letter from a wealthy landowner in France who is desperately looking to hire the detective at any price because he believes he and his family are in danger. However, by the time Poirot and his companion, Captain Arthur Hastings, arrive, his would-be client, Paul Renaud, has already been murdered. Image courtesy of Pixabay Review: I am continuing with my goal of reading all of Agatha Christie's novels and had an opportunity to read this book (her third) over the past week or so. When I first started reading this book, I wasn't really sure if it was one I would enjoy. However, as it turns out, once I started reading it, I found it was hard to put down. There are a couple things I really liked about this book. The biggest was the mystery. The victim's murder didn't seem random. But, it was truly difficult to figure out who the murderer was, especially as the story progresses, we learn more about who Paul Renaud really was and ...