"Hercule Poirot was silent for a minute and a half. Did he wish to embroil himself in the troubles of Miss Lemon's sister and the passions and grievances of a polyglot hostel? But it was very annoying and inconvenient to have Miss Lemon making mistakes in typing his letters. He told himself that if he were to embroil himself in the matter, that would be the reason. He did not admit to himself that he had been rather bored of late and that the very triviality of the business attracted him."
In Agatha Christie's Hickory Dickory Dock, Hercule Poirot agrees to investigate a series of small thefts and mean-spirited pranks at a student hostel where the sister of his secretary works and boards. It's an odd list of incidents: missing lightbulbs, a stolen ring, a slashed rucksack, minor objects taken, ink spilled on a homework assignment, etc. What's really puzzling is that not all of these separate incidents feel like they're related. But Poirot sees patterns no one else does. Only just as he thinks he has a handle on the minor thefts, there's a murder. And the case gets even more complicated.
This is a well-written and entertaining mystery that does not disappoint. And after reading Eight Perfect Murders, I was totally in the mood for a mystery like this. Poirot is always a favorite. And I really enjoyed the mix of students living at the hostel with all their quirks and eccentricities. Of course, it kept me guessing, as all Christie mysteries do, but all the pieces came together at the end thanks to Poirot's genius and persistence. I liked this one a lot!
Happy Reading!
