Hickory Dickory Dock

A Hercule Poirot Mystery

De: Agatha Christie

Narrado por: Hugh Fraser

An outbreak of kleptomania at a student hostel is not normally the sort of crime that arouses Hercule Poirot's interest. However, the warden of the hostel is his secretary, Miss Lemon's sister, and efficient Miss Lemon is less than efficient when worried. To set her mind at ease, and decrease the number of mistakes in her typing, he agrees to meet with Mrs. Hubbard.

When he sees the bizarre list of stolen and vandalized items - including a stethoscope, a box of chocolates, a slashed rucksack, and a diamond ring (which was stolen, then discovered in a bowl of soup) - he congratulates Mrs. Hubbard on a "unique and beautiful problem". But Poirot soon has more than a possible petty thief on his hands when murder enters the picture.

©1983 John Michael Mallowan; 1983 Peter Andrew Mallowan; 1955 Max Edgar Lucien Mallowan; 1955 William Edmund Cork (P)2005 HarperCollins Publishers, London

Reseñas de la Crítica

"The infallibly original Agatha Christie has come up with a new and highly ingenious puzzle-construction." (The New York Times)

And now the students!

Another delightful murder mystery from the beloved Agatha! A little predictable perhaps but still very well done!

Another Great Mystery

Really enjoyed this Hercule Poroit novel! Interesting plot and characters. Narration is always good. Lots of interesting twists. Different than the normal HP novel as it involves students.

Not enough Poirot in this one, still good though

Too much of the other police/detectives. Poirot feels like an after thought. Solid story still nonetheless.

Great story told by a great narrator

I enjoyed this Hercule Poirot novel a lot. It had a little different feel and setting than most of Christie's novels, especially her earlier ones. Hugh Fraser is, as always, a delightful narrator.

Complex and Intriguing Plot

I loved this installment of Agatha Christie. Great performance by Hugh Fraiser and an engaging plot. It was hard to pay attention to at times, I felt that some parts dragged, but the action towards the end made up for any dull moments before. Overall, one of my favorites now, from her.

Exceptional Narration

The story is interesting, but somewhat slow. The plot kept you guessing till the end. I feel like a good hour or two could be shaved off this story.

Great cast of characters

As usual, Christie delivers a great cast of characters, many with motives for the deaths that litter the story. In a youth hostel with socially and ethnically diverse boarders run by Miss Lemon's sister, a series of petty crimes lead to more than one murder. Hugh Fraser is an excellent narrator. His voices are distinct and often amusing. Poirot is not a major character in the story but appears when he is needed.

Complex crime, but interesting characters

Excellent performance by Hugh Fraser, who had numerous characters to portray. The mystery itself is complicated, but entertaining.

Hickory Dickory Dock

As with all of Agatha Christie’s books, this one was excellent. I highly recommend it.

Classic Christie in a Dynamic Setting

I really liked the cast of characters in Hickory Dickory Dock, and the setting in a boarding house for young people, some students and some who are already in careers. It makes for a great collection of characters and personality types. Christie brings in people from other parts of the world, An American, a West African, and a couple from the Middle East. She doesn’t get too in depth about race, but it’s mentioned. In this book, Poirot’s secretary, Mrs. Lemon, asks him to help solve a mysterious case of possible kleptomania. Her sister, Mrs. Hubbard, is the house mother, so to speak, of the boarding house, and has asked Poirot to come investigate. He’s feeling bored and curious. Why the random items? How are they connected? And, something definitely feels off about this place. Naturally, after he arrives, a young woman is found dead of apparent suicide, but Poirot knows better. This is murder, and now he’s invested in solving the crime. It might have been easier to keep track of the various characters and missing items if I had read the physical book. However, I would have missed out on Hugh Fraser’s excellent narration and being able to listen as I drove, walked the neighborhood, or drew in my art journal. I loved this story. The only adaptation I could find was a one episode version from a 1995 show. I’d love to see this one as a play.