Hercule Poirot: Black Coffee, Peril at End House

Hello everyone! Welcome, or welcome back to my blog. Today, I am back with another couple of Hercule Poirot reviews: Black Coffee, and Peril at End House. I hope you like the previous reviews I had posted on the same series. These are the books number seven, and eight. Also, please check out my other posts if you haven’t already. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Black Coffee:

Hercule Poirot is back again. This time, he is visiting an inventor, Sir Claud Amory. His family and guests come together, and all seems fine. But it just can’t be when Poirot and son ami Hastings are present, right? Well, after dinner, Sir Amory frowns in distaste. It is not because of the black coffee that is served to him, but because he has discovered that a formula for a powerful explosive, invented by him, has been stolen. And he knows that no one but the people staying in his house could have stolen the formula. He has a detective at his disposal, but he gives the culprit a chance. He switches off the lights and asks the person to return the formula. The light doesn’t get switched on and when someone else does it, it is too late.

Poirot is sure that Sir Amory has been poisoned, for just before his announcement, he a couple of other people had found an empty bottle of poison. He is also sure that Sir Amory’s drink was used as the medium, as the black coffee is perfectly suitable for covering the bitter taste of the poison. Poirot initially thought that the thief of the formula had silenced him to prevent Sir Amory from blowing his or her cover. But things aren’t always as simple as that, are they? While trying to solve the case, Poirot discovers old grudges, guests whose presence and activities are doubtful, and old family drama. He is assisted by his good but sometimes gullible friend Captain Hastings, who unknowingly provides Poirot with a clue that holds the secret.

The Black Coffee has been novelized by Charles Osborne. It is fast, with an ingenious plot, and Agatha Christie’s signature twist at the end. It is quite short as compared to the other novels, but no less interesting. The Black Coffee is short and sweet, ideal if you want to read a Hercule Poirot story without getting your head in a tangled mess.

Peril at End House:

Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are on a holiday and are enjoying themselves sitting outside on the hotel’s terrace. At the next table, a group of youngsters join them, headed by Nick Buckley, latest owner of the End House. Suddenly, Poirot’s attention is caught – to Captain Hastings’ distaste – by a remark made by Nick Buckley. She was talking about some rather strange accidents which had happened with her lately and she barely escaped with her life each time. Poirot is naturally concerned and starts talking to Nick.

Apparently, all these accidents began when she inherited the End House, as large bungalow with its own grounds. First, when she was driving along the treacherous, tortuous roads of the Cornish hillsides, the brakes of her car failed. Then when she was walking along the beach, a large, falling boulder nearly missed her and finally, a heavy oil painting hung above her bed fell and almost crushed her. After this, they go their own way. But sometime later everyone hears a gunshot, and find a bullet hole in Nick’s hat. Poirot decides that the girl is in danger, and steps in.

There are very few who regularly came in contact with Nick; one who was obviously a drug addict, one who was in love with her, a couple of other friends, and an Australian couple with a shady past, who were tenants on the End House’s grounds. In the end, however, Poirot fails, and Nick’s killer achieves his or her target. But no, not all is over. Shortly after, Poirot summons everyone and holds a séance, and summons Nick’s spirit. Her spirit arrives, and a shocking revelation is made.

The plot of this book is clever, ingenious, and fresh. It goes at a medium pace, and is great fun to read.

Outro:

So, that’s it for today, guys. I hope all of you liked the review. If yes, then that’s great! If you didn’t, then still stay tuned; who knows?, you might like the next post I post. I would recommend you to please check out my other posts, if you haven’t already. Please like, and subscribe to my blog. It’s fun, and it’s free. And most importantly, stay home, and stay safe. Au Revoir!