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Rating: 
Summary: Rules are made to be broken...
Review: Mystery writers are supposed to play by a set of rules, ie give the reader all the clues, no rare, undetectable poisons, the murder can't be the butler, detective, victim or someone we've never met etc. Agatha Christie always played fair in that all the clues were present for the reader, and she didn't rely on obscure poisons unknown-to-science but she was somewhat more creative in her interpretations of some of the others. PERIL AT END HOUSE is an example of Christie's creativeness with one of the rules of mystery writing (but you'll have to read the book to find out which rule).Poirot and Hastings are spending some time at a seaside resort. Poirot is still insisting that he has retired but concedes that "...if a bullet should strike the wall by my head, I would ...investigate the matter!" Needless to say one does and Poirot is soon investigating the numerous attempts on the life of a young woman. Poirot sorts his way through a murder, drug trafficking, false identities, secret engagements and attempted frauds to reach the truth. The ending is clever and we are treated to Poirot being forced to ask someone else for the answer to a minor secondary puzzle.
Rating: 
Summary: Fine Example of Poirot Mystery
Review: Peril at End House is not among the more famous of the Hercule Poirot mysteries but it is still a good example of Agatha Christie's work. The cast of characters could have been a little more diverse but it is one of the first Hercule Poirot mysteries to fully exploit the generation gap between Poirot (and Hastings) and the young things at the centre of this book in an amusing manner. For Agatha Christie fans used to her methods, the solution will be fairly obvious rather quickly but it is still a clever little puzzle and should delight and mystify any readers not completely immersed in the author's vast output of books. A wonderfully diverting and fun mystery.
Rating:
Summary: Another surprising twist from Dame Agatha
Review: The story opens with Poirot and Hastings relaxing at a seaside resort. Poirot has been asked by the Home Secretary to take up a case but, much to Hastings shock, firmly insists that he has retired and will not take up the case. He does concede that if a bullet should happen to strike the wall by his head he might take up another case. One does which leads Poirot and Hastings to a young woman who has had three narrow escapes with death in the last few days. There are more strange accidents, a murder, drugs and secret engagements for Poirot to sort through before he arrives at the solution. PERIL AT END HOUSE, like THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD of two years before, is another of Christie's 'rule breaking' novels, but like always, Christie played fairly with the reader, all the needed clues were there to be followed.
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