BIG FOUR Book

Written in 1927, Hercule Poirot and Mr. Hastings pursue the existence of "The Big Four" - a Chinese man, an American man, a Frenchwoman, and an Englishman known as "the Destroyer" - in a quest to sideline their leadership in a conspiracy of global control.

Papers are discovered that refer to ". . . some powerful wireless installation - a concentration of wireless energy far beyond anything so far attempted, and capable of focusing a beam of great intensity upon some given spot." There is also a reference to harnessing atomic energy.

Where in the world, in the year 1927, would Agatha Christie have come across such a possibility? It boggles my mind.

Hercule Poirot and Mr. Hastings have several confrontations with members of the Big Four during the course of this novel, as they realize that Poirot must be eliminated if they are to succeed in their mission to control the world and all the entities that make the world turn. Along the way, Poirot and Hastings also need to deal with the "collateral damage" that the Big Four leave in their wake.

Agatha Christie continues to surprise me with the range of her mysteries and their complexity. Add in the quirks of some of her characters and a light touch of humour among heart-racing tensions, and this novel comes out a winner.