I was hoping for a mystery story. But this is fine too.
Poirot, utterly without work and bored out of his skull, needs to find some way to pass the time. Just then, he’s called upon by a young lady in a veil. A powerful man has stolen an important letter from her and threatens to blackmail her with it for a hefty sum. Now, it’s up to Poirot to get it back. But not all is as it seems with this innocent case.
This is a pretty compelling short. It isn’t much of a mystery, but it is a rock solid story. One with a very strong twist at the end, one that you could predict if you were paying attention to the early details. It’s clever!
Besides, it’s cool to see Poirot out of his element. Normally, he’s the one catching criminals. Putting the gray cells to use and solving puzzles, that kind of thing. Seeing him try on the other shoe is a fun time!
Also, Hastings is there. That’s about the extent to his involvement. He is present in the room.
Well, at least he isn’t frothing at the mouth over a young lady this time.
I really enjoyed this one. It’s not much of a mystery, but it’s still a fun read. If you’ve got half an hour to kill, this is a fine way to spend it.
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