You might otherwise know it as ‘The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding.’ Which, quite frankly, is a way better title. Why did they change it?
One mystery at a time. First:
Who’s ready for a Christmas mystery?! Wait! Can you hear that? It’s the groans of all my American readers, complaining that tomorrow is Thanksgiving! An exasperated symphony the world will never tire of hearing.
A prince has been duped by a beautiful woman, and the ruby meant for his bride-to-be has been stolen. Somehow, they have deduced the thief’s location to the Kings Lacey country house. A proper old-fashioned Christmas celebration is to be held there, and after some convincing, Hercule Poirot heads in undercover to investigate.
The house is far from empty. Mrs. Lacey and her husband the Colonel are joined by their granddaughter Sarah, their teenage grandson Colin, Colin’s school friend Michael, a niece named Bridget, Mrs. Lacey’s younger cousin Diana, and family friend David Welwyn. Finally, there is Desmond, whom Sarah is in a relationship with, along with his ill sister, who is recovering from an operation in her room. Together with the staff waiting on the house, Papa Poirot has no shortage of suspects.
But this short isn’t written solely from Poirot’s perspective. We also spend some time away from the beloved detective and with the younger guests of the house. Disappointed with the docile, old, and polite Poirot, they hatch a plan to stage a murder. A friendly prank to arouse the detective’s interest and make him feel at home.
Yet this peaceful holiday celebration isn’t all it seems to be. As night falls and Poirot heads to bed, he finds a note laid atop his pillow. “Don’t eat none of the plum pudding. One Who wishes you well.” An interesting – and potentially dangerous – development.
Most of this short is spent not solving the mystery, but with our cast of characters. A wise decision; it gives the reader a chance to get to know all these people and make their own deductions. Plus, it’s a nice change of pace to spend time away from Poirot. It makes this short feel fresh and exciting!
At least, it should be. Unfortunately, the characters we spend time with are kinda insufferable. Mrs. Lacey is sweet, but all she really does is flirt with her husband and provide exposition. Speaking of her husband, his only two traits are ‘old fashioned’ and ‘racist,’ so he’s not winning any popularity contests any time soon. Everyone else is young, irritating, and devoid of any personality.
The actual mystery itself is really interesting. Just when you think you have all the clues, something completely unexpected happens and throws you for a loop! It’s not until near the end that it all finally becomes clear. Unfortunately, the actual answers are kinda underwhelming. It all makes sense; you could very well solve most of this case yourself. But the truths you’ll find are far from exciting. Even Poirot himself thinks so!
Still, this is a decent Poirot short. You get a fun little Christmas puzzle, even if the ending is lackluster. If you’ve got two hours to kill, this is a solid read. If nothing else, it’ll put you in the holiday spirit.
Ah, listen. The Americans are at it again. With all that squawking, it’s hard to tell if the turkey is sitting at the table or on it.
Jonah's Books & Rants 
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