What better way to start your day than a short story about an old lady getting poisoned? Truly, the finest way to spend a morning.
These jokes are gonna get me in trouble one of these days…
Sorting through his mail, Hercule Poirot receives a letter asking him for help. A few days later, he discovers his new correspondent was murdered before she could get his response! It seems a simple poisoning with an obvious suspect. But as always, there’s more to this crime than meets the eye.
This is another solo Poirot outing. Though he does briefly mention Hastings. It’s not just a fun little nod to the character, it also shines a light on why Poirot kept our former narrator around to begin with. Small as this detail is, it puts a smile on my face.
The puzzle presented in this short is one of my favorites so far. An old woman killed during dinner, with all the suspects sharing the same supposedly poisoned food. Who did it? It’s a fun riddle to try and solve, with each clue being more tantalizing than the last.
Even if the answer is incredibly obvious right from the start. You don’t even need to think about it. The cast is so small and underdeveloped that it’s clear straight away who the real killer is, which kind of robs any satisfaction one might get from figuring it out themselves. Not much of a reward in solving a case a child could solve on accident.
Maybe that’s why Hastings wasn’t around. Would’ve been a bit embarrassing for Poirot if he had put it together first.
Although I do appreciate how the culprit is an unsympathetic asshole. I was getting kind of tired of Poirot cases where he takes pity on the thief and/or killer and let’s them go. I want justice in my murder mysteries, god dammit!
Overall, I like ‘How Does Your Garden Grow?’ well enough. It’s got plenty of good character moments, interesting dialogue, and a compelling – if ultimately underwhelming – mystery. Not the worst way I’ve ever spent thirty minutes of my time.
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