Poirot Retrospective #3: Five Little Pigs

 

Poirot Retrospective #3: Five Little Pigs

This was Very Very Good. I read earlier today that the most prominent Agatha Christie podcast ranked this as her finest book overall, and I can see why.

This could also be called "Poirot solves a cold case" - and as far as I know, it's the only one like that - where he's asked to investigate a 16-year-old murder, and there are only five possible suspects. Poirot finds himself identifying the suspects with the old nursery rhyme: "This little pig had roast beef; this little pig had none; this little pig went to market; this little pig stayed home; and this little pig went weeeeeeee all the way home."

He really digs in, and begins to gather stories and clues that everyone had considered lost in the past. Although I had some faint suspicions about the killer in this one (I mean, I had a one in five shot), the rationale was really quite well done and psychologically realistic. His methodical reconstruction of the past and his incisive psychological portraits of everyone are marvelous.

It unfolded very subtly and with a lot of nuance. Her portrayals of the various British classes and types are spot on, as in her best work - she has a fantastic eye and ear for detail of speech and dress.

It's also quite fair to the reader - all the appropriate clues are there - but also not simple or easy. I enjoyed this quite a bit. A really fine, mature Christie novel. As in her best work, she has interesting things to say about human nature here, which I want to comment more on but am prevented by spoilers. Maybe in a future review.