Poirot's Early Cases

About “Poirot's Early Cases”

This short story collection offers insight into the early development of Hercule Poirot's detective skills. Fourteen of the eighteen stories are told from the perspective of Captain Arthur Hastings, including the earliest Poirot story, The Affair at the Victory Ball, which follows events from The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Two stories are narrated by Poirot himself, speaking to Hastings. One story, The Chocolate Box, details Poirot's early failure while working for the Belgian police. In this collection, Poirot's "grey cells" are shown to work effectively, leading to clever and challenging mysteries.