The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb: A Hercule Poirot Story

By Agatha Christie

Previously published in the print anthology Poirot Investigates.

A series of deaths around a pharaoh’s tomb is blamed on an ancient curse, but Poirot knows better.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: Jul 2, 2013
• ISBN: 9780062298133

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in a hundred foreign languages. She died in 1976, after a prolific career spanning six decades.

Book preview

Contents

The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb

About the Author

The Agatha Christie Collection

Copyright

About the Publisher

THE ADVENTURE OF THE EGYPTIAN TOMB

I have always considered that one of the most thrilling and dramatic of the many adventures I have shared with Poirot was that of our investigation into the strange series of deaths which followed upon the discovery and opening of the Tomb of King Men-her-Ra.

Hard upon the discovery of the Tomb of Tutankh-Amen by Lord Carnarvon, Sir John Willard and Mr. Bleibner of New York, pursuing their excavations not far from Cairo, in the vicinity of the Pyramids of Gizeh, came unexpectedly on a series of funeral chambers. The greatest interest was aroused by their discovery. The Tomb appeared to be that of King Men-her-Ra, one of those shadowy kings of the Eighth Dynasty, when the Old Kingdom was falling to decay. Little was known about this period, and the discoveries were fully reported in the newspapers.

An event soon occurred which took a profound hold on the public mind. Sir John Willard died quite suddenly of heart failure.

The more sensational newspapers immediately took the opportunity of reviving all the old superstitious stories connected with the ill luck of certain Egyptian treasures. The unlucky Mummy at the British Museum, that hoary old chestnut, was dragged out with fresh zest, was quietly denied by the Museum, but nevertheless enjoyed all its usual vogue.

A fortnight later Mr. Bleibner died of acute blood poisoning, and a few days afterwards a nephew of his shot himself in New York.

Reviews for The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb

[richardderus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Rating: 3.5* of fiveThe Publisher Says: Previously published in the print anthology Poirot Investigates.A series of deaths around a pharaoh’s tomb is blamed on an ancient curse, but Poirot knows better.My Review: A 99¢ Kindle Single and fifth season episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot.The story is set entirely in Egypt. The episode is more wide-ranging, interweaving the Egyptian archaeological dig with New York and London. The deaths that Poirot investigates are all connected to the archaeological dig; there is a suspicion that an ancient curse is in action, an idea spread by the superstitious widow of the first victim. She calls in Poirot and Hastings to determine what has occurred.The resolution of the deaths is the same in both iterations of the tale. But let me tell you somethin' the episode makes hay of the imagery reported in the story! Anubis-headed nightmares for me tonight.The horror of human greed is eternal, isn't it. Appalling what people will do for enough money.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not long after the tomb of the pharoah King Men-her-Ra had been opened the first death occurred, of Sir John Willard. His widow employs Poirot to solve the deaths. And so Poirot and Captain Hastings go to Egypt.
An enjoyable short mystery