The Big Four

By Agatha Christie

Beloved detective Hercule Poirot takes on an international gang of super-criminals and introduces the world to his identical twin, Achille Poirot. From Agatha Christie, who "created the modern murder mystery" (The New Yorker).

When a series of apparently unconnected murders attracts the attention of Hercule Poirot, one small detail stands out: the mysterious recurrence of the number four. Poirot travels from London to Paris and from Belgium to Italy, solving one mystery after another but always remaining a step behind the shadowy foursome he suspects are responsible. A final daring confrontation puts the eccentric detective’s life on the line—until his twin brother, Achille Poirot, comes to the rescue.

A VINTAGE CLASSIC MYSTERY

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jan 3, 2023
• ISBN: 9780593468951

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.

Reviews for The Big Four

[lara335 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A very odd Poirot novel. He & Hastings travel around trying to locate The Big Four supervillains who want to take over the world. Poirot comes across as a sub-standard James Bond. Give me a closed country house / train / ocean liner setting with a small group of suspects & a murder any day. NB. Reading other reviews I understand this was 12 short stories mashed together - and it shows in the disjointed novel.

[funstm · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Poirot was an extraordinary-looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. Yet this quaint dandified little man who, I was sorry to see, now limped badly, had been in his time one of the most celebrated members of the Belgian police. As a detective, his flair had been extraordinary, and he had achieved triumphs by unravelling some of the most baffling cases of the day.Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot 3-Book Collection 1: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder on the Links, Poirot Investigates (Kindle Locations 308-313). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.I love Hercule Poirot. Such a great detective. Such a character. There's always a great mystery with lots of twists and turns and red herrings, all of which keep me riveted. The characters are interesting and have complex motives for their actions. I've read many Agatha Christie books before but not all and not in order so I'm in the process of commencing a reread. Highly recommend to crime lovers.The Big Four was not my favourite. Was a bit too disjointed for my tastes. And Hastings is back. I don't understand why he gets married and then spends all his time away from her. Seems pointless to get married. I did enjoy the humor though. Particularly the cutting marks directed at Hastings by Poirot and Japp. And even the villains get in on it. “I should not advise it,” he remarked. “Remember what came of your hasty action in Paris. Let me assure you that my way of retreat is well assured. Your ideas are inclined to be a little crude, Captain Hastings, if I may say so.”Christie, Agatha. The Big Four: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot series Book 5) (p. 190). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition. Hastings is always so offended which cracks me up. And Poirot's self confidence. My favourite was this; “You guessed this beforehand?” “‘Forecast the probable result of the deal,’” quoted Poirot from a recent bridge problem on which I had spent much time. “Mon ami, when you do that successfully, you do not call it guessing.”Christie, Agatha. The Big Four: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot series Book 5) (p. 124). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition. Hastings is right - modesty is not his strong point. “And his mistake?” I asked, although I suspected the answer. “Mon ami, he overlooked the little grey cells of Hercule Poirot.” Poirot has his virtues, but modesty is not one of them.Christie, Agatha. The Big Four: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Hercule Poirot series Book 5) (p. 130). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition. But that's alright because it makes for great reading. For all that, with the mystery being so disjointed - investigating each of the Four individually - I just couldn't get into it. 2.5 stars, rounded down to 2.

[madmattreader · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

It was a nice read but with a disappointing ending especially since the brains of the big 4 Li Cheng Yen was never really identified except that appears he never left China. Also the refrain of trying to get H.Poirot to leave England for one reason or another did not make sense since the Big 4 went off to Italy anyway. It left quite few unanswered questions.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very interesting book on the four powerful men who established the Central Pacific in California and built a big part of the transcontinental RR. It later became the Southern Pacific.

[kenf_29 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Embarrassingly contrived, painfully racist and glaringly obvious, except to poor Hastings who’s even denser than usual.Hugh Fraser does a good job as usual on the audio book; his demeaning mock-Chinese accent is regrettable but in tune with the book itself.

[bookconcierge · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Digital audiobook narrated by Hugh Fraser 1* Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are on the trail of an evil syndicate trying to take over the world. That sounds like a James Bond novel synopsis more than a murder mystery featuring the famous Belgian detective and his “little grey cells,” and that is the crux of the problem. Originally these were short stories and Christie tried to weave them together into an espionage thriller, but without much success. The action takes place over several years. There are multiple attempts on Poirot’s and/or Hastings’s lives. I never really knew what this syndicate was after (other than world domination) or why. Most of the scenarios seemed incredibly far-fetched and unrealistic. And worse, they were under-developed. One thing that DID capture my attention (however briefly) was mention of Hastings’s wife. What? He’s married? I don’t recall any other mention of his beloved in any of the other books I’ve read, nor in the TV miniseries. And he’s always on about “auburn-haired” women and mooning over them in the other books..Skip this one and concentrate on the traditional mysteries.Hugh Fraser does a respectable job of narrating the audiobook. I like David Suchet’s interpretation of Poirot better, but that isn’t Fraser’s fault.

[chazzifrazz · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Hurcule Poirot finds himself involved in a case of international proportions involving multiple murders planned by four very powerful figures; a Chinese man, a French woman scientist, a wealthy American and a master of disguise, together known as the Big Four.Much to Poirot’s dislike, but a major requirement, he finds himself travelling to various locations in order to learn more about each of his adversaries. One thing that makes it bearable is having Hastings involved to assist him.This particular case runs over a number of months. Little by little, Poirot learns more about each of the Big Four and is able to come up with a solution to stopping the plans of the Four: plans that will affect the governments of the world.It is a bit different in that the time span is longer than usual for Poirot. Also he uses other identities in his sleuthing. The book felt like it was a collection of short stories or four novellas melded together to make a complete book — which I found out that it was comprised of a selection of short stories!I still enjoyed the read.

[amphipodgirl · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

So many spy thriller cliches! Evil geniuses, a master of disguise, sinister Chinamen who all look alike, an underground lair....In the best Poirot stories, he, and we, get to know the psychology of each suspect intimately, and they all come together in the solution of the case. In this, players rush on and off the stage so fast, and in such ludicrous get-ups, that we never get to know any of them. This was early in Christie's career, and she clearly hadn't quite found her way yet.

[sensitivemuse · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a bit different from the past mysteries I've read featuring Poirot. It's still good though, and although it can still be classified as a mystery, there's a lot more action in this one that I thought. The plot is a much faster pace that usual Poirot mysteries, it's read more like an old style movie where the villain thinks they got the best of the hero but he's always got a plan b (Poirot seems to never run out of these) it's an amusing, and fun read but there's plenty of intrigue.This one may be off putting to some as it's so uncharacteristic from Christie's other novels, I was not too crazy about the ending though. Rather cliche (although perhaps meant to be?) and very quick and abrupt.It's an entertaining read but one that definitely is out of the box for Agatha Christie.

[delphimo_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

What a long list of characters and Agatha Christie gives vivid descriptions of each person. And so many stories with each of these characters. Hercule Poirot explains to Inspector Japp “and yet you drag the red kipper across the trail,” exactly as Agatha Christie drags the red kippers in the story. The story centers on “The Big Four” which is a group of four powerful individuals: Li Chang Yen from China, a dollar sign from America, a French woman, and “The Destroyer” England. Poirot races to identify and stop this deadly team. The mystery remains how Arthur Hastings spends so much time assisting Poirot in this lengthy hunt and ignoring his wife. Again, Agatha Christie explores the mistaken identity theme. The Destroyer, a master of disguise, approaches Poirot as an asylum keeper, a young butcher, a doctor, and a manservant. Poirot discovers each of the Big Four members and rushes to stop them. Agatha Christie plants hints of Poirot’s brother, Achille as resembling Sherlock Holmes’s brother Mycroft. This story borders on issues happening today.

[tomdonaghey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Big Four (1927) (Poirot #5) by Agatha Christie. This is a rather unusual outing for Poirot. He normally disparages the comings and goings of the police as so many hounds chasing scents rather than sitting quietly and thinking. But in this book he is seldom in his apartments nor in one spot for long. To begin with, Poirot is on his way to South America when Captain Hastings surprisingly just arrives from there. Shortly Poirot realizes the promise of a job and an outrageous payment was just a way to dupe him into leaving the country.This is the work of the Big Four, a foursome of top international criminals. They are so good at the evil they do, no one suspects them. Except for Poirot that is. But even when he presents evidence to the proper authorities in the Home Office, he is only just believed.What follows is a series of near misses and almost total catastrophe for the Belgian sleuth. He and Hastings risk their lives repeatedly in various locations as they endeavor to uncover the true identities of the diabolical cadre.All that is know at the start of the journey is that one is Chinese, one French and one American. The fourth person is an unknown. All they do know is that he is called the “Destroyer”.Sax Rohmer had written about Fu Manchu and the Yellow Menace in 1916 and for the next two decades so and this may be Agatha Christie’s tip of the hat to him. Although, honestly, other than the mastermind being Chinese, according to rumor, there is nothing else here that is similar.And we discover that Poirot has a twin brother. Imagine that!In a nod to our current situation with being shut in away from the world, at one point Poirot and Hastings are doing a self-imposed exile of their ownIt was driving Hastings stir crazy. Imagine that!

[dasam-5 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

A mildly amusing ripoff of Sherlock Holmes jousting with Moriarty.

[authorjanebnight · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Synopsis:This is book 5 in the Hercule Poirot Mystery Series. Poirot goes up against four super-villains. A Chinaman, a rich American, a French Woman, and "The Destroyer".My rating:2.5/5Of all the Hercule Poirot books, this has been my least favorite so far. I think that this book is one of those that either you love or you hate. It doesn't feel like a typical Poirot book. If you watch television series that do a musical episode or some other similar "artsy" episode that feels out of place in the series I think that is a comparison to this book.Typically, Poirot is solving mysteries involving people. He isn't wrapped up in conspiracies with people wanting to take over the world.Poirot also doesn't quite act like himself and things get zany. There were many times I felt like Poirot and Hastings were in a Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoon.I know some people have said this book is amazing and was perhaps Christie's tribute/shout-out/etc to Sherlock Holmes. I haven't read Sherlock Holmes so I can't comment on that. Whatever her reasons for writing it were I can appreciate that it exists and that Poirot can even win against world power super-villains but honestly I just want him to solve small-town murders of rich ladies who just changed their wills.I will note that the David Suchet televised version of this story takes a twist that turns it back into a more typical Poirot mystery and I think I liked that version better than Christie's own.If you are starting in the Poirot series do not start here because this isn't a good example of what the Poirot books are. If you read it and love it you may be disappointed with future books where Poirot is at places like Styles solving the poisoning of an old woman. If you hate this book because it is so zany and more James Bond-esque you will be missing out on an amazing opportunity to determine if Poirot is a detective you can enjoy.If you are reading this book as part of a series read then I think you will either love the novelty of it, as some do with the musical episodes of television series, or, like me, you will roll your eyes, accept it exists, and hope that the Queen of Mystery got that out of her system and won't ruin another Poirot mystery by trying to turn it into a super-spy thriller story. Poirot isn't James Bond and I don't want him to be. I want to see Poirot being Poirot. That is what he is good at and that is why I keep coming back again and again for more.

[haloedrain · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Really more of a spy novel than a mystery, though there were some smaller murder mysteries in there (another reviewer says these started out as independent short stories that were stiched together with connections to the Big 4 bolted on--I don't know if that's true, but it certainly could be). I enjoyed it anyway, but the end in particular really wanted James Bond, not Poirot.

[deltaqueen50 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Big Four by Agatha Christie was first published in 1927 and features Hercule Poirot with assistance from his friend Hastings and Inspector Japp. Instead of being a work of detective fiction, this story is much more about espionage and international intrigue.Poirot and Hasting become involved in tracking down a crime consortium that calls itself The Big Four and appears to be focused on “world domination”. Headed by four international criminals, Poirot must first uncover the identities of each of the four. As the hunt commences, the book becomes more of a sensational adventure piece with Poirot as the action hero and Hastings as his trusty sidekick. The Big Four was written during a difficult period in Ms. Christie’s life, and began as a series of stories that were then mashed together as one. She herself has called it “that rotten book”. The Big Four really has none of the qualities that I look for in a Poirot book. Instead of sitting back, examining the evidence and putting his “little grey cells” to work, in this book he is donning disguises, faking his death and detonating smoke bombs, entirely too much action for the little detective. Luckily this book with it’s silly plot was a quick read and now can be shoved to the back of my mind and forgotten about.

[jimgysin_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The eponymous Big Four are a global group of criminal masterminds, and Hercule Poirot is on their case. Through a series of short and largely independent mysteries (it turns out that they were all short stories originally, and then combined into the novel later on), Poirot and Hastings learn more about the bad guys and ultimately put them away. In many ways, this one has more in common with a Saturday adventure matinee or a pulp novel of the period than it has in common with the usual Christie cozy, but it's still a lot of fun, even as the reader continues to see the evolution of Christie's style and the genre home that she is slowly carving for herself. Where characterizations are concerned, this one also shows a Christie who is still learning her way, as the people we meet are largely cardboard stereotypes of their respective ethnicities and the like. In many ways, I could have easily seen this being an outing for the likes of The Shadow or Doc Savage instead of Poirot, but it was entertaining nonetheless.

[tanya8dogearedcopy · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Just as Poirot is about to leave for South America (and Hastings arrives from South America,) a man wanders into Poirot's office/apartment deliriously muttering something about "The Big Four"... International intrigue and homicides notwithstanding, absolutely ridiculous plot and characters. It's hard to believe that this came from the same author who gave is, 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd'!

[jguidry-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I am a huge Agatha Christie fan and I absolutely adore Hercule Poirot, but this book fell flat for me. It seemed that Dame Agatha tried too much with this one. There were so many conspiracies going on and so many plot twists, that Hastings wasn't the only clueless person around. Plus all of the times that Poirot foiled the plots of the Big Four, but did not manage to capture them, made the story appear to drag on forever. However, it IS Agatha Christie and it IS Hercule Poirot, so I still enjoyed it nonetheless.

[rosalita_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read a few of Christie's detective series featuring Hercule Poirot in my wayward youth, but now I'm working my way through them in order. This entry finds the funny little Belgian with the "little gray cells" up against a vast international conspiracy called The Big Four. It takes all of Poirot's ingenuity and even a little help from the dim-witted Hastings (back in London for a visit, having left the wife he met and married in [Murder on the Links] back in Argentina). As usual, Christie's plotting is first-rate. I was intrigued by the structure of the book, which is almost a series of interconnected stories (more accurately nearly standalone chapters) leading up to the big denouement.

[auntie0nanuuq · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

- ?

Four unknown powerful people: A Chinese, a Frenchwoman, an American businessman, & an Assassin are bent on taking over the world....

As Hastings arrives on a surprise visit to his "bon ami" M. Poirot, he finds M. Poirot on his way to South America on "business". It all turns out to be a wild goose chase in order to get M. Poirot out of the way so that the BIG 4 may put a plan of diabolical intelligence into play. An unknown man is in one of M. Poirot's rooms and is ranting about,Li Chang Yan, Chinese man of great power who is about unleash a diabolical plan..... M. Poirot & Hastings depart in order to learn more about Li Chang Yan from a well known Chinese antiquities scholar, leaving the man resting safely...

Upon returning to Poirot's home, they find the man poisoned and an attendant of the local asylum knocking on the door asking about the dead man (an escapee).... Upon further investigation the "escapee" turns out to be Mayerling from the CID who has gone missing years before and the "attendant" #4, the assassin.

The book continues, ad nauseum, in this vein.... One mysterious death, kidnapping, attempt on M. Poirot's life after another.... Bad enough that Hastings is always such a proficient bumbler, but that M. Poirot should be too?

The dang book, just went on too long and it seemed to be more of a comédie noire, than a serious mystery..... Just a plain waste of time and a annoyance.

[bbbart-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

This is, up to now, my least favourite in the Poirot series. Of course, it's fun to read as the writing style of Christie as such is as good as ever. However, The Big Four is more of a thriller story than a real detective narrative. Afterwards, I read that it was composed of separately published short stories and that Christie herself noted ``I have been, once, in a position where I wanted to write just for the sake of money coming in and when I felt I couldn't – it is a nerve wracking feeling. [...] That was the time I had to produce that rotten book The Big Four [...]''. One can tell. :-(

[jrsearcher · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Stealing a bit of a page from Doyle/Sherlock, perhaps? The detective's faked death, the dim-witted friend who can't be let in on the secret. (Hastings is an idiot)

I found the out/escape a little "too easy", and other than Hastings presence, the book was an enjoyable read.

[atimco-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Like most of Christie's political suspense mysteries, The Big Four falls flat. The string of coincidences and lucky breaks would shame even Dickens, while the tricks and twists are so contrived that they're almost laughable. At one point Poirot and Hastings are captured and the criminal mastermind asks Poirot if he has any last requests. He asks to smoke a cigarette, which their captor places in Poirot's mouth. What do you know — the cigarette is actually a blowgun tipped with curare, allowing them to escape. And that's just one of the many impossibly silly moments in this story. Oy. The only redeeming feature of this novel is the humor. Poirot, as described by his friend Hastings, is quite funny. So is Hastings' own lack of self perception. Another comic bit comes in with the revelation that Poirot has a twin brother, Achille Poirot. "Do you not know that all celebrated detectives have brothers who would be even more celebrated than they are were it not for constitutional indolence?" Poirot asks the astonished Hastings. Hehe. I'm a Christie fan and enjoy most of her work, but I can't warm up to her efforts at international conspiracy stuff. Give me her country house, cozy mysteries any day — that's where she earns her reputation as one of the best-loved authors in the mystery genre.

[pcollins-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read a lot of Agatha Christie but this was certainly the most clichéd mystery novel I have read. Hastings comes across as more dim-witted than usual and all the villains are stereotypes of 20s racial views. The story is certainly of its time but not the best of Christie from what I've read so far.

[sriemann_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

An excellent Christie work. There are many small mysteries solved by the little grey-celled Belgian that all stack together to lead to the Big Four themselves and their crimes.

[nmhale_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love the Grand Dame of mystery, and Hercule Poirot is one of my favorites. His adventures can be quite different from each other, but this is the first Poirot book I've read where Christie indulged in her secret criminal conspiracy plot device. She clearly had a fondness for spy intrigue and shady evil organizations, and I've read some of her other books that develop this theme, but never with Poirot before. While I find her books in this vein entertaining, I do prefer her more pure mysteries. The evil masterminds strike me as cartoony and unbelievable. I am being harsh - I like Noir style mysteries, and the Thin Man series, and they have many traits in common, but I suppose I am happier when Christie is spinning out a web of lies and deceit in an intimate setting of family and friends, rather than crafting spy capers. To leave meandering, and address this particular book, I did enjoy it, and read through it in only two days. The story reunites Poirot with his old friend Hastings, who serves as a wonderful foil to his sleuthing. Hastings rightly points out Poirot's arrogance and finicky ways, but consistently overestimates his own talents and intelligence, and is righteously indignant when anyone points out his flaws (especially in comparison with Poirot). Nonetheless, the two men are close friends, and the story begins with Hastings embarked on a surprise visit. He lives in South America, but is in England for business. However, when he arrives at Poirot's flat, the Belgian is about to embark on a business trip to South America! Poirot is reluctant to go - he has been occupied with a mysterious organization called the Big Four, who he suspects are mastermind criminals. Poirot made a promise, though, and he intends to keep it. Until an unexpected visitor joins them, walking into the sitting room from Poirot's bedroom.The man is covered in mud and nearly catatonic. He keeps repeating the same phrases over and over. More unusual, of course, is the fact that he arrived from the bedroom of a flat on an upper story, where the only entry is a window, and that he is rambling about the Big Four. Poroit eventually realizes that his trip to South America was arranged by the mysterious 4, and he promptly heads back to his flat, but not in time to stop the bad guys from killing his visitor, who turns out to be a part of British secret intelligence. Now that Poirot's suspicions are confirmed, the hunt is on, and he will stop at nothing to track down and destroy the Big Four. Although the book is a novel, it often feels like a collection of short stories. In order to fight the Big Four, Poirot and Hastings follow every lead they find that is connected to the group. These nebulous connections lead into mini mysteries of their own, like the old man with his throat slit in his own house when no strangers visited the town, and the scientist who went missing in France. Some of the smaller episodes are more spy adventure, such as when Hastings goes undercover in the rich American's house to find out if he is one of the infamous four. Eventually, Poirot learns how to anticipate his opponents' moves, and puts all the random clues and leads together, planning a way to completely outmaneuver the Big Four and end their tyranny.While not my favorite Poirot adventure, this novel is still highly entertaining and readable. The relationship between Poirot and Hastings is precious. Several times I laughed aloud at things one of them said. The small mysteries are satisfying, and the ending is appropriately grand and melodramatic. I know not everyone likes Christie mysteries, but I don't understand why, because she is such fun. This is not one of her finest works, but it's still a good time.

[page.fault · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Poirot is brought up against an international conspiracy headed by the melodramatically-named Big Four: four individuals from America, France, China, and England. Poirot faces each in a series of extremely contrived adventures. The story is extremely cheesy, but lots of fun. Not a story to be taken seriously, but an enjoyable romp.

[ferrisscottr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

My least favorite Agatha Christie book...it just didn't work having Poirot take on "The Big Four". Poirot works better in a tradional mystery setting (someone dies, there are clues, people get questioned, mystery gets solved).
Characters are still amazing. The Plot just wasn't up to her usual quality.

[auntieknickers · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Plot is a bit far-fetched, but good fun as I remember, though modern readers may be taken aback by some of Christie's obvious prejudices.

[breakerfallen · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A decent book that owes a lot to Arthur Conan Doyle. A lot. I prefer more character development than this, which is mainly a loose collection of short stories based around a central theme. Still, the relationship between Poirot and Hastings is well displayed.