My Top 12 Hercule Poirot Books! | Celebrating Agatha Christie

Hi everyone, this week I will be celebrating Agatha Christie and her 132nd Birthday on Thursday 15th September 2022 by talking about her two most famous sleuths. Today's video is about my top 10 (actually 12) Poirot novels, and on Thursday hopefully my video will be A Reader's Guide to Miss Marple.
thanks for watching and do let me know in the comments your favourite Christie mysteries!
Linked below are some of my previous Agatha Christie videos, if you'd like to just watch them all, here is a playlist:
• Agatha Christie
A Reader's Guide to Hercule Poirot: • A Reader's Guide to He...
Top 10 Agatha Christie: • My Top 10 Agatha Chris...
Crocheting Poirot!: • Crocheting Hercule Poi...
Agatha Christie tag (lots of info about how I got into Christie): • The Agatha Christie Bo...
The Hercule Poirot Mystery Book Tag: • Hercule Poirot Mystery...
A Christie for Christmas (gift guide): • A Christie for Christm...
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My videos are not sponsored and views are all my own…

[@mikehoward455]

Can’t go wrong with an Agatha Christie mystery. Thank you for the review.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Mike, I do love a good mystery!

[@MyMessyBookshelf]

Wonderful video… I love seeing people’s favorite Christies. There is something about Poirot that I just love and these books, despite the fact that they deal with murder, are (dare I say?) comforting… I also adore Captain Hastings and always love when Inspector Japp or Ariadne Oliver make an appearance.

[@emilycrotty1019]

Rest in peace Alice you ment a lot to me thank you for being a part of the Agatha Christie fan club I will miss you so much and I will always watch your videos I love you ❤

[@mitzireadsandwrites]

Yay for another Agatha Christie video! I always enjoy your thoughts on these books and you've helped me so much on my own journey through her work. I have only read a couple of the Poirot books, but hope to read them all.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Oh you are in for a treat with so many more Poirot books ahead! Thanks Mitzi, that’s a lovely comment. I’m glad to help. 😊📚

[@lilsvintageworld]

Wonderful video and yay to the number 1!!!! Such an amazing book

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

It is so good, and I will not stop recommending it until everyone gives in and reads it! Thanks, Lil! 😊📚🥸

[@CharlieBrookReads]

Murder On The Orient Express is my fave so I agree with you on how fab it is. I must read Five Little Pigs!! Great video Alice 🥰❤️

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Good choice! Enjoy Five Little Pigs if you read it. Thanks Charlie. 😊📚

[@hildureinarsdottir3208]

Lovely video! I have recently started reading Agatha Christie and collecting her books.. Have read 1 Poirot book but am currently working though miss Marple first. I am looking forward to your video on her, and I will be reading Body in the Library for her birthday. But i also look forward to when i start with Poirot again 😊

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Excellent! Thank you for your kind words. Poirot is my favourite but with so many books I think it’s easier to work through Marple. All the Miss Marple’s I have reread I loved, I need to go back to some of the earlier ones as I didn’t like them as much but I’m hoping I like them more second time around. 😊📚

[@ArtBookshelfOdyssey]

I just did a podcast interview about Hercule Poirot's Christmas, and today I started reading Lord Edgware Dies. It's great!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Excellent! I really want to reread them now! 😂

[@spreadbookjoy]

Great video as always Alice. I used to love watching Poirot and the various films but I have never read one and I really should some day. I think I’d have to start at the start of course!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

A very good place to start in my opinion! I hope you do try one one day. 😊📚

[@teddylovesagathachristie]

Wonderful 😍 Some of these are in my top 10 favourite as well

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you, I’m glad you enjoyed. Which one is your favourite?

[@teddylovesagathachristie]

@@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf The Murder on the Links. :) My first Agatha book. I am starting my channel on 15 September (guess why lol). You can have a look if you want to.

[@Nixreads]

I discovered Agatha Christie for myself during the pandemic and she’s now one of my favourite authors 😊 I really liked Evil Under the Sun from all the Poirots I’ve read so far (not that many yet)!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

That’s great, I’m glad you discovered her books. I would love to discover them all over again and there are some in particular that I wish I could read for the first time again because the plots are so good! Evil Under the Sun is a great one, you are lucky you have lots more still to choose from. 😊📚

[@grozmeistere7504]

I'm really happy you put in Cards on the Table and Five little Pigs because these are both so great! I think your list is matching to my impressions of Poirot novels!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you, I love those two. I’m glad to hear you do too. 😊📚

[@flickphillips7892]

Loved hearing your Poirot list. I've only read a few so far. Think my favourite is The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. Glad to hear Hercule Poirot's Christmas is on your list. I've got that one lined up for December.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Oh Hercule Poirot’s Christmas is great- I’d love to be able to read it again not knowing any details of the plot! Hope you enjoy it. 😊🥸📚

[@walkingworld6441]

Great video Alice 👍👍

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you. 🥸

[@Lu.G.]

I love this! 👏🏻 So many great choices - I would probably have to add Evil Under the Sun somewhere on the list. 😬 I have read all but 4 of the Poirot books, so I need to get busy. 😆 Off the top of my head, my top 3 are: Mysterious Affair at Styles (it was the first one I read, so it has a special place in my heart), Death on the Nile and Hallowe'en Party (don't judge 😂) *or* The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

All but 4 is a a lot of books! I would never judge on Halloween Party. It’s surprisingly dark for a book with party in the title! Evil Under the Sun is a good one, and would probably make my top 20! So hard, I had ten and then saw more I liked on my shelf! 😂 Great top 3. 😊📚

[@reddotreads2693]

Great video! Keeping this in my liked videos for reference! 😘📚

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Nikki. 😊📚💛

[@anautisticreader2963]

This was a fun video. Also, really loved the hat. 😁😁

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you. As you can tell, I really like Poirot! 🎩 😊📚

[@anautisticreader2963]

@@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf I’ve read Murder on the Orient Express Aden’s really liked it. I’m working on collecting Agatha Christie books. I can tell I will enjoy them. 😁📖

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

@@anautisticreader2963 I love collecting her books. I read quite a few from the library first time round so still have some gaps in my collection, even though some books I have two copies of! I hope you enjoy whichever ones you read next. 🥸

[@GemofBooks]

Such a great video matey!! You’ve actually given me an idea for a project 💡 I’ll message you about it in a bit

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Ooh project! 🤔 Why do I get the feeling I’m about to be sucked in to something! 😂

[@royreadsanything]

What a great idea for a video - v useful for a Poirot newbie

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you. 😊📚

[@Aarsh1199]

i read 6-7 Poirot books a few years back, i wanna restart them, Just ordered 5 little pig based on your suggestion, I liked this video, you are doing great, you earned a subscriber

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Excellent! I hope you enjoy Five Little Pigs. Thanks very much for subscribing. 😊📚

[@BandanaBookmom]

I am reading Murder on the Orient Express right now - my first Poirot and only my second Christie book - I have several of these on my shelves though so I will definitely be reading more next year!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

That was my first Christie and I never looked back. Would love to hear how you get on with these! 😊📚🥸

[@AnneEWilliamson]

Gosh, this list is so hard to pick! There's so many good Christie mysteries! I still need to read Curtain, but I've avoided it because I never want to believe Poirot dies!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Best stock up on tissues. My husband couldn’t believe how upset I was over a fictional character and pointed out I can read them all again, which is true, but it was so sad and such an ending. Highly recommend it when you feel strong enough. 🥸😢

[@jf8559]

Great video! I have read The ABC Murders and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. I will definitely check out Five Little Pigs! Thanks for sharing your reading!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

You’re welcome, thank you for your comment. Five Little Pigs is brilliant. 😊

[@janeduffield4801]

Excellent video. Happy birthday Agatha! I like Dumb Winess ,that’s a lovely copy you have there. ABC murders is a great one mainly because of Bexhill!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you! I knew you would be happy with a mention of Bexhill. 😊🥸

[@janetsmith8566]

I would add cat among the pigeons to the top Poirot list

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

I do enjoy the school setting of that one very much! Good choice. 😊📚

[@rebeccakoch7823]

I emphatically agree with you about Hercule Poirot's top books, especially 'Five Little Pigs". It's my favorite HP books and is grossly underrated. in my opinion!

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Yes! I can never understand how Five Little Pigs isn’t as famous as others, it’s such a clever and well written book, the character work is some of Christie’s best! I’m glad we have the same favourite. 😊📚

[@rebeccakoch7823]

I think it's because it's a lot of talk, people giving their view of one person and what happened 16 years ago. I also think Ordeal by Innocence is vastly underrated for much the same difference (although that book is a standalone, not a HP or Miss Marple mystery and does have several murders that take place in the present). That was one good thing about the Hayes Code when it applied to movies: It forced movie makers to focus on plot and character rather then on sex and violence1

[@emmetthartnett1489]

my first poirot was hallowe'en party

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

As good a place as any to start. Did you like it? 🎃

[@novelideea]

I love David Suchet as Poirot so much, I can't watch any other adaptations without being overly critical. All of the books bleed into one another, because I read them back to back and straight through. I think because Murder on the Orient Express has been so overdone, I put it at the bottom of my favorites most times.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

No, David Suchet is the only correct Poirot and all the others are just imposters, I agree! I did read a lot on the books back to back, in clusters over the years until I had hardly any left. I tend to try not to overdo it on the adaptations but going in to rereading Murder on the Orient Express, I thought I wouldn’t like it as much for that very reason. I liked it even more if that’s possible!

[@leopictures371]

I love all of them!😍 My favourite Hercule Poirot is The Hollow. Most people wouldn't choose this, it's not one of those "crime fiction history changing" books like Orient Express and Roger Ackroyd, but I just loved the atmosphere and the characters. Also, I remember reading Poirot's Christmas, I was really surprised when the murderer was revealed! (I wasn't in lord Edgware, I actually knew who the killer was since the beginning). Five Little Pigs is great!! I really like Dumb Witness, but in this case, I like its TV adaptation more than the book because of the Poirot-Bob chemistry. Bob wasn't that helpful in the book.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

The Hollow is a great choice! A really underrated but absolutely excellent mystery in my opinion. I love them all too and it was very hard to choose. Thanks for watching. 😊📚

[@bbbbbb2958]

Excellent choices! I would also definitely vote "Five Little Pigs" as the best Hercule Poirot books! I am so obsessed with Agatha Christie's books, I finished both Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple in like 3 months.. and I am missing it so much... Could you recommend any books as good as Agatha Christie's? My minds breaking and going mad ;-;

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

I wish I could recommend anything as good, but I haven’t found anything that matches up yet or even gets anywhere near! People have recommended me Dorothy L Sayers but I don’t think her mysteries are as brilliant and the style can be a bit hard work. Also Patricia Wentworth and Ngaio Marsh but I’ve not tried them properly yet. Agatha Christie is definitely the Queen of mystery for me! I’m glad you like Five Little Pigs.

[@CharlesHeathcote]

Whilst there are some in this video that I don't care for myself, I'm glad that you like them so much. However, our number one books are the same - I read that one late last year and simply adored it. Great way to celebrate Christie. I saw the new collection of Marple short stories in Waterstones yesterday - have you read/will you be reading that one?

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Charlie, I’m really glad you liked the video and that we have our number one book in common! It’s such a brilliant book. I will be reading the Marple collection although I am always wary of other authors revisiting characters. However, I like Poirot more than Marple so I might be able to look past the differences more easily. 😊📚

[@DaleRibbons]

The only ones on your list I haven't read (yet) are Death on the Nile, Hercule Poirot's Christmas, and Five Little Pigs. The others are all very good choices.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks very much. I’m sure you will also like those three, they are great reads! 😊📚

[@albastros8829]

Robert Barnard amd John Curran, well known specialists in Christie, consider Five little pigs as the Top of the tops in Christie's canon.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

They have great taste! 😊 I loved Curran’s secret notebooks books on Christie.

[@sherrirabinowitz4618]

I agree, 5 Little Pigs is my favorite. Crazy enough, i saw the David Suchet adaption and fell in love with it and made plans to pick up the book, would you believe it I had it on my shelf? i had not read it under the American title; Murder in Retrospect, that is the second time that happened to me, it is because they give them separate titles in the US it confuses me. Now I have read all my Agatha Christie books so I am in good shape.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

That’s interesting about the different titles, I think there are quite a few that differ between the editions in the UK and the US. I’m so glad you agree with me about Five Little Pigs. Such a well crafted mystery and the characters are brilliant. 😊📚

[@sherrirabinowitz4618]

@@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf Don't laugh if I am looking for a particular book I want to read I have to Google the title I know it by to get the other title, because most of my collection is vintage so I have both UK and US versions, in fact I have separated several and put the duplicates I have found on another shelf (another mystery shelf,) in the living room. So, I look first at that shelf then go into my bedroom and look at my main Agatha Christie Shelf, it is an adventure. I love Five Little Pigs, it such a wonderful story, I try to really look for the slips that Agatha wrote in, to see if I can catch when he started to build his case. I'm a nerd.

[@novellenovels]

Ok so I have and then there were none and three little pigs.. Which one should I read first? Love this sweetie 💛

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Read 5 Little Pigs if you want to try Poirot, read And Then There Were None for pure awesomeness but no detectives. And Then There Were None is a little bit scary so you’ll have to be brave that day. Thanks Em. 🥸💛

[@CestKevvie]

Death on the Nile is number 12??? Sure, it isn't my favorite, but I do think it's her best written novel. I think it's my 3rd favorite Poirot. I still need to read Taken at the Flood. I didn't care for Mysterious Affair at Styles or Roger Ackroyd. Lord Edgware Dies was fine. Hercule Poirot's Christmas is easily one of my favorite Christies, and was in my number 1 spot for a long time! Oh I hated Dumb Witness, animal mysteries is one of my least favorite mystery tropes. I was really disappointed by ABC Murders because even though I knew what happened it didn't seem solvable to me. Yes Cards on the Table is really good. I did not save Curtain for the end lol Of course Orient Express is one of the best, but my favorite Poirot is Peril at End House! 5 Little Pigs is in my top 10 too.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Death on the Nile would probably come in higher on another day and I expect it to be further up once I reread some more of these! Dumb Witness is purely me liking the dog so maybe it won’t be a favourite on reread. I love ABC Murders! Cards on the Table I fully expect to stay that high on a reread. I love that we all have our own personal favourites! Peril must be good as it still completely tricked me on a reread! Christie is the best.

[@CriminOllyBlog]

Disappointed by the lack of moustaches, but otherwise this was fantastic. Love those hardcovers you have.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Olly, I can only apologise for letting you down on the moustaches! 🥸

[@CriminOllyBlog]

@@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf 😂

[@marcevan1141]

I think I agree with your top choice. "Five Little Pigs" is a particularly strong mystery because it is character-driven and all five suspects are vividly drawn.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thanks Marc, that’s exactly what I love about it. I would point anyone who denies that Christie can write well in its direction!

[@marcevan1141]

@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf I would say that she can write well within certain limits. I was obsessed with her books when I was a kid and when I'm in the mood for some escapist reading, I always turn (and return) to her novels. . As an adult reading her now, I do, however, see the flaws in many of her plots (like sloppy last minute guesswork by the detective) and am bothered by the perfunctory characterizations of some of the suspects. I also can't help feeling that sometimes she gives you a solid outline for a great mystery, full of wonderful possibilities, but that she isn't capable of really filling the outline out or expanding on those tantalizing possibilities. Still, I adore reading her because so many of her novels are great fun along the way (even when the solutions disappoint). She's an extremely entertaining writer and I'm often struck by how shrewd, funny and tough-minded she can be. She's also blessedly unpretentious. And of course, with all their flaws, her plots are usually pretty ingenious. All of this is what makes her so addictive. I recently discovered Wilkie Collins' books. Curious to know if you've read him.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

@@marcevan1141 absolutely addictive I agree! A lot of her best plots and arguably best writing were her books in the 1930s, but she wrote so many that as you say are just great fun! I have read The Moonstone and The Woman in White and would love to get to some more of Wilkie Collins as I enjoyed both of those very much. 😊📚

[@adrianhabenicht1958]

I just started reading A Haunting in Venice, I hope it’s not gonna be bad 😅

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Hi, I could be wrong but I think they’ve just rebranded the book Halloween Party with the film title so it will be a lot different from the film and is a pretty good read, although very dark.

[@TooFondofBooksJH]

It's so hard to rate Agatha Christie books! Many on your top 10 are my top 10 as well. Appointment with Death appears on my top 10 as well.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

I do have very fond memories of Appointment with Death and I suspect on a reread it might well be up there! It’s so very hard to rate or rank them in any way.

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

I love this video! Controversially, Murder on the Orient Express is one of my least favourites. Also, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - which I do think is a great book but I don't think it's very good for rereading. I reread Hercule Poirot's Christmas last year and thoroughly enjoyed it. Also reread Cards On The Table recently and that was great. I must reread Five Little Pigs some time given that it's your favourite - I only have quite vague memories of it. I agree that The ABC Murders is excellent.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

I fear Roger Ackroyd won’t be good for rereading which is why I’ve left it a long time, but when I read how annoyed I was when I read it the first time I knew I would have to go back to it because I couldn’t believe my own written thoughts! 😂 I actually think a surprising amount of people share your view of Murder on the Orient Express, it is quite overexposed in a way. I can’t wait to reread HP’s Christmas and Cards on the Table (I don’t actually remember the culprit in the latter). I’ve seen a play of Five Little Pigs and that made me like it even more. ABC Murders is so great! 😊📚

[@jenniferlovesbooks]

@@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf haha, I'd love to see what you've written in that journal about Roger Ackroyd 😂

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

@@jenniferlovesbooks I was clearly quite annoyed at the time! 😂

[@Sebastian-lw5qb]

I actually think Roger Ackroyd is better on rereading than ob first read, because one see how cleverly and masterfully Christie did it.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

@@Sebastian-lw5qb I will bear that in mind. Looking forward to rereading it either way to see what I think this time!

[@angelaholmes8888]

I absolutely enjoyed death on the Nile it's actually the first book by Agatha Christie that I read I really enjoyed hercule Poirot Christmas The ABC murders is really brilliant

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Thank you, I love all three of those. I remembered how brilliantly crafted Death on the Nile is on a reread. 😊📚

[@user-fh4yj3zm7e]

Great choises except one. Taken at the flood

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

Hmm yes I do wonder how I will find that one on a reread.

[@lfroncek]

I refuse to read Curtain because I don't want Poirot to die.

[@AliceandtheGiantBookshelf]

I completely understand this and I avoided it for a long time and then read it last of all his books. It’s a really excellent story but I was incredibly sad.