- Paperback: 208 pages
- Publisher: HarperCollins; New edition edition (2 Dec 2002)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0007121113
- ISBN-13: 978-0007121113
- Product Dimensions: 17.6 x 11 x 1.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 583,246 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk Review
Subtitled "A New Hercule Poirot Novel", Black Coffee is actually an Agatha Christie play recrafted as a book meant to be read rather than seen on the stage. The story was first produced in 1930, and Charles Osborne has done little to it except string the dialogue and stage directions together in paragraph form. Christie loyalists will welcome and applaud his dedication to the original, but it does seem as though he could have given it a bit more flair. Still, Poirot himself, bumbling Captain Hastings, and obsequious George are all in good form and it is amusing to find them engaged in another adventure, with an interesting assortment of possible murderers, blackmailers, and innocent (if suspicious) bystanders.
The novel opens as Poirot receives a summons at his breakfast table from England's premier physicist, Sir Claud Amory. Busy working on a new formula necessary for England's defence in the second world war, Amory suspects a member of his household of espionage. Of course, by the time Poirot and sidekick Hastings arrive at the scientist's country house, he is mysteriously dead. Amory himself turns out to have been not so nice, and his family, regardless of his scientific efforts, is pretty pleased with the new state of affairs. Still, Poirot manages both to save the more amiable members of the household from themselves and to protect the secrets of the British Empire. The novel is warmly evocative of another time and place and a welcome reminder of vintage Christie. --K.A. Crouch --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Review
‘A lively and light-hearted read which will give pleasure to all those who have long wished that there was just one more Christie to devour’
Antonia Fraser, Sunday Telegraph
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I normally enjoy Hercule Poirot books, but I was distressed to find this one a hughly disapointing read. Admitedly it was not written in this form by Christie herself but the foreword disribes it as vintage Christie and with this I cannot agree. The underlying structure is based upon the original play of the same name, and this is visible throughout as it frequently feels that you are reading a play with the actions as stage directions. The characters behave in ways that are out of sympathy with their actions in the novels written by Christie herself and the plot is not convincing. To my mind it would have been better to let the novel remain unwritten than to butcher it in this manner. If you enjoy the works of Agatha Christie in any form avoid this one.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
VERY disappointing. This is written by a different author and is just an adaptation of a play by Christie. Have just read the first 5 pages of Peril at End House (the next REAL Christie book) and you can immediately tell it is a different author. Shame on Chrisitie's executors and publisher for allowing such a poor imitation to be published. In short don't buy this book. You have been warned!!!
Format:Hardcover
John Moffatt does a good job of keeping this play (turned into a book) moving. It is best listened to after Christie's "Mystery of the Blue Train", since this was written shortly afterwards as a play. The book version, not done by Christie herself, came much later. If you like Hercules Poirot, this book will be satisfying.
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