Elephants Can Remember (Hercule Poirot Series)

by Agatha Christie

Overview

In this exclusive authorized edition from the Queen of Mystery, the expert detective delves into an unsolved crime from the past involving the strange death of a husband and wife.

Hercule Poirot stood on the clifftop. Here, many years earlier, there had been a fatal accident followed by the grisly discovery of two bodies—a husband and wife who had been shot dead.

But who had killed whom? Was it a suicide pact? A crime of passion? Or cold-blooded murder? Poirot delves into the past and discovers that “old sins leave long shadows.”

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780062074034
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/25/2011
Series:	Hercule Poirot Series
Edition description:	Reissue
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	53,566
Product dimensions:	5.31(w) x 8.00(h) x 0.54(d)
Lexile:	750L (what's this?)

About the Author

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.

Date of Birth:

September 15, 1890

Date of Death:

January 12, 1976

Place of Birth:

Torquay, Devon, England

Education:

Home schooling

Website:

http://www.agathachristie.com

Editorial Reviews

Splendid....She tells us all we want to know and nothing that is irrelevant.” — The Times (London)

From the Publisher

Splendid....She tells us all we want to know and nothing that is irrelevant.

The Times (London)

Did General Ravenscroft kill Lady Ravenscroft or was she the one holding the gun? Many years later their daughter would like to know, so her godmother, Ariadne Oliver, asks Hercule Poirot to investigate. Working in tandem, Mrs. Oliver and Poirot identify and interview an ever-increasing list of witnesses (the elephants of the title). Poirot painstakingly reconstructs long-vanished relationships, and his deductions eventually lead him to one final witness. Even the great Christie recycled concepts from time to time; this mystery is one of several "remembered death" titles, characterized by long, descriptive conversations that can be tedious. In this case the contrast between Poirot's severe, analytical style and that of the charming but erratic Mrs. Oliver adds life to what would otherwise be a rather dull tale. John Moffatt delivers the competent if unexciting reading one expects from this producer. Christie at her worst (which this is not) is still better than most mystery writers. Recommended for all mid- to large-sized libraries.--I. Pour-El, Des Moines Area Community Coll., Boone, IA Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\

Library Journal

Mystery writer Ariadne Oliver calls upon old friend Hercule Poirot to help unravel the mystery behind the apparent double suicide of General and Lady Ravenscroft fifteen years earlier. In such a cold case, the two must rely on the memories of “elephants,” those older people who were around at the time, who recall events relating to the tragedy. John Moffat’s narration is charming. Poirot’s Belgian accent and the variety of accents identifying British social classes are utterly believable. Mofat’s sense of timing exactly captures the period, and no bon mot is left to chance. While credibility is strained by clues falling predictably into place and all loose ends being neatly tucked away, even Agatha Christie’s lesser works are entertaining, and Moffat’s performance makes this one well worth a listen. S.J.H. © AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine

JUN/JUL 04 - AudioFile