Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds

by Agatha Christie

Part of Hercule Poirot, book 0.51

First published 2011

Hercule Poirot prepares to enjoy a traditional English dinner with his friend Bonnington when his attention turns to a solitary customer. The restaurant staff explains that this man has dined here every Tuesday and Thursday for a decade, yet nobody knows his identity. They call him "Old Father Time" because of his clockwork routine. When the mysterious regular suddenly stops appearing, Poirot suspects he has discovered a vital clue about the man's disappearance. The detective wonders if the stranger's final meal at the establishment holds the key to solving this puzzle. Poirot must determine whether this seemingly innocent dining habit conceals something more sinister, and what happened to the man who kept such precise schedules for ten years.

Genres: 20th-century, british-literature, detective, agatha-christie, cozy-mystery, amateur-sleuth

Vibes: cozy, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: amateur-sleuth, mystery, puzzle

Setting: England

Period: 20th Century

100 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow Paperbacks

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