Part of Hercule Poirot, book 0.37
First published 2011
Hercule Poirot receives a frantic midnight phone call. A whispered voice mentions life and death, then references a table decorated with yellow irises. The call sends Poirot rushing through the night to Jardin des Cygnes, an upscale restaurant where he hopes to prevent a killing. At the restaurant, Poirot encounters a familiar face who invites him to join an ongoing dinner party. The evening appears festive as guests dance and drink champagne. Then someone makes a grim announcement and plunges the room into darkness. When the lights return, the situation has transformed completely. Poirot must identify both the victim and the caller who warned him. The detective faces a puzzle where the crime, the criminal, and even his mysterious informant remain hidden among the dinner guests.
Genres: 20th-century, mystery, crime, thriller, detective, agatha-christie
Vibes: suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: hidden-identity, unreliable-narrator
Setting: Jardin des Cygnes, Restaurant
Period: Midnight
100 pages · Kindle Edition · William Morrow Paperbacks