Hercule Poirot Books in Order
Before modern forensic labs and gritty crime dramas, there was Hercule Poirot, a retired Belgian detective who relied on psychology, precision, and intellect to solve even the most baffling murders.
Introduced by Agatha Christie in 1920, Poirot became the cornerstone of classic detective fiction. Introduced by Agatha Christie in 1920, Poirot became the cornerstone of classic detective fiction. Over the course of more than three decades, Christie wrote over 30 novels featuring her meticulous Belgian sleuth, helping to define what we now think of as the Golden Age of mystery.
Why the Poirot Series Still Matters
Christie’s plotting is legendary for a reason. The Poirot novels perfected the art of the closed-circle suspect list, the dramatic final reveal, and the psychological unmasking of a killer hiding in plain sight. So many modern crime novels owe a quiet debt to these books.
What I love most, though, is watching Poirot himself at work. He isn’t chasing clues in dark alleys or relying on forensic breakthroughs. Instead, he observes. He listens. He trusts his famous “little grey cells.” His cases range from intimate country house murders to international conspiracies, but his method remains rooted in order, symmetry, and human nature.
Reading the Hercule Poirot Books in Order
While most of the mysteries can be read as standalones, there’s something incredibly satisfying about experiencing the Hercule Poirot books in order. You get to see how Christie’s writing evolves, how recurring characters reappear, and how Poirot’s reputation steadily grows.
Below, you’ll find the full chronological list so you can start at the very beginning, and let Poirot’s brilliant mind do the rest.
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Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot books in order
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
An elderly heiress is poisoned in her locked bedroom, and suspicion falls on everyone in the household—including her new husband.
The Murder on the Links
A millionaire is stabbed beside an open grave in France, but the crime scene is more staged than it seems.
Poirot Investigates
From stolen jewels to suspicious suicides, a master detective solves a string of baffling cases with razor-sharp logic.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
After a widower is found stabbed in his study, his friend’s narration of the crime hides a devastating secret.
The Big Four
A global criminal mastermind known only by a number draws the detective into a high-stakes international manhunt.
The Mystery of the Blue Train
A wealthy woman’s priceless ruby vanishes on a Riviera-bound train—and she’s found murdered in her compartment.
Black Coffee
A scientist’s secret formula disappears during a dinner party, and by night’s end, he is dead.
Peril at End House
A carefree young woman targeted by a string of near-fatal “accidents” realizes someone wants her inheritance—and her life.
Lord Edgware Dies
A famous actress’s husband announces at dinner that he expects to be murdered—hours before he is.
Murder on the Orient Express
Stranded by snow, passengers on a luxury train discover one of their own stabbed repeatedly in the night.
Three Act Tragedy
A clergyman dies after a cocktail party toast, and what looks like heart failure masks calculated poison.
Death in the Clouds
A woman is poisoned during a flight to Paris, leaving only a cabin full of airborne suspects.
The ABC Murders
A killer strikes victims in alphabetical order, sending taunting railway guides as clues before each murder.
Murder in Mesopotamia
At a remote Iraqi dig, a hated archaeologist’s wife is bludgeoned in her bedroom.
Cards on the Table
Four guests known to have gotten away with murder are challenged to expose one another—until their host is killed.
Murder in the Mews
A collection of cases featuring baffling deaths, including a man shot in a locked room and a body found on Guy Fawkes Night.
Dumb Witness
An elderly woman dies after altering her will, and only her loyal terrier seems to have noticed the truth.
Death on the Nile
A wealthy heiress on her honeymoon is shot aboard a Nile cruise filled with romantic rivals.
Appointment with Death
A tyrannical stepmother is found stabbed in Petra, and every member of her tour group has reason to hate her.
Hercule Poirot's Christmas
On Christmas Eve, a cruel patriarch is found bludgeoned in a locked room upstairs.
Sad Cypress
A young woman stands trial for poisoning her lover’s wife, insisting she is innocent despite damning evidence.
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
A dentist’s sudden death leads to the exposure of blackmail, political plots, and multiple murders.
Evil Under the Sun
A glamorous divorcée is strangled on a secluded beach, and nearly every sunbather had a motive.
Five Little Pigs
Sixteen years after a woman was poisoned, five witnesses recount their memories to uncover the real killer.
The Hollow
A weekend gathering at a country house ends in the shooting of the host’s mistress.
The Labours of Hercules
Twelve separate cases echo mythological feats, from capturing a ruthless “lion” to cleaning out criminal “stables.”
Taken at the Flood
When a missing heir returns after the war, a suspicious death follows a sudden inheritance.
The Under Dog and Other Stories
Short mysteries featuring everything from staged burglaries to elaborate blackmail schemes.
Mrs McGinty's Dead
A cleaning woman is found murdered after hinting she once saw a killer get away with it.
After the Funeral
At a family funeral, one sister suggests a recent death was murder—then she herself is killed.
Hickory Dickory Dock
A spate of thefts at a student hostel escalates when a resident is found dead of poisoning.
Dead Man's Folly
During a village fête’s mock murder hunt, the woman playing the victim is found truly dead.
Cat Among the Pigeons
Political unrest, kidnapped students, and murder disrupt life at an elite girls’ school.
The Clocks
A blind woman discovers a corpse in her home, surrounded by four identical clocks all set to different times.
Third Girl
A distressed young woman claims she may have committed a murder she cannot remember.
Hallowe'en Party
At a Halloween party, a child boasting about witnessing a past killing is later found drowned.
Elephants Can Remember
An aging sleuth reopens a decades-old double murder, relying on fading recollections to find the truth.
Curtain
Returning to the site of his first case, the detective sets a final trap for a killer he has long pursued.
About Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
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