The Big Four
Poirot and Hastings against an international crime cartel with four leaders.
The Big Four is a Hercule Poirot novel by Agatha Christie, first published in the UK on 27 January 1927, featuring Poirot, Arthur Hastings and Inspector Japp. Unlike other Poirot stories, it began as twelve separately published short stories, revised into a novel with the help of Christie's brother-in-law Campbell Christie.
Quick Facts
- Author
- Agatha Christie
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Language
- English
- Series
- Hercule Poirot
- Genre
- Crime novel
- Publisher
- William Collins & Sons
- Released
- 27 January 1927
- Cover artist
- Thomas Derrick
Lore & Background
A visitor called Mayerling collapses in Poirot's bedroom, repeating Poirot's name and address and writing the number 4. He tells of an international crime cartel, the Big Four, led by Li Chang Yen, a Chinese political mastermind; a man who is probably American; a Frenchwoman; and Number 4, known only as "the Destroyer". Poirot and Hastings later discover that the French scientist Madame Olivier is Number 3.
Reader's Guide
It is a tale of international intrigue and espionage rather than a traditional murder mystery. Published shortly after Christie's disappearance and reappearance, it became a sales hit; Christie herself later called it "that rotten book The Big Four". It was adapted for the final series of Agatha Christie's Poirot.
More in Cases & Stories
Elsewhere in Hercule Poirot
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