The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

 The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960) by Agatha Christie

This collection features six stories--five with Hercule Poirot and one with Miss Jane Marple. The title story is the only one which is holiday-themed, though food and drink do feature in a couple more. A good short collection with some of the best stories from other collections I've already read. ★★★★

"The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding": Hercule Poirot is asked by an emissary of a foreign prince to investigate the theft of a priceless ruby. The trail leads to a classic English country house where Poirot takes part in the festivities of an old-fashioned English Christmas--plum pudding and all. The plum pudding has a secret and Poirot receives a warning:

DON'T EAT NONE OF THE PLUM PUDDING. ONE AS WISHES YOU WELL.

Poirot and all the household indulge in the pudding with no ill effects. But an unexpected surprise is found in it. Next morning there is a body on the lawn and much for Poirot to unravel.

"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest": Six people are invited to an evening party which is held in a room with a large Spanish chest against the wall. Five of them drink and talk and dance. But the sixth is found dead in the chest. How did the dead body get into the chest while a dance party was going on? Hercule Poirot is asked to find out the answer...and, of course, who put it there.

"The Under Dog": The irritable Sir Reuben Astwell is found dead and his nephew is blamed for the murder. Lady Astwell is certain she knows who the killer is, but can offer no evidence. Poirot is called in to prover her right...but is she?

"Four & Twenty Blackbirds": Hercule Poirot is have dinner with his friend Bonnington when he becomes interested in a particular diner. This man has eaten at the restaurant every Tuesday and Thursday for the last ten years. No one knows his name, but the staff knows what he eats. Or at least they think they do. When he doesn't show up on one of his regular days, Poirot is even more interested and he discovers that on his last day "Old Father Time" (as the man had been dubbed) had ordered something different. Then he finds out the man has died in a fall downstairs and Poirot becomes very interested.

"The Dream": An eccentric millionaire has a disturbing dream about killing himself, tells Poirot about it, and then is found dead one week later--an apparent suicide. But Poirot thinks not.

"Greenshaw's Folly": Raymond West winds up witnessing an old lady's will and finding out that she needs someone to compile her grandfather's diaries for publication. He suggests his niece Louise for the job and then, after only two days at the lady's home at Greenshaw's Folly, she witnesses a murder that couldn't have happened. Miss Marple is able find out how it was done and by whom.

First line (1st story): "I regret exceedingly--" said M. Hercule Poirot.

Last line (last story): "And a fine house it is, for all they call it Greenshaw's Folly!"

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Deaths = 5 (one shot; two stabbed; one fell from height; one natural)