This book is essentially a series of linked short stories, as Poirot cheers himself up by taking on cases that fit the aesthetics of his version of the classic labors of Hercules, rather than give up sleuthing all together. The TV version of this book melds together elements of many of these cases into one case, and it is fun to see the original contexts of each element. ( )

Using the Greek legend of the 12 labours of Hercules as a starting point, Christie has written 12 short stories for Hercule to investigate and solve. The legendary Nemean Lions turn into Pekinese dogs, Hydras are represented by the many headed village gossip etc.[return][return]Another great set of stories

If asked to name the labors of Hercules, I may have recalled a lion, stables, the apples of Hesperides, maybe not the girdle of Hyppolita, but I first learned about them in sixth grade (in 1956), our teacher a new grad of a program for teaching “gifted” students. We had an astronomy club that built a 6” reflecting mirror telescope, science fair projects, and classstalks—I did one on Russia since my brother subscribed to Soviet Life and I went on to study Russian in H.S. and at college, where my freshman room-mate had done the best in SAT Russian, his forbears Russian. (He went on to become a surgeon at San Francisco General and at Da Nang.)

Hercule Poirot before retiring plans to emulate the great forbear of his name, though our hero conquers despite being short and strong only of mind.

“God never intended people to live out of tins (“cans” in U.S. p.73). My cooking depends upon “tins,” as the Brits call ‘em, a soup a day. Christie writes surprisingly well, with an unsurpassed narrative grip. But also astute phrases, as when she describes Poirot’s great Miss Lemon, the secretary showing “the fusillade of typing efficiency”(198).

So many well-developed characters in various places from Ireland to Pisa, from the Russian Countess’s home in the Swiss Alps to…god knows. I must re-read chapters to portray a couple. Diane Maberly comes to Poirot because her fiancee has dumped her, worrying that he may be crazy, so shouldn't marry. Mademoiselle Maberly says her boyfriend is the sanest one she knows, but she admits there’s madness in his family. Isn’t everyone is a little mad, it’s “only when you begin thinking you’re a poached egg that they have to lock you up”(114).

As in other novels, the Belgian Poirot uses French and Gallicisms; e.g., he never uses the indefinite article, always the definite, even in colloquial phrases that call for “a,” here to the Countess: “I do not want to see you in what is called the jam”(207). But Christie writes with formidable Briticisms, as on the first page, Oxford’s Dr. Burton has godchildren, his Deidre (“of the Sorrows”) being “merry as a grig” (a small, lively person, maybe originally merry as a Greek) [1]. ( )

Delightful collection of short stories, and all with a signature Agatha Christie twist at the end.
Great vacation reading, even if it's just a mental vacation. ( )

The Labours of Hercules is a short story collection featuring twelve stories. The idea is that before Poirot retires, he will emulate the classics - and the last twelve cases he will solve will all be symbolic of the labours Hercules undertook. Individual ratings and reviews are below. My favourites were; The Lernean Hydra, The Erymanthian Boar, The Augean Stables and The Cretan Bull. My least favourites were The Arcadian Deer and The Horses of Diomedes. Overall rating for the collection is 3 stars.

THE NEMEAN LION: ***
THE LERNEAN HYDRA: ****
THE ARCADIAN DEER: **
THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR: ****
THE AUGEAN STABLES: ****
THE STYMPHALEAN BIRDS: ***
THE CRETAN BULL: ****
THE HORSES OF DIOMEDES: **
THE GIRDLE OF HYPPOLITA: **
THE FLOCK OF GERYON: ***
THE APPLES OF THE HESPERIDES: **
THE CAPTURE OF CERBERUS: ***

THE NEMEAN LION: ***

Pekingese dogs are being kidnapped for ransom. Poirot is hired to stop it. I liked the crime in this one. It was well planned and executed. 3 stars.

THE LERNEAN HYDRA: ****

A country doctor is stunned to hear that the whole town suspects him of poisoning his wife. Poirot is brought in to slay the rumours. I liked this one. The idea of rumours being like a hydra was unique and I love how Poirot works to squash them. 4 stars.

THE ARCADIAN DEER: **

Poirot's car breaks down and the mechanic asks him for help in tracking down a woman he met and fell in love with. I didn't like this one much at all. It was too ridiculous. 2 stars.

THE ERYMANTHIAN BOAR: ****

Poirot is on holiday when an old police force friend reaches out to him for help tracking down a dangerous criminal mastermind. This was clever. I enjoyed the solution and the way it was revealed. And I totally guessed who it was - which always makes me happy. 4 stars.

THE AUGEAN STABLES: ****

Poirot is asked to perform a miracle - stop public opinion from turning against the current Prime Minister for what the former (and his father in law) did while in office. I really liked this one. It's similar to The Lernean Hydra in that Poirot looks to fight gossip and scandal. I loved the Prime Minister's wife in this. I loved that she was determined to help her husband and do whatever needed to make sure her father didn't destroy his reputation. The conclusion to create a landslide of gossip about a sex scandal regarding the wife to dismiss the political scandal was inspired. 4 stars.

THE STYMPHALEAN BIRDS: ***

Poirot helps a man being blackmailed. This was enjoyable. I liked Harold. He had a good attitude about everything. And Poirot was his usual funny self.

“Who are you, anyway?” As though confessing to royal birth the little man said modestly: “I am Hercule Poirot.

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) (p. 748). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

3 stars.

THE CRETAN BULL: ****

A man breaks off his engagement when he fears he's going mad. The woman asks Poirot for help. I didn't guess this one. Well not all of it anyway. I figured he was being poisoned but I thought for sure it was the family friend not the father. A good little twisty story. 4 stars.

THE HORSES OF DIOMEDES: **

Poirot is asked to help a young girl who has got caught up in a cocaine ring. I didn't like this one. It was too random. 2 stars.

THE GIRDLE OF HYPPOLITA: **

When an famous piece of art is stolen, the gallery owner asks Poirot to track it down. In the meantime, Inspector Japp asks Poirot to investigate the disappearance of a young girl. Another random story that didn't really make sense. I didn't get why Winnie was used. The explanation was lacking. 2 stars.

THE FLOCK OF GERYON: ***

Miss Carnaby (from the Nemean Lion) joins forces with Poirot to investigate a religious cult her friend has joined. I enjoyed this one. Miss Carnaby was funny.

“Oh, M. Poirot, I’m so worried.” Poirot said kindly: “What is it?” “Do you know, M. Poirot, I’m afraid—I really am afraid—that I must be a hardened criminal—if I may use such a term. Ideas come to me!” “What kind of ideas?” “The most extraordinary ideas! For instance, yesterday, a really most practical scheme for robbing a post office came into my head. I wasn’t thinking about it—it just came! And another very ingenious way for evading custom duties . . . I feel convinced—quite convinced—that it would work.” “It probably would,” said Poirot drily. “That is the danger of your ideas.”

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) (p. 805). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. I sort of guessed where it was going. 3 stars.

THE APPLES OF THE HESPERIDES: **

Poirot is asked to track down stolen property. This was alright. There wasn't really much mystery to be solved - it kind of came from nowhere. I feel like this collection had a lot of weird stories. I did enjoy the following though.

“But my retaining the legal ownership, there were still possibilities left open to me of recovering my property.”
“You mean,” said Poirot bluntly, “that you could arrange for it to be stolen from Sir Reuben.”
“Not stolen, M. Poirot. I should have been merely recovering my own property.”
“But I gather that you were not successful?”
“For a very good reason. Rosenthal has never had the goblet in his possession!”
“How do you know?”
“Recently there has been a merger of oil interests. Rosenthal’s interests and mine now coincide. We are allies and not enemies. I spoke to him frankly on the subject and he at once assured me that the cup had never been in his possession.”
“And you believe him?”
“Yes.”
Poirot said thoughtfully: “Then for nearly ten years you have been, as they say in this country, barking up the mistaken tree?”
The financier said bitterly: “Yes, that is exactly what I have been doing!”

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) (p. 824). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

Poor guy. Lol. 2 stars.

THE CAPTURE OF CERBERUS: ***

Poirot runs across an old friend, Countess Vera Rossakoff (from The Double Clue). I liked this. I loved that she tells him to meet her in hell. And I love Miss Lemon's response.

“If a friend asked you to meet her—or him—in Hell, what would you do?”
Miss Lemon, as usual, did not pause. She knew, as the saying goes, all the answers.
“It would be advisable, I think, to ring up for a table,” she said.
Hercule Poirot stared at her in a stupefied fashion. He said, staccato, “You—would—ring—up—for—a table?”
Miss Lemon nodded and drew the telephone towards her. “Tonight?” she asked, and taking assent for granted since he did not speak, she dialled briskly. “Temple Bar 14578? Is that Hell? Will you please reserve a table for two. M. Hercule Poirot. Eleven o’clock.”

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot: The Complete Short Stories (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) (pp. 836-837). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.

That cracked me up. And I loved the idea of the stairs having the good intentions paving the way to hell. Lol. The actual mystery was decent. I totally guessed how the dog was involved. Although I was thinking more along the lines of there being jewels in the collar or something. Not a package of drugs in the mouth. I would've liked to know more about how Vera gets mixed up in it all. But it's a short story. Interesting read. 3 stars. ( )