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The Labours of Hercules

Collins, London, 1947
Dodd Mead, New York, 1947

To Edmund Cork
of whose labours on behalf of Hercule Poirot I am deeply appreciative this book is affectionately dedicated

Plot

(from HarperCollins "The Agatha Christie Collection" cover)

In appearance Hercule Poirot hardly resembled an ancient Greek hero. Yet - reasoned the detective - like Hercules he had been responsible for ridding society of some of its most unpleasant monsters.

So, in the period before he retired, Poirot made up his mind to accept just twelve more cases: his self-imposed 'Labours'. Each would go down in the annals of crime as a heroic feat of deduction.

The Nemean Lion

Strand Magazine, Nov.1939
Characters
Hercule Poirot, Augustus, Captain Curtis, Amy Carnaby, Emily Carnaby, Thomas Carnaby, Miss Ellen Keble, Mrs. Samuelson, Jacob Samuelson, Shan Tung, Nanki Poo, Lady Julia Hartingfield, Mrs.Harte, Commander Blackleigh, Sir Joseph Hoggin, Lady (Milly) Hoggin, Miss Maltravers, Greta, Miss Lemon, George

The Lernean Hydra

'The Invisible Enemy'
This Week, Sep.1939
'The Lernean Hydra'
The Strand, Dec.1939

The Arcadian Deer

The Strand, Jan.1940

The Eurymanthian Boar

The Strand, Feb.1940

The Augean Stables

The Strand, Mar.1940

The Stymphalean Birds

'The Vulture Women'
This Week, Sep.1939
'Birds of Ill Omen'
The Strand, Apr.1940

The Cretan Bull

'Midnight Madness'
This Week, Sep.1939
'The Cretan Bull'
The Strand, May.1940

The Horses of Diomedes

The Strand, Jun.1940

The Girdle of Hippolyta

'The Disappearance of Winnie King'
This Week, Sep.1939
'The Girdle of Hippolyte'
The Strand, Jul.1940

The Flock of Geryon

'Weird Monster'
This Week, May.1940
'The Flock of Geryon'
The Strand, Aug.1940

The Apples of the Hesperides

The Strand, Sep.1940

The Caputure of Cerberus

"The Collins hardback edition", Sep.1947
Copyright (C) Kenji Nagata. All rights reserved.