Poirot at his most pompous recommendations for DC please

[TweeBee]

I fear that my reading at bedtime to DD is coming to a close after having lots of lovely years of reading together. I would really like to introduce her to Poirot as I just love him, but I'm overwhelmed by the choice of which one to start with and feel under pressure to choose a good one that will keep her interest.
I think she will love the way he talks to poor Hastings.
Any recommendations please?
She does like train journeys so I considered The Orient Express but I wasn't sure how she'd like it.

I'd start at the beginning with The Mysterious Affair at Styles, it's not my favorite Poirot but I do think it's easier to understand the relationship between Poirot and Hastings if you read the books with Hastings in publication order.

I also love the first Tommy and Tuppence (The Secret Adversary) and Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, both of which feature young people trying to solve a mystery that they end up in the middle of. They are the two Agatha Christie books that I usually recommend to younger readers just starting to read her books.

Murder on the Orient Express was the first ever Poirot I read as a pre-teen, I loved it.

The Secret Adversary isn't a Poirot but it's a great story that I loved at that age too.

I agree with pp that it's a good idea to read them in order if you can - but Orient Express is likely to get her hooked, it did with me.

On I love the orient express one (tbh it’s the only one I remember who the murderer was). Five little pigs I enjoyed too.

My first was a murder is announced, but I think it was miss Marple.

Hooks a young person - today I killed grandpa

Oh, I love the Mysterious Affair at Styles. It's my favourite of the TV series. There's a bit of a plot hole but I did not guess the full who'd dun it.

I liked death on the nile, though.

I really found Mysterious Affair slow and unappealing as an introduction.

Might Cat Among the Pigeons be a good introduction? Not a lot of Poirot, but he's fun in it, and the rest is mostly a school story really.

I always loved poirot in Appointment with Death and have read all of Christie many times over.

My advice is to start with the Poirot short story volumes. Or perhaps listen together via audiobook.

I like The adventure of Christmas pudding

Today I killed grandpa is Crooked House. That's a good one, also Body in the library but that's Miss Marple.

Hercule Poirot's Christmas is a good one, plenty of pep. IMHO the ones with Hastings are not the best. Death on the Nile is a goodie.

I’ve just reread most of them and love them, but do warn kids the language and attitudes are incredibly dated in places! The worst was Nemesis (marple) for victim shaming a rape victim. Ugh.

I’d start with the short stories. They tend to be less violent.

The ABC Murders is excellent. I think it’s in this one where his dentist brags and he thinks there are hundreds of dentists but only one Hercule Poirot.

@Spudina

The ABC Murders is excellent. I think it’s in this one where his dentist brags and he thinks there are hundreds of dentists but only one Hercule Poirot.

I thought the dentist one was One Two, Buckle My Shoe?

Agree ABC is good tho

Thanks so much MN, lots of ideas. I will get a few out and see what she fancies.
Inaccurate - Yes, good point. We often have similar conversations about other vintage books.

@clary quite right!! I have loads of them in old vintage versions and I get them confused. That’s also a great one.