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    The Hollow: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition
    The Hollow: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition
    The Hollow: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition
    Audiobook7 hours

    The Hollow: A Hercule Poirot Mystery: The Official Authorized Edition

    Written by Agatha Christie

    Narrated by Hugh Fraser

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Agatha Christie’s classic, The Hollow, finds Poirot entangled in a nasty web of family secrets when he comes across a fresh murder at an English country manor.

    A far-from-warm welcome greets Hercule Poirot as he arrives for lunch at Lucy Angkatell’s country house. A man lies dying by the swimming pool, his blood dripping into the water. His wife stands over him, holding a revolver.

    As Poirot investigates, he begins to realize that beneath the respectable surface lies a tangle of family secrets and everyone becomes a suspect.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJul 3, 2012
    ISBN9780062232328
    Author

    Agatha Christie

    Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in a hundred foreign languages. She died in 1976, after a prolific career spanning six decades.

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    Reviews for The Hollow

    4.5/5

    220 ratings27 reviews

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    • 4/5
      The family tragedy of failed love in marriage is depicted with grace and style..great to listen to.
    • 4/5
      "Since she was a woman of disconcertingly rapid thought processes, Lady Angkatell, as was her invariable custom, commenced the conversation in her own mind, supplying Midge’s answers out of her own fertile imagination. The conversation was in full swing when Lady Angkatell flung open Midge’s door.
      ‘–And so, darling, you really must agree that the weekend is going to present difficulties!’ ‘Eh? Hwah!’ Midge grunted inarticulately, aroused thus abruptly from a satisfying and deep sleep."

      A house party in the country, where each guest struggles with some internal conflict. The plot is pretty standard for a Christie novel, and so it the resolution. What really drew me to the book, tho, was it's focus on the characters. Not all of the characters are likable, some are down-right horrible, but what I really liked was that many of them are either transformed by the events of the book or undergo some serious soul searching.

      The weakest part of the book was the ending. Although, it makes for a convenient conclusion, this is one of the Christie books where I felt she could have strayed from the path of formula and presented something more - not controversial, but - challenging as she had done in some of her other books - Endless Night for example.

      Despite the weak(-ish) ending, I immensely enjoyed the book. I think this is the one that made me constantly think about why I prefer Poirot to Marple (even Poirot is almost a nuisance in this one). I believe the reason I am drawn to Poirot instead of Marple is their difference in outlook - where Marple seems a grounded old lady without many quirks, I have always found her to be a bit of a judgmental snob who seeks out the worst in people - and the gloats when her expectations are confirmed.

      Poirot on the other hand gives the appearance of an eccentric but for all his quirks, he still manages to express his faith in and hopes for many of the characters he encounters. I really noticed this in his observations about Lady Angkatell, the most beautiful of which was:

      "Hercule Poirot thought: ‘She is old–her hair is grey–there are lines in her face. Yet she has magic–she will always have magic…’ "
    • 3/5
      Recently read a review touting this as one of Christie's best. I was disappointed. I enjoyed reading another Hercule Poirot mystery but I was never hooked. In this one, he is invited to lunch at a neighbor's in the country and when he arrives he finds a murder has just been committed. It's the typical "Sunday in the country" with lots of houseguests and seems obvious who committed the crime. Obviously, not to be. Poirot curiously does not do any investigating; however, we learn who did it by the people who kept confiding in Poirot over the course of the investigation. I didn't find any of the characters engaging and just finished it to see who was really the culprit. It goes without saying, that Poirot was his usual wonderful character.
    • 5/5
      One of my real favourites among all Hercule Poirot novels, superbly read by Hugh Fraser
    • 3/5
      The conclusion of this “who done it” was interesting and satisfying. However, it took forever to get going. Far too much set up and that was frustrating.
    • 5/5
      A fun, well told listen with a surprise ending. Worth the listen while doing something else.
    • 2/5
      as much as i like A.C.'s mysteries, this one is by far the worst. Slow, tedious, whining, depressing and Poirot is not doing anything. All characters are very unappealing and all relationships fake. Do not recommend at all
    • 4/5
      In which a man bleeds to death by a country house swimming pool, and Poirot stumbles across the body.

      "The Hollow" is one of Christie’s most enigmatic works: she herself was immensely proud of it, but felt it wasn’t perfect (and a large part of that due to Poirot’s presence). The murder itself seems stock-standard: a man shot by the pool of a country house, where the residents of both The Hollow and the nearby cottage possess motives, and red herrings are seemingly endless. Poirot, needless to say, is staying in a nearby cottage, and begins to realise that the killer is trying their darndest to cover up the crime.

      Yet "The Hollow" borders on a Christie masterpiece for a few reasons: the author’s contrivances are revealed to be those of the characters; the mystery itself is intriguing on account of being a psychological investigation: Poirot himself is a guest character, and we’re here privy to the inner workings of the family and their friends as the investigation goes on. As many critics have noted, this is a novel told internally, which makes it all the more impressive that the David Suchet adaptation worked so well.

      Famously, Hercule Poirot’s entrance comes so late in the book (and, indeed, his involvement still remains minimal) that Christie herself later thought it a mistake, writing him out of the subsequent stage adaptation. Christie had not written a Poirot novel since "Five Little Pigs" – itself a breakthrough novel - four years earlier. When he returned again, Poirot would be plotting retirement in "The Labours of Hercules" and then – with the bleak atmosphere of "Taken at the Flood" - the great Belgian would begin his final stage, as an older man out of place with the world. Christie, meanwhile, was writing less but also devoting more time to Miss Marple.

      "The Hollow" is not my favourite Christie. While her ambition is admirable, and the mystery very well-constructed, there’s still only so far Christie’s skill as a psychoanalytical author could go in this context: basically one long con perpetrated on both us and Poirot. Beyond this, Poirot’s limited presence means we don’t get to see his thought processes, and thus lose most of his characterisation. Finally, there’s that inherent bias which comes from having read Christie since I was about 7: I do like a good tale where we meet the detective and the suspects, have interviews and go about in a usual way. All this, though, is not meant to be damning: "The Hollow" is a very worthy novel; it’s just that – for me at least – it stands out because it is so different to much of Christie’s fare: a success by context, if you will. A classic, yes. A masterpiece, nearly… but not quite.

      [Unsurprisingly, the title was changed in the US to the more sensational "Murder After Hours". Seriously, Google book covers of these novels sometime and check out some of the mid-century American covers. Ridiculously sensationalised!]

      Rating: 9/10

      Poirot ranking: 7th out of 38.
    • 2/5
      Also: Murder After Hours

      Romance, triangles, jealousy, family, secrets from the past, & murder.....

      For some reason I am always surprised when there is romance in Christie's mysteries, not so much as a basis for murder, but when people actually get together & have a life after murder..... In this book there were several romances: past, present, and future. There was also two interlocked triangles and unrequited love, which in part were the basis for the murder.

      M. Poirot is invited to lunch during a family gathering at a neighboring home. When he arrives he finds a dying man, John Christow, laying next to the pool, his wife, Gerta, w/ a gun in her hands. The dying man's last words in the tone of a plea/question (calling the name of his mistress who is standing there)... "Henrietta".

      Henrietta comes to Gerta to comfort her & takes the gun out of her hand, then quite "accidentally" drops the gun in the pool, thus obliterating all fingerprints. As the story moves forward we are privy to the fact that the gun that was dropped in the pool was not the gun that killed John.

      It seems as everyone in the house knows who killed John and is intent on protecting the person.... It take M. Poirot quite awhile before he is able to come to the correct murderer.

      There was only one racial reference (rolling my eyes here), but I didn't like the book. It seemed to be missing something and the characters seemed flat and boring....
    • 4/5
      A houseparty gathers, Poirot is invited to lunch, and inevitably someone is murdered. Investigations lead to increasingly more confusion and clues leading to false trails. So cleverly written that even the second time of reading I had forgotten which clues were real and couldn't guess 'whodunit' until the last moment.
    • 4/5
      Not one of her best, overall still enjoyable. The book seemed a little bit melodramatic more than her other books. Also the end was a bit rushed.
    • 4/5
      The Hollow (1946) (Poirot # 26) by Agatha Christie. The Hollow is the name of the estate where this murder mystery is set. It is also a description of what Poirot thinks about the people living there. They seem empty of life, hollow shells that are giving a simulation of people doing the things they would normally be doing. All that is except for the one who is dead. Originally the title included an s at the end of Hollow, which inclines me to think Dame Agatha had originally been talking about the cast of characters rather than the location. Either way, this is a discernibly different type of storytelling for her. We all know there will be a murder, but the corpse doesn’t present itself until almost a third of the way in the story. Poirot comes into play at about the same time and, initially irritated at the pandering quality of the tableaux displayed to him which he has fancied as some type of party game, he quickly surmises that the woman holding the gun over the body laid out next to and dripping blood in the pool, may indeed have actually killed the man at her feet.Two of the other houseguests are arriving on the scene as well as the rather bemusing lady of the house. Several people are automatically suspect, others add their names to that list, the history of the dead person is locked into, a Hollywood movie star who just “Happens” to be staying at the next abode may be involved, and the local police even suspect Poirot. This is an interesting little poser as it is quickly shown that the most likely person to have not committed the murder is the woman found holding the gun. Dame Agatha out did herself in setting up this cozy little mystery. The portraits of all involved will leave you questioning means and motive. Just remember, the lady of the house did prove to be a very keen pistol woman.
    • 3/5
      Terrible lady novelist bring us the best ever description of terrible lady drivers.
    • 4/5
      This book made me want to read Christie's Mary Westmacott novels. I say this because even though this is a Poirot novel, Poirot is a minor character. The main focus of this book is to develop the characters of a very interesting family. I felt that the mystery came in second place to character development. For instance, I very quickly guessed who the murderer was and it turned out I was right. However, I still enjoyed the book and couldn't put it down due to the interesting people. Now I am convinced that I would enjoy reading a Christie novel even if it is NOT a mystery!
    • 4/5
      Monsieur Poirot is terribly fun as a character. So full of himself. Christie clearly enjoyed her creation yet equally clearly tires of him sometimes. We, the readers, get to luxury of enjoying him at our will. The Hollow will engage your wits and challenge your prowess as a detective.
    • 5/5
      I hadn't actually read this one, I don't think, before listening to it as an audiobook. I was utterly charmed and really appreciated it. I will look forward to reading it as a book someday, when I've forgotten a bit of the plot. I really appreciated the internal monologues, so different than the rest of her mysteries.
    • 4/5
      This is a fascinating tale with bluff and double bluff centred around a fascinating family. The characterisation in this novel is superb.. The plot is peppered with red herrings, but Poirot gets there in the end.
    • 5/5
      This one definitely goes on my “favorite Christie’s” list. It started out in typical fashion for me as I read with one part of my mind and used the other part trying to figure out who the victim would be, but gradually I became completely absorbed in the story and especially the characters. The book was full of surprises for me, not only keeping me guessing but also keeping me utterly entranced. The biggest surprise for me was that for the first time with Agatha Christie, when I closed the book at the final page I was crying.
    • 4/5
      Up to Christie's usual standard in terms of plot. I wouldn't have guessed what the murderer did at the very end, quite out of character if you ask me and what Christie says throughout about women working is frankly strange but the rest was good.
    • 4/5
      Poor Hercule Poirot. He can't get away from murder, not even at his weekend cottage. His neighbors at the Hollow, the Angkatells, are having a weekend house party, and they've invited Poirot for Sunday lunch. He arrives to find his hosts and their guests gathered around a body by the swimming pool; apparently his hosts have planned a murder game to entertain their guests. Poirot soon realizes that the scene is no game. One of the guests, Dr. John Christow, has been shot. The doctor's wife, Gerda, is holding a pistol, with the other guests surrounding her. Did Mrs. Christow shoot her husband? No one who knows her believes her to be capable of murder. If she didn't do it, who did? His mistress, the artist Henrietta? Edward Angkatell, who's in love with Henrietta? Poor cousin Midge, who's in love with Edward? Or maybe Veronica Cray, a woman from Dr. Christow's past who just happens to be renting a nearby cottage?Christie fills a typical country house party with stock characters (a doctor, an actress, an artist, a brooding student, and a poor relation), but she still manages to find a new twist for the murder. Poirot's best cases are behind him at this point in Christie's publishing career. This is a solid mystery, but not a particularly memorable one.
    • 3/5
      Sad, not her best mystery, but lovely characterisation,
    • 2/5
      The actual murder plot is quite good, but it's hard to swallow the constant submissive, obsessive devotion of the women in the book to John Christo who does not appear to be remotely remarkable or even likeable. Where are the strong female characters? This story made each of the women seem foolish and incapable of going on with life without a man who treated them poorly and like possessions. The murder plot is interesting, but it's not worth suffering through the unlikable characters.
    • 5/5
      If you've been reading the Agatha Christie novels in order then you'll remember that you have already met Lady Lucy Angkatell in Baghdad. In the following extract she is talking about the composition of her impending house party. Hercule Poirot is staying in one of the nearby cottages (ironically called Resthaven), which he has bought after pressure from friends, even though he doesn't actually like country life. Lady Angkatell stretched out fluttering white hands in a lovely, helpless gesture. ‘All the wrong people coming–the wrong people to be together, I mean–not in themselves. They’re all charming really.’ ‘Who is coming?’ ‘The ingredients of the pudding are not promising,’ murmured Midge. Lucy smiled at her. ‘Sometimes,’ she said meditatively, ‘things arrange themselves quite simply. I’ve asked the Crime man to lunch on Sunday. It will make a distraction, don’t you think so?’ ‘Crime man?’ ‘Like an egg,’ said Lady Angkatell. ‘He was in Baghdad, solving something, when Henry was High Commissioner. Or perhaps it was afterwards? We had him to lunch with some other Duty people. He had on a white duck suit, I remember, and a pink flower in his buttonhole, and black patent-leather shoes. I don’t remember much about it because I never think it’s very interesting who killed who. I mean, once they are dead it doesn’t seem to matter why, and to make a fuss about it all seems so silly…’ THE HOLLOW contains an interesting exploration of what binds people together. It seems to me that it would make a very good classroom discussion book. But he half-closed his eyes and conjured them up–all of them–seeing them clearly in his mind’s eye. Sir Henry, upright, responsible, trusted administrator of Empire. Lady Angkatell, shadowy, elusive, unexpectedly and bewilderingly charming, with that deadly power of inconsequent suggestion. Henrietta Savernake, who had loved John Christow better than she loved herself. The gentle and negative Edward Angkatell. The dark, positive girl called Midge Hardcastle. The dazed, bewildered face of Gerda Christow clasping a revolver in her hand. The offended adolescent personality of David Angkatell. There they all were, caught and held in the meshes of the law. Bound together for a little while in the relentless aftermath of sudden and violent death. There are a number of issues that surface. As after Word War One, Christie appears to be struck by the way the world has changed, not just politically but economically and socially.There's no mention of the Second World War but I assumed that THE HOLLOW was set more or less in the "present", that is, immediately after the war. Those with titles and or money don't seem to be aware that their way of life is endangered. The days of servants and large houses are numbered. Girls, like Midge Hardcastle have to work, and they can't always get jobs they like. Lucy, Henry, Edward–yes, even Henrietta–they were all divided from her by an impassable gulf–the gulf that separates the leisured from the working. They had no conception of the difficulties of getting a job, and once you had got it, of keeping it! One might say, perhaps, that there was no need, actually, for her to earn her living. Lucy and Henry would gladly give her a home–they would with equal gladness have made her an allowance. Edward would also willingly have done the latter. But something in Midge rebelled against the acceptance of ease offered her by her well-to-do relations. To come on rare occasions and sink into the well-ordered luxury of Lucy’s life was delightful. She could revel in that. But some sturdy independence of spirit held her back from accepting that life as a gift. The same feeling had prevented her from starting a business on her own with money borrowed from relations and friends. She had seen too much of that. There's a stage like quality to THE HOLLOW. It is easy to imagine it is a stage set and adapting it as a play would have been relatively easy. The action takes place episodically and indeed Poirot, when he first arrives, believes he has come across a tableau staged for his benefit. Hercule Poirot stepped out on to the open space surrounding the swimming pool, and immediately he, too, stiffened, but with annoyance. It was too much–it was really too much! He had not suspected such cheapness of the Angkatells. The long walk by the road, the disappointment at the house–and now this! The misplaced sense of humour of the English! He was annoyed and he was bored–oh, how he was bored. Death was not, to him, amusing. And here they had arranged for him, by way of a joke, a set-piece. For what he was looking at was a highly artificial murder scene. By the side of the pool was the body, artistically arranged with an outflung arm and even some red paint dripping gently over the edge of the concrete into the pool. It was a spectacular body, that of a handsome fair-haired man. Standing over the body, revolver in hand, was a woman, a short, powerfully built, middle-aged woman with a curiously blank expression.This sense of something staged, something artificial, crops up again and again, and adds to the mystery. Poirot thinks he is being directed and manipulated but he is not quite sure by whom.I could really go on discussing this book ad nauseam, but you really need to read it for yourself!
    • 5/5
      Very sympathetic characters. One if her best. Well with reading.
    • 2/5
      Not one of her better efforts. Poirot is almost a peripheral character in this one. Loads of melodrama and not much crime.
    • 4/5
      The Hollow by Agatha Christie - very good

      I read so many of Agatha Christie's books that I'm running out of things to say about them. The fact that I keep returning is probably all the testament I need to give. Other authors run out of original ideas or their books become formulaic etc. Not the case here. Even when I've read a book that I've seen the TV adaptation of (as with this one) there are enough twists and red herrings to make me wonder if the TV changed the ending (it has been known).

      This particular book is one of the later (post WW2) 'Poirot' mysteries. He walks in on what he initially thinks is a murder mystery - it looks so staged - John Christow is lying by the swimming pool, breathing his last. His wife is standing over him with a gun in her hand. As he dies he says just one word: "Henrietta" - the name of his mistress. The question is: are things really as they seem?
    • 2/5
      I read this book mostly in one day. The narrative was one of the easiest and fastest I've ever come across. But the urgency of the murderer's impending doom wasn't present in the fabric of this story. You never had the feeling that all these words were converging to a brilliant denouement. Poirot made literally a guest appearance. He usually does that figuratively. I was bogged down by what the author wanted to pass for character development here. But maybe there was a tad too much of a touch of romance in the air. Romance and melodrama seemed to go hand in hand back then. The couple hasn't aged well though.