The Under Dog and Other Stories (1951) is a collection of nine Hercule Poirot short stories by Agatha Christie, showcasing the Belgian detective’s “little grey cells” in bite-sized mysteries. Originally published in magazines between 1923–1940, the tales feature classic Christie twists—blackmail, mistaken identity, and seemingly perfect alibis—with Poirot unraveling crimes in settings from English country houses to Mediterranean cruises.
Notable stories include:
- “The Under Dog”: A wealthy tycoon’s murder pits Poirot against a vengeful family.
- “The Mystery of the Spanish Chest”: A corpse discovered in an antique chest (later adapted for TV’s Poirot).
- “Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds”: A gourmand’s unusual dining habits hint at foul play.
The 1951 US first edition (Dodd, Mead) is scarcer than the UK’s The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960), which overlaps in content. Christie’s brisk, dialogue-driven style shines, though some racial stereotypes reflect the era.
For Poirot completists, pair with The Labors of Hercules (1947) or Murder in the Mews (1937).
