You can never go wrong with an Agatha Christie and with the little gray cells of Hercule Poirot the killer will be ensnared without the tiniest details missed.

First penned as a stage production, Black Coffee has been rewritten by her grandson Michal Pritchard.

Set in the early 1930's, Sir Claud Amory, an atomic scientist, has invited Poirot to his estate to personally transport a formula back to London. Sir Claud realizes that the formula is missing and offers his family and guests one minute in total darkness to return the formula with no questions asked. Well, one minute is all it takes to murder Sir Claud. Upon his arrival, Hercule Poirot is enlisted into finding both the formula and the killer.

Of course Agatha gives us a whole room full of likely suspects, each with their own secrets and story, but with Captain Hastings at his side, Poirot makes quick work of this very captivating who-done-it.

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Quick read. Enjoyable. I don't think it was as attention holding as other Poirot mysteries, but I liked it.

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This was like having a little something bland to clear the palate between more demanding courses, or in this instance books that require more concentration to absorb the plot. It is innocuous and not exactly top-notch Christie. The writing was somewhat bland, in itself, although the dialogue was probably more Christie than not. The plot didn't match most of her best mysteries. I always like Golden Age mysteries that feature a floor plan of the scene of the crime, but the one in the St. Martin's Press edition was particularly worthless; the action obviously took place in the room pictured, but none of the entrances was marked so there was no need to follow the action on the diagram. A harmless way to spend a few hours.

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Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot and his friend and detecting partner Captain Arthur Hastings receive an urgent call for help from renowned physicist Sir Claud Amory. Sir Claud is absolutely convinced that a member of his own household is attempting to steal a secret formula created by Sir Claud, and destined for use by the Ministry of Defense. Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings travel to Sir Claud's sprawling mansion, only to discover that the famed physicist has been poisoned by his after-dinner coffee. The formula is also missing.

Now, the renowned private detective must discover who among the mansion's occupants has become desperate enough to kill Sir Claud. Hercule Poirot uncovers a potent brew of despair, treachery, and deception as he tries to identify the murderer and locate the missing formula. Black Coffee by Agatha Christie was very good and I give it an A+! However, for the first time in reading an Agatha Christie mystery, I knew who the murderer was before I had finished reading the book. :)

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