Agatha Christie 
The Big Four 

A tale of international intrigue and espionage featuring beloved detective Hercule Poirot Originally published as a series of short stories in Sketch magazine, this tale of international intrigue and espionage begins when a visitor stumbles into detective Hercule Poirot’s bedroom. In the final moments before his death, he tells Poirot of the crime cartel known only as the Big Four. What follows is Hercule Poirot’s biggest case yet, taking him and his sidekick Arthur Hastings on the trail of the Big Four before their plans to take control of the world unfold. Note: The Big Four contains characterization and thematic elements representative of prejudiced beliefs, particularly Sinophobia and Orientalism. While these views were never legitimate nor equitable, they were unfortunately commonplace at the time of writing and publication. Rather than glossing over this painful dimension of literary history, this ebook edition references the text as it was originally published so that it may be included when taking into consideration the overall impact of Agatha Christie’s body of work. The beliefs and views present in this book do not reflect that of the publisher’s.

About the author

Agatha Christie (1890-1976) was an English crime novelist, short-story writer, and playwright. She is best known for her sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short-story collections, particularly those revolving around her fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world’s longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, and six romances under the name Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was elevated to Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her contribution to literature.