Five Complete Hercule Poirot Novels is an omnibus edition of Agatha Christie works published by Avenel Books in 1980. The omnibus is available in hardcover only and comprises five novels: Thirteen at Dinner, Murder on the Orient Express, The A.B.C. Murders, Cards on the Table, Death on the Nile.
This omnibus came in several versions with at least two different covers and several reprints. The earliest version was published by Avenel Books and distributed by Crown Publishing, by arrangement with Dodd Mead. Besides the jacketed version, there was also a non-jacketed library binding (ISBN 9780517309759). Some later versions have also been seen. A leather bound version without jacket was issued by Chatham River Press, another imprint of Crown Publishing circa 1984 (ISBN 9780517439999). A later hardboard version with a different jacket design ISBN 9780517035832 was issued by Avenel, this time distributed by "Outlet Books Company, a Random House company". This is more difficult to date but must come after 1988 since Outlet Books, the same company as Crown Publishing, was only taken over by Random House in 1988. While the first impression of this ISBN used the Avenel imprint, by the 5th impression, the imprint name had changed to Wings Books.
Blurb on front flap[]
AGATHA
CHRISTIE
FIVE COMPLETE
HERCULE POIROT NOVELS
Vintage Christie! Vintage Poirot! In one volume you have five Hercule Poirot mystery novels chosen to show Agatha Christie as the absolute master of her art, whose skills gave wing to some of the most devilishly subtle and daring plots ever devised for the bafflement of mystery fans.
In Death on the Nile, Hercule Poirot takes a cruise through the ancient land of the Pharaohs. It's an exciting trip for all the passengers, and for one--a lovely young bride-fatal.
Murder on the Orient Express finds Poirot snowbound on the famed train with a bevy of strangers from around the globe. Then, suddenly, the American, Mr. Rachett, is dead and Poirot must find the murderer.
The first victim in The ABC Murders was a Mrs. Ascher of Andover, the second, BettyBarnard of Bexhill-on-sea. They were murders without motive--the grisly play of a ¹madman's alphabetical whimsy, and it's up to Poirot to find the killer.
Poirot is invited to play bridge with four special guests in The Cards on the Table. But before the first rubber is played out, the host, Mr. Shaitana, is dead.
In Thirteen at Dinner, actress Jane Wilkinson asks Poirot for help after her husband is murdered. But how can he believe in the innocence of a woman who tried to hire him once before--to get rid of her husband?
In these five novels--behind the facades of wealth, culture, and breeding that Agatha Christie knew and described so accurately, lies the brutal passion of evil-discovered and laid bare.
References[]