Miss Jane Marple's relaxing weeklong stay at London's high-class Bertram Hotel is rudely and dangerously interrupted by the murderous actions of a crime syndicate.

"How did a woman holding a pistol in her right hand manage to shoot herself in the left temple? What was the link between a ghost sighting and the disappearance of top secret military plans? How did the bullet that killed Sir Gervase shatter a mirror in another part of the room? And should the beautiful Valentine Chantry flee for her life from the holiday island of Rhodes? Hercule Poirot is faced with four mystifying cases, each a miniature classic...

"Like Hercules, Hercule Poirot had been responsible for ridding society of some of its most unpleasant monsters. So, in the period leading up to his retirement, Poirot determines to accept just twelve more cases: his self-imposed "Labors." Each would go down in the annals of crime as a heroic feat of deduction"--

Tommy and Tuppence Beresford's daily supply of excitement was assured when they took over a near-bankrupt detective agency. Soon they were matching wits with master criminals.

What fun! The village party features a Murder Hunt, hosted by mystery writer Ariadne Oliver. One need only follow the game's make-believe clues to be the first to find the body. Only this time, it isn't a game, and the clues lead to a genuine corpse. Ariadne needs the help of her old friend, Hercule Poirot. The brilliant Belgian cracks the case and finds the murderer.

"When the Beresford obtain an old house and its contents, Tuppence discovers a series of underlinings in a copy of The Black Arrow. When she writes down the letters, they spell out a very disturbing message: "Mary Jordan did not die naturally." After sixty years, Mary Jordan's enemies are still ready to kill"--

"When the luxurious Blue Train arrives at Nice, a guard attempts to wake serene Ruth Kettering from her slumbers. But she will never wake again--for a heavy blow has killed her, disfiguring her features almost beyond recognition. What is more, her precious rubies are missing. The prime suspect is Ruth's estranged husband, Derek. Yet Hercule Poirot is not convinced, so he stages an eerie reenactment of the journey, complete with the murderer on board"--P....