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Series · mystery
Hercule Poirot
The Hercule Poirot series by Agatha Christie has 41 books and is best read in publication order, starting with The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920).
- Books
- 41 books
- First published
- 1920
- Status
- ongoing
- Last checked
Start here: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) — then read straight through in publication order.
Reading order
The order the books were released — the default way to read the series.
- Book 1:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Mysterious Affair at Styles - Book 2:
The Murder on the Links
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Murder on the Links - Book 3:
Poirot Investigates
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Poirot Investigates - Book 4:
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - Book 5:
The Big Four
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Big Four - Book 6:
The Mystery of the Blue Train
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Mystery of the Blue Train - Book 7:
Peril at End House
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Peril at End House - Book 8:
Lord Edgware Dies
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Lord Edgware Dies - Book 9:
Murder on the Orient Express
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Murder on the Orient Express - Book 10:
Three Act Tragedy
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Three Act Tragedy - Book 11:
Death in the Clouds
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death in the Clouds - Book 12:
The A.B.C. Murders
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The A.B.C. Murders - Book 13:
Murder in Mesopotamia
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Murder in Mesopotamia - Book 14:
Cards on the Table
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cards on the Table - Book 15:
Dumb Witness
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dumb Witness - Book 16:
Death on the Nile
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Death on the Nile - Book 17:
Appointment with Death
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Appointment with Death - Book 18:
Hercule Poirot's Christmas
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hercule Poirot's Christmas - Book 19:
Sad Cypress
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Sad Cypress - Book 20:
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
Alternative text for cover: Cover of One, Two, Buckle My Shoe - Book 21:
Evil Under the Sun
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Evil Under the Sun - Book 22:
Five Little Pigs
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Five Little Pigs - Book 23:
The Hollow
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Hollow - Book 24:
The Labours of Hercules
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Labours of Hercules - Book 25:
Taken at the Flood
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Taken at the Flood - Book 26:
Mrs McGinty's Dead
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Mrs McGinty's Dead - Book 27:
After the Funeral
Alternative text for cover: Cover of After the Funeral - Book 28:
Hickory Dickory Dock
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hickory Dickory Dock - Book 29:
Dead Man's Folly
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Dead Man's Folly - Book 30:
Cat Among the Pigeons
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Cat Among the Pigeons - Book 31:
The Clocks
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Clocks - Book 32:
Third Girl
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Third Girl - Book 33:
Hallowe'en Party
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hallowe'en Party - Book 34:
Elephants Can Remember
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Elephants Can Remember - Book 35:
Curtain: Poirot's Last Case
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Curtain: Poirot's Last Case - Book 36:
The Monogram Murders
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Monogram Murders - Book 37:
Closed Casket
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Closed Casket - Book 38:
The Mystery of Three Quarters
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Mystery of Three Quarters - Book 39:
The Killings at Kingfisher Hill
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Killings at Kingfisher Hill - Book 40:
Hercule Poirot's Silent Night
Alternative text for cover: Cover of Hercule Poirot's Silent Night - Book 41:
The Last Death of the Year
Alternative text for cover: Cover of The Last Death of the Year
About the Hercule Poirot series
Hercule Poirot is the fastidious, egg-headed Belgian detective who solves murders with his "little grey cells" rather than legwork — a private inquiry agent, former Belgian policeman, and refugee of the First World War who settles in England and becomes the most famous fictional detective after Sherlock Holmes. Agatha Christie built the character across 33 novels and dozens of short stories between 1920 and 1975, perfecting the fair-play puzzle mystery: a closed circle of suspects, a country house or a locked train carriage, a scattering of clues planted in plain sight, and a final drawing-room scene where Poirot walks the reader back through every lie. The appeal is the puzzle itself — Christie plays scrupulously fair, so an attentive reader can, in theory, beat Poirot to the solution, and the fun is in trying and almost always failing.
The best-known entries (Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, The A.B.C. Murders) rank among the most influential mysteries ever written, twice adapted for film by Kenneth Branagh and dramatised in full by David Suchet's long-running ITV series. Christie also wrote Poirot's swansong, Curtain, decades before its 1975 publication, sealing off the character's story on her own terms. Since 2014, novelist Sophie Hannah has written authorised continuation novels set in Poirot's original era, for readers who have finished Christie's run and want more without it being pastiche. This is the series for anyone who wants the genre's gold standard: elegant misdirection, a satisfying reveal, and a detective whose vanity is as entertaining as his brilliance.
How to read this series
Publication order works, but the first book isn't the best introduction. The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) is a solid debut but noticeably more old-fashioned than what follows; many readers and reading guides suggest starting with a stronger, more iconic entry instead — The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926), Murder on the Orient Express (1934), or The A.B.C. Murders (1936) all showcase Christie at her best and work perfectly well as a first Poirot novel, since almost none of the books depend on earlier ones. The Big Four (1927) and Black Coffee (a 1930 stage play, not included here) are the two entries most fans consider weakest.
There's no real chronological order to worry about: Poirot doesn't age in real time and the novels aren't serialised around ongoing plot threads, so publication order and story order are effectively the same thing. Curtain (1975) is explicitly Poirot's last case and is best saved until you've read enough of the earlier books to feel the weight of it. Sophie Hannah's continuation novels (from 2014) are optional extras set in Poirot's original era — skip them entirely, or treat them as a bonus once you've finished Christie's own 33.
Frequently asked questions
How many Hercule Poirot books are there?
Agatha Christie wrote 33 Poirot novels between 1920 and 1975, plus short-story collections including Poirot Investigates and The Labours of Hercules. Since 2014, Sophie Hannah has added six authorised continuation novels, for 39 novels (41 entries counting the two collections) tracked here.
What order should I read the Hercule Poirot books in?
Publication order is the default and the novels are almost entirely standalone. If you'd rather skip the more dated debut, start with The Murder of Roger Ackroyd or Murder on the Orient Express instead of The Mysterious Affair at Styles.
Do I need to read the Poirot books in order?
No. Nearly every novel is a self-contained case. The one exception is Curtain, explicitly written as Poirot's final case — save it for last.
Are the Sophie Hannah Poirot books worth reading?
They're optional. Sophie Hannah's authorised continuations (starting with The Monogram Murders, 2014) are set in Poirot's original 1920s–30s era and aim for the classic puzzle style, but they're a modern writer's take rather than Christie's own work — best treated as a bonus after finishing the originals.
Is there a new Poirot book coming?
The most recent is Sophie Hannah's The Last Death of the Year (November 2025). No new Poirot novel has been announced as of mid-2026.
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Reading order last verified .