🕵️♂️ Book Review: The Adventure of the Peroxide Blonde by Agatha Christie (Kindle Edition)
A compact, classic Poirot mystery that blends theatrical flair with deadly intrigue—this short story showcases Christie’s knack for character-driven suspense and clever deduction.
🧠 Overview
Originally published in The Sketch magazine in 1924, The Adventure of the Peroxide Blonde is a 16-page short story featuring Hercule Poirot, Christie’s iconic Belgian detective. This Kindle edition presents the tale as it first appeared, later adapted into Chapter 14 of the novel The Big Four. The story is part of a serialized arc where Poirot investigates a shadowy international criminal organization.
In this installment, Poirot zeroes in on Claud Darrell, a suspicious actor who may be the elusive “Number Four.” His investigation leads him to Flossie Monro, a peroxide-blonde actress and Darrell’s former acquaintance—whose tragic fate adds emotional weight to the mystery.
🔍 Plot Highlights
- 🎭 Poirot suspects that Number Four is an actor and narrows down his search using physical descriptions and travel records
- 📸 Flossie Monro offers a vital clue—a photograph of Darrell and a peculiar eating habit—but is killed before she can deliver it
- 🗝️ Poirot deduces that Number Four stole her key and retrieved the photo, confirming his suspicions
- 🧠 The story blends deduction with espionage, adding a layer of international intrigue to Poirot’s usual domestic cases
💬 Reader Reception
- ⭐ Goodreads rating: 3.71/5 from over 180 readers
- 📖 Fans appreciate the story’s tight pacing, tragic twist, and classic Christie atmosphere
- 🧾 Some note that it works best when read as part of the larger Big Four arc, rather than as a standalone mystery
- 💬 “Poirot’s brilliance shines even in the shortest of tales. The ending is quietly haunting.” — Goodreads reviewer
You can explore reader reviews on Goodreads or dive into its publication history and plot summary on the Agatha Christie Wiki.
⚠️ Considerations
- 📄 Short format: At 16 pages, it’s a quick read with limited character development
- 📚 Best read in context: Works best when paired with other stories in The Big Four series
- 🧾 Early Christie style: Less polished than her later works, but rich in atmosphere and intrigue
🏁 Final Verdict
The Adventure of the Peroxide Blonde is a brief but compelling mystery that adds depth to Poirot’s pursuit of the enigmatic Number Four. With its theatrical setting, tragic twist, and sharp deductions, it’s a satisfying read for Christie fans and a fascinating glimpse into her serialized storytelling.
