From Publishers Weekly
One of mystery fiction's most beloved heroes, Hercule Poirot, is brought vividly to life in this delightful audio production. Originally published in 1927, this outing thrusts Poirot into one of Christie's most outlandish and melodramatic adventures. It finds her Belgian detective pitted against an international quartet of criminal masterminds bent on world domination. Narrator Fraser is no stranger to Poirot's world, having played the detective's faithful companion, Captain Hastings, in several made-for-TV movies. A gifted reader, he obviously enjoys interpreting this material, and he perfectly captures each of Christie's diverse characters, shifting flawlessly from one to the other. But it is in his portrayal of Poirot that Fraser shines. With a well-tuned accent, Fraser brings out the full range of Christie's eccentric detective. This mystery may not be Christie's best, but with its over-the-top premise and international cast of villains, portrayed with relish by Fraser, it is certainly one of her most entertaining. (Jan.)
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From AudioFile
Hugh Fraser, best known as Captain Hastings on the "Mystery" dramatizations of the Poirot novels, here does double duty as Hastings and the little Belgian sleuth as they track down a quartet of ruthless criminals scheming for world domination, which includes death for Poirot. Even though Fraser is accustomed to playing Hastings, there's not a drop of Hastings in his Poirot, nor in his masterful portrayals of Japp, Poirot's Scotland Yard sidekick, or the hilarious but tragic Cockney heroine, Flossie. While this is over-the-top Christie, with its talk of the A-bomb and lasers (incredible since the book was copyrighted in 1927), Fraser brings to it logic and credibility. M.T.B. © AudioFile 2005, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine