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Available
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Macmillan, Edition: New Ed, Paperback
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Historical Fiction. HTML: The meticulous detective Hercule Poirot suspects the worst of the death of a dentist in this classic mystery by Queen of Whodunits, Agatha Christie. Even the great detective Hercule Poirot harbored a deep and abiding fear of the dentist, so it was with some trepidation that he arrived at the celebrated Dr. Morley's surgery for a dental examination. But what neither of them knew was that only hours later Poirot would be back to examine the dentist, found dead in his own surgery. Turning to the other patients for answers, Poirot finds other, darker, questions.....
User reviews
LibraryThing member Mrsbaty
Agatha Christie is my all-time favorite mystery writer and while this may not be my all-time favorite Agatha Christie mystery, it is still quite wonderful.
Poirot has a dental appointment, which he dreads as much as us ordinary humans do, and finds out later that his dentist was found dead shortly
While this book has a complex mystery, the more interesting part to me was it's relation to it's time period. It was published in 1941 and times were tumultuous. It's clear through the writing that there was a lot of fear and change in the air. There was a lot of talk of bringing down the old ways of doing things and the need for revolution. This story probably reflects the feeling of the times very well. It feels less cozy and warm than some of her other novels and that's probably why it's a four star rather than a five star book but she's still the queen and I'm happy to read any of her books anytime.
Poirot has a dental appointment, which he dreads as much as us ordinary humans do, and finds out later that his dentist was found dead shortly
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after he saw him. It is presumed to be suicide at first but of course it isn't. There is no shortage of suspects since there was a waiting room full of patients, including one of the most influential bankers in England. Poirot does his usual cerebral job of solving one of the most convoluted crimes in his career.While this book has a complex mystery, the more interesting part to me was it's relation to it's time period. It was published in 1941 and times were tumultuous. It's clear through the writing that there was a lot of fear and change in the air. There was a lot of talk of bringing down the old ways of doing things and the need for revolution. This story probably reflects the feeling of the times very well. It feels less cozy and warm than some of her other novels and that's probably why it's a four star rather than a five star book but she's still the queen and I'm happy to read any of her books anytime.
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LibraryThing member xicanti
Not Christie's best, but entertaining nonetheless. I found this a very quick read, with a surprisingly deep question resting at the heart of the mystery.
LibraryThing member mrtall
From the dentist's office to the shadowy world of international finance and espionage, this Poirot novel teeters constantly on the brink of absurdity, but comes out as neatly as ever in the end. Notable for its characterization of Poirot; the intensity and depth of Christie's moral vision comes
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through more clearly here than in most Poirot novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member riverwillow
Another classic. The murder is intruiging. But my favourite bit is the opening as Poirot visits the dentist. Christie perfectly encapsulates the feeling of dread you get in the dentist's waiting room and the feeling of relief when its all over.
LibraryThing member whirligigwitch
Not the best of Christie's work by a long shot. The denoument seemed rushed and the characterisation was thin. Slow paced, too, oddly for a Christie novel.
LibraryThing member smik
Every now and then in the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge I come across a title I genuinely don't think I have read before, and this is one of them.
Hercule Poirot (and his good friend Inspector Japp) become involved in this investigation because Poirot has a 6-monthly checkup with the dentist
And then there is the fact that Morley's young female assistant received a bogus telegram luring her out of the dental surgery for the day. As Poirot and Japp begin to interview other patients from the day they discover that one of them, Mr Amberiotis, has died. He seems to have been poisoned by Mr Morley. And then another patient walks out of her hotel and does not return.
There are 3 other aspects of ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE that I was conscious of.
It was published in 1940 and England has just begun war with Germany. Earlier novels have reflected Christie's awareness of political and economic issues and they surface in this novel too.
Alistair Blunt, a banker who has great influence in Britain's economic policies and has been responsible for the nation's healthy solvency, was also a patient in Morley's surgery that morning. Is the death of Morley somehow connected to attempts on Blunt's life?
Poirot himself is witness to just such an attempt.
Through Poirot however Christie seems to be making the point that dictatorships can exist even within democracies, and it is how life is valued that is important.
There is some delightful description in this novel.
"Mr Morley was a small man with a decided jaw and a pugnacious chin. His sister, who kept house for him, was a large woman rather like a female grenadier. She eyed her brother thoughtfully and asked whether the bath water had been cold again."
and
"They were going down the steps of the house when a car drew up in front of it. It was a car of sporting build – one of those cars from which it is necessary to wriggle from under the wheel in sections. The young woman who did so appeared to consist chiefly of arms and legs. She had finally dislodged herself as the men turned to walk down the street. The girl stood on the pavement looking after them. Then, suddenly and vigorously, she ejaculated, ‘Hi!’ Not realizing that the call was addressed to them, neither man turned, and the girl repeated: ‘Hi! Hi! You there!’ They stopped and looked round inquiringly. The girl walked towards them. The impression of arms and legs remained. She was tall, thin, and her face had an intelligence and aliveness that redeemed its lack of actual beauty. She was dark with a deeply tanned skin."
ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE is one of the novels where Christie has used a nursery rhyme to provide both the title and the structure.
While this structure does have some constraints, it also provides interest. The title for each chapter is a line from the nursery rhyme and occasionally there is a comment in the text that reminds the reader of the connection.
e.g.
When he learns that Mr Amberiotis has died (Three, four, shut the door)
To Hercule Poirot it was as though a door had gently but firmly shut.
and, after Alistair Blunt's cousin has been giving her opinion (Nine, ten, a good fat hen)
Mrs Olivera clacked on. She was, thought Poirot, rather like a hen. A big, fat hen! Mrs Olivera, still clacking, moved majestically after her bust towards the door.
The novel gets its title as I have said from the nursery rhyme and here is the way the buckle on the shoe makes its first appearance.
The lady got out of the taxi, but in doing so she caught her other foot in the door and the buckle was wrenched off. It fell tinkling on to the pavement. Gallantly, Poirot sprang forward and picked it up, restoring it with a bow. Alas! Nearer fifty than forty. Pince-nez. Untidy yellow-grey hair – unbecoming clothes – those depressing art greens! She thanked him, dropping her pincenez, then her handbag.
Finally there were a couple of things I had to look up (a rarity for me, as I usually understand the text)
- are they new to you?
"these things are all my eye and Betty Martin"
"The Phillips Oppenheim touch seemed to be reappearing"
I think I have interpreted them correctly - the first basically means baloney or rubbish, while the second is reference to an early writer of spy fiction, who wrote a novel called THE GREAT IMPERSONATION.
I wasn't entirely happy with the way the story panned out. In the long run I thought the ultimate merging of the threads was rather far fetched. But it is a novel with many redeeming qualities.
Hercule Poirot (and his good friend Inspector Japp) become involved in this investigation because Poirot has a 6-monthly checkup with the dentist
Show More
Morley only hours before he dies. Morley's death appears to have the hallmarks of suicide but Poirot is puzzled how someone contemplating suicide could have appeared so "normal".And then there is the fact that Morley's young female assistant received a bogus telegram luring her out of the dental surgery for the day. As Poirot and Japp begin to interview other patients from the day they discover that one of them, Mr Amberiotis, has died. He seems to have been poisoned by Mr Morley. And then another patient walks out of her hotel and does not return.
There are 3 other aspects of ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE that I was conscious of.
It was published in 1940 and England has just begun war with Germany. Earlier novels have reflected Christie's awareness of political and economic issues and they surface in this novel too.
Alistair Blunt, a banker who has great influence in Britain's economic policies and has been responsible for the nation's healthy solvency, was also a patient in Morley's surgery that morning. Is the death of Morley somehow connected to attempts on Blunt's life?
Poirot himself is witness to just such an attempt.
Through Poirot however Christie seems to be making the point that dictatorships can exist even within democracies, and it is how life is valued that is important.
There is some delightful description in this novel.
"Mr Morley was a small man with a decided jaw and a pugnacious chin. His sister, who kept house for him, was a large woman rather like a female grenadier. She eyed her brother thoughtfully and asked whether the bath water had been cold again."
and
"They were going down the steps of the house when a car drew up in front of it. It was a car of sporting build – one of those cars from which it is necessary to wriggle from under the wheel in sections. The young woman who did so appeared to consist chiefly of arms and legs. She had finally dislodged herself as the men turned to walk down the street. The girl stood on the pavement looking after them. Then, suddenly and vigorously, she ejaculated, ‘Hi!’ Not realizing that the call was addressed to them, neither man turned, and the girl repeated: ‘Hi! Hi! You there!’ They stopped and looked round inquiringly. The girl walked towards them. The impression of arms and legs remained. She was tall, thin, and her face had an intelligence and aliveness that redeemed its lack of actual beauty. She was dark with a deeply tanned skin."
ONE, TWO, BUCKLE MY SHOE is one of the novels where Christie has used a nursery rhyme to provide both the title and the structure.
While this structure does have some constraints, it also provides interest. The title for each chapter is a line from the nursery rhyme and occasionally there is a comment in the text that reminds the reader of the connection.
e.g.
When he learns that Mr Amberiotis has died (Three, four, shut the door)
To Hercule Poirot it was as though a door had gently but firmly shut.
and, after Alistair Blunt's cousin has been giving her opinion (Nine, ten, a good fat hen)
Mrs Olivera clacked on. She was, thought Poirot, rather like a hen. A big, fat hen! Mrs Olivera, still clacking, moved majestically after her bust towards the door.
The novel gets its title as I have said from the nursery rhyme and here is the way the buckle on the shoe makes its first appearance.
The lady got out of the taxi, but in doing so she caught her other foot in the door and the buckle was wrenched off. It fell tinkling on to the pavement. Gallantly, Poirot sprang forward and picked it up, restoring it with a bow. Alas! Nearer fifty than forty. Pince-nez. Untidy yellow-grey hair – unbecoming clothes – those depressing art greens! She thanked him, dropping her pincenez, then her handbag.
Finally there were a couple of things I had to look up (a rarity for me, as I usually understand the text)
- are they new to you?
"these things are all my eye and Betty Martin"
"The Phillips Oppenheim touch seemed to be reappearing"
I think I have interpreted them correctly - the first basically means baloney or rubbish, while the second is reference to an early writer of spy fiction, who wrote a novel called THE GREAT IMPERSONATION.
I wasn't entirely happy with the way the story panned out. In the long run I thought the ultimate merging of the threads was rather far fetched. But it is a novel with many redeeming qualities.
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LibraryThing member TLHelen
One Two Buckle My Shoe has a very interesting motive behind the mystery. The centre of mystery is complicated and each character is far too deep and too many characters are suspected at the very same time. It is a good read but not one of the greatest ones. The concept of the buckle on the shoe is
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most intriguing and cleverly developed. Show Less
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Like many people, Hercule Poirot dreaded his appointment with his dentist. “There was in his heart a ridiculous hope that Mr. Morley might have been called away, might be indisposed, might not be seeing patients to-day...All in vain.” Poirot's dentist kept his appointment – one of his last,
The dental office setting is a fun twist on the English country house murder. The suspects are patients, colleagues, and employees rather than the usual family members, guests, and servants. The counting rhyme of the title is a plot device. Each line of the rhyme is connected in some way to the action in that chapter. Christie doesn't often refer to Poirot's earlier cases so it was fun when a couple of them popped up in this book. Finally, there was a surprise twist at the end of the story that not even Poirot foresaw!
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as it turned out. His body was discovered later that afternoon with the pistol with which it was presumed he took his own life. Poirot wasn't satisfied with the coroner's verdict of suicide, especially when the bodies of first one, then another of the dentist's last patients are discovered. Why was the dentist murdered, and who wanted him dead? Is there another intended victim?The dental office setting is a fun twist on the English country house murder. The suspects are patients, colleagues, and employees rather than the usual family members, guests, and servants. The counting rhyme of the title is a plot device. Each line of the rhyme is connected in some way to the action in that chapter. Christie doesn't often refer to Poirot's earlier cases so it was fun when a couple of them popped up in this book. Finally, there was a surprise twist at the end of the story that not even Poirot foresaw!
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LibraryThing member ariesblue
i love agatha cristie novels..
but there is some technical points ....as a dentist..
to give Anaesthesia there is techniques so, only a dentist can give it to be sure that the Anaesthesia works.otherwise it fails...
and to cure the tooth and make filling is not something that the killer can pretend to
also one cant die from adrenaline and novocain given in dental dose as Anaesthesia.....as the greek man was killed in this novel...
so the novel is good exept in this point..
but there is some technical points ....as a dentist..
to give Anaesthesia there is techniques so, only a dentist can give it to be sure that the Anaesthesia works.otherwise it fails...
and to cure the tooth and make filling is not something that the killer can pretend to
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do while the real dentist was already dead...also one cant die from adrenaline and novocain given in dental dose as Anaesthesia.....as the greek man was killed in this novel...
so the novel is good exept in this point..
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LibraryThing member JeffreyMarks
An underestimated masterpiece. Clever as some of her best, but often overlooked.
LibraryThing member Jiraiya
A book that I've read before, but only in French. I chose to re read it again because I had forgotten much of it. As I read, I remembered part of the plot, but my enjoyment remained undiminished. As for my admiration for Mrs Christie, it stayed high, and grew in fact, despite the fact that part of
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the subterfuge was borrowed from The Mystery Of The Blue Train. Christie's books - most of them, and there are many of them - were built for one thing...to impart the love of reading to budding readers, and to rekindle enthusiasm for the passion among older readers. To books! The cause of and solution to all of life's problems. Show Less
LibraryThing member CasaBooks
Poirot.
An absolutely favorite character.
I always see David Suchet - but he's the absolute best in portraying Poirot.
Never disappointed in Agatha.
Read in 2009hhhhhh
An absolutely favorite character.
I always see David Suchet - but he's the absolute best in portraying Poirot.
Never disappointed in Agatha.
Read in 2009hhhhhh
LibraryThing member RubyScarlett
I really enjoyed this and even though the conclusion was extremely far-fetched (and I'd more or les guessed the motive), I was pleasantly surprised by the moral dilemna Poirot faces at the very end. Interesting novel, shame it's not more well-known.
LibraryThing member lahochstetler
This is definitely one of Christie's more entertaining mysteries. Poirot's dentist winds up dead shortly after the great detective's visit. This is followed by the death of a Greek aristocrat and an unidentified woman, all of whom visited the dentist that day. We add to this a whiff of communist
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conspiracy and a banking magnate whose life is in danger. Poirot has to chase down multiple murders and multiple unclear identities. I figured out the culprit, but not the how or the why. As the best mysteries do, this one kept me riveted, and had numerous twists and turns. One of Christie's best. Show Less
LibraryThing member AmphipodGirl
A low-end effort from Dane Agatha: unconvincing red herrings, no likable characters, and B-movie spy stuff.
LibraryThing member daizylee
Not one of my favorite Christie's, the list of suspects is too long, their histories too complicated, the social issues too involved. Still, always a joy to see Poirot at work.
LibraryThing member DeltaQueen50
I thoroughly enjoyed One Two Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie. The author used her little grey cells in this whodunit to fit each chapter into the next line of the nursery rhyme and delivered a coherent and tantalizing mystery. This is Hercule Poirot at his most secretive as he pieces the clues
This cryptic mystery starts with Hercule Poirot visiting his dentist, a dentist that is all too soon to be found dead. The suspects are limited, but motive is almost non-existent so this murder gets filed away as a suicide, but that verdict does not sit well with M. Poirot and he keeps puzzling away until he has found the answer.
I always look forward to reading an Agatha Christie, and this one really hit the spot for me. Lots of red herrings, a few strange twists and the oh-so-superior Hercule Poirot made One Two Buckle My Shoe a very good read for me.
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together and never lets us lowly reader into his thought processes. I don’t even try to solve these mysteries, I simply turn the pages and absorb the old-fashioned British atmosphere, the quaint characters and in this case, the slightly over-the-top mystery. This cryptic mystery starts with Hercule Poirot visiting his dentist, a dentist that is all too soon to be found dead. The suspects are limited, but motive is almost non-existent so this murder gets filed away as a suicide, but that verdict does not sit well with M. Poirot and he keeps puzzling away until he has found the answer.
I always look forward to reading an Agatha Christie, and this one really hit the spot for me. Lots of red herrings, a few strange twists and the oh-so-superior Hercule Poirot made One Two Buckle My Shoe a very good read for me.
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LibraryThing member Maydacat
Hercule Poirot is determined to prove that his friendly dentist did not commit suicide. Poirot had had an appointment with him on the very day he died. This gives him an advantage to solve the mystery. Crafted as only Agatha Christie could, this mystery does not disappoint.
LibraryThing member BookConcierge
Book on CD read by Hugh Fraser.
Even Hercule Poirot hates to go to the dentist, but a toothache requires attention, so he visits Dr Morley’s offices. A few hours after leaving, he is called back to the dentist’s surgery – to examine the body of the dentist, an apparent suicide. But as Poirot
Christie always delivers a well-constructed plot, with plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. While I did catch on to a few of the tricks, I didn’t figure out the real culprit until Poirot revealed the answer. Bravo!
Hugh Fraser does a fine job performing the audio. He plays Hastings in the BBC series, but he’s definitely up to the task of voicing Hercule Poirot and the many other characters.
Even Hercule Poirot hates to go to the dentist, but a toothache requires attention, so he visits Dr Morley’s offices. A few hours after leaving, he is called back to the dentist’s surgery – to examine the body of the dentist, an apparent suicide. But as Poirot
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begins to interview the other patients who also visited the dentist that same morning, he finds more questions than answers. Christie always delivers a well-constructed plot, with plenty of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. While I did catch on to a few of the tricks, I didn’t figure out the real culprit until Poirot revealed the answer. Bravo!
Hugh Fraser does a fine job performing the audio. He plays Hastings in the BBC series, but he’s definitely up to the task of voicing Hercule Poirot and the many other characters.
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
Another entirely enjoyable entry in the Poirot series. So many red herrings, as always, and an unguessable mystery, again as usual.
LibraryThing member johnclaydon
At first she charms me with her dry, simple style of storytelling. By the middle I am just trudging through. After reading the end I wonder how she got away with such absurdities. In this case she seems to have forgotten what she was trying to do with her Raikes character.
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
The dentist is found dead in his offices after M. Poirot leaves the office..... Suicide or murder?
M. Poirot knows who was in the waiting room, he knows who he saw leaving & arriving.....
One waiting was a very important government finance minister, that many would like out of the way. Is it
Or did the dentist really kill himself in chagrin for the one who was poisoned by Novocaine?
One arriving, loses a buckle on her shoe (which M. Poirot gallantly retrieves) and is later found dead in a fur trunk with her face bashed in....
Interesting, but I hadn't a clue.
M. Poirot knows who was in the waiting room, he knows who he saw leaving & arriving.....
One waiting was a very important government finance minister, that many would like out of the way. Is it
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possible he was the intended victim?Or did the dentist really kill himself in chagrin for the one who was poisoned by Novocaine?
One arriving, loses a buckle on her shoe (which M. Poirot gallantly retrieves) and is later found dead in a fur trunk with her face bashed in....
Interesting, but I hadn't a clue.
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LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
A bit of an over-complex plot, with too many rather two-dimensional character, in my view. Poirot is central, and we see his viewpoint right from the start; he is always good value. But I didn't much care about any of the possible perpetrators of the inevitable crime. I doubt if I could have come
Not a bad book, and I found it hard to put down in the final chapters, but not one of my favourites.
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up with the actual person or the events as they eventually unroll, but I didn't have any strong feelings about anyone. Not a bad book, and I found it hard to put down in the final chapters, but not one of my favourites.
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LibraryThing member devendradave
Excellent with twists and turns.
LibraryThing member LARA335
Radio adaptation: Poirot’s dentist appears to have committed suicide. More than usual convoluted plot. Didn’t feel enough info was given that I could have solved the puzzle. Bah humbug.
Subjects
Original publication date
1940-11-01
Physical description
7 inches
ISBN
0330242644 / 9780330242646
Local notes
What reason would an amiable dentist like Dr. Morley have for committing suicide? He didn't have emotional difficulties, money problems, or love trouble. What he did have was an appointment with Hercule Poirot, who is not persuaded by the suicide story. Poirot therefore takes it upon himself to question the good doctor's patients, partners and friends. He has a suspicion that Dr. Morley wasn't an unlikely murder victim after all. Nor was he the first.
1940, Poirot, Japp. Also published as An Overdose of Death, The Patriotic Murders.
1940, Poirot, Japp. Also published as An Overdose of Death, The Patriotic Murders.