One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (novel)

One Two Buckle My Shoe First Edition Cover 1940

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, featuring her Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. First published in the United Kingdom by the Collins Crime Club in November 1940, and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in February 1941 under the title The Patriotic Murders. A paperback edition in the US by Dell books in 1953 changed the title again to An Overdose of Death. The novel is a classic example of Christie's ingenuity in crafting murder mysteries.

Plot Summary

The story begins with Hercule Poirot visiting his dentist, Mr. Morley, in London. Shortly after Poirot's appointment, Mr. Morley is found dead from a gunshot wound, initially believed to be a case of suicide. However, Poirot suspects foul play when another patient, Mr. Amberiotis, dies from a suspected overdose of anaesthetic, and a third patient, Miss Sainsbury Seale, goes missing and is later found dead. Poirot delves into the lives of the other patients who visited the dentist on the same day, uncovering a complex web of espionage, blackmail, and political intrigue that leads him to the real murderer.

Characters

• Hercule Poirot - The famous Belgian detective.
• Mr. Morley - The dentist who is found dead.
• Mr. Amberiotis - A patient who dies from an overdose.
• Miss Sainsbury Seale - A patient who goes missing and is later found dead.
• Inspector Japp - A friend of Poirot and a Scotland Yard inspector.

Themes

The novel explores themes of deception, the impact of international politics on personal lives, and the moral complexities of justice. Christie uses the seemingly mundane setting of a dentist's office to unravel a story of global significance, reflecting the tensions of the time period in which the book was written.

Reception

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe was met with positive reviews for its intricate plot and the way Christie masterfully ties together seemingly unrelated events into a coherent and surprising conclusion. Critics have praised the novel for its portrayal of Poirot, who navigates through the complexities of the case with his usual flair for understanding human nature.

Adaptations

The novel has been adapted into several formats, including radio, television, and graphic novels. Notably, it was adapted into an episode of the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot starring David Suchet as Hercule Poirot, which aired in 1992. These adaptations have contributed to the novel's enduring popularity and its place as a classic in the detective genre.

50px

This detective fiction related article is a stub. You can help WikiMD by expanding it.