The Flock of Geryon: a Hercule Poirot Short Story

Hercule Poirot #0.48

by Agatha Christie, Daniel Massey

Agatha Christie

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Audiobook, Crime

16 pages, Unbound

First published January 1, 1940

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

With the help of Poirot and Japp, a clever woman named Miss Carnaby defeats a cult leader who is killing off the rich women in his following for their money.
When he friend falls prey to a group of weirdos, she not only goes straight to Poirot, but she puts herself in harm's way to stop him.



Miss Carnaby was in another short story (The Nemean Lion in the The Labours of Hercules) and she's someone who was smart enough to have made a great criminal if she had so desired. This story is also found in that collection.
I really enjoyed seeing her character again in another story, and if you can, I suggest you read that one first so you can fully get the backstory between herself and Poirot.
Definitely recommended for fans of Christie.


Originally published in 1940 in This Week magazine.
Read as part of the short story collections The Labors of Hercules & The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural .

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

A rather enjoyable story. Not only do we see Inspector Japp back in the fold, but also a previous character, Miss Carnaby. A former criminal (in Poirot’s eyes) seeks Poirot’s help regarding a friend and religious cult. Like with a previous story on drug addiction, it is good to see such innovative and different stories being written by Agatha Christie.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

actually this is in a paperback not audio

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. Can we trust her? Hercule Poirot thinks so, but the task is that important and he has to. It's the 10th of 12 challenges he is undertaking with his Labours of Hercules plan - an effort to match those which confronted the hero of Greek mythology. This one should relate to a "flock;" what better than a flock of cult followers? Who must he trust? Miss Amy Carnaby last appeared in "The Nemean Lion" when she and compatriots kidnapped a pet dog for ransom. The story first saw the light of day in "This Week" in the USA in 1940 and I read it in 1999's "Hercule Poirot The Complete Short Stories." Amy's friend, a lonely and rich widow, has joined a group led by the charismatic and handsome Dr. Anderson. Amy fears what has befallen several similar women; they redid their wills to leave their estate to the Flock of the Shepherd and then died. Natural causes it seems, but Poirot is very concerned and asks Miss Carnaby to undertake a piece of work of considerable danger. Although she does not know it, Chief Inspector Japp and his lads are right there to help. A nice Christie touch. (May 2021)

[As You Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great way to infiltrate a cult and get to the truth. I laughed at calling pot by its Latin name. Sounds fancy. Although I was starting to wonder at the undercover operator's efficiency.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Carnaby, the thief from The Nemean Lion, approaches Poirot in order to get some excitement in her life. She is also worried about a friend who had been taken in by a "fringe religious movement" and how her friend had then made a will leaving everything to the movement. Poirot inquires further and it turns out that several older women had made wills leaving everything to the movement and then died - no suspicious circumstances, but enough coincidences for him to propose that Miss Carnaby become part of the movement in order to take it down.

She agrees and then..... has experiences that may have legitimized the movement. However, Inspector Japp is there undercover to prevent her from being murdered in the same way the older women had been murdered.

How had the women been murdered? The "Great Shepherd" of the movement kept biological specimens and injected them during their rituals into people. This would either give the women a disease or exacerbate the conditions the women already had. Because the diseases were common, no suspicious circumstances were thought of.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

the Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Five stars to the whole project.

“The Flock of Geryon is a short story by Agatha Christie which was first published in the U.S. in This Week in May 1940. In the U.K. it was first published in The Strand Magazine in August 1940. In 1947, the story was grouped with 11 others, a foreword was added, and the whole collection published as The Labours of Hercules.”

As per: https://agathachristie.fandom.com/wik....

The concept is brilliant. A re-imagining the ancient labours of Hercules into a modern setting with Poirot supplying brains rather than brawn. This is the tenth episode and reintroduced Amy Carnaby as a major player in the drama.

1940 was a huge year with larger conflicts in Europe to face and interestingly Hitler is mentioned in the text alongside Caesar and Napoleon. But this is a religious tale of a potential cult with a sinister “shepherd” holding the devotion of a faithful flock of mostly rich female adherents.

Amy is worried about her friend Emmeline falling under the spell of the charismatic leader, Dr Andersen and turns to Poirot’s for advice and help.

Interestingly this calls for an undercover operation of some risk and will untimely require the assistance of his friend Inspector Japp if they are to prevail.

Modern themes shows the brilliance of Christie at work. Pushing the range and scope of her famous detective.

Modern reader today will be aware the history plays out similar scenarios. Where criminal elements and even mass killings within cults brings a prophetic element to this account making this a very cautionary tale.
Her background in chemistry brings sinister overtones to the religious gatherings and set pieces.
Her use of Amy in the story shows Christie’s balance and approach to equality favouring more positive roles for women.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating. The author writes and explains to us how a Religious Cult works. Few of us would let ourselves get talked in the front door of such a place of worship (sic). This story also includes the return of a previous character Poirot spared from arrest/prosecution for dog napping (foresight/foreshadow-by-author)... again, fascinating. Also, I can help but think that the Religious Cult is metaphor for those who believe the NWO WEF OWG Global Banksters/Commie/Technocrats who want US to Give ILLEGAL ALIENS everything For No Reasons except the love of a new world order. We (those not hypnotize) can't image why we'd abandon all reason and allow aliens to steal from US and not take the same actions against them as We would take against Criminal Citizens. (Sorry for the rant here) but again, the thinking involved I find fascinating.

[Akemi G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

The con artist from The Nemean Lion: a Hercule Poirot Short Story works for Poirot! Indeed, these smart people ought to be utilized for good purpose.
The only thing I’m unsure about is how this story relates to the myth of Geryon. Am I missing something?

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this short story, Miss Carnaby, a former acquaintance of M. Poirot, approaches him to see if her supposition that a cult leader is murdering rich, lonely old ladies could hold water. Poirot believes it has merit and sends her undercover, and into possible peril! 4 stars

[Joop · Rating 3 out of 5]

HP gaat dit keer een B van NBC oplossen.

[Johnny Bennett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enjoyable. Nice to see some characters come back.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Hercule Poirot short story. Light and entertaining.

[Sherri]

"I think that it is really not so much wickedness as a craving for excitement!"

Another exciting Poirot short story.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poirot and Japp help a woman to try and break up a cult after a person close to her gets drawn into a dangerous situation. Recommended

[Golden Age of Detective Fiction · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/5 stars!

Read my review here:

https://goldenageofdetectivefiction.c...

[Dennis Brock · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story was so good. 5/5

[Emma Gallacher · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t really like it, don’t like cult settings, sorry!

[Zhanna Mi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was obvious he was drugging them. The matter of what was not that interesting IMHO