The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim [short story]

Rating: 3.5* of five

The Publisher Says: Mr. Davenheim, a wealthy financier, leaves his home to mail a letter, then fails to return. The story fills the newspapers and intrigues Hercule Poirot, who challenges Inspector Japp with the claim that he can solve the case before the police, and without leaving his flat.

My Review: Another season two episode of Agatha Christie's Poirot that's available as a 99¢ Kindle Single. And this one is a prime example of how very good Ma Christie was as a puzzle-maker. She didn't need to resort to the sneaky withholding of information, as this story shows, she could lay it all out and still surprise one at the finish.

This is a favorite story of mine for that reason. The episode is even more fun because it show more of necessity expands on the story, fleshes things out, and offers some rather fun opportunities for dramatic tension. Miss Lemon is added to the proceedings, and I tell you true that Pauline Moran as Miss Lemon is one of my very favorite characters. Something about her tireless efficiency, her tenacity, and her charming devotion to Poirot combine to make her a charming English take on Della Street, Perry Mason's right-hand lady.

The solution, once revealed, is so startlingly simple that it made me wince to think I hadn't seen it from the start, and yet the clues were all right there. Hats off to a terrific mysterian!


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This story first appeared in The Sketch magazine in the UK on March 28, 1923. It was published in The Blue Magazine in the US in December 1923 as "Mr. Davenby Disappears.''

When a banker disappears, Inspector Japp bets Poirot £5 that he can't solve the case without leaving his house. Poirot takes the bet and vows to discover what happened to the missing man within a week.

So far, this is my favorite of the early Hercule Poirot short stories. It shows the true friendship between Inspector Japp, Hastings, and Poirot.....with a bit of competition/friendly wagering added of course! Plus, Poirot definitely uses all of his little grey cells to figure out the case without even leaving his house. Fun story to read!

The long-running television show more show, Agatha Christie's Poirot, has an episode based on this short story: Series 2, episode 6. I am watching each television episode after I finish reading the original short story. The television scripts change a few things here and there, but keep the barebones of the stories intact. The writers did a great job fleshing out these short stories into full-length television episodes. And the cast of the show -- especially David Suchet -- always does an excellent job! The episode based on this story is very entertaining and quite faithful to the source. I watched it on BritBox, but it is also available on YouTube. show less

Poirot places a bet with Inspector Japp that he can solve the case of the missing wealthy Mr. Davenheim, who left his home to mail a letter, then failed to return. All Poirot will do in listen to all the clues and solve the puzzle within the week without doing any investigation.
An enjoyable short mystery