Murder in the Mews

By Agatha Christie.

This consists of four short stories featuring Hercule Poirot. I'll avoid spoiling in the descriptions:

• "Dead Man's Mirror": Poirot gets a summons from a high muckety-muck, Gervase Chevenix-Gore. Upon Poirot's arrival, it's found that the guy shot himself...uh, suspiciously, given the look of the mirror. Gervase was very concerned with being the last of his line, and at the time of his death was plotting to change his will so that his adopted daughter/biological niece Ruth would have to marry her cousin Hugo--even though Gervase couldn't stand Hugo. Who was motivated to kill for this?
• "The Incredible Theft": So what happens when you invite a notorious spy to dinner with a bunch of folks, some of which are high up in the government? Naturally, some crucial plans get stolen, and Poirot gets called in to figure out whodunit.
• "Murder in the Mews": Barbara Allen's recently shot herself. But why? The case seems to revolve around her roommate Jane and a Major Eustace, who seems to have been blackmailing Barbara.
• "Triangle at Rhodes": It's one of those love stories again. Beautiful aging vamp of a woman on her fifth husband puts the mack on a young married man while on vacation. Her husband grumbles, his wife is miserable, all the other guests just wait around watching the explosion. But there's a twist...

I thought 2 of the 4 plots were pretty inventive in their own way. I could figure out one mystery, but mostly that just was wrapped up quickly with a summary. As for the fourth one, I thought it was kind of obvious/weak, but...eh, it's a short story and they can't all be pearls.

Three and a half stars.