The Big Four

Agatha Christie

Summary

The Big Four is a tale of international intrigue and espionage, featuring famous detective Hercule Poirot, and his companions Arthur Hastings and Inspector Japp. An unexpected visitor called Mayerling comes in through Hercule Poirot's bedroom and collapses on the floor. The only clue to what he wants is his repeating Poirot's name and address and writing the number 4, many times. When Hastings jokingly calls it "The Mystery of the Big Four," the man begins speaking about an international crime cartel of that name. He describes the four leaders: Number 1 is a Chinese political mastermind named Li Chang Yen; Number 2 is probably American; Number 3 is a Frenchwoman; and Number 4 is known only as "the Destroyer." The man dies soon after and Poirot and Hastings go off on the trail of the Big Four.

Available since: 01/01/2023.

Print length: 150 pages.

Other books that might interest you

Murder on the Vine

Camilla Trinchieri

On a late October Sunday morning in Gravigna, Tuscany, Maresciallo Perillo is having breakfast with former NYPD homicide detective Nico Doyle when he is called back to the station in Greve. Hotel Bella Vista’s young manager, Laura  
Benati, is worried. Her eighty-year-old bartender, Cesare Costanzi, has been missing for three days. 
 
The next morning, Jimmy, co-owner of Gravigna’s local café, runs out of gas on his way back from Florence. When Nico meets him to help, Nico’s dog, OneWag, reacts to the smell coming from Jimmy’s trunk. Inside Nico finds a body wrapped in plastic: Cesare Costanzi, stabbed several times in the chest. 
 
It is unclear why anyone would want Cesare dead, but that doesn’t stop the Gravigna grapevine from spreading rumors at lightning speed. With numerous suspects on his list, Perillo has no other choice but to turn to Nico once again for help with the investigation.

Show book

A Killer Hold

Leah Dobrinska

Spring has sprung, and with it, a full line-up of programming at Larkspur Community Library. Director Greta Plank is preparing to host the Wisconsin Library Organization's annual conference—and dreading the arrival of her ex-boyfriend—while also helping a local treasure-hunting club coordinate a showcase highlighting Northern Wisconsin's gangster trail and the nearby hideouts of the notorious criminals of the early twentieth century. 
 
 
 
When Greta overhears the library board president and a member of the treasure-hunting club arguing about a secret discovery, her curiosity is piqued—even more so when one of the women leaves a book with a sequence of strange markings on its pages in the library book return bin. Before Greta can ask about the marginalia, the book's outspoken owner turns up dead. 
 
 
 
At the request of the police—though against the better judgment of her beau, Detective Mark McHenry—Greta sets to work trying to decipher the peculiar notations, and she quickly hypothesizes that there's more to the story. Greta must work against the clock to decode the dead woman's book code. What she finds is someone willing to go to great lengths to keep a secret buried in the stacks—and the past—even if it means killing again.

Show book

Absolute Treason (A Jake Mercer...

Jack Mars

“Thriller writing at its best.” 
--Midwest Book Review (Any Means Necessary)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

From the #1 bestselling and USA Today bestselling author Jack Mars (with over 10,000 five-star reviews) comes a groundbreaking new political thriller series: when the President of the United States or his family are threatened, it is up to Jake Mercer, former Marine sniper turned Secret Service agent, to protect them from dangers—both foreign and domestic.

When the President visits Russia for a summit, his life is in danger, and Secret Service Agent Jake Mercer finds himself pitted against a rogue ex-KGB officer. Can he outsmart his cunning adversary before the ultimate checkmate?

“Thriller enthusiasts who relish the precise execution of an international thriller, but who seek the psychological depth and believability of a protagonist who simultaneously fields professional and personal life challenges, will find this a gripping story that's hard to put down.”
--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Any Means Necessary)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“One of the best thrillers I have read this year. The plot is intelligent and will keep you hooked from the beginning. The author did a superb job creating a set of characters who are fully developed and very much enjoyable. I can hardly wait for the sequel.”
--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Any Means Necessary)
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

ABSOLUTE TREASON is the fifth book in a new series by #1 bestselling and critically acclaimed author Jack Mars, whose books have received over 10,000 five-star reviews and ratings. The series begins with ABSOLUTE THREAT (book #1).

A gripping and unpredictable political thriller, the Jake Mercer series is a page-turning action series that will leave you unable to put it down. This fresh and exciting action hero will have you turning pages late into the night, and fans of Brad Taylor, Vince Flynn, and Tom Clancy are sure to fall in love.

Future books in the series are also available!

Show book

Quilt City: Panic in Paducah - A...

Bruce Leonard

After performing a daring rescue of a fellow quilter during a robbery at a Walmart in Paducah, Kentucky, also known as Quilt City, journalist and mayoral candidate Hadley Carroll vows to bring the perpetrators to justice after the heist turns tragic. 
 
 
 
Then, a seemingly unrelated murder and two ominous messages cause Hadley to ask the staff at Paducah Pulse, her weekly newspaper, to find answers. Amid the turmoil, Hadley and Detective Brandon Green finally enjoy their first date at Barbecue on the River, the city's largest annual event, only for mayhem to disrupt the festivities. 
 
 
 
Now, employing the diligence and perceptiveness that helped her solve the Quilt City murders, Hadley investigates the killings that follow, connecting the invisible dots. As Paducah panics, the Pulse staff sheds light on a wide-ranging conspiracy. Hadley tangles with her nemesis and mayoral opponent, Nick Stoddard, and endures various threats. But she's determined to solve the crimes and to nurture her budding relationship with Brandon. At least that's her plan.

Show book

High Hopes - (A Magical Amateur...

S.E. Biglow

Montagues, Magic and Murder! 
  
Life in Brookhaven has settled down for Darcy. She's gained more control over and confidence in her magic. And she's happily dating Maggie. When she discovers she has family in the area, Darcy can't imagine things going any better. 
  
But when a night out at the theater for her cousin's production of Romeo and Juliet turns deadly and Darcy 's new cousin looks like a prime suspect, she's bound up in another murder investigation. 
  
Proving her family's innocence seems simple enough but the more Darcy digs, the more she unearths a twisted obsession and dangerous magic. Will the trap she lays for the killer force a confessions, or will they slip away, leaving only tragedy in their wake? 
HIGH HOPES is the fourth novel in the Brookhaven Cozy Mystery series. Get ready to sprinkle some magic into your mystery. The Brookhaven series is best enjoyed in order. You can start Darcy's journey in book 1, High Noon.

Show book

Broomsticks & Blooms - A...

Lucinda Race

Enjoy this witty, small town paranormal, cozy mystery by award-winning and bestselling author Lucinda Race.
Welcome to Pembroke Cove, where witches and murders are multiplying...
Bookstore owner and witch, Lily Michaels, is prepared for takeoff. She’s on cloud nine after finally obtaining her permit for broom-flying lessons. But her excitement comes crashing down when she stumbles over another dead body. All she wanted to do was discuss flower arrangements for her upcoming wedding—however, somebody had other plans for the unfortunate florist.
At the crime scene, Detective Gage Erikson, a.k.a. Detective Cutie, discovers a menacing message on the floor of the flower shop. Its target: Lily—he’s sure of that. Though he appreciates Lily’s extraordinary abilities, his puzzle-loving fiancée has a unique talent for attracting trouble. This time, he’s determined to keep her out of the investigation. Is this message meant to throw him off the scent of the killer?
Keeping Lily out of a murder investigation is like telling the sun not to rise. It’s not like this will be the first time she bends—okay, breaks—the rules. Suspicions and threats are sprouting like mushrooms in a dank shack. Flying high can lead to falling far—and this time, her life’s not the only one on the line. Can Lily follow the clues and solve the puzzle of the florist’s death before her dreams of a happily ever after with Gage end up as dead as last year’s roses?
Broomsticks & Blooms is the tenth novel in the A Book Store Cozy Mystery Series; although each book can be enjoyed as a standalone, it is best to read them in order. It is a small town, cozy mystery that guarantees the culprit is caught. Happy listening!

Show book