The Lernean Hydra: a Hercule Poirot Short Story(1939)

Αχιλλέας ΚυριαζήςAgatha Christie

We venture onwards - to Hercule Poirot's second challenge in his effort to duplicate the tests confronted by Hercules of Greek mythology. This short story is part of the Agatha Christie 12 story collection published in 1947, "The Labours of Hercules."

In mythology, the Lernean Hydra was a water monster thought to be protecting an entrance to the underworld. It had numerous heads; with the chopping off of one, two would replace it.

A doctor from the village of Market Loughborough in Berkshire, Charles Oldfield, is convinced that Poirot can't do anything but, with prodding by our great detective, he is persuaded to get something off his chest. He despairs that the village gossips are convinced that he murdered his recently deceased wife in order for him to marry his younger medical dispenser, Miss Jean Moncrieffe.

Here we have rumour as the many-headed Lernean Hydra. It cannot be stopped and keeps coming back. Poirot's challenge? To flush out the rumours and kill them once and for all.

Librarian's note: this entry is for the story, "The Lernean Hydra." Collections of short stories by the author can be found elsewhere on Goodreads. Individual entries for all Poirot short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: "a Hercule Poirot Short Story."