Murder in Mesopotamia

I've been a fan of Hercule Poirot for a long time, so it's hard to remember exactly how I first encountered him. I believe it was in the book Appointment with Death. In any case, I prefer Poirot's travels as an older man through the East to his earlier adventures in London with his friend Captain Hastings.

Regarding Murder in Mesopotamia, we have here a classic Christie mystery. It's set in the middle east at an archaeological dig, a setting Christie knew a lot about being married to an archaeologist. The characters were superbly drawn, the puzzle was clever, and Poirot's denouement hit all the right notes. While not as spectacular as some of her novels, I think I might recommend this as an introduction to the character of Hercule Poirot for new Christie readers.