Perhaps this is a comparatively-bad Agatha Christie novel, but it still has its moments.
- Poirot in general in this book goes through some Success Through Insanity shenanigans, employing bombs, smoke bombs, and possibly a cigarette with a dart in it.
- When Hastings is being dangled over the Thames by agents of the Big Four to try to get him to crack and lure Poirot into their hands by writing him a letter to come find him, he quickly comes to terms with what he thinks is his impending doom. Even though his internal narration admits he's quite frightened, he shows his true colors.Hastings: "For the last time, no! To hell with your letter!"
- Hastings generally has his best moments during that arc despite being either terrified or emotionally devastated throughout it. He successfully warns Poirot that the Big Four are the explanation for his leaving Poirot's flat by playing to his friend's obsessive-compulsive cleanliness, has his epic line above, and at the end risks death rather than go through with delivering Poirot directly into their hands. To top it all off, Poirot had thought ahead to keep his wife safe!
- The book ends with Poirot blowing up the Big Four's secret mountain base with them inside it. You read that right.
