One, Two, Buckle My Shoe by Agatha Christie * * *

I read One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (1940) as part of the 2025 Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, and this time it really was a Poirot novel in the fullest sense. Poirot is present for most of the story, which genuinely surprised me. After reading so many books where he appears only at the very end, it was refreshing to have him involved from early on.

This is also one of the novels that features Inspector Japp as a proper character. In the television series, Japp replaces a rotating cast of inspectors from the books. Here, though, he is exactly where he belongs, working alongside Poirot in a way that feels natural and familiar.

This is the story I always think of as “the dentist one”. The murder of a dentist is the central event, and interestingly, the Hungarian title reflects that directly. The English nursery rhyme does not translate well, so the Hungarian edition went with The Dentist’s Chair, which honestly makes a lot of sense.

I realised while reading that I had encountered this story before, probably decades ago, but it had faded almost entirely from my memory. Watching the television adaptation helped here, because for once the show stayed fairly close to the novel. The ending, in particular, remains largely unchanged, which made the experience feel oddly stable compared to some other adaptations.

As a mystery, this one felt a bit drier than usual. There is a lot of walking around and interviewing people, which is typical for Christie, but here it felt more procedural than gripping. I never felt bored exactly, but I also never felt particularly excited.

What did stand out was the moral dimension of the ending. Without going into spoilers, the culprit believes that wealth and influence will protect them. Poirot, unsurprisingly, is unimpressed. His response is brisk and unyielding, and I enjoyed that moment immensely. It is a reminder that Poirot is guided by justice rather than power or politics.

This aspect of the story made me think of Murder on the Orient Express, which remains one of my favourite Poirot endings, even though I have only seen it on screen. For me, the most recent film adaptation does not exist at all, but the core idea of Poirot as a deeply moral figure has always resonated with me.

This is also one of the books where Poirot’s Catholicism quietly informs his worldview. I did not fully register that detail until it was highlighted by David Suchet, but once you notice it, it adds an extra layer to his sense of right and wrong.

Once again, the audiobook narration by Hugh Fraser was excellent. At this point, it almost feels as though he has narrated a great portion of Christie’s catalogue. His voice has become so closely tied to these stories for me that I barely notice it anymore, which is probably the highest compliment I can give.

Overall, One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is a solid Poirot novel. Not one of the most exciting, but dependable, thoughtful, and anchored by Poirot’s quiet moral certainty. It may not linger in the mind, but it does its job well.