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Agatha Christie
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Third Girl Paperback – January 1, 2002

by Agatha Christie (Author)
4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,333 ratings
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  1. Book 35 of 38
    Hercule Poirot
  2. Print length
    224 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    HarperCollins Publishers Ltd
  5. Publication date
    January 1, 2002
  6. Dimensions
    4.37 x 0.91 x 7.01 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0007121105
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0007121106
  9. See all details
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  1. Suspect everybody, had been for many years, if not his whole life, one of his first axioms.
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Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ HarperCollins Publishers Ltd; Masterpiece Ed edition (January 1, 2002)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 224 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0007121105
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0007121106
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 7.1 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.37 x 0.91 x 7.01 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.4 4.4 out of 5 stars 3,333 ratings

About the author

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Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie

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Born in Torquay in 1890, Agatha Christie began writing during the First World War and wrote over 100 novels, plays and short story collections. She was still writing to great acclaim until her death, and her books have now sold over a billion copies in English and another billion in over 100 foreign languages. Yet Agatha Christie was always a very private person, and though Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple became household names, the Queen of Crime was a complete enigma to all but her closest friends.

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
3,333 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book enjoyable and easy to read. They appreciate the intriguing plot and memorable characters. The writing quality is praised as masterful and the cover design is appreciated. However, some readers feel the era seems outdated now. Opinions differ on the pacing, with some finding it fast-paced and satisfying, while others consider it slow at first.

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Plot varietyReadabilityCharacter developmentWriting qualityArt qualityPacing
42 customers mention "Plot variety"34 positive8 negative

Customers find the plot intriguing and engaging. They appreciate the twist and suspenseful conclusion. The story is set in the 1960s and is a precursor to the wave of psychological thrillers.

"I was never on the same track. Ending was a complete surprise. Thoroughly enjoyed the variety of twists and surprises." Read more

"...This story is set in the sixties. P is way past his prime and knows it. No body of the young generation knows who he is...." Read more

"...by Agatha Christie is a masterclass in mystery writing, filled with clever plots and unforgettable characters...." Read more

"...was generally impressed by Ms. Christie’s ability to come up with a clever plot...." Read more

42 customers mention "Readability"36 positive6 negative

Customers enjoy the book. They find it easy to read and engaging. The book is described as satisfying and entertaining, making it a good choice for bedtime reading.

"Very 60's, a bit convoluted, but we'll worth the read even tho stereotypes of the ",the teddies, hippies, and mods."" Read more

"...Adriane Oliver is a wonderful ‘Hastings’ - great verve! Clever, very satisfying!" Read more

"...A must-read for any mystery lover, this series is timeless and endlessly entertaining! Gorgeous imagery." Read more

"I can't get enough A. Christie!!! This is one of the best I have ever read. I couldn't even take a break. I highly recommend it to all...." Read more

7 customers mention "Character development"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the well-developed characters and clever plots. They find the book enjoyable and true to Agatha Christie's style with her detective, Hercule Poirot.

"...masterclass in mystery writing, filled with clever plots and unforgettable characters...." Read more

"...Of course, there's the usual convoluted plot and interesting characters. And it was WONDERFUL to read big print & not strain to enjoy a novel!!..." Read more

"...Interesting solution to the crime. True Agatha Christie style with her detective Hercule poirot" Read more

"...Still it was classic Hercule Poirot with his persistent use of his "little grey cells" to find the murderer. Enjoyable read!" Read more

4 customers mention "Writing quality"4 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the writing quality of the book. The writing captivates them and keeps them engaged until the end. While it may seem dated now, it's still a masterclass in mystery writing with clever plots. Readers appreciate the large print that makes reading enjoyable.

"The Hercule Poirot collection by Agatha Christie is a masterclass in mystery writing, filled with clever plots and unforgettable characters...." Read more

"...The writing carries the reader along until you realize you've been standing at the kitchen counter for 45 minutes reading just another few pages...." Read more

"...And it was WONDERFUL to read big print & not strain to enjoy a novel!! Betty Willard." Read more

"It was probably great for the time when it was written, but now it seems very dated and not very interesting." Read more

3 customers mention "Art quality"3 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book cover and short delivery time. They find Poirot's sleuthing to be an art.

"Hercule Poirot’s sleuthing is such a fine art! Adriane Oliver is a wonderful ‘Hastings’ - great verve! Clever, very satisfying!" Read more

"...Gorgeous imagery." Read more

"I like the cover of this Bantam book and the short amount of time to receive it." Read more

12 customers mention "Pacing"4 positive8 negative

Customers have different views on the pacing of the book. Some find it engaging and clever, while others mention that the storyline starts slowly and drags at times. The plot is described as exciting and a departure from other Agatha Christie novels.

"Very 60's, a bit convoluted, but we'll worth the read even tho stereotypes of the ",the teddies, hippies, and mods."" Read more

"...Adriane Oliver is a wonderful ‘Hastings’ - great verve! Clever, very satisfying!" Read more

"This book drags at times, but otherwise the plot is exciting and a departure from the Agatha Christie norm...." Read more

"...Nothing much happens. It is highly repetitious...." Read more

Poirot ponders his puzzle and looks for patterns
4 out of 5 stars
Poirot ponders his puzzle and looks for patterns
Agatha Christie offers her readers a strange little mystery. A young woman shows up at Hercule Poirot's door and insists that she thinks that she has committed murder. True to most Christie mystery books, the author brings in a half dozen or so of interesting suspects all with their own possible motives and quirks. In this particular plot, however, Christie spends some time showing Poirot's own particular way of laying out all the facts in front of him like an imaginary puzzle. He is vexed to no end in his pursuit of the missing pattern...missing papers, paintings, a Peacock, a travel-happy father, a alcoholic woman who throws herself (or is pushed?) from a balcony, etc. The ever-confident Ariadne Oliver shows up to help out our hero in uncovering the specifics. Georges, Poirots' manservant, and Miss Lemon, his secretary, also show up in this volume of the Poirot series. This mystery is a bit slower than some of the greater and more classic Christie mysteries, but having the opportunity to scrutinize the fastidiousness of the Belgian detective's mind will satisfy most serious Poirot fans.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful
    Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2025
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    I was never on the same track. Ending was a complete surprise. Thoroughly enjoyed the variety of twists and surprises.
    One person found this helpful
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  • S. Carmichael
    4.0 out of 5 stars More modern, sounds 60's era. Dated, but interesting
    Reviewed in the United States on January 16, 2025
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    Very 60's, a bit convoluted, but we'll worth the read even tho stereotypes of the ",the teddies, hippies, and mods."
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  • getnoldr
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful, Absolutely Beautiful
    Reviewed in the United States on January 22, 2025
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    Hercule Poirot’s sleuthing is such a fine art! Adriane Oliver is a wonderful ‘Hastings’ - great verve! Clever, very satisfying!
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  • Upapalmtree
    3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting story just too long winded
    Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I liked Mrs Oliver once again being P’s foil and the banter he has with is Secretary and man servant. This story is set in the sixties. P is way past his prime and knows it. No body of the young generation knows who he is. My issue with this story is that the numerous inquiries are redundant , revealing very little new info. It isn’t till almost to the end you realize the clauses are all there and P eventually reveals them in his time honored way. You could skip or simp to the middle of it and not really miss much. It gets going good near the end. That’s the best part. His is btw one of the ‘end of Piorot’ stories.. AC is gently phasing him out.. working with hire new star. Miss Marple. That is kinda sad. I love the epics she wrote pre WW2. Iwth Hastings as the POV and P’s foil. My fave tho was “Murder of Rochger Ackryod…. Ah she is amazing writer!!
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  • Dalton O
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Most Shocking Twist
    Reviewed in the United States on September 13, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    The Hercule Poirot collection by Agatha Christie is a masterclass in mystery writing, filled with clever plots and unforgettable characters. Each book keeps you guessing until the very end, showcasing Christie's genius for suspense and intricate storytelling. A must-read for any mystery lover, this series is timeless and endlessly entertaining! Gorgeous imagery.
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  • Gearald Becker
    4.0 out of 5 stars Dame Aggie did it...
    Reviewed in the United States on November 27, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    ....but did she get away with it? Alter-ego Ariadne Oliver confesses in Chapter 5 while bundling up her latest manuscript:

    "There you are," said Mrs Oliver, addressing the empty air and conjuring up an imaginary publisher. "There you are, and I hope you like it! *I* don't. I think it's lousy! I don't believe you know whether anything I write is good or bad. Anyway, I warned you. I told you it was frightful. You said, 'Oh! No, no, I don't believe that for a moment.'

    "You just wait and see," said Mrs Oliver vengefully. "You just wait and see."

    And if you just wait, you'll see a ridiculously incoherent ending, complete with a villain who's never once mentioned until the moment of denouement. (Does it count as a spoiler if the "solution" doesn't matter?) But along the way you get 95% of a curious narrative set in the very messy, troubling, often drug-addled world of the mid-1960s London youth & art scene. Hercule Poirot is told right up front that he's "too old," and that generation gap never really closes, while Mrs Oliver nearly gets herself killed just trying to keep up.

    So is this a social study and commentary with an irrelevant tacked-on ending to make a point about her business, or were the publishers really smoking something wackier than baccy when they accepted it? I find the question justifies the read.

    Perhaps the "first girl" is really the author, the "second" her alter ego, and the "third girl" is *Third Girl* itself - the mixed-up brain-child that doesn't seem to know where it's going any more that the baffled title character does.

    But that's what I like about Christie anyway. Every single one of her novels seems to use a completely different structure and approach to make completely different points. I don't even care for mysteries as a rule; I read A.C. for the ideas, the characters, and the storytelling. And even an incomplete story can be rewarding - sometime especially so.

    Anyway, she warned you.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Rachel W. White
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic!!!!!!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I can't get enough A. Christie!!! This is one of the best I have ever read. I couldn't even take a break. I highly recommend it to all. I also would never have figured the ending either.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Timothy Haugh
    4.0 out of 5 stars A Fairly Good Mystery
    Reviewed in the United States on July 29, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I’ve continued my dip into Agatha Christie’s minor novels with this one, Third Girl. It is certainly better than the last one I read, Mrs. McGinty’s Dead, which I did not like much. However, I would not rate it as highly as Cards on the Table or any of her best-known mysteries.

    As usual, I was quite turned-off by Ms. Christie’s obvious snobbery and classism. Published in 1966, this novel holds up mods (greasy, dandified young men) and young working girls for particular disdain. In fact, the “third girl” of this novel refers to the additional tenant that a pair of working girls renting a London flat bring in as a method of splitting rent three ways.

    On the other hand, and also as usual, I was generally impressed by Ms. Christie’s ability to come up with a clever plot. Here, the third girl is not the victim, but someone who comes to Poirot at the start of the novel in the belief that she may be the murderer. It’s an unusual take. Thus begins Poirot’s unravelling of convoluted family relationships, possible drug-induced hallucinations, and willful murder.

    Though the wrap up was tidy, I have to say that I was ultimately left with a bad taste in my mouth because of Poirot’s own relationship machinations with the young lady in question. I usually find him to be quite an interesting character. In this case, however, he reflects a bit too much, I think, of how Ms. Christie believes the world should be.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Third Girl
    Reviewed in Canada on September 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    Always a great read, Agatha Christie at her best.
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  • Atulya Sinha
    5.0 out of 5 stars THE CASE OF THE MISSING CLIENT
    Reviewed in India on May 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    M Hercule Poirot is just finishing his breakfast when an unexpected visitor sends word that she wanted to consult him about “a murder she might have committed.” A girl with “straggly hair of indeterminate colour” dressed in “a long and sloppy pullover of heavy wool” enters the room, but quickly leaves after informing Poirot – much to his chagrin – that he is “too old.”

    Poirot later identifies the mysterious girl as Miss Norma Restarick, thanks to some information he gets from Mrs Ariadne Oliver, his resourceful old friend. This book also features Poirot’s other associates like Mrs Lemon, the “always efficient” secretary; and Mr Goby who is described “a small shrunken little man, so nondescript as to be practically nonexistent.”

    As for the plot, Norma is the only daughter of Andrew Restarick, a rich businessman who has recently returned to England from South Africa. Norma shares a flat in London with her friends Claudia and Frances, but she has not returned there after spending the weekend with her father and stepmother. Poirot visits Long Basing village to meet Sir Rodney Horsefield, Andrew’s aged uncle, who is writing his memoirs with the help of his secretary Sonia. Poirot also makes enquiries in London, but it appears that Norma has simply eloped with her boyfriend and no crime has taken place…

    This book is one of the last novels featuring Hercule Poirot and the author emphasizes this by frequent reference to drugs, modern art galleries and “long haired young fellows.” Considering that Poirot’s first appearance was during the First World War and this book was published in 1966, it is not surprising that Norma considers him to be too old! In fact, this book has several instances of what would now be called ‘ageism’ – for example, Sir Roderick is described as “practically ga-ga.”

    Agatha Christie had a great fondness for oblique references. One of the characters is named Frances Cary, whose name seems to be inspired by the Sherlock Holmes story ‘The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax.’ Another interesting aspect is a long dialogue delivered by Ariadne Oliver as she chats with Poirot. “I don’t really like drink, and so people have to find a soft drink for me which is rather a bore for them,” says Mrs Oliver “And then people say things to me… and it makes me feel hot and bothered and rather silly. But I manage to cope more or less. And then they say how much they love my awful detective Sven Hjerson. If they knew how I hated him…” This seems to be a thinly veiled reference to Christie’s own experiences and feelings towards her creation Hercule Poirot.

    This is an unusual detective novel, in which the sole murder takes place in the twenty second chapter. It is significant that the author was 76 years old when this book was published – and she might have been at the receiving end of ageism by then. “Old people,” says Poirot, “they remember, not things that have happened last week or last month or last year but they remember something that happened, say, nearly twenty years ago… And they can tell you certain things about a certain man…” This certainly applies to Agatha Christie herself.
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  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Agatha is always. good even when she is bad !
    Reviewed in Germany on October 17, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Agatha is always good even when she is bad ! this one is ok and it amused me to see she was talking about beatniks etc..she was a really clever old lady.and has kept me entertained for many a year .
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  • María del C.
    4.0 out of 5 stars Interesante aunque con errores
    Reviewed in Spain on September 29, 2019
    Verified Purchase
    Lo compré para practicar mi Inglés. El libro es interesante. En la línea de otros de A. Christie. Sin embargo, hay errores gramaticales serios y creo que deberían corregirlo ya que no es un libro gratuito.
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  • Alessandra A. - Perugia
    5.0 out of 5 stars Affascinante
    Reviewed in Italy on May 26, 2018
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    Una storia sorprendente, Agatha Christie ci porta nella swinging London dei mitici anni Sessanta, che appare in una luce un po' sinistra e ben poco glamorous. Il colpo di scena finale è veramente inaspettato.
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