G. R. de Bruin Book order (chronological)

Arthritic and immobilized, Poirot enlists his old friend Captain Hastings to assist him at Styles, providing observations to Poirot's keen mind. Although Poirot knows the identity of the criminal, he keeps it from the frustrated Hastings, referring to them as 'X'. Responsible for multiple murders, X is poised to strike again, and the duo must act quickly to avert further tragedy. This marks Poirot’s final case, revisiting Styles where he and Hastings first solved a mystery together. The story was both awaited and dreaded by Agatha Christie fans, many of whom hesitate to read it due to its portrayal of Poirot’s death. Written during World War II as a potential farewell gift for her daughter, the manuscript was kept in a safe for over thirty years. In 1975, it was finally published by Collins, alongside Sleeping Murder, another story penned during the war. The announcement of Poirot’s death garnered international attention, even earning him an obituary in The New York Times, making him the only fictional character to receive such an honor. David Suchet, who portrayed Poirot for twenty-five years, took on the role in his final moments in a 2013 adaptation of the series Agatha Christie’s Poirot.

"Traces Picasso's life and work from his childhood to his last drawings, and suggests that Picasso was a 'vertical invader' from Europe's feudal past, a 'primitive' man who burst upon a complex civilization and conquered it. Also analyzes the price Picasso paid for that conquest: in exile, isolation, and loneliness. Shows how the phenomenon of Picasso's success was connected less with his art than with the nostalgic nineteenth-century idea of genius that he evoked in others" --back cover