Black Coffee (novel)

infobox Book |
name = Black Coffee
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition
author = Agatha Christie
cover_artist = Andrew Davidson
country = United Kingdom
language = English
series =
genre = Crime novel
publisher = Harper Collins
release_date = November 2 1998
media_type = Print (Hardback & Paperback)
pages = 188 pp (first edition, hardback)
isbn = ISBN 0-002-32662-0
preceded_by =
followed_by =

"Black Coffee" is a novelisation by Charles Osborne of the 1930 play of the same name by crime fiction writer Agatha Christie and was first published in the UK by HarperCollins on November 2, 1998 and on December 31, 1998 in the US by St Martin's Press. It features the character of Hercule Poirot.

Until the publication of the book, the play on which it was based was one of the least known pieces in the Christie canon. The publication was successful enough to warrant further novelizations by the same writer of two other original plays by Christie - "The Unexpected Guest" in 1999 and "Spider's Web" in 2000.

Plot

Hercule Poirot and his friend Hastings are called upon to visit the famous physicist Sir Claud Amory, but find that he has been murdered before they arrived. Hercule must once again figure out which of the houseguests has performed the deed.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Although not an adaptation of the book itself, the play on which the book was based was filmed as "Black Coffee". Running to 78 minutes, it was released on August 19, 1931 by Twickenham Film Studios and produced by Julius S. Hagan. Austin Trevor again played the role of Poirot after his performance in the role a few months earlier in "Alibi", made by the same studio.

In 1932, the play was filmed again by Les Établissements Jacques Haïk in France. Released as "Le Coffret de laque" on July 15, 1932, it was the first foreign language version of a Christie work. It was released internationally as "The Lackered Box".

External links

*imdb title|id=0021669|title=Black Coffee (1931)
*imdb title|id=0185995|title=Le Coffret de Laque (1932)