Большая четверка

Ėtot roman po svoeĭ forme ne kharakteren dli͡a Kristi. On vystroen ne kak t͡selʹnyĭ si͡uzhet, a kak t͡sepochka novellok, gde v kazhdoĭ figurirui͡ut otdelʹnye chleny tainstvennoĭ i neulovimoĭ "Bolʹshoĭ chetverki" - taĭnoĭ organizat͡sii, stremi͡ashcheĭsi͡a zakhvatitʹ mirovoe gospodstvo. V dom Ėrki͡uli͡a Puaro vlamyvaetsi͡a izmozhdennyĭ chelovek v vypachkannom kosti͡ume. On edva zhiv. Neskolʹko kapelʹ konʹi͡aka privodi͡at ego v chuvstvo. Chelovek pytaetsi͡a chto-to obʺi͡asnitʹ, no sil ego khvataet lishʹ na to, chtoby neskolʹko raz napisatʹ na liste bumagi bolʹshui͡u t͡sifru "4"…

This novel in its form is not typical for Christy. It is built not as a whole story, but as a chain of novels, where each features individual members of the mysterious and elusive "Big four" - a secret organization seeking to seize world domination. A haggard man in a soiled suit breaks into Hercule Poirot's house. He's barely alive. A few drops of brandy revive him. Man tries to explain something, but his strength is only enough to write a few times on a sheet of paper a large number "4»…