Golden Age of Detective Fiction

“The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim” is a short story by Agatha Christie featuring her famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. The story begins with a tense moment as Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard visits Poirot and challenges him to solve the case of Mr. Davenheim’s disappearance without leaving his apartment. Poirot confidently accepts the bet, showcasing his belief in the power of his “little grey cells.”

Mr. Davenheim, a wealthy banker, vanished without a trace from his home, leaving behind a perplexing mystery. He had informed his wife that he was expecting a visitor, Mr. Lowen, and went out for a walk, never to return. The investigation reveals that Davenheim’s car was found abandoned near a canal, and his wallet and watch were discovered in the shrubbery, but there were no signs of a struggle. Adding to the mystery, a known criminal named Billy Kellett seems inexplicably mixed up in the disappearance.

The Review

“Disappearances fall into three categories.
First (most common) – The voluntary disappearance.
Second (much abused, but occasionally genuine) – Loss of memory case.
Third – murder and more or less successful disposal of the body.

Hercule Poirot, The Disappearance of Mr. Daveneheim

Inspector Japp approaches Hercule Poirot for insight into the mysterious disappearance of Mr. Davenheim, a wealthy financier. Poirot, methodical as ever, outlines the three reasons people disappear. Having no reason to suppose that Davenheim is an amnesiac wandering England, he concentrates on his other two choices: voluntary disappearance or murder.

Poirot delights that the case and its clues are full of messy contradictions and bets Japp that he can solve it using his patented logic and never leaving his apartment. Japp takes him up on the bet and, in the end, has to pay the little Belgian.

The story is neat and gives much insight into Poirot’s inner methodology, which he applies to all his cases. There are many disparate and strange clues that he gets to fit into a complete theory, which, of course, astonishes- but the story feels a bit bland. It feels like a pale imitation of Poe’s Dupin and sleight of plot, given what Christie is capable of. The case is concise and well thought out; the characters revolve in perfect harmony, never straying beyond their role.

“The Disappearance of Mr. Davenheim” is a paint-by-number Christie, which still has its usual charm but is supremely forgettable.