I have always been a big Agatha Christie and Poirot fan, so naturally I do love the Poirot ITV series. The Theft of the Royal Ruby is not one of the jewels of the series(After the Funeral, Sad Cypress, Five Little Pigs and Wasp's Nest) but hardly one of the bad eggs either(in fact none of them are actually terrible as such, but there have been three or four disappointments like Taken at the Flood, Murder of Roger Ackroyd, Adventure of Johnnie Waverly and Cards at the Table). I do agree that in regards to the story there are far more ingenious entries to the series, the story here doesn't hold that many surprises in regard to the perpetrator's identity and there seems to be a lot of coincidence also. However, the adaptation is very sumptuously made, as ever elegant and evocative with lots of attention to detail, and the music is of the hauntingly beautiful quality you'd expect. The dialogue has many droll and intelligent moments, and the acting is very good with David Suchet as always impeccable as Poirot. But what also made the episode worth watching was its sense of warmth and atmosphere for the Christmas season, it does have a likable and heart-warming feel to it which I loved. In conclusion, not one of the best but worth watching all the same. 8/10 Bethany Cox