Agatha Christie

Review: Curtain

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Curtain, (Hercule Poirot, 44) Agatha Christie. William Morrow (ISBN: 9780062074096) 2011 (first published in 1975).

Summary: In Poirot’s last case, he and Captain Hastings reunite at Styles to catch a murderer involved in but unsuspected in five murders.

It all began with The Mysterious Affair at Styles when Poirot and Arthur Hastings team up to solve a murder. Now they are back at the country manor of Styles once more. But this time, the matter is far more urgent. Poirot believes that their is a mysterious figure identified as X in the party. X has committed at least five murders and gotten off unsuspected in each case. Poirot believes he is out to murder again. He has asked for Hastings help.

Poirot is a dying man. He has a heart that is failing, arthritic joints that confine him to a wheel chair, and he is a shadow of his former self. Only his hair and moustache are still black. Hastings is there to be his eyes and ears. But this is hard for Hastings. He wants to know who the murderer is and spends most of the story trying to figure that out. Yet Poirot won’t reveal what he knows. It could be deadly for his old friend, who has a hard time with secrets.

Colonel and Mrs. Luttrell now own and run Styles. The guests all know each other. Sir William Boyd-Carrington has invited Dr. John Franklin and his wife Barbara, often needy of bedrest. Hastings daughter Judith is a research assistant with Dr. Franklin. Major Allerton is a ladies man. Hastings fears he will try to make Judith his next conquest, so much so that he makes a failed attempt to murder him. Elizabeth Cole is the sister of the accused in one of the murders. And Norton is a quiet, retiring type who spends his time watching birds, as well as the other guests.

A certain sense of foreboding rests over the party. At one point, Mrs. Luttrell is accidentally wounded when Colonel fires at what he thinks a rabbit. Paradoxically, the accident draws them closer. Then, after a busy day with Boyd-Carrington in town, Barbara Franklin dies under suspicious circumstances. Even Judith is a suspect. Is this once again the work of X? And why did Poirot not stop him?

In the end Poirot does stop the killer in a most unusual ending that I will not spoil. It will be his last time working with Hastings and as some editions note, his last case. What is fascinating is that this was actually written in the 1940’s and locked up until late in the author’s life, along with Miss Marple’s last case. Certainly, in terms of plotting, it reflects Christie at her peak rather than in her later works. It reflects an interesting decision to plan the denouement of her detective before her own. And Styles and Hastings provide the ideal bookends to Poirot’s illustrious career.

Review: Third Girl

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Third Girl (Hercule Poirot, 40), Agatha Christie. HarperCollins (ISBN: 9780062073761) 2010 (first published in 1966).

Summary: A young girl disturbs Poirot’s breakfast claiming she may have murdered someone, then leaves, telling Poirot “You’re too old.”

Poirot is enjoying his breakfast when George, his servant, interrupts to announce a woman who thinks she might have committed a murder wishes to see him. When he asks her to tell her story, she decides she cannot, telling him as she leaves, “You’re too old.”

She has disturbed Poirot. Not just by her insult. But also by her manner. Something is off. Then he learns his mystery writer friend Mrs. Oliver sent her to him. They’d met at a literary party. Her name is Norma Restarick. Her father has only recently returned after many years abroad to take up the family business. Norma’s mother, who had raised her, has died. Her father has returned with a new wife, Mary. They are living with his maternal Uncle, Sir Roderick Horsfield, a former intelligence officer writing his memoirs. Norma is ill at ease there. Part of this has to do with their disapproval of Norma’s boyfriend David, an artist.

And that is how she has become the “third girl,” living in a flat with two other girls. One is Claudia, her father’s very efficient secretary. The other is Frances, who represents an art gallery.

As Poirot investigates, he learns some disturbing facts. There had been a recent death at Borodene Mansions, where the girls live. A woman, living one floor up, fell to her death from her balcony. It appeared to be an accident or suicide. But could she have been pushed? Also, Mary Restarick has suffered several bouts of intestinal illness coinciding with Norma’s visits. The illness is traced to arsenic in her food.

But where is Norma? That’s where Mrs. Oliver comes in. She spots Norma and David at a cafe and calls Poirot. Shortly after he arrives, David leaves, and she decides to follow him, having taken it upon herself to join Poirot once again as co-sleuth, despite his warnings. He intuits that something dangerous is going on. After she leaves, Norma recognizes him. This time she shares more, including gaps in her memory and disturbing events, like finding herself holding a revolver. She doesn’t want to see a doctor, and in the end, walks out on Poirot once more.

Next thing we know, a man is caring for her after she’d nearly been killed by a speeding car. He’s a doctor by the name of Stillingfleet and persuades her after a long conversation to go to a “convalescent” home.

Who is this mysterious doctor who saves Norma in the nick of time, and what is he going to do with her? And what is Poirot doing, other than gathering information from an investigator (Goby) and thinking? Mrs Oliver keeps pressing him to do something, especially since he “lost” Norma.

The signs seem to point to Norma as a murderer. But things don’t add up. The principal of Norma’s school saw no sign of mental illness in Norma. Several of the characters also capture his attention from David, found searching Norma’s room at the Restarick’s, to unaccounted absences by Mary, and a painting where it would not be expected.

The mystery was published in 1966. There is a drug theme that runs through the story. One wonders if Mrs. Christie also struggled with questions of whether she were too old, and is trying to be “with it”. It feels like there is a lot of Christie in Mrs. Oliver, who is eager to not just write mysteries but solve crimes. Is there a commentary here on the difference between being a crime writer and a real detective?

In the end, it will be apparent that Poirot has been doing more than meets the eye. And despite some implausibilities, so has Christie, spinning a tale with enough twists and turns to keep at least this reader engaged.

Review: Three Act Tragedy

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Three Act Tragedy (Hercule Poirot, 11), Agatha Christie. William Morrowe (9780063376045) 2006, (first published 1934).

Summary: Two deaths after a drink, with most of the same guests present on both occasions, sets Poirot to investigating murder.

The famous stage actor Sir Charles Cartwright is hosting a dinner party. In addition to Poirot, he has invited an interesting mix of guests. The local vicar, Reverend Babbington and his wife are there. In addition, celebrate psychiatrist Sir Bartholomew Strange, actress Angela Sutcliffe, and playwright Muriel Wills are part of the party. Rounding out the party are Captain and Mrs. Dacres, he a gambler, she a dressmaker, Lady Mary Lytton Gore and her daughter Hermione (“Egg”), and Oliver Manders, a young financier in love with Hermione. However, Hermione doesn’t reciprocate his feelings; she is attracted to Sir Charles. Unknown to her, he is also drawn to her. And there is Mr. Satterthwaite, who also turns up in two other Poirots.

The dinner party fails to get past cocktails. When Reverend Babbington, an elderly man sips his drink, he collapses. Sir Charles mentions the possibility of murder, which Poirot dismisses. No poison is found on the glass and the death is ruled due to natural causes. A couple months later, Poirot hears from Satterthwaite and Cartwright that Dr. Strange has died under similar circumstances. Again, the glass was free of poison. But an autopsy determined his death was due to nicotine poisoning. Poirot reconsiders his conclusion, now convinced someone murdered both men. A subsequent exhumation of Reverend Babbage’s body determines he also died of nicotine poisoning. All the guests except for himself, Satterthwaite and Cartwright were at the party. Even Oliver Manders, not invited, manages to literally “gate crash.”

Cartwright and Satterthwaite join Poirot. In addition, Christie livens thing up by having “Egg” join in. It’s not clear whether she is more interested in the murder than in Sir Charles. Let’s just say, they find reason to be together a lot. Poirot’s three assistants busy themselves with questioning all the guests. In addition, they attempt to figure out the motive for killing Babbington who everyone loved and the connection between the two murders. There is one other suspect in the second murder–the butler, who has disappeared without a trace, and had only recently begun working for Dr. Strange.

A patient of Dr. Strange, Mrs. De Rushbridger may hold a key to the murders, but before they can question her, she is also murdered. The sleuths appear no closer to a solution, and a serial murderer is on the loose. Others could be in danger. Amid it all, Poirot takes time to stop and think, collects one further piece of evidence, and confronts the murderer, along with Cartwright, Satterthwaite, and “Egg.”

There were so many interesting elements to this. One was the affable and observant Satterthwaite. Another was the spunky “Egg.” Above all, I thought Christie did a stellar job of concealing the culprit. If you read this, did the ending surprise you? It did me.

Review: The Hollow

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The Hollow (Poirot, 26), Agatha Christie. William Morrow (ISBN: 9780062073853) 2011 (first published in 1946).

Summary: When Poirot sees Dr. John Christow lying dead poolside with Christow’s wife holding the gun, the murderer seems obvious.

John Christow is a Harley Street physician. His patients love him. But his real passion in medicine is not the stream of patients to his office, but his efforts to cure Ridgeway’s Disease, focused on one gritty old woman, Mrs. Crabtree. His other passion? Women. He’s had a string of affairs before and after the dutiful and seemingly dull-witted Gerda, who is waiting his lunch upstairs. He’s slow to see his last patient thinking of Henrietta Savernake, his current affair, who he will see at the Hollow this weekend.

The Hollow is the country home of Sir Henry and Lucy Angkatell. All the relations are coming. Henrietta is Sir Henry’s cousin and an accomplished sculptress. Edward Angatell is a distant cousin, and the holder of the family home, Ainswick. He’s a bachelor but has loved Henrietta since they were teens. Meanwhile, Midge Hardcastle is a young cousin of Lucy’s, and has always held an affection for Edward. She renounced any family support, working in a dressmaker’s shop. Finally, David Angkatell is the youngest, a bookish, aloof, introvert who doesn’t seem to like anyone, but stands to inherit Ainswick if Edward has no children.

The one responsible for this gathering is Lucy. Forgetful, blunt, conniving, and surprisingly shrewd, she is the one who stage manages this gathering, as well as the family relationships and future, as best she can. She’d like to get Edward and Henrietta together and even loosen up young David. One thing she fails to control is the sudden appearance of actress Veronica Cray, resident of a nearby cottage, needing to borrow a box of matches. John Christow is starstruck. Before his marriage to Gerda, he and Veronica had a torrid affair, broken off because he wouldn’t follow her to Hollywood. She asks him to escort her home. But he doesn’t return until 3 am the next morning.

The next day is Sunday and Poirot is coming to lunch at Lucy’s invitation. As it turns out he has a modest cottage nearby. Just before he arrives, a gunshot rings out. Henrietta and Edward arrive to find John Christow lying by the pool, bleeding out from a fatal gunshot wound. And Gerda is standing over him as Poirot arrives and takes in the scene. Poirot kneels by the dying doctor, who intently looks at him, speaking one word. “Henrietta.” Then he dies. Henrietta, unwisely perhaps, takes the gun from Gerda only to have it fall into the pool, wiping out any fingerprints.

When Inspector Grange arrives, he’s pretty sure Gerda is guilty, even though she claims to have picked up the gun lying by Dr. Christow. Yet things aren’t as they seem. Ballistics reveal another gun killed him, possibly another from Sir Henry’s gun collection that is missing. Gerda goes free to mourn while the search is on. And there’s a country house of suspects. Was Henrietta jealous? What did Christow’s last word mean? What about Veronica Cray, who was heard fighting with Christow and threatening him earlier that morning? Even Gudgeon, the butler, and Lucy are spotted with guns. But when the murder weapon is found, the prints don’t match any of these people.

Poirot talks to all of them. And he comes away with the sense they all know something. The clues seem staged. But by whom? And for what end? In the end, Poirot will figure it out, preventing one more murder as he does so.

This was Christie at the top of her game. An intricate plot, numerous red herrings, and the diverting subplot around Edward. All the ingredients for a great country house murder!

Review: Towards Zero

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Towards Zero, (Superintendent Battle Number 5), Agatha Christie. William Morrow (ISBN: 9780062073549) 2010 (first published in 1944).

Summary: A house party at Lady Tressilian’s is decidedly awkward when her ward invites both his former and current wives.

Agatha Christie only wrote five mysteries featuring Superintendent Battle, and this was the last. That’s regrettable for me, because this stood out among her best, even though Battle doesn’t really come into the plot until the latter half of the book.

Talk about awkward situations. Lady Tressilian’s ward, Neville Strange, a middling tennis pro, wants to come for a visit at a time when Audrey, his former wife had already planned a visit. Not only that, he wants to come with his new wife, Kay, a stunning beauty. Sensibly, Lady Tressilian is reluctant to accede, especially when it isn’t clear whose idea this was. Audrey says she doesn’t have a problem. No one seems to be thinking about Lady Tressilian, whose health confines her to her bed. In the end, she agrees.

A few other houseguests add to the awkwardness. Thomas Royde, a friend of (and quietly still enamored with) Audrey, has just returned from an overseas assignment. Ted Latimer, who had been interested in Kay, but was also a friend of Neville’s is staying at a resort across the bay as is Mr. Treves, a solicitor and friend of Lady Tressilian.

Awkward is an understatement. It feels like a powderkeg, and were it not for the offices of Mary Aldin, a spinster who runs the household, it might come completely unglued. And then there are two deaths.

The first comes after Treves tells a story of a child murderer with a distinctive physical mark. That night, when he returns to his hotel, the lift is out of service, and he must walk up several flights of steps. He is found dead the next morning. The ruling was that he died of natural causes, due to his weak heart. Except, the hotel confirms that the lift was in good working order. Someone seems to have put a sign up just for Treves.

Then Neville and Lady Tressilian have a row and he storms off to purportedly visit Latimer. Later on, Lady Tressilian is found dead, brutally battered about the head. The evidence points both toward Neville, who has a good alibi, and Audrey, who doesn’t. Battle, who has been on holiday, comes in at this point to solve the murder. Ultimately a man who had attempted suicide and prevents another offers a critical piece of help enabling Battle to confront the real murderer.

The title reflects a conviction of Battle’s. Murder is the “zero hour.” Battle observes that often plots begin with a murder when, in fact, they come at the end of events counting down “towards zero.” As he investigates, he wants to get inside that process. And Christie offers just the right amount of red herrings to make you suspect most of the surviving characters at some point. A well-plotted and conceived mystery, indeed!

Review: One, Two Buckle My Shoe

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One, Two, Buckle my Shoe (Hercule Poirot Number 23), Agatha Christie. William Morrow Paperbacks (ISBN: 9780062073778) 2011 (originally published 1940).

Summary: Poirot seeks the murderer of his dentist, found dead not two hours after Poirot visited him.

Like many of us, Hercule Poirot does not like going to the dentist. But his appointment with Dr. Morley goes off uneventfully. Except for complaining of the unexpected absence of Miss Nevill, his assistant, their conversation, as much as was possible, was pleasant. Two hours later, Poirot learn Morley has died, in what was an apparent suicide.

But Poirot is not so sure. Even after the inquest, when evidence came out that his last patient, a Greek man named Amberiotis, died in his hotel room of an overdose of the painkiller Morley used. The authorities believed that Morley killed himself for his mistake. But Poirot, having interacted with him, and talked with others who knew him, isn’t so sure.

For one thing, the telegram calling Miss Nevill away was a decoy. There were several other patients, including successful financier Alistair Blunt, former actress Mabelle Sainsbury Seale (who Poirot briefly encountered), and Amberiotis. Also, an American, Howard Raikes came, and not wanting to wait, left. One other, who did not have an appointment, also came. Frank Carter was Miss Nevill’s fiancé, and not approved of by Dr. Morley. He had come to plead his case with the doctor, including the new job he’d just gotten. Finally, Dr. Reilly, his partner, appears to have a drinking problem, and his practice is not going well.

More strange things happen. For one, Mabelle Sainsbury Seale disappears. A month later, police find a body in the lodgings of a Mrs. Albert Chapman. Mabelle’s clothing is found on the body, but dental records reveal her to be Mrs. Chapman. Both had been patients of Dr. Morley. Then Blunt, who had just survived one assassination attempt where Frank Carter was present, invites Poirot to his estate, to persuade Poirot to search for the missing Mabelle. While they are talking, a shot is fired, but misses Blunt. The gun, a match for the pistol by which Morley died, is at Carter’s feet. Carter’s “job,” as it turns out was as a gardener at the estate.

Things are not looking good for Carter, who is hardly of the most exemplary character. But Poirot comes to think that a trap has been laid, not only for the hapless Carter, but for himself. Carter professes innocence to both crimes, saying he came upon Morley after he was shot. The key, Poirot believes, is finding the “missing Mabelle.”

The title rhyme carries through the titles for each chapter. Poirot, as always, thinks as much as he “detects” and it is a reference to a Psalm that puts him on the trail of the killer. This was Christie at the height of her powers in 1940 in a well-paced mystery with a number of “red herrings.”