![]() It helps to imagine oneself reading this in 1936, the year in which it was initially published.) I hesitate to delve into the plot lest I let something slip. (Yes, as is the case in several other of her books, there are some dated word choices and frames of reference. In addition to the faithful Hastings, Inspector Japp makes a cameo, but the rest of the ensemble cast, new to the most loyal of readers, is rather ingenious and illuminating on Christie\’s part. What follows is a seemingly linear series of events, though as usual when Christie is at the typewriter, there are tricky, twisty bits that advance the story in the moment but gain additional meaning once the last page is finished and the reader has a chance to reflect. ![]() ![]() ![]() Poirot\’s deserved acclaim has preceded him among the public at large, and a determined soul thus has chosen the Belgian detective as a cross between confidante and modified cat\’s paw. The premise of this tale is deceptively simple. If you\’ve missed this one, it definitely is worth adding to your to-read list. I\’d hate to think that other Dame Agatha fans also missed out on this cunning puzzler. I\’m not sure how I skipped over this book when I started working my way through her backlist as a teen hopefully the neighborhood library actually had a copy and it was just continually checked out. Agatha Christie is a dab hand at the art of distraction - and so, at times, is her cerebral detective, Hercule Poirot. ![]()
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