Out of 5 mustachesOut of 5 mustaches
It is one of the very first books of Christie that I read. I enjoyed Ten Little Indians so much (it was a required reading in my senior year in high school), that I chose this to read for leisure. I'm glad I did--this is one of the very best of Poirot, and the murder is "very British."
Murder can occur anywhere: Christie's and Poirot's belief is very true. Murder can occur even at a seaside resort. The location is the Jolly Roger Hotel, on the cute Smuggler's Island. The victim: the goddess-like actress Arlena Stuart Marshall. She's found strangled on the beach early in the morning. The suspects? A whole list of them: a traveling couple from America, a minister, Arlena Marshall's ex-dress designer, an indebted Englishman, Captain Kenneth Marshall (her humiliated husband), Patrick Redfern (a young married man), Christine Redfern (Patrick's jealous "poor little wife"), and Linda Marshall (stepdaughter to the hated stepmother Arlena). As always, each of these suspects is likely to have committed murder. Who? What's so important about the cut up green hat? What is in that cave that's important? Does drug smuggling have anything to do with the crime? Leave it to Poirot to deduce who's the culprit in the crime.
One of the most enjoyable books by Christie! An excellent read, each character is suspicious and unique. What makes them tick? What are they thinking of? Do they really behave the way they do? Are they feeling jealousy, anger, shock, or disappointment? This book details so much the human heart and what people think of others. Christie maps out true British life using these characters. The people in this book are actually memorable, and it makes me want to read the book again. The ending is a shocker. I had no clue the murderer had planned out such a clever crime.