Paul Humphreys rambles on....

Paul Humphreys rambles on....
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Monday June 26, 2006

Cards on the table

Another excellent whodunnit from Agatha Christie. I was prompted to read it after rewatching a recent TV serialisation of the story which was not bad. It features ( not for long ) a very odd chap called Shaitana who it is said played Mephistopheles all his life. His death happens at a social gathering of eight people plus himself who he invited for dinner. After dinner the eight split up into two groups of four who all play bridge in seperate rooms. Shaitana sits in a chair silently while this goes on. Eventually it is discovered he has a knife sticking out of his chest and is pronounced dead. The group in the annex room away from him are cleared of the crime as they stayed in the room. Poirot was one of those four and its number includes a crime writer a Mrs Ariedne Oliver who is odd to say the least and leaves a trail of apple cores in her wake. Colonel Race and Superintendent Battle were also in this room. In the second room Shaitana had gathered four people who were suspected murderers. Each of them had clear motive for killing him. Mrs Lorrimer, Dr Roberts, Miss Meridith and Major Despard. An initial interview is taken with each of the suspects and each of the other members of this party agree to work together and share information as they seek to get to the bottom of the crime. I won't spoil the story but Poirot solves the case by looking at the suspects bridge score cards and what they remembered that they saw in the room where the crime took place.

( Jun 26 2006, 12:00:01 AM PDT ) Permalink