Jun 30, 2016 06:57 PM
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(Updated Jun 30, 2016 06:57 PM)
Death is lurking round the corner.
For Nick Buckley who owns a manor.
Suspects range from friends to neighbours to prospective spouse,
There’s certainly a lot of peril at the end house.
About the Author: Agatha Christie requires no introduction at all. This mystery queen had a charm of her own and she cannot be compared to anyone else in the erudite world. Her brain child, Hercule Poirot, is creative yet cunning, showy yet shrewd. His systematic approaches to analyze and put in all the puzzle pieces together make him one of most lovable detectives in the fictional world.
Plot:
This is the 8th case of Poirot. The great Hercule Poirot, who is the ‘detective unique, unsurpassed and the greatest that has ever lived’(as he puts it in his own words), bumps onto this case while vacationing in the scenic and verdant Cornwall.
Beautiful and young Miss Nick Buckley is a free bird who lives her life to the fullest. She owns a big country house which is popularly referred to as the ‘End House’. However, some attempts have been made on her life and it is not until Hercule Poirot accidently meets her that he gets to know that her life is in immense danger.
A hurtling boulder, a car with failed brakes, a collapsing heavy painting and a bullet have tried their level best to take the lady’s life.
The suspects are numerous. A dear friend Miss Rice is entitled to Nick’s fortune according to an informal will. Mr. Vyse, a lawyer and Nick’s cousin is smitten by her. But she has feelings engaged elsewhere. A couple of hearty Australian neighbours, Mr. and Mrs. Croft, seem to be a bit too interested in the end house’s happenings. A parcel sent by a seemingly well- meaning friend, Mr Lazarus ends up with poisoned chocolates in it.
Quotes:
Hastings has a singularly beautiful nature. It has been the greatest hindrance to me at times.
Mr. Croft is the busybody - the man who likes to arrange his neighbour's affairs
I am the dog who stays on the scent and does not leave it.
Evil never goes unpunished, but the punishment is sometimes secret.
My Opinion:
The narrative was gripping as is expected from Christie’s writing. The story does move at a very brisk pace. An added incentive was that there were not many characters involved, so I could keep track on the events without any peril!
Poirot, suave and conceited as usual, charms with his eccentric yet methodical approaches towards determining the motive behind the attempted murders. In this story, the motive itself was quite concealed till almost the end. The way Poirot ‘staged’ the entire revelation was enchanting. The culprit was the last one I would have ever guessed!
After reading this, I also watched the episode of the television series ‘Agatha Christie’s Poirot’ which an excellent adaption. It does complete justice to the story. Watching a TV adaption/movie after reading the book really uplifts me since it gives a feeling of exhilaration to watch the characters in flesh and blood and the surroundings that I imagined. In short, it feels like visiting a place similar to home!
This is an excellent read, not just once but multiple times.
