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Superintendent Battle #5
Towards Zero
An elderly widow is murdered at a clifftop seaside house...What is the connection between a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player? To the casual observer, apparently nothing. But when a houseparty gathers at Gull's Point, the seaside home of an elderly widow, earlier events come to a dramatic head. It's all part of a carefully paid plan - for murder...
301 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1944
1,388 people are currently reading
12.1k people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,246?books71.5k?followersAgatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (n¨¦e Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
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§¡§Ô§Ñ§ä§Ñ §¬§â?§ã§ä? (Ukrainian)
¦¡¦Ã¦Ê?¦È¦Á ¦ª¦Ñ?¦Ò¦Ó¦É (Greek)
¥¢¥¬¥µ ¥¯¥ê¥¹¥Æ¥£ (Japanese)
°¢¼Îɯ¡¤¿ËÀòË¿µÙ (Chinese)
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (n¨¦e Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
§¡§Ô§Ñ§ä§Ñ §¬§â§Ú§ã§ä§Ú (Russian)
§¡§Ô§Ñ§ä§Ñ §¬§â?§ã§ä? (Ukrainian)
¦¡¦Ã¦Ê?¦È¦Á ¦ª¦Ñ?¦Ò¦Ó¦É (Greek)
¥¢¥¬¥µ ¥¯¥ê¥¹¥Æ¥£ (Japanese)
°¢¼Îɯ¡¤¿ËÀòË¿µÙ (Chinese)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,244 reviews
January 20, 2024
"quando lemos a not¨ªcia de um assassinato, ou uma hist¨®ria de fic??o sobre um assassinato, normalmente tudo come?a com o pr¨®prio crime. isso ¨¦ errado. o assassinato come?a muito antes, ¨¦ o ponto culminante de v¨¢rias circunst?ncias diferentes, todas convergindo para um dado ponto, em um dado momento. o assassinato propriamente dito ¨¦ o final da hist¨®ria. ¨¦ a hora zero."
imagina escrever isso em 1944
imagina escrever isso em 1944
May 1, 2025
Superintendent Battle's daughter is a liar.
But the reason she lied will also prove to be the key to helping him solve a murder.
Nevile Strange (no relation to Doctor) is a handsome tennis star who is married to a young hottie. But when he meets his ex-wife in the park, it's decided that they should all just try to get along and be friends again. Which translates into staying at his aunt's estate at the same time over the holidays.
Seriously?
Does that sound like a good idea to anyone?
Well, it certainly doesn't sound like a good idea to his new wife.
This is one of those Christie mysteries that leaves out a pretty HUGE chunk of pertinent information till the very last few chapters. You will probably be (just like I was) suspecting everyone except the killer right up till she throws down that last clue.
Superintendent Battle feels more fleshed out in this (his last) book. He's more of a participant in this story than he is in the others and that made me happy.
He's just that solid sort of dude who kind of steps in and stops the crazy. I really liked him and I'm glad Christie gave us a chance to get to know this character a little better.
I really enjoyed this one.
Recommended!
But the reason she lied will also prove to be the key to helping him solve a murder.
Nevile Strange (no relation to Doctor) is a handsome tennis star who is married to a young hottie. But when he meets his ex-wife in the park, it's decided that they should all just try to get along and be friends again. Which translates into staying at his aunt's estate at the same time over the holidays.
Seriously?
Does that sound like a good idea to anyone?
Well, it certainly doesn't sound like a good idea to his new wife.
This is one of those Christie mysteries that leaves out a pretty HUGE chunk of pertinent information till the very last few chapters. You will probably be (just like I was) suspecting everyone except the killer right up till she throws down that last clue.
Superintendent Battle feels more fleshed out in this (his last) book. He's more of a participant in this story than he is in the others and that made me happy.
He's just that solid sort of dude who kind of steps in and stops the crazy. I really liked him and I'm glad Christie gave us a chance to get to know this character a little better.
I really enjoyed this one.
Recommended!
February 6, 2023
I had so much fun with this one, almost all of the characters were so suspicious and entertaining. Per usual, my 900 theories were wrong but that¡¯s okay ?
September 29, 2019
It's been some time since a murder mystery has imposed on my mind so heavily. Even when this mystery had all its clothes on, you could guess the promise it contained. I kept thinking, and the question and the curiosity, the suspense and the wonder, they kept occupying my mind. As the pages flew by, the time to say goodbye to Inspector Battle came too soon. At least Miss Marple starred in 13 of her books. Poor Battle was shunted aside in the public's stampede for Poirot.
I guessed wrongly regarding the culprit. I fell for one of the many false trails painted by Mrs Christie. I react strongly to the narration of life and how it's being wasted, in more ways than one, by this great author. The main characters here are Nevile, Audrey, Kay, Ted, and Mary. The most mysterious of them was Audrey, whose secret feeling was not anger, love, or sadness, but fear. I never thought that she was the culprit, and I could have guessed rightly who was, but then I got waylaid.
I was amused by the inimitable Mr Treves. When an author like Christie has a limited number of brushstrokes at her disposal for painting a character, then one like Treves often walks a fine line between brilliance and parody. I was very entertained by this situation, and Mr Treves played like a retarded and oblivious person who thinks he's being very observative. Finally after being slightly disappointed by the real solution, I was cheered by the downright creepy lovey dovey ending. Agatha Christie must generate a happy ending, no matter what. But then she probably knew her audience too well. Nevertheless this book has secured its perfect score, and time has come for me to escape, even if some people in the book don't want to!
I guessed wrongly regarding the culprit. I fell for one of the many false trails painted by Mrs Christie. I react strongly to the narration of life and how it's being wasted, in more ways than one, by this great author. The main characters here are Nevile, Audrey, Kay, Ted, and Mary. The most mysterious of them was Audrey, whose secret feeling was not anger, love, or sadness, but fear. I never thought that she was the culprit, and I could have guessed rightly who was, but then I got waylaid.
I was amused by the inimitable Mr Treves. When an author like Christie has a limited number of brushstrokes at her disposal for painting a character, then one like Treves often walks a fine line between brilliance and parody. I was very entertained by this situation, and Mr Treves played like a retarded and oblivious person who thinks he's being very observative. Finally after being slightly disappointed by the real solution, I was cheered by the downright creepy lovey dovey ending. Agatha Christie must generate a happy ending, no matter what. But then she probably knew her audience too well. Nevertheless this book has secured its perfect score, and time has come for me to escape, even if some people in the book don't want to!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 24, 2019
I¡¯ve now reached the final book to feature Superintendent Battle in the Christie cannon, what a great mystery for his last appearance!
Bed bound Lady Tressilian still intends to invite guests to her seaside home at Gull's Point during the summer, one of the guests included tennis star Nevile Strange.
Though the idea of him bring both his current and ex-wives seems like an ill advised idea...
Whilst at an uncomfortable dinner party Mr Treves regales all the guests a tale of one child killing another with an arrow, ruled as an accident and the child given a new identity the old solicitor suggests is murder ever predetermined - a Towards Zero point.
When Mr Treves is found dead in his room the following morning from what appears to be a heart attack, the lift had an ¡®Out of Order¡¯ sign attached even though it was still fully functional.
Could one of the guests be that child?
Christie is a master of weaving cleverly constructed mysteries, I loved the various red herrings throughout as my suspicions kept changing between the different guests.
Even though this is a stand-alone tale, the reader benefits from reading her previous novels.
Battles mentions of Poirot was a delight, the fact that he¡¯d previously worked with the Belgium detective helped aid him solve this case was a perfectly fitting conclusion.
Bed bound Lady Tressilian still intends to invite guests to her seaside home at Gull's Point during the summer, one of the guests included tennis star Nevile Strange.
Though the idea of him bring both his current and ex-wives seems like an ill advised idea...
Whilst at an uncomfortable dinner party Mr Treves regales all the guests a tale of one child killing another with an arrow, ruled as an accident and the child given a new identity the old solicitor suggests is murder ever predetermined - a Towards Zero point.
When Mr Treves is found dead in his room the following morning from what appears to be a heart attack, the lift had an ¡®Out of Order¡¯ sign attached even though it was still fully functional.
Could one of the guests be that child?
Christie is a master of weaving cleverly constructed mysteries, I loved the various red herrings throughout as my suspicions kept changing between the different guests.
Even though this is a stand-alone tale, the reader benefits from reading her previous novels.
Battles mentions of Poirot was a delight, the fact that he¡¯d previously worked with the Belgium detective helped aid him solve this case was a perfectly fitting conclusion.
July 24, 2016
¡®I like a good detective story,¡¯ he said. ¡®But, you know, they begin in the wrong place! They begin with the murder. But the murder is the end. The story begins long before that¨C years before sometimes¨C with all the causes and events that bring certain people to a certain place at a certain time on a certain day.
What makes a good detective story? Suspense? Atmosphere? An outrageous plot? Memorable characters? Twists?
As with many others of Christie's stories, Towards Zero relies on a set of characters, the type of which is already familiar to Christie's readers. The setting (a version of country house) and plot (errm....murder), is also in line with the expectation of the "typical" Christie novel. What I had not expected was for Christie to actually question the whole setup of her "typical" story by proclaiming that the story cannot stop with the detection of the murderer but that it needs to reveal the background in order for the story of the murder to be understood.
It's almost like Christie used this story to prove that the police investigation needs to include an understanding of the psychology of the characters involved in order to successfully solve the crime.
But did she need to do this? Surely, the fact that her Marple and Poirot act as the psychologists to aid the inspectors in her other books is proof enough that there is a partnership between the two?
Towards Zero does not feature Marple or Poirot but instead has Inspector Battle, who takes on the role of the "enlightened" policeman. We learn early on that he has little time for amateur psychology, and later we learn that he is also capable of trickery - although, Christie stays away from implying that there is a member of the police who would use trickery to get a murderer to confess. No, she added a different character to do this.
Which brings me to one of the few complaints I have about the story - the multitude of characters. There are so many of them that it is hard to keep track of. Some are mentioned, but then disappear in almost the next scene - with no relevance to the story.
Were they included to merely bulk out the pages?
I mean, I really enjoyed the main plot and characters, but I wish she had spent more time fleshing them out, rather than just throwing new characters in the mix. Maybe getting to learn more about the characters would have also helped the ending, which reminded me of the somewhat creepy relationship in Du Maurier's Rebecca:
What makes a good detective story? Suspense? Atmosphere? An outrageous plot? Memorable characters? Twists?
As with many others of Christie's stories, Towards Zero relies on a set of characters, the type of which is already familiar to Christie's readers. The setting (a version of country house) and plot (errm....murder), is also in line with the expectation of the "typical" Christie novel. What I had not expected was for Christie to actually question the whole setup of her "typical" story by proclaiming that the story cannot stop with the detection of the murderer but that it needs to reveal the background in order for the story of the murder to be understood.
It's almost like Christie used this story to prove that the police investigation needs to include an understanding of the psychology of the characters involved in order to successfully solve the crime.
But did she need to do this? Surely, the fact that her Marple and Poirot act as the psychologists to aid the inspectors in her other books is proof enough that there is a partnership between the two?
Towards Zero does not feature Marple or Poirot but instead has Inspector Battle, who takes on the role of the "enlightened" policeman. We learn early on that he has little time for amateur psychology, and later we learn that he is also capable of trickery - although, Christie stays away from implying that there is a member of the police who would use trickery to get a murderer to confess. No, she added a different character to do this.
Which brings me to one of the few complaints I have about the story - the multitude of characters. There are so many of them that it is hard to keep track of. Some are mentioned, but then disappear in almost the next scene - with no relevance to the story.
Were they included to merely bulk out the pages?
I mean, I really enjoyed the main plot and characters, but I wish she had spent more time fleshing them out, rather than just throwing new characters in the mix. Maybe getting to learn more about the characters would have also helped the ending, which reminded me of the somewhat creepy relationship in Du Maurier's Rebecca:
January 25, 2023
I decided to participate in the Read Christie challenge this year and I selected Towards Zero as it fits with this month's theme. I consider it a standalone novel l although I believe one of the characters, Superintendent Battle, appears in a few other mysteries. Hercule Poirot also gets name dropped a few times in this book but the Belgian detective does not make any type of appearance.
You don't need to know much about the plot ahead of time. Basically a group of people are staying at a seaside home. A tennis player, his current wife, as well as his ex-wife are among the guests, and well, that makes things a bit awkward.
Agatha really sets the stage in that she takes her time before getting to the actual mystery portion of the story. It works well though because you are getting bits and pieces of relevant information about the characters along the way. I'll admit I was super confident I had this one all figured out, but nope, she fooled me again! An enjoyable read and it's worth mentioning out of the 10 or so mysteries I've read by this author, I've yet to read a bad one.
You don't need to know much about the plot ahead of time. Basically a group of people are staying at a seaside home. A tennis player, his current wife, as well as his ex-wife are among the guests, and well, that makes things a bit awkward.
Agatha really sets the stage in that she takes her time before getting to the actual mystery portion of the story. It works well though because you are getting bits and pieces of relevant information about the characters along the way. I'll admit I was super confident I had this one all figured out, but nope, she fooled me again! An enjoyable read and it's worth mentioning out of the 10 or so mysteries I've read by this author, I've yet to read a bad one.
March 2, 2020
What a devilish book this is!
It is no secret that Agatha Christie is one of my favourite authors, and in this novel, she truly excels. Slowly, inexorably, all the pieces of the chess, or mystery, are put in place awaiting the final scene - the murder - but things are of course not what they appear. The tension grows while all these characters meet, cross and finally come together. No Poirot present, although mentioned, but a very competent Superintendent Battle.
This is definitely one of her best. The less you know, the better the experience :0)
It is no secret that Agatha Christie is one of my favourite authors, and in this novel, she truly excels. Slowly, inexorably, all the pieces of the chess, or mystery, are put in place awaiting the final scene - the murder - but things are of course not what they appear. The tension grows while all these characters meet, cross and finally come together. No Poirot present, although mentioned, but a very competent Superintendent Battle.
This is definitely one of her best. The less you know, the better the experience :0)
June 6, 2020
I really enjoyed this mystery and its many twists and turns. Great atmosphere set in the house and all of the suspects a possible murderer. Battle is the detective who uses psychology to solve the murders. The addition of information about one of the suspects towards the end indicates the murderer. A great little read.
I recently watched a tv adaptation of this story with Miss Marple included as the sleuth and Battle as her sidekick. Still a good story with a weekend away turning into murder. The ex wife a victim with Audrey and her husband suspects. Lots of red herrings as always and insanity playing a role! Enjoyed the book more.
I recently watched a tv adaptation of this story with Miss Marple included as the sleuth and Battle as her sidekick. Still a good story with a weekend away turning into murder. The ex wife a victim with Audrey and her husband suspects. Lots of red herrings as always and insanity playing a role! Enjoyed the book more.
April 8, 2025
My husband and I had just finished watching a 2025 BBC One series production of Agatha Christie¡¯s book, ¡°Towards Zero.¡± Beautifully acted, the 3-part series murder mystery revolved around a recently divorced British tennis player holidaying at his rich aunt¡¯s house in 1930¡¯s England.
My first response to watching this series, was recognizing I had never heard of this Agatha Christie story. Especially since I thought I had read all of them. So, I ordered the book from my local library. Would the book be similar to the BBC production?
Let¡¯s begin¡
The book was originally published in 1944. It starts off with two pages of characters names! Already I am concerned. How does one remember everybody? Still, having this list helps as a ¡®go-to¡¯ reference as the story unfolds.
It doesn¡¯t take long to get a sense of what the title of the book means when one of the characters laments the following...
¡°I like a good detective story. But you know they begin in the wrong place! They begin with the murder. But the murder is the end. The story begins long before that ¨C years before sometimes ¨C with all the causes and events that bring certain people to a certain place at a certain time on a certain day. ¡All converging towards a given spot. Zero hour. All of them converging towards zero.¡±
I also remember this same speech being at the beginning of the BBC production, too. So, in many respects readers and viewers are being set up early to understand the intention of the story.
Which leads any of us to wonder, are we to assume that a murder shall occur?
In the BBC series, everything took place at one location, Gull¡¯s Point. In the book, readers become aware of an individual in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. Next, another character is planning a murder with a specific date in mind for it to occur.
The story is setting everything in motion for what is to occur, and where, with readers for the most part, in the dark about when or why. Each chapter setting begins with a calendar date, giving readers the sense that they are meeting everyone as the year goes forward, and wondering, what is in play here? We suspect a murder will take place, but we are uncertain how all these characters will play into it.
And, that is Madame Christie for readers. She gives us a sense of foreboding, and a recognition that we need to pay attention. Because everyone is being presented to us readers for an important reason. To find out how they will shape the mystery to be solved. Whose death will be ¡®the culmination of a long train of circumstances?¡¯
Will the police officer be able to solve the mystery in the end? Will readers?
In this twisty, who-dunit with so many characters to keep track of and understand, readers will get a taste of Madame Christie without her familiar characters of Hercule Poirot or Mrs. Marple or even Tommy and Tuppence. And, with a very different ending than the BBC adaptation.
And, maybe the bigger question might just be, which will readers or viewers prefer? No spoilers from me.
My first response to watching this series, was recognizing I had never heard of this Agatha Christie story. Especially since I thought I had read all of them. So, I ordered the book from my local library. Would the book be similar to the BBC production?
Let¡¯s begin¡
The book was originally published in 1944. It starts off with two pages of characters names! Already I am concerned. How does one remember everybody? Still, having this list helps as a ¡®go-to¡¯ reference as the story unfolds.
It doesn¡¯t take long to get a sense of what the title of the book means when one of the characters laments the following...
¡°I like a good detective story. But you know they begin in the wrong place! They begin with the murder. But the murder is the end. The story begins long before that ¨C years before sometimes ¨C with all the causes and events that bring certain people to a certain place at a certain time on a certain day. ¡All converging towards a given spot. Zero hour. All of them converging towards zero.¡±
I also remember this same speech being at the beginning of the BBC production, too. So, in many respects readers and viewers are being set up early to understand the intention of the story.
Which leads any of us to wonder, are we to assume that a murder shall occur?
In the BBC series, everything took place at one location, Gull¡¯s Point. In the book, readers become aware of an individual in the hospital recovering from a suicide attempt. Next, another character is planning a murder with a specific date in mind for it to occur.
The story is setting everything in motion for what is to occur, and where, with readers for the most part, in the dark about when or why. Each chapter setting begins with a calendar date, giving readers the sense that they are meeting everyone as the year goes forward, and wondering, what is in play here? We suspect a murder will take place, but we are uncertain how all these characters will play into it.
And, that is Madame Christie for readers. She gives us a sense of foreboding, and a recognition that we need to pay attention. Because everyone is being presented to us readers for an important reason. To find out how they will shape the mystery to be solved. Whose death will be ¡®the culmination of a long train of circumstances?¡¯
Will the police officer be able to solve the mystery in the end? Will readers?
In this twisty, who-dunit with so many characters to keep track of and understand, readers will get a taste of Madame Christie without her familiar characters of Hercule Poirot or Mrs. Marple or even Tommy and Tuppence. And, with a very different ending than the BBC adaptation.
And, maybe the bigger question might just be, which will readers or viewers prefer? No spoilers from me.
January 28, 2019
This is a very good murder plot with many victems and just as many suspects. The author cleverly took each suspect out one by one until we are left with the killer.
Enjoy and Be Blessed
Steven
Enjoy and Be Blessed
Steven
August 5, 2019
Another blockbuster from Christie, featuring Superintendent Battle. An interesting aspect of the novel is that Battle solves the case thinking of Poirot¡¯s obsession with symmetry. The beginning is great and sets the tone for a great mystery. As a reader you keep reading anxiously for the crime to be committed and when it finally happens, you sit back and relax for Battle to resolve it. A very different technique but interesting. Great read.
November 11, 2015
I'm breaking all the rules here. I had been reading my way through the Agatha Christie canon book-by-book in chronological order. Generally I was managing to get through a couple, or more, books per year. Suddenly ¨C and very generously ¨C my parents bought me a copy of Towards Zero for Christmas. As the fifth of the Superintendent Battle books ¨C and the thirty-fourth published Christie novel ¨C it was going to take me a while to get to. In fact, based on my current reading pace somewhere between 10 and 15 years. When I pointed this out my parents suggested that they couldn't really guarantee to be around to hear what I thought of it by then; so, seeing as most Christie novels aren't really interlinked as a series, it seemed fairer to bend the rules slightly and read this one out of order...
The story itself jumps straight into classic Christie fare: a large number of people (read: suspects) are gathered together for an unimportant (to us) reason. Some of them obviously have pre-existing histories with each other; some of them (we believe) are meeting for the first time; and, of course, not everybody is necessarily who they claim to be. The zero of the title, it is explained, is the time of the murder we are moving towards. The murder itself is the time zero, the events and reasons that lead up to this point are as important as the murder itself.
However, this is a book that could have been so much better. It has all the teasers and all the fantastic suspects we love; all the twists and turns; all the suspects briefly in the spotlight of suspicion before the story moves on. But, ultimately, Battle is a non-detective in this. He barely influences the resolution at all. The crime is actually wrapped up by some random passer by who happens to be in the area for a totally unconnected reason. With this being Christie's last outing for Battle maybe she just wasn't feeling the love any more. Up until the unsatisfactory ending though, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
The story itself jumps straight into classic Christie fare: a large number of people (read: suspects) are gathered together for an unimportant (to us) reason. Some of them obviously have pre-existing histories with each other; some of them (we believe) are meeting for the first time; and, of course, not everybody is necessarily who they claim to be. The zero of the title, it is explained, is the time of the murder we are moving towards. The murder itself is the time zero, the events and reasons that lead up to this point are as important as the murder itself.
However, this is a book that could have been so much better. It has all the teasers and all the fantastic suspects we love; all the twists and turns; all the suspects briefly in the spotlight of suspicion before the story moves on. But, ultimately, Battle is a non-detective in this. He barely influences the resolution at all. The crime is actually wrapped up by some random passer by who happens to be in the area for a totally unconnected reason. With this being Christie's last outing for Battle maybe she just wasn't feeling the love any more. Up until the unsatisfactory ending though, it was thoroughly enjoyable.
August 4, 2021
The only thing that I remembered from my first read of this one was "whodunnit," but I was pleased to find that my original impression of this being a strong Christie was validated. This is a great example of what Christie does best: evocative setting, interesting double blinds and clue twists, and the delightful authorial voice that make her work stand the test of time. I didn't love one aspect of how the mystery eventually is resolved, but apart from that, this is a delight
January 18, 2025
Lunchtime Listen January 2025
Now as I inherited all the Agatha Christie books from my mother, I know I have this, but have never read it. (I think the great Christie group reads of about 5 years ago fulfilled my need to read them all, and I never got around to the non Poirot or Marple books )
My wife did however remind me, about 30 minutes in, that we had seen this, when it was adapted into a Marple TV episode. Took me a while but then I remembered. Personally I prefer it as a Superintendent Battle story, sort of makes more sense. That said, being read by the wonderful Hugh Fraser certainly puts a shine on the story.
A handful of people are staying at the aptly named house Gull¡¯s Point in the West Country , when the head of the household and house owner, Lady Tressilian is brutally murdered in her bedroom. All the evidence points to Neville Strange her ward, who is staying there with his wife, at the same time as his ex-wife, awkward ?
But why would he kill her, he is a rich sportsman and has no need of the money he will inherit, and surely the evidence is all a bit too obvious. And what has this to do with the death of Lady Tressilian¡¯s friend, the eminent barrister who died of a heart attack the week before after dining at the house, ?
Expertly woven together by Agatha Christie, and brilliantly read by Hugh Fraser, a really fun listen.
Now as I inherited all the Agatha Christie books from my mother, I know I have this, but have never read it. (I think the great Christie group reads of about 5 years ago fulfilled my need to read them all, and I never got around to the non Poirot or Marple books )
My wife did however remind me, about 30 minutes in, that we had seen this, when it was adapted into a Marple TV episode. Took me a while but then I remembered. Personally I prefer it as a Superintendent Battle story, sort of makes more sense. That said, being read by the wonderful Hugh Fraser certainly puts a shine on the story.
A handful of people are staying at the aptly named house Gull¡¯s Point in the West Country , when the head of the household and house owner, Lady Tressilian is brutally murdered in her bedroom. All the evidence points to Neville Strange her ward, who is staying there with his wife, at the same time as his ex-wife, awkward ?
But why would he kill her, he is a rich sportsman and has no need of the money he will inherit, and surely the evidence is all a bit too obvious. And what has this to do with the death of Lady Tressilian¡¯s friend, the eminent barrister who died of a heart attack the week before after dining at the house, ?
Expertly woven together by Agatha Christie, and brilliantly read by Hugh Fraser, a really fun listen.
August 14, 2024
/
Guau. Si alguien me dice que adivin¨® el final, no le creo?. Realmente, en este libro Agatha mete un plottwist que es la pura definici¨®n de ?giro inesperado en la trama?. Juega con sus lectores como le da la gana.
Aunque debo decir que, en parte, me ha enfadado un pel¨ªn la forma en la que revela la verdad en este libro. Para m¨ª, existen b¨¢sicamente dos tipos de historias de misterio: las que te van dejando pistas aqu¨ª y all¨ª (que luego t¨² puedes detectarlas o no, pero estar, est¨¢n ah¨ª, aunque solo las veas a posteriori; y las que no te dejan apenas ninguna pista y de repente al final te dan una explicaci¨®n con la que dan la vuelta a todo lo que ha pasado en el libro y la forma en que se te han presentado los personajes y acontecimientos. Y en esta ocasi¨®n nos encontramos con esta segunda situaci¨®n, en la que el giro es tan bestia que te cuenta todo lo que sab¨ªas hasta ahora con un enfoque superdistinto. Y a m¨ª esto a veces me parece un poco trampa, porque digamos que no le da una oportunidad real al lector de averiguar la verdad por su cuenta. No obstante, reconozco que el golpe de efecto es potent¨ªsimo.
Por otro lado, en esta historia vuelvo a confirmar que no coincido con la idea de Agatha del amor?. No entrar¨¦ en detalles, porque no quiero destriparle la historia a nadie pero... Su visi¨®n y la m¨ªa son muy distintas. S¨¦ que la relaci¨®n con su primer marido no acab¨® bien, pero guau, a veces hasta me sorprende su enfoque de las relaciones supuestamente rom¨¢nticas.
A pesar de ello, es un libro de los cortos y adictivos que sin duda engancha. Al principio, se toma su tiempo para presentarnos a los personajes y disponer todos los elementos en el tablero, pero lo hace de esa forma tan suya que siempre te tiene pendiente de lo que va a pasar a continuaci¨®n. Y lo cierto es que, como siempre, consigue hacer pasar un buen rato a los fans del misterio.
Guau. Si alguien me dice que adivin¨® el final, no le creo?. Realmente, en este libro Agatha mete un plottwist que es la pura definici¨®n de ?giro inesperado en la trama?. Juega con sus lectores como le da la gana.
Aunque debo decir que, en parte, me ha enfadado un pel¨ªn la forma en la que revela la verdad en este libro. Para m¨ª, existen b¨¢sicamente dos tipos de historias de misterio: las que te van dejando pistas aqu¨ª y all¨ª (que luego t¨² puedes detectarlas o no, pero estar, est¨¢n ah¨ª, aunque solo las veas a posteriori; y las que no te dejan apenas ninguna pista y de repente al final te dan una explicaci¨®n con la que dan la vuelta a todo lo que ha pasado en el libro y la forma en que se te han presentado los personajes y acontecimientos. Y en esta ocasi¨®n nos encontramos con esta segunda situaci¨®n, en la que el giro es tan bestia que te cuenta todo lo que sab¨ªas hasta ahora con un enfoque superdistinto. Y a m¨ª esto a veces me parece un poco trampa, porque digamos que no le da una oportunidad real al lector de averiguar la verdad por su cuenta. No obstante, reconozco que el golpe de efecto es potent¨ªsimo.
Por otro lado, en esta historia vuelvo a confirmar que no coincido con la idea de Agatha del amor?. No entrar¨¦ en detalles, porque no quiero destriparle la historia a nadie pero... Su visi¨®n y la m¨ªa son muy distintas. S¨¦ que la relaci¨®n con su primer marido no acab¨® bien, pero guau, a veces hasta me sorprende su enfoque de las relaciones supuestamente rom¨¢nticas.
A pesar de ello, es un libro de los cortos y adictivos que sin duda engancha. Al principio, se toma su tiempo para presentarnos a los personajes y disponer todos los elementos en el tablero, pero lo hace de esa forma tan suya que siempre te tiene pendiente de lo que va a pasar a continuaci¨®n. Y lo cierto es que, como siempre, consigue hacer pasar un buen rato a los fans del misterio.
September 29, 2019
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?? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? (: ???????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ^_^
??????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???????..
_ ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? !!!
???? ??? ??? .
_???? ???????? ??????? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ???????? ???????? ????? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? .
_???????? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ??.
*?? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????
2019/9/29
??? ??????? ???? ??? ????? ?? ?? ????? ?????? ???????? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? .
?? ??? ???? ????? ??????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??????? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ?????? ???????? ?? ?????? (: ???????? ?????? ???? ?? ???? ??? ^_^
??????? ?? ????? ??????? ??? ??????? ???????..
_ ??? ??????? ?? ??????? ???? ???? ?????? ?? ?????? ???? ???? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ?????? ?????? ???? ????? ?? ?????? ??? ?????? ?? ???? ?????? ?? ??????? ?? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ????? ??????? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ??? ??????? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ????? ??? ?????? ?????? ?????? ???????? ??????? ?? ??? ?? ?? ?? ???????? ??? ????? ???? ?????? !!!
???? ??? ??? .
_???? ???????? ??????? ?? ???????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ???????? ???????? ????? ??????? ????? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ??? ????? ???? ???? ????? .
_???????? ????? ????? ??????? ?? ?? ??? ?? ????? ????? ??? ??? ?? ????? ?? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ?????? ????? ?????? ??? ???? ?? ?? ??? ???? ?? ?? ???? ??? ??? ???? ????? ????? ??? ???? ????? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ???? ???????? ?? ??????? ?? ???? ??? ??????? ??.
*?? ???? ??? ????? ??????? ????? ?????? ?????
2019/9/29
April 5, 2017
Even though most mysteries start with a murder, actually it is the end - culmination of a lot of events at a common point. Or so says one of the characters in this novel.
This is the theme of this book - events moving towards a murder: towards zero.
That it starts with a murder is of no matter. By the time one finishes the book, one will understand the appropriateness of the title.
This book features my favourite Christie policeman, Superintendent Battle.
This is the theme of this book - events moving towards a murder: towards zero.
That it starts with a murder is of no matter. By the time one finishes the book, one will understand the appropriateness of the title.
This book features my favourite Christie policeman, Superintendent Battle.
August 24, 2021
A professional tennis player, his new wife, his former wife, and a few other friends and relations decide to spend the last weeks of summer together to bond and let bygones be bygones. Then the hostess is brutally murdered, and the complicated relationships between the houseguests provide everyone with a motive.When I was a teenager reading Agatha Christie, I didn¡¯t notice how tortured some of her plot devices are. Am I really supposed to believe that someone can plan out a murder, and a major red herring, and actually get the whole thing to (nearly) come off exactly as planned?
And yet, this impossibility also made this book compelling. I didn¡¯t believe it one bit, but I was eager to see how it would all be carried off. One thing I¡¯ll say for Agatha Christie is, her books are wonderfully short and to the point, and zooming through a book in a day or two is pretty rewarding. Since I¡¯d completely forgotten who the murderer was, I could barely stand putting this down as I tried to put the clues together and figure out which of all these folks had the strongest motive to kill anyone. And that¡¯s the attraction and addictiveness of Agatha Christie, right?
Despite the throwaway nature of all these characters, I did remember other bits of this book vividly: the scene with Sergeant Battle and his daughter, and Kay¡¯s bright red hair and brown eyes. It¡¯s funny what sticks after a read, isn¡¯t it? Also, rueful aside: When I read this book as a teen, I thought Kay was a grownup. Rereading it now, I understand why everyone in the book keeps saying how young she is. How perspectives change! :-)
And my takeaway from this reread is : What the hell is with the last sentence in this book? Did it pass as romantic back in the day? It gave me chills in a very bad way.
July 16, 2023
***100 Days of Summer Reading 2023***
Reading Prompt: Mystery with a seaside setting
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 3
My regular monthly installment of Agatha Christie and this was one of the better ones. Christie didn't get much mileage out of Superintendent Battle, which is kind of a shame. Fewer Hercule Poirot books and more Superintendent Battle would have suited me down to the ground. I had to laugh when Battle referenced Poirot during this investigation, saying that the psychological aspect would have been right up his alley.
As per usual, Christie bamboozled me. My nose was pointed in exactly the wrong direction by some (now that I think more about it) rather obvious red herrings. I should know better by now than to be led astray, but 9 times out of 10 I am wrong!
I thought the inspiration to go back in time well before the murder and see how all the people were related to Gull's Point and how they came to assemble there was genius. The emphasis on the careful planning was designed both to conceal and reveal. Brilliant! It did the trick, too, distracting from the perpetrator nicely. And I know that courts of law aren't necessarily interested in motives, but I am. I think one of the appeals of the true crime genre is the sussing out of the reasoning behind the event.
Battle turns out to be a wily investigator, urging that they appear to concentrate on one suspect and carefully watch how the others react. Despite seeing his process putting clues together, he made some connections that I couldn't. I can see myself rereading this novel at some future point and admiring how the cake is mixed, baked, and decorated.
Reading Prompt: Mystery with a seaside setting
Virtual 12 sided dice roll: 3
My regular monthly installment of Agatha Christie and this was one of the better ones. Christie didn't get much mileage out of Superintendent Battle, which is kind of a shame. Fewer Hercule Poirot books and more Superintendent Battle would have suited me down to the ground. I had to laugh when Battle referenced Poirot during this investigation, saying that the psychological aspect would have been right up his alley.
As per usual, Christie bamboozled me. My nose was pointed in exactly the wrong direction by some (now that I think more about it) rather obvious red herrings. I should know better by now than to be led astray, but 9 times out of 10 I am wrong!
I thought the inspiration to go back in time well before the murder and see how all the people were related to Gull's Point and how they came to assemble there was genius. The emphasis on the careful planning was designed both to conceal and reveal. Brilliant! It did the trick, too, distracting from the perpetrator nicely. And I know that courts of law aren't necessarily interested in motives, but I am. I think one of the appeals of the true crime genre is the sussing out of the reasoning behind the event.
Battle turns out to be a wily investigator, urging that they appear to concentrate on one suspect and carefully watch how the others react. Despite seeing his process putting clues together, he made some connections that I couldn't. I can see myself rereading this novel at some future point and admiring how the cake is mixed, baked, and decorated.
August 19, 2021
"There are so many kind friends about in the world-always anxious to arrange other people's lives for them-to suggest courses of action that are not in harmony-" He broke off as Nevile Strange strolled back through the French windows." (PG. 109)
I'm curious as to why this Christie novel isn't on the top 10 of her works! It was a good mystery and such a great twist at the end. This was like some true crime you hear about. Someone sane looking holding a long grudge.....
I even like the meaning of the title. This is one I highly recommend. It is up there with THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD.....
I'm curious as to why this Christie novel isn't on the top 10 of her works! It was a good mystery and such a great twist at the end. This was like some true crime you hear about. Someone sane looking holding a long grudge.....
I even like the meaning of the title. This is one I highly recommend. It is up there with THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD.....
March 6, 2023
Me ha gustado bastante se ha ido cocinando a fuego lento pero una gran resoluci¨®n. La verdad es que estos 2 ultimos de Battle me han gustdo los que m¨¢s.
Valoraci¨®n: 7.5/10
Sinopsis: ?Me gustan las buenas historias de detectives, ?pero estas siempre comienzan en el lugar equivocado! Comienzan con el asesinato. Pero el asesinato es el final. La historia empieza mucho antes de eso?. As¨ª hablaba el eminente crimin¨®logo Treves.
Y tales palabras nunca han sido m¨¢s justas, cuando se trata del psic¨®pata asesino que acecha en el tranquilo poblado a orillas del r¨ªo Tern. ?A qui¨¦n pretende matar? ?Cu¨¢les son sus motivos? Y por ¨²ltimo ?c¨®mo y cu¨¢ndo llegar¨¢ al punto del asesinato, el punto cero?
En esta ingeniosa obra de Agatha Christie, el misterio se centra en la patol¨®gica mente que planea el crimen, mientras un grupo de amigos pasan un agradable fin de semana juntos, sin ser conscientes de que se trata del ¨²ltimo de sus vidas¡
Muy buena resoluci¨®n aunque con algo de fortuna.
Valoraci¨®n: 7.5/10
Sinopsis: ?Me gustan las buenas historias de detectives, ?pero estas siempre comienzan en el lugar equivocado! Comienzan con el asesinato. Pero el asesinato es el final. La historia empieza mucho antes de eso?. As¨ª hablaba el eminente crimin¨®logo Treves.
Y tales palabras nunca han sido m¨¢s justas, cuando se trata del psic¨®pata asesino que acecha en el tranquilo poblado a orillas del r¨ªo Tern. ?A qui¨¦n pretende matar? ?Cu¨¢les son sus motivos? Y por ¨²ltimo ?c¨®mo y cu¨¢ndo llegar¨¢ al punto del asesinato, el punto cero?
En esta ingeniosa obra de Agatha Christie, el misterio se centra en la patol¨®gica mente que planea el crimen, mientras un grupo de amigos pasan un agradable fin de semana juntos, sin ser conscientes de que se trata del ¨²ltimo de sus vidas¡
Muy buena resoluci¨®n aunque con algo de fortuna.
March 10, 2015
Brilliant. Elegant and spare like The Body in the Library. No Poirot or Marple, and I did slightly miss them - Superintendent Battle doesn't work as well for me - but is still one of Agatha's best, most well-plotted stories.
April 6, 2023
Unlike other detective stories that begin with a murder, Towards Zero is where the murder comes at the end of the story. This book features Superintendent Battle as he discovers a carefully planned murder and how some of the characters are connected to it. I have only read a few Christie books, and so far, she has never let me down when it comes to well-plotted classic murder mysteries. However, the detective work of Battle was a bit unexciting for me. He was able to resolve it quickly because of a convenient coincidence, and it felt rushed. Also, the ending? I don't think the last three pages were necessary. I still enjoyed it and am glad I've read it. It's an interesting and unique read that definitely had its moments.
After reading this, I watched the adaptation of this novel, which is part of the Miss Marple series. The show was pretty much faithful to the plot but not to its characters. Lol. I'm surprised they did not include an essential character from the book in the show. It has a different approach, and they made it work, and I enjoyed it more.
After reading this, I watched the adaptation of this novel, which is part of the Miss Marple series. The show was pretty much faithful to the plot but not to its characters. Lol. I'm surprised they did not include an essential character from the book in the show. It has a different approach, and they made it work, and I enjoyed it more.
July 20, 2023
I think that Inspector Battle might actually be my favorite Christie character.
Full review forthcoming!
Full review forthcoming!
April 16, 2020
I've never been a big fan of Agatha Christie but I generally like to read her book from time to time. However, I have read a few of them more than usual lately and I think I have had enough of them. The more I am pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book.
This is probably one of the less known books of Christie, which is a shame, because it is a really good book. Which in my opinion would also make a fantastic film. The general structure of this story, of course, does not differ from Christie's typical pattern. A murder in a closed house that could only be committed by one of the small group of people who were there at the time. Each of these people had a motive, sometimes more than one. And basically everyone had the opportunity. Suspicion falls on everyone one after the other. And just as recently I was completely tired of this scheme in , here I truly enjoyed this classic scheme.
It seems to me that this is at least partly due to well-constructed characters. All the characters in this group of suspects are very interesting and multidimensional. Again, compared to , they are really unique characters. I usually like it when the dead body appears on the first pages of the novel. Here, however, the murder is not committed until the second half of the book. The entire first half is devoted to the exact presentation of the characters and the relations between them. And it's worth adding that these are fascinating and entangled relationships. Already then you wonder if everyone is who they claim to be. That is why I do not mind that the murder mystery itself is postponed until the second half of the book.
And this is a very good mystery. Very Christie style, but her best style. And while some things can be expected, the answer to the question of who the killer is is not so simple. Still, there was one person who I really wanted to be a murderer. That's why I'm so happy that it just happened. I admit that for a moment I was afraid that the murderer was someone else. Definitely a good intrigue.
If I see any weaknesses in this book, this is without a doubt the last scene. It is completely sentimental and unrealistic and in my opinion spoils the entire effect of this book. This story would be great without this silly scene. Fortunately, that's basically the only thing that annoyed me.
I definitely recommend this story as one of Agatha Christie's better books. I also very much hope that due to the growing popularity of film adaptation of her books lately, this book will also be made into film. It is definitely worth it.
This is probably one of the less known books of Christie, which is a shame, because it is a really good book. Which in my opinion would also make a fantastic film. The general structure of this story, of course, does not differ from Christie's typical pattern. A murder in a closed house that could only be committed by one of the small group of people who were there at the time. Each of these people had a motive, sometimes more than one. And basically everyone had the opportunity. Suspicion falls on everyone one after the other. And just as recently I was completely tired of this scheme in , here I truly enjoyed this classic scheme.
It seems to me that this is at least partly due to well-constructed characters. All the characters in this group of suspects are very interesting and multidimensional. Again, compared to , they are really unique characters. I usually like it when the dead body appears on the first pages of the novel. Here, however, the murder is not committed until the second half of the book. The entire first half is devoted to the exact presentation of the characters and the relations between them. And it's worth adding that these are fascinating and entangled relationships. Already then you wonder if everyone is who they claim to be. That is why I do not mind that the murder mystery itself is postponed until the second half of the book.
And this is a very good mystery. Very Christie style, but her best style. And while some things can be expected, the answer to the question of who the killer is is not so simple. Still, there was one person who I really wanted to be a murderer. That's why I'm so happy that it just happened. I admit that for a moment I was afraid that the murderer was someone else. Definitely a good intrigue.
If I see any weaknesses in this book, this is without a doubt the last scene. It is completely sentimental and unrealistic and in my opinion spoils the entire effect of this book. This story would be great without this silly scene. Fortunately, that's basically the only thing that annoyed me.
I definitely recommend this story as one of Agatha Christie's better books. I also very much hope that due to the growing popularity of film adaptation of her books lately, this book will also be made into film. It is definitely worth it.
August 28, 2021
Gelesen f¨¹r die #readchristie2021 Challenge im August 2021
Die alte und recht konserative Lady Tressilian findet sich in einer unangenehmen Situation wieder: ihr Ziehsohn Nevile Strange m?chte im September mit seiner neuen jungen Frau Kay auf Besuch nach Gull¡¯s Point kommen. Und das, obwohl im September eigentlich immer Audrey Strange, Neviles Exfrau und Lady Tressilians geliebte Ex-Schwiegertochter zu Besuch kommt. Nevile selbst sieht darin gar kein Problem, immerhin ist es doch modern, dass man sich nichts nachtr?gt und in einer solchen Beziehung alle miteinander befreundet sind ¨C und so sollen sich Kay und Audrey nun nach Neviles Willen auch miteinander anfreunden. Die Hausherrin h?lt nichts von solchen neumodischen Dreiecksbeziehungen, willigt aber dann doch ein. Und wenn das Haus eh schon voll ist, dann kann man doch gleich noch einen alten Bekannten aus Malaysia dazu einladen. Doch unter der gewollt harmonischen Oberfl?che brodelt es in Gull¡¯s Point ¨C und eines Morgens sind nicht mehr alle Hausbewohner am Leben.
______________________________________
So, nachdem ich mal wieder willk¨¹rlich eins der vorgeschlagenen Monatsb¨¹cher f¨¹r die Challenge ausgew?hlt habe, musste ich leider feststellen, dass das Buch hier der letzte Band in Christies ?Inspector Battle¡°-Reihe ist, von der ich bisher kein einziges Buch gelesen hatte. Das hat dann aber doch weniger ausgemacht als erwartet und ich habe ganz gut in die Geschichte reingefunden. Das Setting ist nicht so mega au?ergew?hnlich, der Krimi lebt viel mehr von der interessanten Figurenkonstellation. Fast 2/3 des Buches spielen vor dem Mord, der nur den kr?nenden Abschluss von menschlichen Turbulenzen im gemeinschaftlichen Miteinander bildet.
Insgesamt fand ich den Kriminalfall wieder spannend, habe flei?ig mitger?tselt und diesmal wieder auf das falsche Pferd gesetzt. Vielleicht nicht Christies hervorstechendstes Buch, aber ein solider und spannender Krimi, der Spa? macht. Letztlich das Ende bzw. die letzten 3 Seiten fand ich etwas zu weit hergeholt und unrealistisch, aber gut, auch die liebe Agatha darf sich mal etwas Kitsch g?nnen.
3.5 ?
Die alte und recht konserative Lady Tressilian findet sich in einer unangenehmen Situation wieder: ihr Ziehsohn Nevile Strange m?chte im September mit seiner neuen jungen Frau Kay auf Besuch nach Gull¡¯s Point kommen. Und das, obwohl im September eigentlich immer Audrey Strange, Neviles Exfrau und Lady Tressilians geliebte Ex-Schwiegertochter zu Besuch kommt. Nevile selbst sieht darin gar kein Problem, immerhin ist es doch modern, dass man sich nichts nachtr?gt und in einer solchen Beziehung alle miteinander befreundet sind ¨C und so sollen sich Kay und Audrey nun nach Neviles Willen auch miteinander anfreunden. Die Hausherrin h?lt nichts von solchen neumodischen Dreiecksbeziehungen, willigt aber dann doch ein. Und wenn das Haus eh schon voll ist, dann kann man doch gleich noch einen alten Bekannten aus Malaysia dazu einladen. Doch unter der gewollt harmonischen Oberfl?che brodelt es in Gull¡¯s Point ¨C und eines Morgens sind nicht mehr alle Hausbewohner am Leben.
______________________________________
So, nachdem ich mal wieder willk¨¹rlich eins der vorgeschlagenen Monatsb¨¹cher f¨¹r die Challenge ausgew?hlt habe, musste ich leider feststellen, dass das Buch hier der letzte Band in Christies ?Inspector Battle¡°-Reihe ist, von der ich bisher kein einziges Buch gelesen hatte. Das hat dann aber doch weniger ausgemacht als erwartet und ich habe ganz gut in die Geschichte reingefunden. Das Setting ist nicht so mega au?ergew?hnlich, der Krimi lebt viel mehr von der interessanten Figurenkonstellation. Fast 2/3 des Buches spielen vor dem Mord, der nur den kr?nenden Abschluss von menschlichen Turbulenzen im gemeinschaftlichen Miteinander bildet.
Insgesamt fand ich den Kriminalfall wieder spannend, habe flei?ig mitger?tselt und diesmal wieder auf das falsche Pferd gesetzt. Vielleicht nicht Christies hervorstechendstes Buch, aber ein solider und spannender Krimi, der Spa? macht. Letztlich das Ende bzw. die letzten 3 Seiten fand ich etwas zu weit hergeholt und unrealistisch, aber gut, auch die liebe Agatha darf sich mal etwas Kitsch g?nnen.
3.5 ?
March 15, 2018
As far as Christie mysteries go somewhat forgettable. Heck, I don't even remember when I started this. It was only due to an unexpected road trip and many hours in a car that resulted in this book getting completed. It has all the hallmarks of a classic Christie mystery: colorful characters, mysterious murders, secret pasts, and so on and so forth. But no aspect of it really stood out, especially compared to all of Christie's other, better mysteries. It may be because Superintendent Brattle just isn't as interesting as Poirot or Marple and no one character really stole the story. It was a perfectly serviceable story but not one of Christie's highlights.
Oh, and if you can get a version of this story (or really any Christie mystery) voiced by Hugh Fraser do it. The man does a fantastic job with all the different British accents and voices, makes even a middling book enjoyable to listen to.
Oh, and if you can get a version of this story (or really any Christie mystery) voiced by Hugh Fraser do it. The man does a fantastic job with all the different British accents and voices, makes even a middling book enjoyable to listen to.
December 19, 2020
????? ?????????? ??????? ???? ???, ??? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ???????? ???? ???? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ??? ?????? ?????? ???? ??????? ?????? ??? ????? ???????, ???? ????? ???? ???? ?? ???? ????? ?????
???????? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ??????, ???? ???? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??????
?????? ???? ???? ??? ??, ???????? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ??, ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????
?????? ??? ??? ?????? ????????, ????? ????? ???????? ????? ????, ?????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ????? ????? ???? ????
????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????????????? ??????? ????? ???? ?????????, ???? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????, ???? ????, ???? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ????????? ?????? ????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???????, ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ???, ????? ???? ?????? ???????
???? ????? ?????? ?? ? ???? ?????? ???? No Wasted Movement. ?????? ?? ???? ??? ??? No Wasted information. ?? ????? ????????????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ? ??? ????????????? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???, ????? ???? ???? ???????? ????, ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ??????
??? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??, ??? ?? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???
??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ????, ????? ???? ???? ????????? ??????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???
???????? ??????? ????????? ??? ??? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???? ????? ?????? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ???? ???????? ??????, ???? ???? ???? ???? ???????? ??? ?????? ??? ???? ????? ????? ????? ???? ?? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ????? ???? ??????
?????? ???? ???? ??? ??, ???????? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ??????? ?? ??? ????? ??? ??, ??? ??? ??? ??? ???? ????
?????? ??? ??? ?????? ????????, ????? ????? ???????? ????? ????, ?????? ?? ????? ???? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???????? ????? ????? ???? ????
????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ?????? ?????????????? ??????? ????? ???? ?????????, ???? ?????? ??? ???? ???? ????? ???? ?????, ???? ????, ???? ????? ?? ???? ?????? ??? ??? ?????? ?? ????????? ?????? ????? ????????? ?????? ?????? ?? ??? ???? ???????, ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ????? ???????? ????? ?????? ????? ??? ?????? ???, ????? ???? ?????? ???????
???? ????? ?????? ?? ? ???? ?????? ???? No Wasted Movement. ?????? ?? ???? ??? ??? No Wasted information. ?? ????? ????????????? ??????? ??? ???? ??? ???? ??????? ? ??? ????????????? ?? ?????? ???? ????? ??? ???, ????? ???? ???? ???????? ????, ??? ??? ??????? ?????? ?????? ???? ???? ?????? ????? ??????
??? ???? ??? ?????? ?? ?? ????? ???? ?? ??, ??? ?? ???? ????? ???? ?????? ????? ??? ??? ??? ????? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ????? ???? ???? ?? ????? ??? ???
??? ?? ??? ??? ???? ????? ??? ??? ???? ??????? ???? ????, ????? ???? ???? ????????? ??????? ???????? ??? ????? ??? ???? ??? ??? ???? ???? ???? ???
March 7, 2020
A nicely complicated case, with Dame Christie giving us a number of clues pointing one way then another, and confusing the readers¡¯ views on the characters¡¯ motives. And Superintendent Battle, while on vacation, is pulled into the case. The amusing thing is, though Poirot¡¯s not at all present, Battle has been paying attention to the fussy detective¡¯s methods and foibles, a little of which help Battle figure his way through the case. An enjoyable mystery.
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