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catherine_the_greatest 's review for:
Peril at End House
by Agatha Christie
Hercule Poirot (really, really retired this time) and his old friend Arthur Hastings take a vacation in the fictional Cornish beach town of St. Loo, where they meet a cast of characters straight out of an F. Scott Fitzgerald novel. OF COURSE I LOVE THIS ONE!!!!
"Monsieur Poirot is--er--was--a great detective," I explained.
"Ah! my friend," cried Poirot. "Is that all you can find to say? Mais dis donc! Say then to Mademoiselle that I am a detective unique, unsurpassed, the greatest that ever lived!"
"That is now unnecessary," I said coldly, "You have told her yourself."
"Ah! yes, but it is more agreeable to have been able to preserve the modesty. One should not sing one's own praises."
"One should not keep a dog and have to bark oneself," agreed Nick with mock sympathy. "Who is the dog, by the way? Dr. Watson, I presume."
"My name is Hastings," I said coldly.
"Battle of 1066," said Nick. "Who said I wasn't educated? Well, this is all too, too marvelous! Do you think someone really wants to do away with me? It would be thrilling. But of course that sort of thing doesn't really happen. Only in books. I suspect Monsieur Poirot is like a surgeon who's invented an operation or a doctor who's found an obscure disease and wants everyone to have it."
Nick (real name Magdala Buckley) is a modern girl: "Too many cocktails, too many cigarettes--all that sort of thing." (She reminds me of Jordan from [b:The Great Gatsby|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490528560l/4671._SY75_.jpg|245494] and her best friend is a languid Daisy type.) After several apparent attempts on her life, Poirot steps in to prevent the next attempt from being successful. But who wants Nick dead, and why? Her best friend or her rich boyfriend? Her lawyer cousin? The maid, the butler, or their creepy kid? The overly friendly Australian tenants?
Solution:
Overall, a very fun little period mystery. I want more like this!
"Monsieur Poirot is--er--was--a great detective," I explained.
"Ah! my friend," cried Poirot. "Is that all you can find to say? Mais dis donc! Say then to Mademoiselle that I am a detective unique, unsurpassed, the greatest that ever lived!"
"That is now unnecessary," I said coldly, "You have told her yourself."
"Ah! yes, but it is more agreeable to have been able to preserve the modesty. One should not sing one's own praises."
"One should not keep a dog and have to bark oneself," agreed Nick with mock sympathy. "Who is the dog, by the way? Dr. Watson, I presume."
"My name is Hastings," I said coldly.
"Battle of 1066," said Nick. "Who said I wasn't educated? Well, this is all too, too marvelous! Do you think someone really wants to do away with me? It would be thrilling. But of course that sort of thing doesn't really happen. Only in books. I suspect Monsieur Poirot is like a surgeon who's invented an operation or a doctor who's found an obscure disease and wants everyone to have it."
Nick (real name Magdala Buckley) is a modern girl: "Too many cocktails, too many cigarettes--all that sort of thing." (She reminds me of Jordan from [b:The Great Gatsby|4671|The Great Gatsby|F. Scott Fitzgerald|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1490528560l/4671._SY75_.jpg|245494] and her best friend is a languid Daisy type.) After several apparent attempts on her life, Poirot steps in to prevent the next attempt from being successful. But who wants Nick dead, and why? Her best friend or her rich boyfriend? Her lawyer cousin? The maid, the butler, or their creepy kid? The overly friendly Australian tenants?
Solution:
Spoiler
It was Nick all along, faking attempts on her own life to cover the murder of her cousin Maggie (also named Magdala Buckley), who was secretly engaged to a missing aviator. When the aviator was found dead, having inherited a fortune from his uncle and left it to his fiancée Magdala Buckley, Nick needed to bump off Maggie so she could inherit the money to save her beloved house. I love that Dame Christie threw in the scamming faux Aussies who made a forgery of Nick's will, trying to inherit the fortune when they thoughts she was dead (Poirot's little drama).Overall, a very fun little period mystery. I want more like this!