Often, while immersed in the story, I forget that lots of Agatha’s books are from a past era. One cannot be interested in crime without being interested in psychology. Seeing him as part of a friendship is nice for the more-often-than-not lone wolf. The Hastings / Poirot dynamic is also a delight to read. His more human and emotional side is even revealed, which definitely works to make him feel more rounded. This is a really meaty story for him – he appears through a lot of it (as opposed to say, The Hollow, where he felt more like a bit part) and we get a great grasp of his thinking and character. I really enjoyed the portrayal of Poirot in Lord Edgware Dies. ‘The police are always made out to be as blind as bats in detective stories,’ said Japp with a grin. This gives a very entertaining dynamic as Poirot does not rate Japp’s love of the literal when it comes to solving crime.

Agatha introduces the characters, clues and red herrings at a perfect pace, so you’re left guessing right up until the end.Ĭhief Inspector Japp makes an appearance too, as he is leading the case. The murderer, see you, Hastings, is as cunning as a tiger and as relentless. BUT she does have over 10 witnesses who can attest that she was actually at a dinner party when the murder took place. She is also, unfortunately a key suspect due to being spotted at the scene of the murder. So, when Lord Edgware is found murdered, suddenly things are looking up for Jane.

She desperately wants to marry someone else and leave her unhappy marriage. Narrated by Captain Hastings, Poirot is asked by actress and society figure, Jane Wilkinson to help get her husband, Lord Edgware to agree to a divorce. Opening sentence: The memory of the public is short. I have to admit that I didn’t actually do the February read for the challenge as I started it and just wasn’t feeling it… Life is definitely too short for reading books you’re not enjoying, even if they are part of a reading challenge! But this was not the case with Lord Edgware Dies: I thoroughly enjoyed this, the ninth Poirot story. Whenever I start a new Agatha book it’s a mix of trepidation (will I like it?) and wonder (how does she keep thinking of these ingenious plots?) This year I decided to do the Agatha Christie reading challenge and Lord Edgware Dies ticks the box for the March theme: ‘a story starring a society figure’.

Lord edgware dies book