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This is Hercule Poirot #19.
Major characters:
- Elinor Carlisle, sophisticate of London
- Mary Gerrard, daughter of the Hunterbury lodgekeeper
- Ted Bigland, Mary's sort-of boyfriend
- Old Gerrard - Mary's father, the lodgekeeper
- Roderick "Roddy" Welman, Elinor's short-term fiancé
- Laura Welman, aunt to Elinor and Roderick
- Dr. Peter Lord, young and eligible
- Mrs. Emma Bishop, housekeeper
- Nurse Jessie Hopkins
- Nurse Eileen O'Brien
Locale: Hunterbury estate, England
Synopsis: We open with Elinor Carlisle on trial for murder of life-long friend Mary Gerrard in a brief unfinished courtroom scene, then we flashback to the story to see how we got here. Laura Welman is matriarch of Hunterbury, and is near her end. She has two favorites: Niece Elinor Carlisle of London (engaged to Roderick Welman, a sort-of cousin by marriage), and Mary Gerrard (no relation, but daughter of long time lodgekeeper "Old" Gerrard).
Under the direction of young, eligible Dr. Peter Lord, Nurses Jessie Hopkins and Eileen O'Brien care for Laura. While visiting, Elinor realizes that her fiancé "Roddy" has fallen in love with Mary, and so she breaks the engagement and urges him to go abroad and get it out of his system.
Soon Aunt Laura passes away - intestate - leaving her only blood relation Elinor to figure out the estate. Both she and Mary had been hoping for a windfall, but Elinor winds up with it all. Elinor passes out legacies as she thinks Laura would have wished, including a generous £2000 to Mary. This activity makes both realize the value of a will, so Elinor and Mary each make one out. Reluctantly, Elinor puts Hunterbury on the market and sells it. While cleaning the place out, Elinor serves sandwiches, and Mary dies from poison within it. Elinor is suspect #1.
Dr. Peter Lord, now realizing his love for Elinor (now that Roddy is out of the way) engages Hercule Poirot to find evidence to clear Elinor. His first stop is to interview Mary's sort-of boyfriend, local Ted Bigland. Between Ted and the nurses, Poirot finds the killings have long-ago ties.
Review: My, is Roddy a fair weather friend, stringing Elinor along until something better comes along. Here is a diagram of who-loves-who:
Dr. Peter Lord > Elinor > Roddy > (Mary) < Ted
I enjoyed the episodes of the two nurses conversing and exchanging letters, and filling in the reader on the back story of the characters. This was well done and effective, and planted plenty of clues along the way.
It became obvious quickly that something in Mary's past led to all this. The various clues are all there. I had a theory but it wasn't quite right. The solution is a bit convoluted by believable and satisfying.
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