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Series: Hercule Poirot #8
Major characters:
- "Nick" Buckley
- Maggie Buckley, her cousin
- Cmdr. George Challenger, her boyfriend
- Charles Vyse, her cousin, a lawyer
- Frederica "Freddie" Rice, her friend
- Jim Lazarus, Frederica's consort
- Bert & Mildred "Milly" Croft, Australian tenants
- Ellen Wilson, housekeeper
Synopsis: Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are on vacation when they meet Miss "Nick" Buckley. She reveals to them she has had three escapes from death in the past days. First, a heavy picture falls from over her bed. Second, a boulder rolls down the path to the beach towards her. Third, the brakes on her car were tampered with. No sooner does she describe these, when a bullet from the bushes pierces her hat.
Nick has a happy-go-lucky attitude about the whole thing. She introduces her companions: boyfriend Commander George Challenger, her best friend Frederica "Freddie" Rice, and Frederica's consort, Jim Lazarus. Freddie is married, but separated - her husband is in parts unknown.
Nick shows Poirot the scenes of each attempt, at her somewhat dilapidated house, End House; which is adjacent to Poirot's hotel. She rents the gatehouse cottage to an Australian couple, Bert Croft and his disabled wife Milly Croft. Questioned as to who may benefit from her death, it is only her cousin, lawyer Charles Vyse; to whom she has left End House in her will.
Poirot urges Nick to never be alone, she recruits her cousin Maggie Buckley to come stay with her. One night, while everyone is watching fireworks across the bay, Maggie is wearing Nick's distinctive red shawl, and she is shot. Was she - or Nick - the intended victim?
Review: The aspects I liked are: 1). the small cast of characters, making it easy to keep track of the players, without a lot of cardboard two-dimensional red herrings coming in and out.
2). Poirot's theatrical exposé at the end.
The aspect I didn't care for was the emergence of a significant character at the end of the story, so the reader doesn't get a chance to figure that person in along the way. The other "trick" Agatha pulled on the reader was a bit of surprise, surprise! regarding the names of the characters. (I had enough trouble following girls named Nick and Freddie!)
- this review by Gayle (OutsmartYourShelf)
- this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block.
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