Towards Zero (Agatha Christie Collection)

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All Love Is Unrequited: Ted is in love with Kay, who is married to Nevile, who still seems to have feelings for his ex-wife Audrey. Audrey's own feelings for Nevile is ambiguous, but she certainly does not reciprocate Thomas' love. Superintendent Battle: Vacationing with his nephew, he is assigned to the case with him; husband and father of five children, the youngest of whom gives him an insight useful to solving this case. The Secret of Chimneys - The Seven Dials Mystery - Cards on the Table - Murder is Easy - Towards Zero

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. 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. Chekhov's Gunman: The first chapter introduces a certain Angus MacWhirter, a suicide survivor, who seemingly has nothing to do with the victim or the suspects. However, he reappears in the final act of the story as a key witness who ultimately provided the solution to the crime. An adaptation was made as part of Season 2 of Les Petits Meurtres. The episode, also entitled L'Heure zéro, first aired on 13 September 2019. The setting was changed from a country house to a TV studio in Lille in the 1950s and featured a new set of investigators, commissaire Laurence, his secretary Marlene and journalist Alice Avril. Much of the premise of the original was, however, retained.

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An adaptation for radio for the BBC Radio 4 was made in four episodes of 30 minutes each, first broadcast on 13 Jan 2010. They always seem to be very polite to you. You know quite well I wouldn’t stand for it if they weren’t.’ 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! 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. Battle is in many respects typical of Christie's police officers, being (like Inspector Japp), more careful and intelligent than the police officers of early detective fiction, who had served only as foils for the brilliance of the amateur sleuth.

Robert Barnard: "Superb: intricately plotted and unusual. The murder comes later, and the real climax of the murderer's plot only at the end. The ingenuity excuses a degree of far-fetchedness. Highly effective story of the child and the bow-and-arrow (part II, chapter 6) and good characterization of the playboy-sportsman central character – very much of that era when one was expected to behave like a gentleman at Wimbledon." [5] Publication history [ edit ] While he is quite bitter about his failed suicide at first, Angus's life ends up turning for the better by an eccentric millionaire who admires his integrity, and find a new love. Christie often stayed at Abney Hall in Cheshire, which was owned by her brother-in-law, James Watts. She based at least two of her stories on the hall: the short story The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, and the novel After the Funeral. Abney Hall became Agatha's greatest inspiration for country-house life, with all the servants and grandeur which have been woven into her plots. Good Is Not Nice: Superintendent Battle is a just man who refuses to convict an innocent even when all the evidence seemingly point to that person. This doesn't stop him from deliberately throwing one of the suspects, Ted Latimer, into the sea to verify the young man's claims that he can't swim.

See also

Camilla, Lady Tressilian: chatelaine of her seaside home at Saltcreek, Gull's Point; a widow in her early seventies. In 1956, Christie adapted the book into a play with Gerald Verner. It was first published by Samuel French Ltd. in 1957. The play was first staged in September 1956 at the St James Theatre in the West End of London. [8] Christie first wrote a stage play under this title in 1945, with one week of performances in Martha's Vineyard in the US. The script was uncovered in 2015 by Julius Green. [9]

Well, perhaps I was going a bit too far. But at any rate once the thing had happened, there it was. You’ve got to accept these things!’

In late 1926, Agatha's husband, Archie, revealed that he was in love with another woman, Nancy Neele, and wanted a divorce. On 8 December 1926 the couple quarreled, and Archie Christie left their house, Styles, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, to spend the weekend with his mistress at Godalming, Surrey. That same evening Agatha disappeared from her home, leaving behind a letter for her secretary saying that she was going to Yorkshire. Her disappearance caused an outcry from the public, many of whom were admirers of her novels. Despite a massive manhunt, she was not found for eleven days. The Beard: Neville married Kay to support the thesis that it was he who left Audrey and not the other way around. The novel was well received at publication, noted for the well-developed characters. A later review called it superb as to the plot, noting also how well the novel depicted the gentlemanly behaviour expected at the main tennis tournament in 1944.