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Loading... Three Act Tragedy (1934)by Agatha Christie
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Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. No current Talk conversations about this book. Poirot is barely in it. ( ) I never can tell with Christie because I've read all her books at least once before. But this one was glaringly obvious from the beginning. Another enjoyable afternoon spent reading an Agatha Christie novel. Instead of a nursery rhythm, this story features a three act play as Sir Charles Cartwright, Mr. Satterthwaite, Egg Lytton Fore, and Hercule Poirot reconstruct three deaths. Sir Charles Cartwright directs the play, since he is a well-known stage actor. During this staging of the events, Sir Charles and Egg fall in love, supposedly. Poirot jumps in and out of the scenes as a Greek chorus, explaining what transpires. Many red herrings and false assumptions, but a delightful journey to a tragic ending. Poirot gently uncrossed his knees, withdrew his gaze from the ceiling, and looked the young man full in the face. âMy name is Hercule Poirot,â he said quietly, âand I am probably the greatest detective in the world. Christie, Agatha. The Mystery of the Blue Train: Hercule Poirot Investigates (Hercule Poirot series Book 6) (p. 149). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition. Sir Charles Cartwright, a famous actor, is holding a dinner party at his country house when the local parson has a fit and dies. He suspects murder but everyone believes him to be letting his imagination run amok. And then weeks later, a second guest dies in the exact same manner. Although Poirot does attend the dinner party, for much of the book he is absent, leaving the detection up to Sir Charles Cartwright, his friend Mr Satterthwaite (who apparently appears in Christie's Harley Quin series) and his young neighbour, Miss Lytton "Egg" Gore. I really enjoyed this one. I loved the use of the three acts. The format was used very effectively to convey the story and it was rather an unique way to do so. I adored the way in which Charles took on and discarded his various roles, particularly when Mr Satterthwaite commented. I liked Mr Satterthwaite - he was amusing and observant (I'll have to make sure to pick up the Harley Quin books) - I would've liked to see more of him and Poirot working together - I'm sure it'd be very entertaining. Egg was a good egg (yeah I couldn't resist). I enjoyed her determination and manoeuvring to get her man. The murderer was unexpected. I didn't see it coming. Overall it was an enjoyable and well plotted mystery with intriguing characters and an unexpected culprit. 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4. Re-read this to complete my Mr Satterthwaite / Christie thread. Alas there is no Mr Quin in this book, but Mr Satterthwaite, that looker on at life, is at a house party when an elderly clergyman dies suddenly. It's only later when another man who was guest at the first gathering dies in a similar manner, and is found to be poisoned, that the first death is re-examined. Poirot is also a guest at the first gathering and becomes involved with Satterthwaite and others as they seek the truth. This book includes some of Christie's finest misdirection, and readers should bear in mind the Christie tropes identified in the delightful "All about Agatha" podcast - in particular "Actors!" and "don't underestimate the help". Good fun. no reviews | add a review
Belongs to SeriesHercule Poirot (11) Belongs to Publisher SeriesThe Albatross Crime Club (No. 140) Collins Crime Club (White Circle No. 13) Fontana (1899) Goldmann (43952) SaPo (50) — 3 more Is contained inAgatha Christie Crime Collection: The Hollow / The Moving Finger / Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie Murder in Three Acts / Death in the Clouds / The A.B.C. Murders / Murder in Mesopotamia / Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie Has the adaptation
Fiction.
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HTML: In Agatha Christie's classic, Three Act Tragedy, the normally unflappable Hercule Poirot faces his most baffling investigation: the seemingly motiveless murder of the thirteenth guest at dinner party, who choked to death on a cocktail containing not a trace of poison. Sir Charles Cartwright should have known better than to allow thirteen guests to sit down for dinner. For at the end of the evening one of them is deadâ??choked by a cocktail that contained no trace of poison. Predictable, says Hercule Poirot, the great detective. But entirely unpredictable is that he can find absolutely no motive for murder.... No library descriptions found.
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.912Literature English & Old English literatures English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1901-1945LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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