Towards Zero (Agatha Christie Collection)

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The Sittaford Mystery - Why Didn't They Ask Evans? - And Then There Were None - Death Comes as the End - Sparkling Cyanide - Crooked House - They Came to Baghdad - Destination Unknown - The Pale Horse - Endless Night - Passenger to Frankfurt The novel was adapted as episode 3 of series 3 of ITV's Agatha Christie's Marple television series, first aired 28 Jan 2007 in Canada and 3 Aug 2008 in the UK. Superintendent Battle is replaced with Miss Marple although most of the characters from the original are retained.

Camilla, Lady Tressilian: chatelaine of her seaside home at Saltcreek, Gull's Point; a widow in her early seventies. 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." Well, you know what I mean. Because she went away and was ill, and went about everywhere looking broken-hearted. That’s what I call a fuss! Audrey’s not what I call a good loser. From my point of view if a wife can’t hold her husband she ought to give him up gracefully! You two had nothing in common. She never played a game and was as anaemic and washed up as—as a dishrag. No life or go in her! If she really cared about you, she ought to have thought about your happiness first and been glad you were going to be happy with someone more suited to you.’ 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 ]Framing the Guilty Party: Neville frames himself in a way that's easily explained away and makes Audrey look like she's framing him, and that she actually committed the murder. Bungled Suicide: Angus MacWhirter had tried to jump off a cliff near the location of the murder roughly a year before the story began, but did not die and was hospitalised instead. He was quite bitter about this at first, though things got better for him at the final chapters. Lady Tressilian is now confined to her bed, but still invites guests to her seaside home at Gull's Point during the summer. Tennis star Nevile Strange, former ward of Lady Tressilian's deceased husband, incurs her displeasure when he proposes to bring both his new wife, Kay, and his former wife, Audrey, to visit at the same time – a change from past years. Lady Tressilian grudgingly agrees to this set of incompatible guests. A long time family friend, Thomas Royde, home after a long stretch working overseas and still faithfully waiting on the sidelines for Audrey, is also a guest. Staying in hotels nearby are Kay’s friend, Ted Latimer, and Mr Treves, an elderly former solicitor and long time friend of the Tressilians. A professional tennis player, his new wife, his former wife, and a few other friends and relations decide to spend the last weeks of summer together to bond and let bygones be bygones. Then the hostess is brutally murdered, and the complicated relationships between the houseguests provide everyone with a motive.When I was a teenager reading Agatha Christie, I didn’t notice how tortured some of her plot devices are. Am I really supposed to believe that someone can plan out a murder, and a major red herring, and actually get the whole thing to (nearly) come off exactly as planned? The novel was first serialised in Collier's Weekly in three instalments from 6 May (Volume 113, Number 19) to 20 May 1944 (Volume 113, Number 21) under the title Come and Be Hanged! with illustrations by Charles La Salle.

It was an April day such as usually occurs at least once in a month, hotter than most of the June days to follow. Done again when Audrey becomes the new prime suspect, with loud protestations, unconvincing suggestions that this new lead is another frame-up, and so on. I mean, I really enjoyed the main plot and characters, but I wish she had spent more time fleshing them out, rather than just throwing new characters in the mix. Maybe getting to learn more about the characters would have also helped the ending, which reminded me of the somewhat creepy relationship in Du Maurier's Rebecca:Observers to the debacle - wise Mr Treves, silent Thomas Royde, and hardworking Mary Aldin - cannot see how this trip will end well. Needless to say it doesn’t! In the wake of a violent murder, Superintendent Battle is forced to cut short his own holiday to investigate. Evidence from an unconnected witness, Angus MacWhirter, lead the policeman and his Inspector nephew round in circles. Who will go to the gallows for the crime? 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.

Birds of a Feather: Angus MacWhirter tried to commit suicide by throwing himself off the cliff near Gull's Point, but survived. A year later, he rescues Audrey from attempting to do the same. The two then bonded together over their shared misfortune, and they decide to marry at the novel's ending. Kay Strange and Ted Latimer are another example, both being glamorous, party loving lounge lizards who don't fit in with the prim and proper (and prejudiced) English gentry. Yes, I am puzzled, I must confess. The true feelings of the parties remain obscure, but in my opinion, there is gunpowder about. The explosion may come any minute. Mr TrevesSibling Yin-Yang: Thomas Royde is a very quiet and unassuming man. It is said that his late brother Adrian was charming and good with words.