#MyAgathaChristieYear Part 8-Lord Edgware Dies

About the book…

An Agatha Christie mystery story. Poirot had been present when Jane bragged of her plan to ‘get rid of’ her estranged husband.

Now the monstrous man was dead. And yet the great Belgian detective couldn’t help feeling that he was being taken for a ride.

After all, how could Jane have stabbed Lord Edgware to death in his library at exactly the same time she was seen dining with friends?

And what could be her motive now that the aristocrat had finally granted her a divorce?

”One life is removed-perhaps after a terrific struggle with the murderer’s conscience. Then-danger threatens-the second murder is morally easier. At the slightest threatening of suspicion a third follows. And little by little an artisitc pride arises-it is a metier-to kill.It is done almost for pleasure.”

First published in 1933, ‘Lord Edgware Dies’ is the 12th Hercule Poirot novel and sadly has several parts which reflect the social ‘ values’ of the time , including racist and anti-Semitic sentiments-this should be clarified that these do not necessarily reflect the author’s views, however, they are unpleasant reminders of the casual way in which these words are dropped into everyday conversation, as if it were acceptable.

That aside, this novel is narrated by Hercule’s stalwart companion, Captain Hastings and features the return of Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard, all of whom are embroiled in the case of Lord Edgware’s murder.

From his own perspective, Poirot had an inkling that murder would be committed not just because his wife, famed actress Jane Wilkinson was so desperate for a divorce that she has loudly declared she would kill him, but also because of the impression that he gives made this reader’s skin crawl.

This is the genius of Christie, the titular character is the one about whom the novel is titled, appears in one scene, and makes such a monstrous impression that you feel you would like to side with the murderer.

And it is a timely reminder that being accused of murder didn’t just mean social isolation and ruination of your reputation, people were condemned to death and hung. Justice was swift and irreversible.

Even his own daughter shows no interest in bringing anyone to justice, his death means freedom to her, and her cousin, the now newly appointed Lord Edgware who had been unceremoniously dumped by his uncle and discarded.

However, whoever committed this murder has made the fatal error of involving Hercule Poirot who is like a bulldog when he gets the bit between his teeth, his ego cannot take the fact that he has been led astray and certain facts have been planted in order to get him to look in quite the wrong direction.

Thankfully, for justice, Poirot and us readers, Hastings is there to be his ‘everyman’, his sounding board, the mirror which reflects what the criminal wants an ordinary person to believe has happened.

”I do not wish you to be a second and inferior Poirot. I wish you to be the supreme Hastings. And you are the supreme Hastings. In you, Hastings, I find the normal mind almost perfectly illustrated.”

That is one heck of a back handed compliment to the poor old Captain!

”In you sanity is personified. Do you realise what it means to me?When the criminal sets out to do a crime his first effort is to deceive. Who does he seek to deceive? The image in his mind  is that of the normal man. There is probably no such thing, actually-it is a mathematical abstraction. But you come as near to realising it as possible.There are moments when you have flashes of brilliance when you rise above the average,moments (I hope you will pardon me) when you descend to curious depths of obtuseness, but take it all for all, you are amazingly normal. Eh bien,how does this profit me? Simply in this way. As in a mirror I see reflected in your mind exactly what the criminal wishes me to believe. That is terrifically helpful and suggestive.”

Indeed, it is the chance remark of a stranger and also an observation from Hastings which directs Poirot back on course to solving not one, but three murders.

And in his own way, Hastings is the crux of the matter, his observations, wry asides and dry humour bring life to what is a truly remarkable piece of writing, with the most disturbing final line of a novel which I have read this year.

About the author…

Agatha Christie is the best-selling author of all time. She wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym ,Mary Westmacott.

Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author, having been translated into at least 103 languages.

She is the creator of two of the most enduring figures in crime literature-Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple-and author of ‘The Mousetrap’, the longest-running play in the history of modern theatre.

Links-https://www.podbean.com/ew/dir-sgq2s-30a5a97

https://www.agathachristie.com/

Links to other review posts-

My Agatha Christie Year Part 9-Halloween Party

My Agatha Christie Year Part 8-Lord Edgware Dies

My Agatha Christie Year Part 7-After The Funeral

My Agatha Christie Year Part 6-Five Little Pigs

My Agatha Christie Year Part 5 -Poirot Investigates

My Agatha Christie Year Part 4-Cards On the Table

My Agatha Christie Year Part 3- N Or M?

My Agatha Christie Year-Part 2-The Man In The Brown Suit

My Agatha Christie Year Part 1-Miss Marple’s Final Cases