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Description
Alice Ascher, a shopkeeper in Andover, is bludgeoned to death at her place of work. Next to die is Miss Bernard in Bexhill, then Mr. Clarke in Churston. More disturbing than the alphabetic sequence of the killings or the ABC Railway guide that the killer leaves at the scene of each crime are... read more
Summary
A serial killer is murdering apparently random people in order of their names: first Alice Ascher of Andover, second Betty Barnard of Bexhill-on-Sea, third Sir Carmichael Clarke of Churston (a small village). The killer sends a letter to Hercule Poirot before each murder, telling him where and... read more (warning: may contain spoilers)
Cast of Characters
- Hercule Poirot: As befitted a detective in retirement, he investigated only the cream of crime.
- Captain Hastings: Poirot's earnest mascot and would-be mentor. He had a talent for pointing out the obvious.
- Alexander Bonaparte Cust: A tall, wan man with a lost-dog look. So unprepossessing as to be almost invisible.
- Chief Inspector Japp: Of Scottland Yard. He was inclined to minimize the importance of the first A.B.C. letter.
- Mrs. Ascher: She was too old -- and too poor -- to be a likely candidate for murder.
- Mary Drower: Mrs. Ascher's niece. A pretty, dark-haired girl, with a pleasant bucolic simplicity.
- Elizabeth Barnard: A waitress at the Ginger Cat. A flirt, but not the weekending kind.
- Inspector Crome: The official in charge of the case, he had an insular air of superiority that rubbed Hastings the wrong way.
- Donald Fraser: A bottled-up young man. Quiet, sensitive, but capable of jealous fury.
- Megan Barnard: Her fondness for her sister didn't blind her from seeing the kind of fool she was.
- Sir Carmichael Clarke: The eminent collector of Chinese art. He had an unfortunate habit of taking solitary walks.
- Franklin Clarke: Not even the violence of murder could disturb his resolute competence.
- Thora Grey: A decorative blonde -- by way of Sweden. As Sir Carmichael's secretary, she shared his love of the rare and beautiful.
First Sentence
IT was in June of 1935 that I came home from my ranch in South America for a stay of about six months.
Table of Contents
Cast of Characters
1. The Letter
2. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
3. Andover
4. Mrs. Ascher
5. Mary Drower
6. The Scene of the Crime
7. The Partridge and Mr. Riddell
8. The Second Letter
9. The Bexhill-on-Sea Murder
10. The Barnards
11. Megan Barnard
12. Donald Fraser
13. A Conference
14. The Third Letter
15. Sir Carmichael Clarke
16. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
17. Marking Time
18. Poirot Makes a Speech
19. By Way of Sweden
20. Lady Clarke
21. Description of a Murderer
22. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
23. September 11th, Doncaster
24. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
25. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
26. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
27. The Doncaster Murder
28. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
29. At Scotland Yard
30. (Not from Captain Hastings' Personal Narrative)
31. Hercule Poirot Asks Questions
32. And Catch a Fox
33. Alexander Bonaparte Cust
34. Poirot Explains
35. ----------
Series
This is book 12 in the Hercule Poirot series.
Authors & Contributors
- Agatha Christie (Author)
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