• Author: Agatha Christie
• Series: Hercule Poirot #8
• No. of pages: 287
• Dates read: 27.10.20 – 01.10.20
• Star Rating: 5 stars (Favourite)
• Challenge: Sequel and ONTD (October): Read a book where death is a huge part of the narrative.

Plot: Hercule Poirot is vacationing on the Cornish coast when he meets Nick Buckley. Nick is the young and reckless mistress of End House, an imposing structure perched on the rocky cliffs of St. Loo. Poirot has taken a particular interest in the young woman who has recently narrowly escaped a series of life-threatening accidents. Something tells the Belgian sleuth that these so-called accidents are more than just mere coincidences or a spate of bad luck. It seems all too clear to him that someone is trying to do away with poor Nick, but who? And, what is the motive? In his quest for answers, Poirot must delve into the dark history of End House. The deeper he gets into his investigation, the more certain he is that the killer will soon strike again. And, this time, Nick may not escape with her life.

So this review is very different to my other ones as I went into this book knowing who the murderer was and what the motive/reason why they did what they did. I had watched a TV adaptation a couple of years a go not knowing I would decided to read the whole series. So I was quite anxious going into the story as I was worried that knowing who the murderer was might hinder my reading experience as the element of surprise was taken away.

So thankfully I found that my enjoyment of the story wasn’t hindered. I strongly believe that you can watch or read a mystery of any kind twice without it being repetitive. The first time is due to it being the first time and this is you finding out the answers and being surprised. The second time is more to focus on foreshadowing and seeing what you missed the first time round. So I went into this book with that mindset, what did I miss out on from the show and what did Poirot fail to see.

The plot itself was really fun to read, seeing what I missed, picking on things I couldn’t remember and I still found the reveal at the end to be really satisfying. I would say though that I wasn’t a massive fan of where Freddie Rice’s story it sort of made no sense.

The characters themselves were really enjoyable. Poirot as per usual was incredibly enjoyable! I always find his character to be a source of joy for me and thankfully this time Hastings was not as annoying as he has been in other books. He made quite smart decisions and was very competent.

I really enjoyed the two main female characters Nick and Freddie. Two very layered female characters that you weren’t sure what you were going to get from them. Nick was sort of your stereotypical woman that Christie always writes so I was drawn more to the more mysterious Freddie. The girls were a lot more interesting than the male characters who I think were only really there to work alongside the female characters. The point in the story was only important due to their relationships with the women more than anything else.

Overall, a really great read and a great start to Halloween for me.

The next book I will be reviewing is Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch. As of this review I am about halfway through and let me tell you. I have some opinions and they might be considered unpopular by some!