The story in one page
Hercule Poirot, despite being stuck in bed with influenza, takes on the case of Harrington Pace, who has been found shot dead in his remote Derbyshire shooting lodge. The Hon. Roger Havering and his wife Zoe call for help after finding the victim, yet the housekeeper, Mrs. Middleton, mysteriously flees during the investigation. Hastings investigates the scene, discovering that the weapon used was not the one originally suspected. Poirot reveals the couple staged the murder for an inheritance, using a false identity for the housekeeper. Although the pair successfully avoids prosecution due to insufficient evidence, they eventually perish in a plane crash, providing a grim, final sort of justice.
Who's who
- Hercule Poirot
A detective who solves crimes from his bedroom.
- Captain Hastings
Poirot’s assistant who investigates the crime scene personally.
- Roger Havering
The victim’s heir who orchestrates a clever alibi.
- Zoe Havering
The wife who pulls the trigger on her uncle.
- Mrs. Middleton
A fake housekeeper who vanishes when police arrive.
What it's really about
- Inheritance
- A primary motive for the murder.
- Justice
- Divine retribution when legal systems fail.
Why it's memorable
- A detective solving a murder while bedridden with the flu.
- A missing housekeeper whose only legacy is a box of clothes.
The ending, explained
Spoilers — show the ending
The guilty pair evades human law, only to meet their end in a plane crash while flying to Paris. Justice is served by fate rather than the police.
For your book club
- Can justice ever truly be served if the law remains silent?
- How does a detective work when he is physically incapable of leaving his bed?