Out of 5 mustachesOut of 5 mustaches
Christie doesn't write of homicidal maniacs or serial killers. Or does she?
In this latest baffling case, Poirot and Scotland Yard are up against a villain that kills systematically. The system: go through the alphabet and killing people with the name that corresponds to the letter and the city name. First up is Alice Ascher of Andover, who is a shopkeeper. Next, Betty Barnard at Bexhill, a young waitress. Then, Carmichael Clarke of Churston, collector of Chinese art. Next to their bodies the maniac leaves an ABC railway guide. Each month Poirot gets another letter detailing where the next crime will be. But, always, it is too late. Ask yourself: is there a real reason behind these murders?
The police question the family members and friends of the deceased. They comb the countryside looking for clues. All this work, and still no leads. Poirot forms a group of people related in the case into the "Special Legion." They scout out the city of Doncaster, searching for the murderer and the fourth victim, letter "D". There is a victim, stabbed in a dark movie theater. However, the maniac makes a mistake! The victim's name was George Earlsfield, thus accidentally skipping to the letter "E". The police gets a lead onto a man named A. B. Cust, whom the police believe is the murderer. Cust turns himself in and faces trial. Poirot has doubts, however. He meets with his "Special Legion" and interviews Cust. To everyone's amazement in the country, Poirot reveals the true lunatic of these murders, who clearly is not a serial killer. Insults Poirot to the murderer: "I consider your crime not an English crime at all--not above board--not sporting--". Great quote!
This is another of the great Christie novels of the '30s. The narration is by Hastings, again--and it is great narration. The story goes at a good pace, good clues are provided, suspense is plenty, and we get an inside look of the would-be murderer. Just classic elements right here. Plenty of bodies and suspects are available, and still people are not always what they seem. The murders are gruesome, but a clever mind behind it. Not as clever as Poirot's, of course!