Peril at End House

In Peril at End House, Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings are holidaying in the Cornish seaside resort of St Loo.

Sitting in the gardens of the Majestic Hotel, enjoying the view and the balmy weather, Hercule Poirot announces that he has solved his last case – he has definitely retired, ‘The grey cells, they still function…but when I have retired my friend, I have retired! It is finished!’

Yeah Right! And of course, it is not long before the friends find themselves embroiled in murder, mystery and mayhem. They make the acquaintance of a pretty young girl and during the course of their conversation, it transpires that she has recently had several narrow escapes from death. She makes light of these incidents, putting them down to unlucky accidents. But is that all they are, or something more sinister? Well, what do you think?

The girl, Nick Buckley, lives at End House and it is here that murder rears its ugly head; but did the murderer get it wrong?

Peril at end House is good, solid Agatha Christie murder mystery fare. I would say the red herrings outnumber the clues, but the clues are there. For the most part, the characters are not particularly likeable and I think this is deliberate. First published in 1931, the novel reflects the malaise that affected a certain section of society between the wars; privileged people who sought to alleviate the shallowness of their existence by dabbling with danger in its different forms.

Hercule Poirot is superb. Right up to the last minute, the murderer thinks that he/she has pulled the wool over his eyes, but then the little Belgian pounces and in a denouement that last several chapters, brings all the loose ends together and unmasks a cold and remorseless killer.

You can get hold of Peril at End House via the following links.

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