Book #154 of 2022:
After the Funeral by Agatha Christie (Hercule Poirot #26)
The setting: a wealthy man’s funeral, at which his estranged family has gathered to hear the will, when his sister awkwardly suggests that his death of apparent illness might in fact have been a murder. The next morning, she is found brutally killed herself, with no clear motive beyond that tenuous link to her brother. Everyone’s unrelated lies and secrets form the usual red herrings, and about halfway through this book — published under the title Funerals are Fatal in the US — Hercule Poirot is brought in to investigate and resolve the case(s).
It’s another Agatha Christie story that I like but don’t love, in part because I can’t buy that a) the killer would go to the elaborate lengths eventually revealed, b) such a deception would have actually fooled anyone, or c) once pulled off successfully, it could have ever been deduced in the manner described. Even though my hunch toward a suspect proved correct, I haven’t enjoyed seeing the puzzle of this mystery come together as much as I’d prefer. The author’s typical assortment of big personalities and British class drama suffices to entertain, but the spark exhibited by her best creations is lacking.
[Content warning for sexism and ableism.]
★★★☆☆
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