Towards Zero (Agatha Christie Collection)

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Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan. Of course we have. Look here, Kay, we’ve had this out before. Sir Matthew was my guardian. He and Camilla looked after me. Gull’s Point is my home, as far as any place is home to me.’ Battle arrests Audrey on the evidence and her ready admission of guilt. However, Battle's daughter had previously confessed to a theft she did not commit due to overwhelming pressure, and so he suspects that Audrey is in a similar situation. MacWhirter meets Battle and tells him what he has learned about this case, including his observation of a man swimming across the creek on the night of the brutal murder, and climbing into the house on a rope. Then, Thomas reveals that Audrey had ended their marriage, not Nevile, as she had grown afraid of him. She was about to marry Adrian Royde, Thomas' brother, when Adrian was killed in a road accident. With the parties on a motor launch, Battle uses this information to force a confession from Nevile Strange. He was the mastermind behind all the events and circumstances that should have converged into "zero" – the hanging of his first wife for the murder of Lady Tressilian. Lady Tressilian is now confined to her bed, but still invites guests to her seaside home at Gull's Point during the summer. Tennis star Nevile Strange, former ward of Lady Tressilian's deceased husband, incurs her displeasure when he proposes to bring both his new wife, Kay, and his former wife, Audrey, to visit at the same time – a change from past years. Lady Tressilian grudgingly agrees to this set of incompatible guests. A long time family friend, Thomas Royde, home after a long stretch working overseas and still faithfully waiting on the sidelines for Audrey, is also a guest. Staying in hotels nearby are Kay’s friend, Ted Latimer, and Mr Treves, an elderly former solicitor and long time friend of the Tressilians.

It was an April day such as usually occurs at least once in a month, hotter than most of the June days to follow. Amateur Sleuth: While his line of work is not specified, it is quite obvious that Angus MacWhirter is not an officer of the law. However, when he became involved in Lady Tressilian's murder via Audrey, he did some snooping around (without the police knowing) with some help by Mary Aldin by finding and securing the damp rope used by the murderer, and managed to deduce the truth of the murder while presenting it as an eyewitness account. Averted in the Radio 4 adaptation, which merges Superintendent Battle into his character and makes him a disgraced ex-detective with the Met. Superintendent Battle feels more fleshed out in this (his last) book. He's more of a participant in this story than he is in the others and that made me happy.Bed bound Lady Tressilian still intends to invite guests to her seaside home at Gull's Point during the summer, one of the guests included tennis star Nevile Strange.

Chimunīzu-kan no himitsu is the title of a Japanese manga album published in 2006. The album contains manga adaptations in Japanese of The Secret of Chimneys, Sparkling Cyanide and Towards Zero. Nevile Strange (no relation to Doctor) is a handsome tennis star who is married to a young hottie. But when he meets his ex-wife in the park, it's decided that they should all just try to get along and be friends again. Which translates into staying at his aunt's estate at the same time over the holidays. Battle is in many respects typical of Christie's police officers, being (like Inspector Japp), more careful and intelligent than the police officers of early detective fiction, who had served only as foils for the brilliance of the amateur sleuth.Busman's Holiday: The Superintendent and his nephew were having a vacation near Gull's Point when the tragedy occurred. The Quiet One: Thomas Royde is said to be a man of few words, often responding to questions in monosyllables. This is one of those Christie mysteries that leaves out a pretty HUGE chunk of pertinent information till the very last few chapters. You will probably be (just like I was) suspecting everyone except the killer right up till she throws down that last clue.