4.50 from Paddington; Lord Edgware Dies; Murder in Mesopotamia
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4.50 from Paddington
Mrs. McGillicuddy had a problem. There, right in front of her eyes and only a few feet away, she had seen a murder committed. There had been nothing she could do to prevent it because she and the principals in the drama were on different trains - and soon, going their separate ways, were far apart. She reported the matter of course; but the scepticism of officialdom was not lessened when no strangled corpse came to light - neither aboard any train nor beside any track. Fortunately Mrs. McGillicuddy had a friend who knew her to be neither a fevered nor an over-imaginative old lady. The friend was none other than the exceptional Miss Marple who, as her many admirers will know, was just the right person to respond to a challenge such as a murder mystery without a corpse...
Mrs. McGillicuddy had a problem. There, right in front of her eyes and only a few feet away, she had seen a murder committed. There had been nothing she could do to prevent it because she and the principals in the drama were on different trains - and soon, going their separate ways, were far apart. She reported the matter of course; but the scepticism of officialdom was not lessened when no strangled corpse came to light - neither aboard any train nor beside any track. Fortunately Mrs. McGillicuddy had a friend who knew her to be neither a fevered nor an over-imaginative old lady. The friend was none other than the exceptional Miss Marple who, as her many admirers will know, was just the right person to respond to a challenge such as a murder mystery without a corpse...
Lord Edgware Dies
Jane Wilkinson was an actress. She was also quite exceptionally beautiful - and American, and she had an unusual request to make of Poirot. She wanted his assistance in the ending, by any means whatever, of her unsatisfactory marriage. Even the worldly-wise Poirot was somewhat shocked by the discovery that she really did mean by any means ... and he was soon to have a greater shock. In private life Jane Wilkinson was Lady Edgware; and Lord Edgware was found dead in his own library, stabbed very neatly and with fierce precision at the base of the skull.
There were some puzzling features about the case besides the somewhat unusual method of despatch. For example: Poirot knew that the unlovable baron was no less keen than his wife to have the marriage ended.
Jane Wilkinson was an actress. She was also quite exceptionally beautiful - and American, and she had an unusual request to make of Poirot. She wanted his assistance in the ending, by any means whatever, of her unsatisfactory marriage. Even the worldly-wise Poirot was somewhat shocked by the discovery that she really did mean by any means ... and he was soon to have a greater shock. In private life Jane Wilkinson was Lady Edgware; and Lord Edgware was found dead in his own library, stabbed very neatly and with fierce precision at the base of the skull.
There were some puzzling features about the case besides the somewhat unusual method of despatch. For example: Poirot knew that the unlovable baron was no less keen than his wife to have the marriage ended.
Murder in Mesopotamia
A nice quiet temporary job providing the chance to see something of the world; that is what the assignment in Tell Yarimjah seemed to offer, and Nurse Leatheran accepted promptly. But she quickly discovered that it was no ordinary job, and that her companions were - well, not quite ordinary.
She had been warned that they all pass the butter to each other a shade too politely. And then there was Mrs. Leidner. Mrs. Leidner; half hysterical with a fear that someone intended her to die. Disturbing, or course; but the sort of thing a highly competent nurse could be expected to cope with - until Mrs. Leidner's murder shows that her fears had not been groundless.
This is Nurse Leatheran's own account of the strange events in which she became involved, and of their oddly assorted participants - including a strange little Belgian with the inappropriate name of Hercule. These events provide an enthralling test of Poirot's special genius.
A nice quiet temporary job providing the chance to see something of the world; that is what the assignment in Tell Yarimjah seemed to offer, and Nurse Leatheran accepted promptly. But she quickly discovered that it was no ordinary job, and that her companions were - well, not quite ordinary.
She had been warned that they all pass the butter to each other a shade too politely. And then there was Mrs. Leidner. Mrs. Leidner; half hysterical with a fear that someone intended her to die. Disturbing, or course; but the sort of thing a highly competent nurse could be expected to cope with - until Mrs. Leidner's murder shows that her fears had not been groundless.
This is Nurse Leatheran's own account of the strange events in which she became involved, and of their oddly assorted participants - including a strange little Belgian with the inappropriate name of Hercule. These events provide an enthralling test of Poirot's special genius.
