After his short-lived retirement and country living, Hercule Poirot is back in his flat in London. Miss Lemon is back as his assistant. Hastings is back from Argentina, semi-broke after a bad investment decision and sans bride. Chief Inspector Japp is around, so the old gang are reunited, and have a dinner to celebrate. A few days later, Poirot gets drawn into the private lives of curmudgeonly Lord Edgware and his beautiful young actress wife, Jane Wilkinson. Lady Jane wants a divorce and Lord Edgware won't accede to her request. She asks Poirot, as a friend of Lord Edgware, to try to convince him. When Poirot speaks to Lord Edgware it is revealed that he decided to agree a month earlier, and informed Lady Jane of this in writing. Lady Jane says she never received the letter. Later that night, Lord Edgware is murdered, and witnesses say that they saw Lady Jane entering his study around the time of the murder. However, soon hereafter an actress, Carlotta Adams, is found dead in her bed from a drug overdose. Poirot had deduced that she had impersonated Lady Jane that night, but arrived too late to prevent her death. So it looks like Carlotta Adams killed Lord Edgware, but, as Poirot believes it was murder, who killed Carlotta Adams?
Intriguing, as always, with some great twists and turns. One or two implausibilities but a reasonably good plot nonetheless. Great to see Hastings back - his naivety, lack of objectivity with regard to female suspects and accidental crime-solving make him one of my favourite long-term characters in the Hercule Poirot series. After Poirot, of course...
