211 pages
Published April 30, 1986 by Bantam.
The dentist was found with a blackened hole below his right temple. A pistol lay on the floor near his outflung right hand. Later, one of his patients was found dead from a lethal dose of local anaesthetic. A clear case of murder and suicide. But why would a dentist commit a crime in the middle of a busy day of appointments? A shoe buckle holds the key to the mystery. Now – in the words of the rhyme – can Poirot pick up the sticks and lay them straight?
I always love Poirot's books when a theme is incorporated. In this one, Christie named every chapter after a line in the nursery rhyme, One two, buckle my shoe. Also, the chapter titles still describe the chapter's content. I think that that made reading this book that much more enjoyable. It was already five stars, of course. This was an excellent book, and I enjoyed reading it very much.
This is one Agatha Christie that I had not read, for some unknown reason, for some time. I had even forgotten whodunnit, which is unusual. A lot of times that's ALL I remember. This one surprised me. There's some real darkness at its core that's very different for a Poirot novel. There's a lot about politics (mostly radical), innocent people being harmed, and a very cold-blooded psychopathic killer just full of excuses for their behavior. I really loathed this killer for their flippant disregard of other people's lives.
“Yes, we are all human beings. That is what you have not remembered." (Hercule Poirot)
The story starts simply - and humorously - enough with Poirot going to his dentist, Dr Henry Morley. Later, Poirot learns that Dr Morley is dead - supposedly a suicide. When another of Morley's patients, Mr Amberiotis, dies of an overdose from a dental anesthetic. Did Morley …
This is one Agatha Christie that I had not read, for some unknown reason, for some time. I had even forgotten whodunnit, which is unusual. A lot of times that's ALL I remember. This one surprised me. There's some real darkness at its core that's very different for a Poirot novel. There's a lot about politics (mostly radical), innocent people being harmed, and a very cold-blooded psychopathic killer just full of excuses for their behavior. I really loathed this killer for their flippant disregard of other people's lives.
“Yes, we are all human beings. That is what you have not remembered." (Hercule Poirot)
The story starts simply - and humorously - enough with Poirot going to his dentist, Dr Henry Morley. Later, Poirot learns that Dr Morley is dead - supposedly a suicide. When another of Morley's patients, Mr Amberiotis, dies of an overdose from a dental anesthetic. Did Morley commit suicide when he realized what he had done? Of course, it's not that simple - it never is with Christie. Then another patient of Morley's, Mabelle Sainsbury Seale, vanishes.
To say anything else would ruin the fun of reading this excellent Agatha Christie. Very recommended.
