Elinor Carlisle is on trial for murdering Mary Gerrard at the beginning of this Christie novel. A doctor who knows her hires Hercule Poirot to find some evidence that will save her.
It all begins when Elinor receives an anonymous letter telling her that her inheritance from her Aunt Laura may be in jeopardy. Elinor isn’t really worried about that, since she and her cousin Roddy have long understood from her aunt that they will inherit. However, she realizes she should go down for a visit because her aunt is not well, and Roddy goes with her. They have always planned to marry, no matter who gets the money, and they decide to become formally engaged.
The note warned against Mary Gerrard, a lodge keeper’s daughter, whom Aunt Laura has had educated. Mary has been visiting Aunt Laura frequently since she returned from school. No sooner does Roddy see Mary than he falls in love with her. Elinor, who has always hidden how much she loves Roddy, sees this and breaks the engagement.
When Elinor is there on another visit, summoned because her aunt has had another stroke, the county nurse misses a vial of morphine. Aunt Laura asks Elinor to summon her lawyer, but she dies that night.
Elinor is surprised to learn that Aunt Laura died intestate and that as her closest relative, she gets everything. However, she gives £2000 to Mary and tries to give money to Roddy, but he won’t take it. When she is there to go through her aunt’s things, Mary is poisoned while eating sandwiches with Elinor and the county nurse, and dies.
Things look bad for Elinor, and at first everything Poirot can discover seems to point to her guilt. But the answer may lie in the past.
I began to have an inkling of the truth but not until the very end of the novel. However, I was sympathetic to Elinor and wanted her to be innocent. This was a Christie I hadn’t come across before and may not have read had it not been for the 1940 Club.
whatmeread 
This book left me nervous of ever eating fish paste sandwiches! 😉
I don’t even know what fish paste is. It doesn’t sound delightful.
Hahaha, I think it was hangover here from war-time rationing but it is still available in supermarkets, so people must still eat it!
I am on a quest to read all, or most, of AC’s books. I have not arrived at this one yet, but love the books which have protagonists which are not the usual, like HP and Miss M. I did not read all of the review, not to have any spoilers. The beginning sounds great though.
That’s a big quest! I’ve been reading her for years and don’t get the sense by any means that I even know about all her books. I probably didn’t leave any spoilers, because I tend not to; however, this is a Hercule Poirot book.