This, to me, is the most sad kind of Poirot short story. The kind that takes an amazing concept and gives us an incredibly underwhelming delivery. Sad day.
A middle-aged woman appears on Poirot’s doorstep with one concern: that her husband is trying to poison her. Curious and concerned, Papa Poirot takes the case. Not long later, however, the woman turns up dead! Too late to save the victim, will our beloved Belgian at least be able to bring her killer to justice?
Concept wise, this is amazing. Meeting the victim shortly before their death, with them being suspicious of their coming demise? It’s ingenious!
In terms of delivery, it leaves a bit to be desired. The actual solving of the mystery is very underwhelming. It doesn’t present the pieces and ask you to solve it. It just kinda goes, then Poirot figures out what happened.
How? Why, he had information the audience didn’t have, of course! Because that’s fair to the reader!
To be fair, the actual story isn’t bad. You meet some interesting characters with some interesting motives. If this were a family drama, it would be really good! Short, simple, and compelling.
But I ain’t here for family drama. I’m here for detective work!
Because those two things are always mutually exclusive.
This one is alright. Not much of a gripping mystery, but a decent enough story. If you’re looking for a fun mental puzzle, look elsewhere. But if you just want a half-decent narrative, this one is worth the time.
Jonah's Books & Rants 
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