Review: Crooked House by Agatha Christie

★★★★★

Interestingly dark!

When Aristide Leonides dies suddenly in his mansion located just outside of London, the police are called in to investigate the suspicious death. They soon learn that the death was not natural – Aristide, a rich businessman married to a woman 50 years his junior and surrounded by his seemingly loving family, has been murdered. Someone in his household has substituted barbiturate for his insulin injection.

Charles Hayward, engaged to Aristide’s granddaughter, is also the son of a senior police official and is asked to participate in the investigation by both his finance and his father.

I enjoy mysteries where the investigator is not a police official. While this mystery is not a true “closed circle” because the characters can actually leave the house, it has the feeling of one. The entire family lives in the rambling house that Aristide built and while they have separate areas of the house, they appear to spend a lot of time together and seem to be very close with both Aristide and each other.

I like that Christie doesn’t feel the need to fill in detailed back stories for each character. You learn the key facts but don’t get mired in a lot of details trying to explain each character’s behaviour. The reader is given enough detail to make certain assumptions that help you get to know each of the family members and start to try to figure out who the killer is.

I know from reading other reviews that some readers figured it out before the ending. I was not one of them and was surprised – and somewhat horrified – by the reveal. Highly recommend this one!