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Hercule Poirot #11
Murder in Three Acts
The Reverend Stephen Babbington seldom imbibed, but for the glittering soirée given by renowned actor Sir Charles Cartwright, he indulged in a cocktail...and fell over dead. Since there was no trace of poison and no motive for murder, the case was closed. Then an identical death at a London party with the same guest list presents Hercule Poirot with his most unusual mystery. In need of both clues and suspects, the masterful detective stages a dinner party of his own...at which Death is the guest of honour.
230 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published June 1, 1934
About the author
Agatha Christie
4,358 books66.7k followersAgatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
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November 5, 2021
Three Act Tragedy = Murder in three acts (Hercule Poirot #11), Agatha Christie
Three Act Tragedy is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in 1934 under the title Murder in Three Acts and in the UK in January 1935 under Christie's original title. Sir Charles Cartwright hosts a dinner party at his home in Cornwall.
His guests include: Hercule Poirot; Dr Bartholomew Strange; Lady Mary Lytton Gore, and her daughter Hermione; Captain Dacres and his wife Cynthia; Muriel Wills; Oliver Manders; Mr Satterthwaite; and Reverend Babbington and his wife.
When Babbington suddenly dies after sipping one of the cocktails being served, Cartwright believes it was murder. An investigation finds no poison in his glass.
After his funeral, Poirot travels to Monte Carlo, where he is met with news from Satterthwaite and Cartwright that Dr Strange is dead.
While holding a dinner party at his home in Yorkshire, Strange suddenly died after drinking a glass of port. The coroner rules he was poisoned with nicotine, despite no trace of it in his glass.
With the exception of the three men, Strange's guests are the same ones who attended Cartwright's party. Due to the similarities, Babbington's body is exhumed, whereupon police find he died from the exact same causes.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «قتل در آشیانه کلاغ»؛ «مهمانی شوم»؛ «تراژدی در سه پرده»؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز چهاردهم ماه ژانویه سال2010میلادی
عنوان: مهمانی شوم؛ اثر: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: بهرام افراسیابی، ناشر: تهران، راد، سال1372، تعداد صفحات: در185صفحه، شابک ندارد؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م
عنوان: قتل در آشیانه کلاغ؛ اثر: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: مزدک، تهران، گوتنبرگ، سال نشر: سال1373، تعداد صفحات: در197صفحه، شابک ندارد؛
عنوان: تراژدی در سه پرده؛ اثر: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: محمدعلی ایزدبخش، تهران، هرمس، نشر سال1388 (چاپ دوم)، تعداد صفحات: در293صفحه، شابک9789643634117؛
سر «چارلز کارترایت»، هنرپیشه ی پیشین، ملکی که در نزدیکی دریا دارد، ضیافت شامی برگزار کرده است؛ سیزده نفر در مجلس او حضور دارند، که از جمله ی این افراد «هرکول پوآرو»، و آقای «کارترایت» و ...، هستند؛ ولی چون خیال می‌کنند، عدد سیزده نحس است، و خوب نیست تعداد میهمانان سیزده نفر باشد، خانم «وایولت میلری»، منشی «سر چارلز» را هم به جمع مهمانان میافزایند، و تعداد آنها به چهارده نفر می‌رسد؛ پس از صرف شام، خدمتکاری برای میهمانان نوشیدنی می‌آورد، اما در هنگام صرف نوشیدنی، ...؛ و ادامه ی داستان
تراژدی در سه پرده نیز، همچون برخی از آثار دیگر بانو «کریستی»، نشان می‌دهد، که نویسنده، در مورد «سم» آگاهی بسیاری دارند؛ در داستان سه نفر (یک «کشیش» و یک «دکتر» و یک «بیمار روانی») به طرز زیرکانه، و بی‌رحمانه ای، به قتل می‌رسند؛ قاتل آن‌قدر زیرک است، که «پوآرو» اعتراف می‌کند، خود او هم ممکن بوده؛ مسموم شود؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 19/09/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 13/08/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
Three Act Tragedy is a work of detective fiction by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in 1934 under the title Murder in Three Acts and in the UK in January 1935 under Christie's original title. Sir Charles Cartwright hosts a dinner party at his home in Cornwall.
His guests include: Hercule Poirot; Dr Bartholomew Strange; Lady Mary Lytton Gore, and her daughter Hermione; Captain Dacres and his wife Cynthia; Muriel Wills; Oliver Manders; Mr Satterthwaite; and Reverend Babbington and his wife.
When Babbington suddenly dies after sipping one of the cocktails being served, Cartwright believes it was murder. An investigation finds no poison in his glass.
After his funeral, Poirot travels to Monte Carlo, where he is met with news from Satterthwaite and Cartwright that Dr Strange is dead.
While holding a dinner party at his home in Yorkshire, Strange suddenly died after drinking a glass of port. The coroner rules he was poisoned with nicotine, despite no trace of it in his glass.
With the exception of the three men, Strange's guests are the same ones who attended Cartwright's party. Due to the similarities, Babbington's body is exhumed, whereupon police find he died from the exact same causes.
عنوانهای چاپ شده در ایران: «قتل در آشیانه کلاغ»؛ «مهمانی شوم»؛ «تراژدی در سه پرده»؛ نویسنده: آگاتا کریستی؛ تاریخ نخستین خوانش: روز چهاردهم ماه ژانویه سال2010میلادی
عنوان: مهمانی شوم؛ اثر: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: بهرام افراسیابی، ناشر: تهران، راد، سال1372، تعداد صفحات: در185صفحه، شابک ندارد؛ موضوع داستانهای نویسندگان بریتانیا - سده 20م
عنوان: قتل در آشیانه کلاغ؛ اثر: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: مزدک، تهران، گوتنبرگ، سال نشر: سال1373، تعداد صفحات: در197صفحه، شابک ندارد؛
عنوان: تراژدی در سه پرده؛ اثر: آگاتا کریستی؛ مترجم: محمدعلی ایزدبخش، تهران، هرمس، نشر سال1388 (چاپ دوم)، تعداد صفحات: در293صفحه، شابک9789643634117؛
سر «چارلز کارترایت»، هنرپیشه ی پیشین، ملکی که در نزدیکی دریا دارد، ضیافت شامی برگزار کرده است؛ سیزده نفر در مجلس او حضور دارند، که از جمله ی این افراد «هرکول پوآرو»، و آقای «کارترایت» و ...، هستند؛ ولی چون خیال می‌کنند، عدد سیزده نحس است، و خوب نیست تعداد میهمانان سیزده نفر باشد، خانم «وایولت میلری»، منشی «سر چارلز» را هم به جمع مهمانان میافزایند، و تعداد آنها به چهارده نفر می‌رسد؛ پس از صرف شام، خدمتکاری برای میهمانان نوشیدنی می‌آورد، اما در هنگام صرف نوشیدنی، ...؛ و ادامه ی داستان
تراژدی در سه پرده نیز، همچون برخی از آثار دیگر بانو «کریستی»، نشان می‌دهد، که نویسنده، در مورد «سم» آگاهی بسیاری دارند؛ در داستان سه نفر (یک «کشیش» و یک «دکتر» و یک «بیمار روانی») به طرز زیرکانه، و بی‌رحمانه ای، به قتل می‌رسند؛ قاتل آن‌قدر زیرک است، که «پوآرو» اعتراف می‌کند، خود او هم ممکن بوده؛ مسموم شود؛
تاریخ بهنگام رسانی 19/09/1399هجری خورشیدی؛ 13/08/1400هجری خورشیدی؛ ا. شربیانی
July 15, 2024
Three Act Tragedy, published in 1935 and also known as “Murder in Three Acts” is not a play, but a novel by Agatha Christie. It is her ninth novel to feature her famous Belgian sleuth, Hercule Poirot, who had already starred in a collection of short stories and an actual play. Agatha Christie’s readers were beginning to look forward to an appearance by their favourite pompous, puffed-up little retired detective, and much of the humour in these books comes from his behaviour and the attitude of those around him. In the first few pages, one character here describes Poirot as the:
“most conceited little devil I ever met … rum little beggar … rather a celebrated little beggar though”.
Agatha Christie planned the structure of her stories in detail, and this carefully crafted work is presented as a piece of theatre, in which the story is split into 3 Acts. In the “First Act―Suspicion”, there is a mysterious death, with suspicions about how the person died. The “Second Act―Certainty” begins with the announcement of another character’s death. And in the “Third Act―Discovery” Hercule Poirot comes centre stage.
Even the frontispiece is laid out to reinforce this amusingly droll literary device. It resembles a theatrical programme for Three Act Tragedy:
Directed by
SIR CHARLES CARTWRIGHT
Assistant Directors
MR SATTERTHWAITE
MISS HERMIONE LYTTON GORE
Clothes by
AMBROSINE LTD
Illumination by
HERCULE POIROT
(It even provides a cheeky subtle clue.)
In a way Sir Charles Cartwright does direct the show; he is the focal character of the entire piece. It is in his bungalow, high above the harbour of Loomouth, where the action begins, and in his enquiries he is ably assisted by two characters: the keenly observant and amiable Mr. Satterthwaite, and the young enthusiastic Hermione Lytton Gore otherwise known as “Egg”. Together they spend most of the novel discovering and slowly revealing the mystery. Eventually however, Poirot turns his “illuminating” gaze on the whole proceedings, and aided by his perspicacious direction, the reader sees spotlight after spotlight added, until the stage is floodlit, revealing the entire audacious plot in sharp focus.
Agatha Christie had by now developed a smooth touch, and was expert in leading by false impressions, under the guise of inviting her readers to solve the crime for themselves. She had become the mistress of misdirection. We have a finite and well described list of characters from whom to select our villain. Spunky young heroines, debonair, dashing or angry youths, crusty elderly military or professional men, accompanied by their busybody or good-hearted astute wives, all feature again and again in Agatha Christie’s novels.
Other recurring elements include the references to a well-known nursery rhyme, the sending of a poisoned box of chocolates, a tattoo or a birthmark, a quirky name for one of the young female characters, and a spot of matchmaking by Hercule Poirot. And servants, although not often considered as central to the story, may not always be what they seem. Yet familiar as the disparate elements may be, the plots still entertain and set our own “little grey cells” working.
And so the curtain rises, and our play begins. Immediately we have a sense of deja vu. The action begins yet again, in a country house in the fictitious seaside town of “Loomouth”― that clever conflation of the real life “Looe” and “Exmouth”― in Cornwall, where Agatha Christie’s earlier novel, “Peril at End House” had been set. The celebrated actor, Sir Charles Cartwright is hosting a lavish dinner party at his bungalow, “Crow’s Nest”. His long-standing and loyal housekeeper Miss Milray, has efficiently offered to be present at the dinner, to obviate the horror of having thirteen seated at dinner. Thus yet again we encounter the superstitious idea that “thirteen at dinner” would be disastrously unlucky.
We meet each of the remaining dozen guests. They are Dr. Bartholomew Strange, Lady Mary Lytton Gore and her daughter Hermione, nicknamed “Egg”, Captain Dacres, who gambles, and his wife Cynthia, a successful dressmaker― the original for “Abrosine”, in the mock theatrical programme at the commencement of this novel. There is also the playwright Muriel Wills, whose professional name is “Anthony Astor”, Oliver Manders, a young motorcycle mechanic, Angela Sutcliffe, a well-known actress, the personable and astute Mr. Satterthwaite, the mild-mannered Reverend Babbington and his wife, and, of course, the star of the show for us … who else but … Monsieur Hercule Poirot.
The dinner has not even started when catastrophe strikes. One of the guests suddenly chokes on their cocktail, goes into convulsions and dies. But have they been murdered, as the host believes? The guests are none too sure, but Hercule Poirot deems this unlikely. The relevant martini glass was sent for chemical analysis, but as Hercule Poirot had predicted, no trace of any poison was found there. There was in addition, no motive for such a crime―the victim was well loved and respected―and the possibility of a suicide seemed ridiculous. Therefore the great detective concluded that this was an unfortunate death, but not a suspicious one. It must, after all, have been due to natural causes.
Act Two tightens the screw. A few months later Mr. Satterthwaite is in Monaco, and has been reading about the circumstances of another death he considers suspicious. Sir Charles Cartwright is also in Monte Carlo, and shows him another newspaper clipping which names the guests present on this occasion. Could it be mere coincidence that a number of them had also been present at his own dinner party, all that time ago?
The two ruminate over this problem, and we are privy to their thoughts. There is no doubt, surely, that this is a case for M. Hercule Poirot to solve, especially since he also happens to be in Monte Carlo at the same time. Egg Lytton Gore has already written to Sir Charles Cartwright, asking him to return to London as soon as he can, so Mr. Satterthwaite and Sir Charles Cartwright both then decide to return to England by the next train, to try to determine who this audacious murderer is. However, as we know, Hercule Poirot is not one to dash off on what might be a wild goose chase. The others are frustrated by his lack of participation, but Poirot prefers to cogitate, scolding them:
“Only one thing will solve this case―the little grey cells of the brain. To rush up and down England, to hope that this person and that will tell us what we want to know―all such methods are amateurish and absurd. The truth can only be seen from within.”
… “But yes, exactly that. Think! With thought, all problems can be solved.”
We love to read about Poirot’s eccentricities, but Sir Charles and Mr Satterthwaite also themselves at times provide us with an entertaining picture:
“They hunted round the floor, raising the carpet, looking under the bed. There was nothing anywhere, except a splash of ink beside the fireplace. The room was disappointingly bare.
They left it in a somewhat disconcerted fashion. Their zeal as detectives was momentarily dampened.
Possibly the thought passed through their minds that things were arranged better in books.”
From now on, Hercule Poirot is absent. It is not until Act 3, chapter 3, that we read “Re-enter Hercule Poirot”, and his loyal friend Captain Hastings is not mentioned at all in this novel. For most of Three Act Tragedy, the role of amateur sleuth is taken by Mr Satterthwaite, aided surprisingly by Egg Lytton Gore as well as Sir Charles. There is even a third murder, to engage their attention.
Interestingly, Three Act Tragedy is the only story in which Mr Satterthwaite assists Hercule Poirot. Usually he can be found assisting another of her characters, Harley Quin, in particular the stories in “The Mysterious Mr. Quin” published in 1930. Here, he wisely observes:
“One knows so little. When one knows more it is too late.”
In Three Act Tragedy, there are subplots a-plenty, involving blackmail and insanity as well as murder. There are hidden romantic liaisons as well as obsessional love; there is an actor who is always playing a part, and loves to be centre stage, displaying his many talents for theatrics; there is the semblance of a character who never, in fact, existed: and there is even an insane asylum, and a secret laboratory, where the poisons could be distilled. And running through is a nursery rhyme: the title of Muriel Wills’s play: “Little Dog Laughed” of which she says:
“It’s a kind of modern version of the nursery rhyme―a lot of froth and nonsense―Hey diddle diddle and the dish and the spoon scandal. Of course it all revolves around Miss Sutcliffe’s part―everyone dances to her fiddling―that’s the idea.”
Sir Charles said:
“Not bad. The world nowadays is rather like a mad nursery rhyme. And the little dog laughed to see such sport, eh?” And he thought suddenly: “Of course this woman’s the Little Dog. She looks on and laughs.”
But who exactly, in Murder in Three Acts is looking on, and laughing?
Although the definitive version of this novel is now considered to be the 1935 Three Act Tragedy, its first true publication was as a serial in six installments. This was in the American magazine, the “Saturday Evening Post” the previous year, under the title “Murder in Three Acts”. Current American editions of Three Act Tragedy still differ, in that the motive of the killer has been changed. Surprisingly this has not needed any rewriting or adjustment in any other chapters of the novel.
Although we may miss the inclusion of the endearingly straight Captain Hastings, there is continuity of a sort. In the later novel, “The ABC Murders” Poirot recounts to his friend what had occurred since they last met. Incredible as it may seem, he, Hercule Poirot, had been almost “exterminated” by a murderer who was “not so much enterprising as careless”. The point where Poirot realises this, is one of the novel’s most enjoyable moments:
“Mr. Satterthwaite looked cheered.
Suddenly an idea struck him. His jaw fell.
‘My goodness,’ he cried, ‘I’ve only just realized it! That rascal, with his poisoned cocktail! Anyone might have drunk it! It might have been me!’
‘There is an even more terrible possibility that you have not considered,’ said Poirot.
‘Eh?’
‘It might have been me,’ said Hercule Poirot.”
Murder in Three Acts is not, in my opinion, one of Agatha Christie’s greatest works, but it is an enjoyable and innovative tale, where guessing the perpetrator will use all your skills of detection. I personally failed, perhaps because I am always deceived by one of her cleverly written characters, in this case Yet of the two novels, I consider this the lesser one, even though it was the first of Agatha Christie’s books to sell 10,000 copies in its first year.
Agatha Christie’s love for the theatre is evident, and the way she incorporated this into her writing is ingenious: the end sequence in Chapter 15, “Curtain” is a particular delight. As is her wont, her detective has set a trap for the suspects, in this case in chapter 11, entitled “Poirot Gives a Sherry Party”. What he learns here consolidates his theories, and enables him to gather together all the suspects, before he delivers a revealing speech which will be devastating for one person there …
“Hercule Poirot sat in a big armchair. The wall lights had been turned out. Only a rose-shaded lamp shed its light on the figure in the armchair. There seemed something symbolic about it―he alone in the light―and the other three―Sir Charles, Mr Satterthwaite and Egg Lytton Gore―Poirot’s audience―sitting in the outer darkness.”
And yet for all this delightfully tight construction, there is a lot of loose writing in the novel, which jars a little. In the first few pages, Agatha Christie keeps using the word “unconsciously”, and even says “it was impossible to tell” twice within three sentences. Surely this must have been better edited out. Also, the author’s subliminal thinking is sometimes evident, such as this Freudian slip. Mr Satterthwaite is strolling in the gardens, and cogitating on Egg Lytton Gore. He remarks:
“Now where have I seen that particular shaped head before?” as Hercule Poirot comes into his view.
A lengthy series of novels, whose detective was retired in the very first one, must inevitably create some problems for the author. And why is Captain Hastings sometimes there, and others not? He actually married one of the characters in the second novel featuring Hercule Poirot, “Murder on the Links”, which would have made a considerable difference to his life in general. Agatha Christie must have hoped that her readers would forget some of the details.
Agatha Christie could be skilled at “covering up” inconsistencies in her writing. For instance, it is noticeable that Poirot sometimes speaks perfect English, and at others he seems to be stumbling a great deal, as if English is an unfamiliar language to him:
“Why do you sometimes speak perfectly good English and at other times not?”
Poirot laughed.
“Ah, I will explain. It is true that I can speak the exact, the idiomatic English. But, my friend, to speak the broken English is an enormous asset. It leads people to despise you. They say―a foreigner―he can’t even speak English properly. It is not my policy to terrify people―instead I invite their gentle ridicule. Also I boast! An Englishman he says often ‘A fellow who thinks as much of himself as that cannot be worth much.’ That is the English point of view. It is not at all true. And so, you see, I put people off their guard. Besides,” he added, “it has become a habit.”
Despite this explanation’s clear contrivance, it serves to convince us. We also forgive any coincidences, and even the weak motive for the murders. We are left feeling fully satisfied that here all fits together in a complex, neat jigsaw: the puzzle completed, with no missing pieces.
“most conceited little devil I ever met … rum little beggar … rather a celebrated little beggar though”.
Agatha Christie planned the structure of her stories in detail, and this carefully crafted work is presented as a piece of theatre, in which the story is split into 3 Acts. In the “First Act―Suspicion”, there is a mysterious death, with suspicions about how the person died. The “Second Act―Certainty” begins with the announcement of another character’s death. And in the “Third Act―Discovery” Hercule Poirot comes centre stage.
Even the frontispiece is laid out to reinforce this amusingly droll literary device. It resembles a theatrical programme for Three Act Tragedy:
Directed by
SIR CHARLES CARTWRIGHT
Assistant Directors
MR SATTERTHWAITE
MISS HERMIONE LYTTON GORE
Clothes by
AMBROSINE LTD
Illumination by
HERCULE POIROT
(It even provides a cheeky subtle clue.)
In a way Sir Charles Cartwright does direct the show; he is the focal character of the entire piece. It is in his bungalow, high above the harbour of Loomouth, where the action begins, and in his enquiries he is ably assisted by two characters: the keenly observant and amiable Mr. Satterthwaite, and the young enthusiastic Hermione Lytton Gore otherwise known as “Egg”. Together they spend most of the novel discovering and slowly revealing the mystery. Eventually however, Poirot turns his “illuminating” gaze on the whole proceedings, and aided by his perspicacious direction, the reader sees spotlight after spotlight added, until the stage is floodlit, revealing the entire audacious plot in sharp focus.
Agatha Christie had by now developed a smooth touch, and was expert in leading by false impressions, under the guise of inviting her readers to solve the crime for themselves. She had become the mistress of misdirection. We have a finite and well described list of characters from whom to select our villain. Spunky young heroines, debonair, dashing or angry youths, crusty elderly military or professional men, accompanied by their busybody or good-hearted astute wives, all feature again and again in Agatha Christie’s novels.
Other recurring elements include the references to a well-known nursery rhyme, the sending of a poisoned box of chocolates, a tattoo or a birthmark, a quirky name for one of the young female characters, and a spot of matchmaking by Hercule Poirot. And servants, although not often considered as central to the story, may not always be what they seem. Yet familiar as the disparate elements may be, the plots still entertain and set our own “little grey cells” working.
And so the curtain rises, and our play begins. Immediately we have a sense of deja vu. The action begins yet again, in a country house in the fictitious seaside town of “Loomouth”― that clever conflation of the real life “Looe” and “Exmouth”― in Cornwall, where Agatha Christie’s earlier novel, “Peril at End House” had been set. The celebrated actor, Sir Charles Cartwright is hosting a lavish dinner party at his bungalow, “Crow’s Nest”. His long-standing and loyal housekeeper Miss Milray, has efficiently offered to be present at the dinner, to obviate the horror of having thirteen seated at dinner. Thus yet again we encounter the superstitious idea that “thirteen at dinner” would be disastrously unlucky.
We meet each of the remaining dozen guests. They are Dr. Bartholomew Strange, Lady Mary Lytton Gore and her daughter Hermione, nicknamed “Egg”, Captain Dacres, who gambles, and his wife Cynthia, a successful dressmaker― the original for “Abrosine”, in the mock theatrical programme at the commencement of this novel. There is also the playwright Muriel Wills, whose professional name is “Anthony Astor”, Oliver Manders, a young motorcycle mechanic, Angela Sutcliffe, a well-known actress, the personable and astute Mr. Satterthwaite, the mild-mannered Reverend Babbington and his wife, and, of course, the star of the show for us … who else but … Monsieur Hercule Poirot.
The dinner has not even started when catastrophe strikes. One of the guests suddenly chokes on their cocktail, goes into convulsions and dies. But have they been murdered, as the host believes? The guests are none too sure, but Hercule Poirot deems this unlikely. The relevant martini glass was sent for chemical analysis, but as Hercule Poirot had predicted, no trace of any poison was found there. There was in addition, no motive for such a crime―the victim was well loved and respected―and the possibility of a suicide seemed ridiculous. Therefore the great detective concluded that this was an unfortunate death, but not a suspicious one. It must, after all, have been due to natural causes.
Act Two tightens the screw. A few months later Mr. Satterthwaite is in Monaco, and has been reading about the circumstances of another death he considers suspicious. Sir Charles Cartwright is also in Monte Carlo, and shows him another newspaper clipping which names the guests present on this occasion. Could it be mere coincidence that a number of them had also been present at his own dinner party, all that time ago?
The two ruminate over this problem, and we are privy to their thoughts. There is no doubt, surely, that this is a case for M. Hercule Poirot to solve, especially since he also happens to be in Monte Carlo at the same time. Egg Lytton Gore has already written to Sir Charles Cartwright, asking him to return to London as soon as he can, so Mr. Satterthwaite and Sir Charles Cartwright both then decide to return to England by the next train, to try to determine who this audacious murderer is. However, as we know, Hercule Poirot is not one to dash off on what might be a wild goose chase. The others are frustrated by his lack of participation, but Poirot prefers to cogitate, scolding them:
“Only one thing will solve this case―the little grey cells of the brain. To rush up and down England, to hope that this person and that will tell us what we want to know―all such methods are amateurish and absurd. The truth can only be seen from within.”
… “But yes, exactly that. Think! With thought, all problems can be solved.”
We love to read about Poirot’s eccentricities, but Sir Charles and Mr Satterthwaite also themselves at times provide us with an entertaining picture:
“They hunted round the floor, raising the carpet, looking under the bed. There was nothing anywhere, except a splash of ink beside the fireplace. The room was disappointingly bare.
They left it in a somewhat disconcerted fashion. Their zeal as detectives was momentarily dampened.
Possibly the thought passed through their minds that things were arranged better in books.”
From now on, Hercule Poirot is absent. It is not until Act 3, chapter 3, that we read “Re-enter Hercule Poirot”, and his loyal friend Captain Hastings is not mentioned at all in this novel. For most of Three Act Tragedy, the role of amateur sleuth is taken by Mr Satterthwaite, aided surprisingly by Egg Lytton Gore as well as Sir Charles. There is even a third murder, to engage their attention.
Interestingly, Three Act Tragedy is the only story in which Mr Satterthwaite assists Hercule Poirot. Usually he can be found assisting another of her characters, Harley Quin, in particular the stories in “The Mysterious Mr. Quin” published in 1930. Here, he wisely observes:
“One knows so little. When one knows more it is too late.”
In Three Act Tragedy, there are subplots a-plenty, involving blackmail and insanity as well as murder. There are hidden romantic liaisons as well as obsessional love; there is an actor who is always playing a part, and loves to be centre stage, displaying his many talents for theatrics; there is the semblance of a character who never, in fact, existed: and there is even an insane asylum, and a secret laboratory, where the poisons could be distilled. And running through is a nursery rhyme: the title of Muriel Wills’s play: “Little Dog Laughed” of which she says:
“It’s a kind of modern version of the nursery rhyme―a lot of froth and nonsense―Hey diddle diddle and the dish and the spoon scandal. Of course it all revolves around Miss Sutcliffe’s part―everyone dances to her fiddling―that’s the idea.”
Sir Charles said:
“Not bad. The world nowadays is rather like a mad nursery rhyme. And the little dog laughed to see such sport, eh?” And he thought suddenly: “Of course this woman’s the Little Dog. She looks on and laughs.”
But who exactly, in Murder in Three Acts is looking on, and laughing?
Although the definitive version of this novel is now considered to be the 1935 Three Act Tragedy, its first true publication was as a serial in six installments. This was in the American magazine, the “Saturday Evening Post” the previous year, under the title “Murder in Three Acts”. Current American editions of Three Act Tragedy still differ, in that the motive of the killer has been changed. Surprisingly this has not needed any rewriting or adjustment in any other chapters of the novel.
Although we may miss the inclusion of the endearingly straight Captain Hastings, there is continuity of a sort. In the later novel, “The ABC Murders” Poirot recounts to his friend what had occurred since they last met. Incredible as it may seem, he, Hercule Poirot, had been almost “exterminated” by a murderer who was “not so much enterprising as careless”. The point where Poirot realises this, is one of the novel’s most enjoyable moments:
“Mr. Satterthwaite looked cheered.
Suddenly an idea struck him. His jaw fell.
‘My goodness,’ he cried, ‘I’ve only just realized it! That rascal, with his poisoned cocktail! Anyone might have drunk it! It might have been me!’
‘There is an even more terrible possibility that you have not considered,’ said Poirot.
‘Eh?’
‘It might have been me,’ said Hercule Poirot.”
Murder in Three Acts is not, in my opinion, one of Agatha Christie’s greatest works, but it is an enjoyable and innovative tale, where guessing the perpetrator will use all your skills of detection. I personally failed, perhaps because I am always deceived by one of her cleverly written characters, in this case Yet of the two novels, I consider this the lesser one, even though it was the first of Agatha Christie’s books to sell 10,000 copies in its first year.
Agatha Christie’s love for the theatre is evident, and the way she incorporated this into her writing is ingenious: the end sequence in Chapter 15, “Curtain” is a particular delight. As is her wont, her detective has set a trap for the suspects, in this case in chapter 11, entitled “Poirot Gives a Sherry Party”. What he learns here consolidates his theories, and enables him to gather together all the suspects, before he delivers a revealing speech which will be devastating for one person there …
“Hercule Poirot sat in a big armchair. The wall lights had been turned out. Only a rose-shaded lamp shed its light on the figure in the armchair. There seemed something symbolic about it―he alone in the light―and the other three―Sir Charles, Mr Satterthwaite and Egg Lytton Gore―Poirot’s audience―sitting in the outer darkness.”
And yet for all this delightfully tight construction, there is a lot of loose writing in the novel, which jars a little. In the first few pages, Agatha Christie keeps using the word “unconsciously”, and even says “it was impossible to tell” twice within three sentences. Surely this must have been better edited out. Also, the author’s subliminal thinking is sometimes evident, such as this Freudian slip. Mr Satterthwaite is strolling in the gardens, and cogitating on Egg Lytton Gore. He remarks:
“Now where have I seen that particular shaped head before?” as Hercule Poirot comes into his view.
A lengthy series of novels, whose detective was retired in the very first one, must inevitably create some problems for the author. And why is Captain Hastings sometimes there, and others not? He actually married one of the characters in the second novel featuring Hercule Poirot, “Murder on the Links”, which would have made a considerable difference to his life in general. Agatha Christie must have hoped that her readers would forget some of the details.
Agatha Christie could be skilled at “covering up” inconsistencies in her writing. For instance, it is noticeable that Poirot sometimes speaks perfect English, and at others he seems to be stumbling a great deal, as if English is an unfamiliar language to him:
“Why do you sometimes speak perfectly good English and at other times not?”
Poirot laughed.
“Ah, I will explain. It is true that I can speak the exact, the idiomatic English. But, my friend, to speak the broken English is an enormous asset. It leads people to despise you. They say―a foreigner―he can’t even speak English properly. It is not my policy to terrify people―instead I invite their gentle ridicule. Also I boast! An Englishman he says often ‘A fellow who thinks as much of himself as that cannot be worth much.’ That is the English point of view. It is not at all true. And so, you see, I put people off their guard. Besides,” he added, “it has become a habit.”
Despite this explanation’s clear contrivance, it serves to convince us. We also forgive any coincidences, and even the weak motive for the murders. We are left feeling fully satisfied that here all fits together in a complex, neat jigsaw: the puzzle completed, with no missing pieces.
August 23, 2022
Three Act Tragedy is another good one from Christie.
When the sweet Reverend Babbington falls over dead after drinking a cocktail at renowned actor Sir Charles Cartwright's dinner party, no one but Cartwright thinks it's anything but a terrible tragedy.
Fast forward a bit and another one of the guests from that same dinner party keels over dead.
So? <--you say rather callously.
Well, he dropped dead after having a drink at a party with most of the same guests from Cartwright's.
AND IT WAS POISON!
Smitten with a 20something beauty who wants his help, 50something Sir Charles takes up the mantle of lead amateur investigator. Along with Mr. Satterthwaite and Hercule Poirot, these four will do what the local police cannot - solve the mystery!
Fun Fact: This has the distinction of having a girl named Egg as the main love interest. I'd say she was the heroine of the story, but she's less interested in the mystery and more interested in getting Sir Charles to fall for her. Most of Christie's heroines have their eyes on some guy, but the good ones are also just plain curious and want to figure out whodunnit. Egg only seemed interested in the mystery as an excuse to hang out with Charles and stroke his...ego.
Bah!
One thing I liked was that Poirot had to be somewhat prodded to get involved.
Although, I've noticed a great deal of the Poirot stories are about cases he solves after he has retired. And every time we have to go through some spiel about how he's bored, and retirement isn't what he thought it would be, and he needs some stimulation for his grey cells.
After so many books, you'd think he'd just open up his practice again and stop with that vegetable marrow pipe-dream.
Poirot is the big name in this, but Mr. Satterthwaite is another clever solver of mysteries that I recognized from The Mysterious Mr. Quin. Apparently, he also appears in another short story, Dead Man's Mirror, which is a part of Murder in the Mews. <--I'm getting to that one soon.
Overall, this was a fun read that will more than likely keep you guessing till the very end.
Recommended!
When the sweet Reverend Babbington falls over dead after drinking a cocktail at renowned actor Sir Charles Cartwright's dinner party, no one but Cartwright thinks it's anything but a terrible tragedy.
Fast forward a bit and another one of the guests from that same dinner party keels over dead.
So? <--you say rather callously.
Well, he dropped dead after having a drink at a party with most of the same guests from Cartwright's.
AND IT WAS POISON!
Smitten with a 20something beauty who wants his help, 50something Sir Charles takes up the mantle of lead amateur investigator. Along with Mr. Satterthwaite and Hercule Poirot, these four will do what the local police cannot - solve the mystery!
Fun Fact: This has the distinction of having a girl named Egg as the main love interest. I'd say she was the heroine of the story, but she's less interested in the mystery and more interested in getting Sir Charles to fall for her. Most of Christie's heroines have their eyes on some guy, but the good ones are also just plain curious and want to figure out whodunnit. Egg only seemed interested in the mystery as an excuse to hang out with Charles and stroke his...ego.
Bah!
One thing I liked was that Poirot had to be somewhat prodded to get involved.
Although, I've noticed a great deal of the Poirot stories are about cases he solves after he has retired. And every time we have to go through some spiel about how he's bored, and retirement isn't what he thought it would be, and he needs some stimulation for his grey cells.
After so many books, you'd think he'd just open up his practice again and stop with that vegetable marrow pipe-dream.
Poirot is the big name in this, but Mr. Satterthwaite is another clever solver of mysteries that I recognized from The Mysterious Mr. Quin. Apparently, he also appears in another short story, Dead Man's Mirror, which is a part of Murder in the Mews. <--I'm getting to that one soon.
Overall, this was a fun read that will more than likely keep you guessing till the very end.
Recommended!
January 10, 2019
Excellent, Poirot at his imperious best. More thoughts tomorrow.
Through Christmas and the New Year (2018/19) my family and I watched a lot of Agatha Christie, from David Suchet's Poirot, through Peter Ustinov to John Malkovich, plus also a documentary drama about Christie's disappearance for 11 days in 1926. Included in this Christmas Christie extravaganza was "Three act tragedy".
So to the book itself; although Poirot does not appear as much as he does in the TV version, he is still instrumental in the solving of the crime, despite Sir Charles Cartwright playing the "great detective". Without giving the game away, there are a number of twists and turns that had me confused and bamboozled in both the tv version and the book, needless to say Hercule was not.
Also without giving the game away, it has the best final sentence of any detective book I have ever read, maybe even of any book.
Through Christmas and the New Year (2018/19) my family and I watched a lot of Agatha Christie, from David Suchet's Poirot, through Peter Ustinov to John Malkovich, plus also a documentary drama about Christie's disappearance for 11 days in 1926. Included in this Christmas Christie extravaganza was "Three act tragedy".
So to the book itself; although Poirot does not appear as much as he does in the TV version, he is still instrumental in the solving of the crime, despite Sir Charles Cartwright playing the "great detective". Without giving the game away, there are a number of twists and turns that had me confused and bamboozled in both the tv version and the book, needless to say Hercule was not.
Also without giving the game away, it has the best final sentence of any detective book I have ever read, maybe even of any book.
July 31, 2021
Terriblemente decepcionado con este libro de Agatha Christie. Voy a tratar de ser conciso y explicar porqué.
Si te da flojera leer hasta el final todo se resume a una trama que reutiliza aspectos de otros libros de Hércules Poirot. A medida que voy leyendo las novelas de Hércules Poirot en orden cronológico me voy dando cuenta que se está repitiendo el mismo patrón en los casos para que el lector se sorprenda. Y no, la verdad es que conmigo no funcionó y estoy seguro que con muchos otros tampoco; a menos, claro está, de que esos otros lectores no hayan leído los libros del detective belga en orden. Es más, seguro que a quien no ha leído ninguno de los libros que menciono abajo les gustaría este caso.
1. Empezando con los múltiples sospechosos que uno ya sabe que solo son un medio de distracción para no llegar al meollo del asunto, como en Asesinato en el Orient Express.
2. Los impulsos o lo que ha motivado a cierta persona (de género no identificado) a cometer lo crímenes es muy parecida a la del libro La muerte de Lord Edgware. Literal, es un copia y pega.
3. Lo que nos lleva a un tercer punto que conecta con la misma revelación del asesin@ para que sea impresionante, pero lastimosamente no fue así. Ya me lo olía desde el principio con la primera pista que recogieron. Solo diré que El asesinato de Roger Ackryod lo hizo antes y fue mucho mejor.
4. Como un plus, también el cuarto libro Los cuatro grandes me preparó magistralmente para sospechar de alguien que puede tomar más de una sola cara.
En fin, que este libro solo me parece uno más del montón, que ha reciclado cosas de casos en el pasado y temo, de verdad temo que a Agatha se le vayan acabando las ideas porque hay un montón de libros más con Poirot como protagonista. Y no quiero que solo sea puro copia y pega. Ah, y Hércules sin tanto protagonismo en el mismo libro me pareció aburrido de leer.
Si te da flojera leer hasta el final todo se resume a una trama que reutiliza aspectos de otros libros de Hércules Poirot. A medida que voy leyendo las novelas de Hércules Poirot en orden cronológico me voy dando cuenta que se está repitiendo el mismo patrón en los casos para que el lector se sorprenda. Y no, la verdad es que conmigo no funcionó y estoy seguro que con muchos otros tampoco; a menos, claro está, de que esos otros lectores no hayan leído los libros del detective belga en orden. Es más, seguro que a quien no ha leído ninguno de los libros que menciono abajo les gustaría este caso.
1. Empezando con los múltiples sospechosos que uno ya sabe que solo son un medio de distracción para no llegar al meollo del asunto, como en Asesinato en el Orient Express.
2. Los impulsos o lo que ha motivado a cierta persona (de género no identificado) a cometer lo crímenes es muy parecida a la del libro La muerte de Lord Edgware. Literal, es un copia y pega.
3. Lo que nos lleva a un tercer punto que conecta con la misma revelación del asesin@ para que sea impresionante, pero lastimosamente no fue así. Ya me lo olía desde el principio con la primera pista que recogieron. Solo diré que El asesinato de Roger Ackryod lo hizo antes y fue mucho mejor.
4. Como un plus, también el cuarto libro Los cuatro grandes me preparó magistralmente para sospechar de alguien que puede tomar más de una sola cara.
En fin, que este libro solo me parece uno más del montón, que ha reciclado cosas de casos en el pasado y temo, de verdad temo que a Agatha se le vayan acabando las ideas porque hay un montón de libros más con Poirot como protagonista. Y no quiero que solo sea puro copia y pega. Ah, y Hércules sin tanto protagonismo en el mismo libro me pareció aburrido de leer.
February 26, 2024
A renowned actor hosts a dinner party at his home. Among the guests are retired detective Hercule Poirot and Mr Satterthwaite (whom you might remember from Agatha Christie’s The Mysterious Mr Quin). When one of the guests dies after sipping from a cocktail, the actor believes it was murder. But there is no trace of poison in the guest’s glass. And then another person dies exactly the same way. It’s a mystery worth solving for detective Hercule Poirot.
Mr Satterthwaite is once again more an observer rather than a detective. He investigates by following the actor’s lead and slowly collects all the necessary puzzle pieces. But in the end, it’s Poirot who swoops in to solve the puzzle.
Not the most memorable Poirot book to be honest and Poirot himself pretty much stays in the background for quite a while. But the mystery concept is strong and the writing is so brilliant that it does keep you guessing till the end. Which makes it quite a solid and enjoyable murder mystery read.
Mr Satterthwaite is once again more an observer rather than a detective. He investigates by following the actor’s lead and slowly collects all the necessary puzzle pieces. But in the end, it’s Poirot who swoops in to solve the puzzle.
Not the most memorable Poirot book to be honest and Poirot himself pretty much stays in the background for quite a while. But the mystery concept is strong and the writing is so brilliant that it does keep you guessing till the end. Which makes it quite a solid and enjoyable murder mystery read.
August 29, 2020
Agatha Christie's Belgian detective,Hercule Poirot declares that he has retired,but when the nasty business of murder confronts him,how can he not investigate ?
And as he says,at the very end,he is lucky not to have become a victim himself.The murderer has already struck twice,and is preparing to kill again.
Intriguing as it may sound,this is one of the worst Christie books I have read.Too slow and disjointed,the story just plods along.
Poirot's own appearance is relatively brief,and Christie changed the ending for some editions.
A relief,when it finally came to an end.
It had been lying on my shelf for years,and I hadn't found it compelling enough to complete,earlier.
(Also published as Three Act Tragedy)
And as he says,at the very end,he is lucky not to have become a victim himself.The murderer has already struck twice,and is preparing to kill again.
Intriguing as it may sound,this is one of the worst Christie books I have read.Too slow and disjointed,the story just plods along.
Poirot's own appearance is relatively brief,and Christie changed the ending for some editions.
A relief,when it finally came to an end.
It had been lying on my shelf for years,and I hadn't found it compelling enough to complete,earlier.
(Also published as Three Act Tragedy)
August 26, 2020
Poirot #11: Christie's and Poirot’s Class in Observation
“The trouble is, that nobody observes anything,” Mr. Crossfield said.
How do we observe? Christie, continuing her focus on theater-based mysteries, supposes (through Poirot) that actors, playwrights, theater-goers and detectives, among others, all can observe closely, though they will obviously typically notice different things. But who observes best, according to Poirot? You guessed it. A coolly rational egg-shaped-head Belgian.
Story: A recently retired actor, Sir Charles Cartwright, (which we find later is actually a stage name, his real name Mugg, which is another name for Fool, which is an historical role for someone who is either an actual fool or someone who plays a fool) throws a party for 13 people, and one, a Mr. Babbington, dies, after sipping a cocktail, yet there’s no trace of poisonous evidence on or in the glass. The police--and Poirot, who happens to be nearby--decide the old boy died of natural causes, but Sir Charles and his friend, Sattherthwaite, who smell something fishy about it, spend half the book using their actorly and theatergoer-ly observing skills trying unsuccessfully to crack the case. They are joined in this process by Hermione (known as Egg) Lyton Gore, who in joining the pursuit of justice also pursues Sir Charles, though she is thirty years younger than him.
(Sir Charles also likes Egg, although he also says to Egg at one point, “I always find eggs so depressing.” Is that a nice thing to say to a future lover, Charlie? And what does this say about his deeper feelings for the egg-shaped-head Poirot?
Of course since these three stooges find out very little, using their non-detective powers of observation, it makes for a pretty forgettable first half, though they are slightly less clueless in their detective work than Poirot's usual sidekick Hastings in so many other Poirot mysteries. Charles, the actor, sometimes sets up scenes to try things out, see how they’d work. So that’s sometimes a little interesting, especially as we consider the resolution of the tale. Anyway, there ARE three acts, and three murders, one per act, with theater references and play contexts abounding, but it doesn’t really get very interesting til Poirot starts using his “little grey cells”.
“A man like Hercule Poirot doesn’t have to look for crime—it comes to him.”
So Christie is on Poirot #11. Which distinctive things is she trying here to amuse herself (and us) with?
*This one has an omniscient narrator, which Christie doesn't usually use, because Poirot only really comes in to play in the second half. In this one Poirot does none of the usual interviewing of people; he mainly just uses the possibly flawed information others give him, and he just, well, THINKS. Later he asks for 24 hours to just sit and make his house of cards as he thinks, though. . .
*these cards are from a children’s game, Happy Families (ha!) instead of the usual deck of cards.
*Motive goes hand in hand with mystery, yet one murder seems to be (essentially) motive-less here. Why kill nice old man Babbington? No one knows! Maybe there IS no reason, and how would that play, in a mystery?!
*Christie, who has been interested in chemical toxicity since her days working in a hospital, uses nicotine poisoning in this one. Nothing special about it here, but it’s a curious murder weapon. And who knew that Christie would realize—ahead of most of the world--that nicotine could kill ya?
*Agatha has a series of comments about women in her work, almost exclusively made by women, which are sometimes amusing: “I hate women. Lousy cats.” “Bitch!” (in 1934!). “Mrs. Temple was not pretty,” our narrator observes, and there are a lot of comments women and men make about women’s looks. Maybe this is not that unusual, but I always notice that how the men look is not that important to Christie or her narrators.
*Again in this book, there are one or two characters making anti-semitic remarks, or ones identifying Jews with money, so there’s a kind of pattern in Christie’s work that doesn’t seem to be like the pattern of women bashing women. Were people anti-semitic in 1934. . . . um, yes.
*People are always saying things like “It must have been the work of a lunatic,” or madman, when it doesn’t seem to make sense why someone would kill such a nice man as Babbington, for instance.
Christie often plays with readers by commenting on what they know are typical tropes of mystery and detective novels. For instance, of the butler Ellis, missing from the time of the first murder, only Miss Wills notices that he has a birthmark. At one point actor Charles and playwright Miss Wills discuss birthmarks vs. scars:
“'Dash it all,' went on Sir Charles, with feeling, 'in detective stories there’s always some identifying mark on the villain.'
'It’s usually a scar in stories,' said Miss Wills thoughtfully.
'A birthmark’s just as good,' said Sir Charles
Let me just say: It’s a good thing to do, to return to such scenes after you finish the book to appreciate Christie’s cleverness and wit and powers of observation. If you observe her closely, you will be pleased to see that there are actually clues!
I thought this was a 3 star book for at least half the book, but the finish—always the finish! I as usual did NOT know how (in spite of said clues) this would get resolved until within the last seven or eight pages—bumps this up to nearly four stars, and since I am still smiling from the funny last line: Four stars. Three Act Tragedy? More of a delightful comedy (except for the gruesome deaths, I guess, but the deaths in cozy mysteries are never all that disturbing).
“The trouble is, that nobody observes anything,” Mr. Crossfield said.
How do we observe? Christie, continuing her focus on theater-based mysteries, supposes (through Poirot) that actors, playwrights, theater-goers and detectives, among others, all can observe closely, though they will obviously typically notice different things. But who observes best, according to Poirot? You guessed it. A coolly rational egg-shaped-head Belgian.
Story: A recently retired actor, Sir Charles Cartwright, (which we find later is actually a stage name, his real name Mugg, which is another name for Fool, which is an historical role for someone who is either an actual fool or someone who plays a fool) throws a party for 13 people, and one, a Mr. Babbington, dies, after sipping a cocktail, yet there’s no trace of poisonous evidence on or in the glass. The police--and Poirot, who happens to be nearby--decide the old boy died of natural causes, but Sir Charles and his friend, Sattherthwaite, who smell something fishy about it, spend half the book using their actorly and theatergoer-ly observing skills trying unsuccessfully to crack the case. They are joined in this process by Hermione (known as Egg) Lyton Gore, who in joining the pursuit of justice also pursues Sir Charles, though she is thirty years younger than him.
(Sir Charles also likes Egg, although he also says to Egg at one point, “I always find eggs so depressing.” Is that a nice thing to say to a future lover, Charlie? And what does this say about his deeper feelings for the egg-shaped-head Poirot?
Of course since these three stooges find out very little, using their non-detective powers of observation, it makes for a pretty forgettable first half, though they are slightly less clueless in their detective work than Poirot's usual sidekick Hastings in so many other Poirot mysteries. Charles, the actor, sometimes sets up scenes to try things out, see how they’d work. So that’s sometimes a little interesting, especially as we consider the resolution of the tale. Anyway, there ARE three acts, and three murders, one per act, with theater references and play contexts abounding, but it doesn’t really get very interesting til Poirot starts using his “little grey cells”.
“A man like Hercule Poirot doesn’t have to look for crime—it comes to him.”
So Christie is on Poirot #11. Which distinctive things is she trying here to amuse herself (and us) with?
*This one has an omniscient narrator, which Christie doesn't usually use, because Poirot only really comes in to play in the second half. In this one Poirot does none of the usual interviewing of people; he mainly just uses the possibly flawed information others give him, and he just, well, THINKS. Later he asks for 24 hours to just sit and make his house of cards as he thinks, though. . .
*these cards are from a children’s game, Happy Families (ha!) instead of the usual deck of cards.
*Motive goes hand in hand with mystery, yet one murder seems to be (essentially) motive-less here. Why kill nice old man Babbington? No one knows! Maybe there IS no reason, and how would that play, in a mystery?!
*Christie, who has been interested in chemical toxicity since her days working in a hospital, uses nicotine poisoning in this one. Nothing special about it here, but it’s a curious murder weapon. And who knew that Christie would realize—ahead of most of the world--that nicotine could kill ya?
*Agatha has a series of comments about women in her work, almost exclusively made by women, which are sometimes amusing: “I hate women. Lousy cats.” “Bitch!” (in 1934!). “Mrs. Temple was not pretty,” our narrator observes, and there are a lot of comments women and men make about women’s looks. Maybe this is not that unusual, but I always notice that how the men look is not that important to Christie or her narrators.
*Again in this book, there are one or two characters making anti-semitic remarks, or ones identifying Jews with money, so there’s a kind of pattern in Christie’s work that doesn’t seem to be like the pattern of women bashing women. Were people anti-semitic in 1934. . . . um, yes.
*People are always saying things like “It must have been the work of a lunatic,” or madman, when it doesn’t seem to make sense why someone would kill such a nice man as Babbington, for instance.
Christie often plays with readers by commenting on what they know are typical tropes of mystery and detective novels. For instance, of the butler Ellis, missing from the time of the first murder, only Miss Wills notices that he has a birthmark. At one point actor Charles and playwright Miss Wills discuss birthmarks vs. scars:
“'Dash it all,' went on Sir Charles, with feeling, 'in detective stories there’s always some identifying mark on the villain.'
'It’s usually a scar in stories,' said Miss Wills thoughtfully.
'A birthmark’s just as good,' said Sir Charles
Let me just say: It’s a good thing to do, to return to such scenes after you finish the book to appreciate Christie’s cleverness and wit and powers of observation. If you observe her closely, you will be pleased to see that there are actually clues!
I thought this was a 3 star book for at least half the book, but the finish—always the finish! I as usual did NOT know how (in spite of said clues) this would get resolved until within the last seven or eight pages—bumps this up to nearly four stars, and since I am still smiling from the funny last line: Four stars. Three Act Tragedy? More of a delightful comedy (except for the gruesome deaths, I guess, but the deaths in cozy mysteries are never all that disturbing).
May 1, 2018
Ugh… lets get this one over with. Three Act Tragedy is a mess. It stands right after The Big Four as the worst Christie novel I’ve read (to be fair though, it is nowhere near as bad as The Big Four… but then again, few books are). It is an utter mess from start to finish.
This is one of those award Poirot novels where Poirot himself is a side character in his own novel; pretty much reserved for letting everyone gather all the clues, step in at the last moment and say “no , no no, this is what really happened.” He is in it maybe ¼ of the book and that may be a generous assessment.
Our lead this time is Mr. Satterthwaite (who is actually from Christie’s Mr. Quinn short story series, which shows that she was doing crossovers long before Marvel made it cool); who is a fairly reasonable detective in his own right, bringing into question why Poirot is even needed in this book. My quick answer would be because Poirot’s series was and still is more popular and Christie liked money (don’t we all?). Poirot gives us a reason , but it seems rather forced, and like Christie needed to “explain” the character in such a way as to why he wouldn’t be a proper lead for this case. It feels like she’s just trying to make an excuse for Poirot, as frankly it feels a bit out of touch from what we are shown of Satterthwaite.
Beyond the leads, the case is a bit of a mess as well. The first murder happens within 20 pages and we are never given time to really get to know the victim. Everything seems so rushed in terms of the case that besides the three or four characters, everyone seems completely flat. We are given relatively few scenes with the main suspects, and pretty much every couple of chapters ends with a run down of how little everyone really knows.
The main motive behind the crimes were rather ridiculous in my opinion, but apparently from what I’ve read on the main Christie website as well as a few others, this was one of Christie’s own reactions, so much so that she changed the ending for some editions of the book. I don’t know if I got the author preferred ending or the original, but it’s a pretty dreadful excuse and comes off as a very last minute addition with little buildup to it.
The only thing saving this from the dreaded 1 star review is that the reason behind the FIRST crime and first crime only, is rather clever. Now that may seem contradictory given my last paragraph, but if you read the book, I assure you that makes sense.
Now, with that said, it is my suggestion that you simply don’t bother. This one is completely worthy of skipping without missing anything. Very disappointing and only recommended for Christie/Poitor completionists.
This is one of those award Poirot novels where Poirot himself is a side character in his own novel; pretty much reserved for letting everyone gather all the clues, step in at the last moment and say “no , no no, this is what really happened.” He is in it maybe ¼ of the book and that may be a generous assessment.
Our lead this time is Mr. Satterthwaite (who is actually from Christie’s Mr. Quinn short story series, which shows that she was doing crossovers long before Marvel made it cool); who is a fairly reasonable detective in his own right, bringing into question why Poirot is even needed in this book. My quick answer would be because Poirot’s series was and still is more popular and Christie liked money (don’t we all?). Poirot gives us a reason , but it seems rather forced, and like Christie needed to “explain” the character in such a way as to why he wouldn’t be a proper lead for this case. It feels like she’s just trying to make an excuse for Poirot, as frankly it feels a bit out of touch from what we are shown of Satterthwaite.
Beyond the leads, the case is a bit of a mess as well. The first murder happens within 20 pages and we are never given time to really get to know the victim. Everything seems so rushed in terms of the case that besides the three or four characters, everyone seems completely flat. We are given relatively few scenes with the main suspects, and pretty much every couple of chapters ends with a run down of how little everyone really knows.
The main motive behind the crimes were rather ridiculous in my opinion, but apparently from what I’ve read on the main Christie website as well as a few others, this was one of Christie’s own reactions, so much so that she changed the ending for some editions of the book. I don’t know if I got the author preferred ending or the original, but it’s a pretty dreadful excuse and comes off as a very last minute addition with little buildup to it.
The only thing saving this from the dreaded 1 star review is that the reason behind the FIRST crime and first crime only, is rather clever. Now that may seem contradictory given my last paragraph, but if you read the book, I assure you that makes sense.
Now, with that said, it is my suggestion that you simply don’t bother. This one is completely worthy of skipping without missing anything. Very disappointing and only recommended for Christie/Poitor completionists.
June 11, 2024
Pues me ha gustado, que bueno es Poirot cuando se pone a pensar con las células grises, jajajajaja.
El libro se divide en 3 actos como si fuera una obra de teatro, ya que su actor principal es una estrella del mismo que vive retirado.
Muchos posibles sospechosos y 2 muertes que parecen estar relacionadas pero que es difícil intuir como el asesino logró cometerlo.
Estaba el libro en su 2/3 actos pasando sin mucha brillantez (debido a la escasa aparición de Poirot), pero en el último tercio se han ido descubriendo mas pistas y al final Poirot, ya por fin, metiéndose de lleno en el caso, hizo una resolución brillante, como siempre.
Pensé en una sospechosa incluso mientras leía pensé te tengo... ay iluso!!!
Ni por asomo estaba cerca de adivinar...
Valoración: 7.75/10
Sinopsis: Trece invitados acuden a cenar en la fiesta organizada por el célebre actor sir Charles Cartwright en su casa. Una noche particularmente desafortunada para el reverendo Stephen Babbington, quien tras probar su cóctel cae muerto. Pero cuando el vaso vuelve del laboratorio sin que se hayan detectado rastros de veneno, Poirot se prepara para uno de esos casos imposibles. Y como si esto fuera poco, no parece haber ningún móvil para el crimen...
El libro se divide en 3 actos como si fuera una obra de teatro, ya que su actor principal es una estrella del mismo que vive retirado.
Muchos posibles sospechosos y 2 muertes que parecen estar relacionadas pero que es difícil intuir como el asesino logró cometerlo.
Estaba el libro en su 2/3 actos pasando sin mucha brillantez (debido a la escasa aparición de Poirot), pero en el último tercio se han ido descubriendo mas pistas y al final Poirot, ya por fin, metiéndose de lleno en el caso, hizo una resolución brillante, como siempre.
Pensé en una sospechosa incluso mientras leía pensé te tengo... ay iluso!!!
Ni por asomo estaba cerca de adivinar...
Valoración: 7.75/10
Sinopsis: Trece invitados acuden a cenar en la fiesta organizada por el célebre actor sir Charles Cartwright en su casa. Una noche particularmente desafortunada para el reverendo Stephen Babbington, quien tras probar su cóctel cae muerto. Pero cuando el vaso vuelve del laboratorio sin que se hayan detectado rastros de veneno, Poirot se prepara para uno de esos casos imposibles. Y como si esto fuera poco, no parece haber ningún móvil para el crimen...
August 20, 2020
The Three Act Tragedy is another interesting murder-mystery of the Poirot series. The story is written in three "acts" as if on a play, and true to its kind, there is a lively drama that unfolds through the chapters.
We see only a little of Hercule Poirot in the story after his appearance in the first act till he re-enters in the third. So instead of Poirot, we see two armature detectives poking their noses around to find clues and gathering evidence in the effort to establish the identity of the murderer.
It was a fun read. I liked all the characters with their peculiar characteristics. Interestingly, here we see that Poirot is making a mess of things before finally getting into the right track. I had my own view on who the murderer is and was delighted when it is proved right. But the motive was another matter. When Poirot so painstakingly established the motive for the crimes, it came as a real surprise.
I enjoyed the read very much and really loved the ending scene where Poirot and Mr. Satterthwaite recollect on the event of the first murder and realize that either of the two could easily have been victims. The dialogue between them on that occasion was quite hilarious. It is a brilliant dramatic ending to the story. The egotism of the little Belgian detective is simply adorable.
We see only a little of Hercule Poirot in the story after his appearance in the first act till he re-enters in the third. So instead of Poirot, we see two armature detectives poking their noses around to find clues and gathering evidence in the effort to establish the identity of the murderer.
It was a fun read. I liked all the characters with their peculiar characteristics. Interestingly, here we see that Poirot is making a mess of things before finally getting into the right track. I had my own view on who the murderer is and was delighted when it is proved right. But the motive was another matter. When Poirot so painstakingly established the motive for the crimes, it came as a real surprise.
I enjoyed the read very much and really loved the ending scene where Poirot and Mr. Satterthwaite recollect on the event of the first murder and realize that either of the two could easily have been victims. The dialogue between them on that occasion was quite hilarious. It is a brilliant dramatic ending to the story. The egotism of the little Belgian detective is simply adorable.
May 10, 2021
Three Act Tragedy is one of the best stories in Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot series and if I didn't remember the who dunnit since it's my second read I would have enjoyed reading it so much more.
It's intriguing enough and if you read it for the first time you can't possibly imagine why or by whom the murders are being committed. I definitely recommend it!
And as always there are negatives and positives...
For me the positives were that there aren't many french sentences in this story and the friend that helped sir Charles in his investigations since I couldn't stand the latter!
The negative ones were that Hercule Poirot isn't so much present while sir Charles and his friends investigate and that I disliked most of the characters in this story!
It's intriguing enough and if you read it for the first time you can't possibly imagine why or by whom the murders are being committed. I definitely recommend it!
And as always there are negatives and positives...
For me the positives were that there aren't many french sentences in this story and the friend that helped sir Charles in his investigations since I couldn't stand the latter!
The negative ones were that Hercule Poirot isn't so much present while sir Charles and his friends investigate and that I disliked most of the characters in this story!
November 5, 2023
Really enjoyable, as Agatha Christie always is.
January 18, 2022
My regularly scheduled Appointment with Agatha novel. It is probably the one that I have enjoyed the least since I began this venture. I always look forward to my regular dose of Christie, but like the murder victims in this novel, I'm left with a bitter taste in my mouth.
My first objection: I think Jane Marple would have been much superior to Hercule Poirot in this story. She would have seen to the heart of the matter in a much quieter, safer way. She would have been sympathetic, but firm with Miss Egg Lytton Gore. No doubt she would remember some lovelorn young woman in a similar situation in Chipping Cleghorn. She could have gently inserted herself into the story, rather than bulldozing her way in as Poirot does (at least as Egg perceives it).
My second reservation: I feel that Violet Milray is treated quite ruthlessly by the author. We cannot all be beautiful and many a plain woman has had to develop skills, such as organisation and efficiency, to make their living. They are very aware of how others perceive them. They are not without emotions and often endure the unrequited loves of men who barely look twice at them. Worse, those same men turn around and say nasty things behind their backs, as Sir Charles does to Miss Milray. No wonder she was planning to leave his employ.
Unusually, I twigged to the murderer's identity much earlier than usual. Not unusually, there is the long explanation by M. Poirot, followed by the murderer's chance to choose how to respond, with a strong implication that suicide might be it. I can think of at least one more sensible way that the killer might have proceeded, not requiring the complicated plotting. But I am not the author and she structured things as she willed. All I can say is that I will be in no hurry to revisit this mystery.
My first objection: I think Jane Marple would have been much superior to Hercule Poirot in this story. She would have seen to the heart of the matter in a much quieter, safer way. She would have been sympathetic, but firm with Miss Egg Lytton Gore. No doubt she would remember some lovelorn young woman in a similar situation in Chipping Cleghorn. She could have gently inserted herself into the story, rather than bulldozing her way in as Poirot does (at least as Egg perceives it).
My second reservation: I feel that Violet Milray is treated quite ruthlessly by the author. We cannot all be beautiful and many a plain woman has had to develop skills, such as organisation and efficiency, to make their living. They are very aware of how others perceive them. They are not without emotions and often endure the unrequited loves of men who barely look twice at them. Worse, those same men turn around and say nasty things behind their backs, as Sir Charles does to Miss Milray. No wonder she was planning to leave his employ.
Unusually, I twigged to the murderer's identity much earlier than usual. Not unusually, there is the long explanation by M. Poirot, followed by the murderer's chance to choose how to respond, with a strong implication that suicide might be it. I can think of at least one more sensible way that the killer might have proceeded, not requiring the complicated plotting. But I am not the author and she structured things as she willed. All I can say is that I will be in no hurry to revisit this mystery.
May 23, 2023
Let us introduce Mrs. Average, as people are usually right when they say that if you read one of Agatha's book, you've read all of them. Not to mention the great stupidity of Sir Charles, as he became a serial murderer because he has an old marriage he cannot escape from and he's attracted to a younger girl. Love is blind, but sometimes also very, very dumb...
July 27, 2021
Definitivamente los libros de Agatha Christie no me decepcionan, y me da mucha alegría encontrar a mi investigador favorito Hercules Poirot, tan colorido y peculiar; la historia inicio en una cena, donde uno de los invitados, el párroco del pueblo, fallece, en un principio nadie sospecha de nada, pero días mas tarde otras personas fallecen en casi igual circunstancias, es entonces cuando todo se vuelve sospechoso en inicia la investigación típica de nuestro detective. La historia me mantuvo super enganchada aunque al principio siempre se me dificulta memorizar los personajes, una vez lo consigo la historia fluye, el final me sorprendió nuevamente, ya que no tenía ninguna sospecha del culpable. 😲
July 26, 2020
Well this was a pleasant surprise, as I couldn't remember the entire plot or story when I started reading - which is usually the case, having been a fan for so long.
Not only did I not remember - I didn't guess the murderer until 85%!
Perfect entertainment. For some bizarre reason, I imagined Charles Cartwright all the way through as Laurence Olivier, yet Poirot was still David Suchet (who else?!) ...
Not only did I not remember - I didn't guess the murderer until 85%!
Perfect entertainment. For some bizarre reason, I imagined Charles Cartwright all the way through as Laurence Olivier, yet Poirot was still David Suchet (who else?!) ...
May 23, 2021
Another one of the thrilling plots conceived by the master of mystery stories.
The plot starts slowly and builds up but as always highly impossible to even guess who would be the murderer. The plot thickens with many characters involved but eventually we have the logical conclusion by the master himself, Hercule Poirot.
The writing which has mesmerised many all over the world wields her magic again. The language synonymous to all her books is impeccable.
Ratings:- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The plot starts slowly and builds up but as always highly impossible to even guess who would be the murderer. The plot thickens with many characters involved but eventually we have the logical conclusion by the master himself, Hercule Poirot.
The writing which has mesmerised many all over the world wields her magic again. The language synonymous to all her books is impeccable.
Ratings:- ⭐⭐⭐⭐
January 27, 2016
This book was a bit frustrating for awhile. Hardly any Hercule Poirot was in it! Even so, I grew a bit bored and not just because of the absence of the detective. At first the story was all over the place before the middle act, which was distracting. The characters and scenes were interesting enough for a bit, but meh...I kept wanting to skim ahead after awhile. Much of it was thoughtful dialogue among secondary characters without any continuing ties to go on.
After page 128, seriously, Hercule Poirot started appearing for real. There was a minor scene with him at the beginning but nothing fancy. Once he came on stage the story started to come together even more so, even if it wasn't from his usual detective-type meddling. At first I was afraid this would be another disappointing mystery type where a solution is found without any clever clues to help the reader...however, it turned not to be so when the case was explained.
The clues instead were so very minor and subtle it was almost impossible to pick up on them. Interesting and much better after the second act, the ending was a dramatic one that surprised me on who the culprit was. Leave it to Christie to stun the reader.
Despite the redemption, still left this one as three stars and a least favorite of the series. Too slow, disjointed, not enough of the infamous Belgian detective, and while the ending was great, it did not hold enough power to excel the rest of the book.
After page 128, seriously, Hercule Poirot started appearing for real. There was a minor scene with him at the beginning but nothing fancy. Once he came on stage the story started to come together even more so, even if it wasn't from his usual detective-type meddling. At first I was afraid this would be another disappointing mystery type where a solution is found without any clever clues to help the reader...however, it turned not to be so when the case was explained.
The clues instead were so very minor and subtle it was almost impossible to pick up on them. Interesting and much better after the second act, the ending was a dramatic one that surprised me on who the culprit was. Leave it to Christie to stun the reader.
Despite the redemption, still left this one as three stars and a least favorite of the series. Too slow, disjointed, not enough of the infamous Belgian detective, and while the ending was great, it did not hold enough power to excel the rest of the book.
September 15, 2020
A very enjoyable mystery that kept me guessing. I really enjoyed the strong characterizations. One of the main characters has the rather unusual nickname of Egg. At some point quite far along in the story the nickname Egg is explained, apparently when Hermione Lytton Gore was tiny she would fall over each time she tried to get up, rather like an egg and the name stuck. It reminded me of the egg-shaped weebles that were popular when my sister was little in the early 1970s. I can remember the jingle from the TV advertisements, "weebles wobble but they don't fall down!" Those advertisers knew a thing or two about creating catchphrases that stick!
Narration by the sublime Hugh Fraser. I truly enjoy listening to him ably act all the characters in this series.
Narration by the sublime Hugh Fraser. I truly enjoy listening to him ably act all the characters in this series.
May 11, 2020
I freely admit to my own bias: the reason I recently gave Peril at End House only 3 stars is the same reason I am giving Three Act Tragedy five--I solved End House with embarrassing speed (for reasons outlined in my review), whereas Three Act Tragedy blindsided me. I was absolutely convinced that I knew who the murderer was, and I think Christie predicted that the careful reader would think so, hence her playing with us in a scene at the end when a certain person tries to destroy evidence. I loved having a further twist catch me off guard; I felt that all was back to normal in Christie-land when The Queen of Crime outfoxed me as I expect her to do! After all, that is why I love and respect her above all others; if I want to solve a mystery halfway through I'll read...well, pretty much anyone else, honestly.
However, Three Act Tragedy deserves all five stars quite apart from whether I solved it before Poirot or not. It's not a well-known novel at all; in fact, I'd never read it before and was amazed to find such a strong Golden Age Christie novel had slipped under my radar. Dame Agatha thinks of everything--she answers every question I had save one (more on that later). For example, I wondered at first why Poirot was even in this novel since Mr. Satterthwaite seemed to be doing well at sleuthing, but she explains it perfectly: Satterthwaite's psychology is wrong for this case. He is always, in every book in which he appears, the perfect "audience", and here that means he can't see past the acting. A nice touch, consistent with his characterization elsewhere--the quality that is usually his strength as a detective is his downfall here, so the even greater detective takes over!
I have never been stumped on so many different fronts before--I couldn't figure out who had done it, nor why, nor even how, like the world's most frustrating game of Clue! One of the most unusual motives in all of Christie-dom. Why didn't I suspect the right person? I think it's because I knew Mr. Satterthwaite was innocent (as he is a recurring amateur detective character, usually with his supernatural partner Mr. Quin to guide him). I thought his innocence extended to someone else (name omitted to avoid spoilers), even though I know perfectly well--and I say it ALL THE TIME--that with Christie the murderer can be absolutely anyone. Should have listened to myself.
Psychology is the theme of the novel and I was deeply impressed by some of the subtle ways Christie employs it. For instance, I got chills when a clue connected to the casual use of a childhood friend's former name; it rang completely true, as I could imagine my best friend referring to me with an old childhood nickname rather than my real name. Tiny details like that make the solution all the better. My only complaint: we never did find out where the secret passage was, did we?! It was somewhere in the library, but Poirot never found it and it was apparently irrelevant to the case. A shame, as I love a good secret passage!
However, Three Act Tragedy deserves all five stars quite apart from whether I solved it before Poirot or not. It's not a well-known novel at all; in fact, I'd never read it before and was amazed to find such a strong Golden Age Christie novel had slipped under my radar. Dame Agatha thinks of everything--she answers every question I had save one (more on that later). For example, I wondered at first why Poirot was even in this novel since Mr. Satterthwaite seemed to be doing well at sleuthing, but she explains it perfectly: Satterthwaite's psychology is wrong for this case. He is always, in every book in which he appears, the perfect "audience", and here that means he can't see past the acting. A nice touch, consistent with his characterization elsewhere--the quality that is usually his strength as a detective is his downfall here, so the even greater detective takes over!
I have never been stumped on so many different fronts before--I couldn't figure out who had done it, nor why, nor even how, like the world's most frustrating game of Clue! One of the most unusual motives in all of Christie-dom. Why didn't I suspect the right person? I think it's because I knew Mr. Satterthwaite was innocent (as he is a recurring amateur detective character, usually with his supernatural partner Mr. Quin to guide him). I thought his innocence extended to someone else (name omitted to avoid spoilers), even though I know perfectly well--and I say it ALL THE TIME--that with Christie the murderer can be absolutely anyone. Should have listened to myself.
Psychology is the theme of the novel and I was deeply impressed by some of the subtle ways Christie employs it. For instance, I got chills when a clue connected to the casual use of a childhood friend's former name; it rang completely true, as I could imagine my best friend referring to me with an old childhood nickname rather than my real name. Tiny details like that make the solution all the better. My only complaint: we never did find out where the secret passage was, did we?! It was somewhere in the library, but Poirot never found it and it was apparently irrelevant to the case. A shame, as I love a good secret passage!
February 13, 2023
Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie is a classic mystery novel that showcases the author's usual masterful storytelling skills. The plot revolves around a series of mysterious deaths at a dinner party, which sets the stage for an intriguing investigation including the iconic detective, Hercule Poirot (Although he was not at the center of the story as is usual in his books).
One of the features of this book is the way Christie builds tension and suspense which is not surprising at this point, keeping the reader on edge throughout the entire story. The characters are well-developed, and each one has their own motives and secrets that add layers of complexity to the case. The dialogue is sharp and witty, providing a welcome respite from the intensity of the mystery.
Another aspect that makes Three Act Tragedy a must-read for mystery fans is the skillful way Christie weaves together the different elements of the story. The plot twists and turns, leading the reader down a path filled with surprises and unexpected developments. The resolution of the case is satisfying making for a truly memorable reading experience.
One of the features of this book is the way Christie builds tension and suspense which is not surprising at this point, keeping the reader on edge throughout the entire story. The characters are well-developed, and each one has their own motives and secrets that add layers of complexity to the case. The dialogue is sharp and witty, providing a welcome respite from the intensity of the mystery.
Another aspect that makes Three Act Tragedy a must-read for mystery fans is the skillful way Christie weaves together the different elements of the story. The plot twists and turns, leading the reader down a path filled with surprises and unexpected developments. The resolution of the case is satisfying making for a truly memorable reading experience.
January 7, 2019
Keeps you guessing till the last page.
April 5, 2023
В тази криминална история разследването се прави основно от група аматьори, присъствали на първото убийство. Поаро благоволява да се задейства чак в третото действие и естествено бързо разгадава случая.
Една звезда по-малко за "Трагедия в три действия", заради леко предвидимата поне за мен развръзка.
Преводът е поостарял и на места може да обърка читателя малко.
Цитат от 1934 година:
"Безжалостни са тези съвременни момичета ... и ужасно енергични." :)
Една звезда по-малко за "Трагедия в три действия", заради леко предвидимата поне за мен развръзка.
Преводът е поостарял и на места може да обърка читателя малко.
Цитат от 1934 година:
"Безжалостни са тези съвременни момичета ... и ужасно енергични." :)
May 14, 2022
This was a re-read, but first time in English.
A few weeks ago I watched the adaptation for the TV, with David Suchet.
When I read this book during my teens, the title was “Murder in Three Acts”.
It’s not my favourite book by Dame Christie, but I thought that it was entertaining, although a bit slow, but that conclusion is brilliant.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook narrated by Hugh Fraser while simultaneously reading the book. It really added a new level of enjoyment.
I have increased one star, from my original ratings.
A few weeks ago I watched the adaptation for the TV, with David Suchet.
When I read this book during my teens, the title was “Murder in Three Acts”.
It’s not my favourite book by Dame Christie, but I thought that it was entertaining, although a bit slow, but that conclusion is brilliant.
I had the pleasure of listening to the audiobook narrated by Hugh Fraser while simultaneously reading the book. It really added a new level of enjoyment.
I have increased one star, from my original ratings.
February 12, 2023
Sí pero no. Es una novela que me ha gustado pero que, al mismo tiempo, me ha decepcionado.
Un nuevo caso para el gran Poirot pero, ¿dónde está? Si es que no aparece en la novela, ni siquiera investiga el crimen y, al final, lo resuelve todo en un plis plas como por arte de magia.
Por otro lado, este libro sigue los patrones de otro que ya escribió Agatha Christie antes y si has leído a la escritora en orden de publicación o has leído esa novela antes es muy fácil que te huelas la trama de este porque se sabe por donde van los tiros o el veneno, en este caso.
Y no voy a mentir, necesito a Hastings como narrador. Sus ocurrencias me dan la vida y leer una novela de Poirot sin Poirot y sin Hastings pues no es que me haya entusiasmado.
Ahora, eso sí, si te da igual la ausencia de los protagonistas y no has leído la novela anterior a la que me refiero seguro que disfrutas Tragedia en tres actos porque el crimen es muy desconcertante y, obviamente, quieres averiguar cómo ocurrió todo y quién lo hizo. Así que, a disfrutar de ella.
Un nuevo caso para el gran Poirot pero, ¿dónde está? Si es que no aparece en la novela, ni siquiera investiga el crimen y, al final, lo resuelve todo en un plis plas como por arte de magia.
Por otro lado, este libro sigue los patrones de otro que ya escribió Agatha Christie antes y si has leído a la escritora en orden de publicación o has leído esa novela antes es muy fácil que te huelas la trama de este porque se sabe por donde van los tiros o el veneno, en este caso.
Y no voy a mentir, necesito a Hastings como narrador. Sus ocurrencias me dan la vida y leer una novela de Poirot sin Poirot y sin Hastings pues no es que me haya entusiasmado.
Ahora, eso sí, si te da igual la ausencia de los protagonistas y no has leído la novela anterior a la que me refiero seguro que disfrutas Tragedia en tres actos porque el crimen es muy desconcertante y, obviamente, quieres averiguar cómo ocurrió todo y quién lo hizo. Así que, a disfrutar de ella.
March 20, 2024
reading an agatha christie and successfully calling the killer is a high unlike any other 👏
May 18, 2022
Another Agatha Christie mystery is sure to bring out my sleuthing side. The Hercule Poirot series serves to challenge me on a regular basis, forcing me to think outside the box and use my “little grey cells” repeatedly. While not the best of Christie’s pieces in this series, the story is strong and flows well, making it an entertaining piece to pass the time.
The town is abuzz when Sir Charles Cartwright assembles a small dinner party at his home. The one-time leading start of London’s theatre community, Cartwright is sure to make all the effort to entertain his guests in Cornwell. Especially with the guest list he has in mind.
The assembled thirteen are from a number of professions, making the gathering all the more exciting. While some would presume the number of guests will prove unlucky, it is not until Reverend Stephen Babbington chokes on his cocktail and dies that things take a true turn. After a fit of convulsions, Babbington toppled over and questions arose as to whether one of the group could be a murderer. However, laboratory analysis proved that there was no poison, leaving the official cause of death as being natural, at least for a time.
With one of the guests being the famed retired Belgian police detective, Hercule Poirot, clues are sought and relationships unveiled. Trouble is, Poirot cannot find a motive for anything and is left baffled. It is only later that pure nicotine is fingered as the untraceable poison used, and another body turns up dead at a similar party. Might the killer have struck again, perhaps to silence someone, or even readjust the target?
When Poirot returns to compare the two murders to one another, he begins to find subtle clues as to what they could both mean and how a motive could soon emerge. It will take Poirot’s intuition and dedication to the truth to learn everything there is to know and catch a killer before it’s too late. Christie uses many of her skills to plot this piece out and entertain her reading public.
I always enjoy challenging myself when Agatha Christie has another Poirot novel for me to read. I find myself learning a great deal, not only about England at the time, but the nuances of detecting, while I read through these books. Christie is sharp with her delivery, succinct in her storytelling, and poignant with the characters she uses. I’ll eagerly continue the series to see what other mysteries I can uncover and how Poirot grows on me.
As I have said in past reviews, Hercule Poirot is quite the character, though he prefers to live in the present. His detective work is second to none, though the subtleties can sometimes be a little too slow going, as I want answers in short order. His impact in this book was the presence and discovering the murderer, rather than offering added backstory or development of his own character. I’m hoping for something more in the coming novels, as I do like my characters to have depth and no remain static for long periods.
This novel was divided into three acts, a tongue in cheek reference to the fact that one of the main characters is a popular London stage actor. While the book’s division seemed intriguing, it did not properly separate things as I would have liked. I hoped for something more symbolic throughout. All the same, the narrative did flow nicely and moves from one scene to the next, offering up a handful of strong characters who did their jobs effectively. Mid-length chapters served to keep the reader engaged with the piece and did not deter me from reading larger chunks at a time. I’m ready for more Poirot and whatever adventures he discovers.
Kudos, Dame Christie, for proving that you are the Queen of Mystery. I hope there is more action to come soon and Poirot can make a great impact.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
The town is abuzz when Sir Charles Cartwright assembles a small dinner party at his home. The one-time leading start of London’s theatre community, Cartwright is sure to make all the effort to entertain his guests in Cornwell. Especially with the guest list he has in mind.
The assembled thirteen are from a number of professions, making the gathering all the more exciting. While some would presume the number of guests will prove unlucky, it is not until Reverend Stephen Babbington chokes on his cocktail and dies that things take a true turn. After a fit of convulsions, Babbington toppled over and questions arose as to whether one of the group could be a murderer. However, laboratory analysis proved that there was no poison, leaving the official cause of death as being natural, at least for a time.
With one of the guests being the famed retired Belgian police detective, Hercule Poirot, clues are sought and relationships unveiled. Trouble is, Poirot cannot find a motive for anything and is left baffled. It is only later that pure nicotine is fingered as the untraceable poison used, and another body turns up dead at a similar party. Might the killer have struck again, perhaps to silence someone, or even readjust the target?
When Poirot returns to compare the two murders to one another, he begins to find subtle clues as to what they could both mean and how a motive could soon emerge. It will take Poirot’s intuition and dedication to the truth to learn everything there is to know and catch a killer before it’s too late. Christie uses many of her skills to plot this piece out and entertain her reading public.
I always enjoy challenging myself when Agatha Christie has another Poirot novel for me to read. I find myself learning a great deal, not only about England at the time, but the nuances of detecting, while I read through these books. Christie is sharp with her delivery, succinct in her storytelling, and poignant with the characters she uses. I’ll eagerly continue the series to see what other mysteries I can uncover and how Poirot grows on me.
As I have said in past reviews, Hercule Poirot is quite the character, though he prefers to live in the present. His detective work is second to none, though the subtleties can sometimes be a little too slow going, as I want answers in short order. His impact in this book was the presence and discovering the murderer, rather than offering added backstory or development of his own character. I’m hoping for something more in the coming novels, as I do like my characters to have depth and no remain static for long periods.
This novel was divided into three acts, a tongue in cheek reference to the fact that one of the main characters is a popular London stage actor. While the book’s division seemed intriguing, it did not properly separate things as I would have liked. I hoped for something more symbolic throughout. All the same, the narrative did flow nicely and moves from one scene to the next, offering up a handful of strong characters who did their jobs effectively. Mid-length chapters served to keep the reader engaged with the piece and did not deter me from reading larger chunks at a time. I’m ready for more Poirot and whatever adventures he discovers.
Kudos, Dame Christie, for proving that you are the Queen of Mystery. I hope there is more action to come soon and Poirot can make a great impact.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
December 6, 2023
Agatha Christie Book Reading Challenge
2.75 stars ✨
BOOK 58 :- September 2023
2.75 stars ✨
BOOK 58 :- September 2023
October 12, 2020
An enjoyable read. Sir Charles Gives a dinner party and the local vicar falls down dead after drinking a cocktail. A few weeks later Dr Bartholomew Strange a friend of Sir Charles dies in similar circumstances while Sir Charles a famous retired actor is in Monte Carlo. The same people were at the dinner party and the police identify nicotine poisoning as the cause.
Mr Satterthwaite was also a guest along with Poirot at the first party and they embark with Sir Charles and Egg a young woman in love with Sir Charles on an investigation. Lots of read herrings as always and the motive of bigamy and a mad first wife in an asylum was I thought a bit weak. Some amusing bits in it especially the end where Satterthwaite realizes anyone could have been the first victim.
Mr Satterthwaite was also a guest along with Poirot at the first party and they embark with Sir Charles and Egg a young woman in love with Sir Charles on an investigation. Lots of read herrings as always and the motive of bigamy and a mad first wife in an asylum was I thought a bit weak. Some amusing bits in it especially the end where Satterthwaite realizes anyone could have been the first victim.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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