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Towards Zero / Ordeal by Innocence
Two of Agatha Christies' favorite novels now brought together just for you.
Towards Zero
What is the connection among a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player?
To the casual observer, apparently nothing. But when a house party gathers at Gull's Point, the seaside home of an elderly widow, earlier events come to a dramatic head. As Superintendent Battle discovers, it is all part of a carefully laid plan—for murder.
Ordeal By Innocence
According to the courts, Jacko Argyle bludgeoned his mother to death with a poker. The sentence was life imprisonment. But when Dr. Arthur Calgary arrives with the proof that confirms Jacko's innocence, it is too late—Jacko died behind bars following a bout of pneumonia. Worse still, the doctor's revelations reopen old wounds in the family, increasing the likelihood that the real murderer will strike again.
Towards Zero
What is the connection among a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player?
To the casual observer, apparently nothing. But when a house party gathers at Gull's Point, the seaside home of an elderly widow, earlier events come to a dramatic head. As Superintendent Battle discovers, it is all part of a carefully laid plan—for murder.
Ordeal By Innocence
According to the courts, Jacko Argyle bludgeoned his mother to death with a poker. The sentence was life imprisonment. But when Dr. Arthur Calgary arrives with the proof that confirms Jacko's innocence, it is too late—Jacko died behind bars following a bout of pneumonia. Worse still, the doctor's revelations reopen old wounds in the family, increasing the likelihood that the real murderer will strike again.
Audiobook
First published October 16, 2012
About the author
Agatha Christie
6,463 books79.5k 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)
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews
December 2, 2015
I only listened to Towards Zero. I enjoyed it. I did the usual, "I think I read/watched this." So, constantly during the audiobook I would think oh, that's the killer. No wait, that's the killer, I'm sure now. Hang on, I just remembered the killer. Until he was finally revealed. Ugh!
June 13, 2022
Another good murder yarn. It kept me guessing and changing my guesses constantly. I went back and forth from the audiobook with Hugh Fraser and the ebook.
October 17, 2019
As always two greats by one of the greats!!! I don’t know what the mystery world would have been without her!!! It’s funny it’s almost always with her between family and close friends!! I guess murder is like that between family and friends. When you step into stranger murder it’s just crazy hate! With family and friends it’s almost always about love and passion! Great two stories!!! Love and passion filled!!! Must read!!! I’ll be very sad one day when I’ve read them all!!! Thank lucky stars she wrote literally hundreds of books and short stories!
August 28, 2025
Both books are 4 stars. I love Agatha Christie, and I especially love to listen to the audiobooks.
My only dislike would be that in Ordeal by Innocence there is a man in a wheelchair, and as someone in a wheelchair, it was difficult to hear how his experience was portrayed.
My only dislike would be that in Ordeal by Innocence there is a man in a wheelchair, and as someone in a wheelchair, it was difficult to hear how his experience was portrayed.
December 3, 2022
No sé que paso aquí.... Generalmente amo las historia de AG, peró este libro pasó sin pena ni gloria. Las 3 estrellas en lugar de 2 es porque en ciertas partes si despertó mi atención.
February 22, 2020
Christie racism watch: Surprisingly pretty good! Towards Zero has characters who are almost all white. One character is so white she is described as translucent. One character is described by another as having "a touch of the dago" which is obviously pretty racist. However, this character is humanized and at one point critiques some of the other characters for being snobby and complacent British people. The narrative seems to conceive that he has a point. So I think he transcends the exotic/erotic other fairly well.
Ordeal by Innocence actually has a character who is mixed race who is handled somewhat well.. She is constantly compared to a black cat or kitten in a way that seems kind of uncomfortable. Most other Christie characters are not described as animals 5+ times in the book. However, there is some mention of the idea that low-class/Irish/criminal blood will out that has not aged very well. But Tina is described as a fairly well-rounded character for a house mystery. Her love for and assumed marriage to a white character is not remarked upon in any particular way.
Ordeal by Innocence actually has a character who is mixed race who is handled somewhat well.. She is constantly compared to a black cat or kitten in a way that seems kind of uncomfortable. Most other Christie characters are not described as animals 5+ times in the book. However, there is some mention of the idea that low-class/Irish/criminal blood will out that has not aged very well. But Tina is described as a fairly well-rounded character for a house mystery. Her love for and assumed marriage to a white character is not remarked upon in any particular way.
June 24, 2020
I tend to enjoy Hugh Fraser reading the Hercule Poirot stories best, but these standalone books are extremely enjoyable when he reads them, too. I really like his ability to make the characters into distinct people rather than simply reading the written words. Both stories are entertaining and would be nice to while away a few days indoor for whatever reason.
Read
September 15, 2014I think it was one of Agatha Christie's masterpiece. It was clearly a superbly written book. I do not want to give out any spoilers.
Read
January 12, 2016Hugh Fraiser is a great voice for these lovely murder mysteries!
December 8, 2024
What is the connection between a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player? To the casual observer, apparently nothing. But when a houseparty gathers at Gull's Point, the seaside home of an elderly widow, earlier events come to a dramatic head. It's all part of a carefully paid plan -- for murder...
Review:
REPOSTED FROM DA.
Dear Readers,
I enjoy Agatha Christie's books, I however cannot consider myself an expert in her works, mostly because I stopped reading her voraciously years ago, but also because when I sat down and thought about it, I really have not read all that many, just some of the most famous. I think I watched more than I have read . I also have to note that I preferred the stories where Hercule Poirot was the main investigator as opposed to Ms. Marple.
This book was a book club pick and when I saw the description I was very interested. Neither Poirot, nor Ms. Marple appear in this book (although the Poirot's name is mentioned once in passing). Someone else entirely investigates the murder ( superintendent Battle). Apparently she wrote several stories with him as a main investigator, but I have never read any of those stories before and presumably this is the best one.
I quite liked it. Another unusual aspect of this story is that the murder take place probably in the middle of the book. So, reader gets to know what happened right before from "first hand experience" so to speak. Rather than following a detailed investigation, we get to observe potential murderers in action when they all come for a visit to the house of elderly widow and presumably readers have more chance to figure out their motives after the widow does end up dead.
I think that what I liked the most here is trying ( and failing) to figure out the psychological reasons for what unfolded in front of readers' eyes. I mean I actually guessed the murderer's identity correctly - certain thing that this person decided to do was just too strange, too off to not be suspicious of that person almost from the beginning, but I did not guess the motive at all and neither did I guess "the whole plan" so to speak.
There were couple of things that I did not like. Mostly because I thought that those events/ people became a part of the main plot just to make sure the end will be tied in the neat bow. I can actually point to those events since even blurb kindly mentions them.
" What is the connection between a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player?". Normally there would be absolutely no connection between those events and the fact that author actually connected those events together felt like a stretch. Having said that, I do feel that psychological motivations for what the "alleged killer" did were spot on and the story is very much worth reading because of that.
Also, I think I will remember the ending for quite some time because I think that for me this came out as much darker than what the author intended. I am not going to reveal the murderer under a spoiler cut, but will still mark it as a SPOILER just in case since it is somewhat of the spoilerish revelation:
Review:
REPOSTED FROM DA.
Dear Readers,
I enjoy Agatha Christie's books, I however cannot consider myself an expert in her works, mostly because I stopped reading her voraciously years ago, but also because when I sat down and thought about it, I really have not read all that many, just some of the most famous. I think I watched more than I have read . I also have to note that I preferred the stories where Hercule Poirot was the main investigator as opposed to Ms. Marple.
This book was a book club pick and when I saw the description I was very interested. Neither Poirot, nor Ms. Marple appear in this book (although the Poirot's name is mentioned once in passing). Someone else entirely investigates the murder ( superintendent Battle). Apparently she wrote several stories with him as a main investigator, but I have never read any of those stories before and presumably this is the best one.
I quite liked it. Another unusual aspect of this story is that the murder take place probably in the middle of the book. So, reader gets to know what happened right before from "first hand experience" so to speak. Rather than following a detailed investigation, we get to observe potential murderers in action when they all come for a visit to the house of elderly widow and presumably readers have more chance to figure out their motives after the widow does end up dead.
I think that what I liked the most here is trying ( and failing) to figure out the psychological reasons for what unfolded in front of readers' eyes. I mean I actually guessed the murderer's identity correctly - certain thing that this person decided to do was just too strange, too off to not be suspicious of that person almost from the beginning, but I did not guess the motive at all and neither did I guess "the whole plan" so to speak.
There were couple of things that I did not like. Mostly because I thought that those events/ people became a part of the main plot just to make sure the end will be tied in the neat bow. I can actually point to those events since even blurb kindly mentions them.
" What is the connection between a failed suicide attempt, a wrongful accusation of theft against a schoolgirl, and the romantic life of a famous tennis player?". Normally there would be absolutely no connection between those events and the fact that author actually connected those events together felt like a stretch. Having said that, I do feel that psychological motivations for what the "alleged killer" did were spot on and the story is very much worth reading because of that.
Also, I think I will remember the ending for quite some time because I think that for me this came out as much darker than what the author intended. I am not going to reveal the murderer under a spoiler cut, but will still mark it as a SPOILER just in case since it is somewhat of the spoilerish revelation:
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2017
The book starts with a discussion of murder and how the murder is always the culmination of a series of events. Gull's Point is an idyllic country house owned by the elderly Lady Tresillian. An ill-assorted house party gathers at the house one September and there is a death which may or may not be suspicious and then a murder. The evidence seems to point to one person but it seems impossible that this person could have committed the crime.
Superintendent Battle is staying nearby with his nephew who is put in charge of the investigation. One of the people caught up in the police investigation reminds Battle of some problems he has had with his daughter at school and inadvertently make shim realise they are about to arrest the wrong person.
I really enjoyed this novel. It is well plotted with some excellent psychological motivations for all the characters. Anyone who thinks Golden Age mystery writers wrote shallow and facile stories which didn't consider psychology should read this one. It certainly had me guessing until very close to the end and I thought the ultimate revelation of the murderer was very cleverly done.
Superintendent Battle is staying nearby with his nephew who is put in charge of the investigation. One of the people caught up in the police investigation reminds Battle of some problems he has had with his daughter at school and inadvertently make shim realise they are about to arrest the wrong person.
I really enjoyed this novel. It is well plotted with some excellent psychological motivations for all the characters. Anyone who thinks Golden Age mystery writers wrote shallow and facile stories which didn't consider psychology should read this one. It certainly had me guessing until very close to the end and I thought the ultimate revelation of the murderer was very cleverly done.
July 5, 2026
This was pretty good? I watched the recent Towards Zero adaptation, which was kind of a mess. Mostly that was because for some reason British TV keeps making these melodramatic adaptations that look all sexified. (I blame this on Julian Fellows' Crooked House.) Only Anjelica Huston could really hold her own, even though Matthew Rhys is generally great.
Anyway, in Towards Zero, it looks like two novel characters were combined for the Britbox version, but I can't remember what plot points from each book character were included in the composit. So that may have been part of the problem. Anyway, Towards Zero the book is pretty good, if a little weird.
Ordeal By Innocence started off good, but wow did it go off the rails. There's a Donald Sutherland version on Hoopla and I'm curious to see what that's like.
Anyway, in Towards Zero, it looks like two novel characters were combined for the Britbox version, but I can't remember what plot points from each book character were included in the composit. So that may have been part of the problem. Anyway, Towards Zero the book is pretty good, if a little weird.
Ordeal By Innocence started off good, but wow did it go off the rails. There's a Donald Sutherland version on Hoopla and I'm curious to see what that's like.
November 8, 2017
I hadn’t read the first of the 2 stories so it was a new Christie mystery for me which I enjoyed. The psychology of the murderer was classic Christie.
The 2nd mystery I had seen as a BBC Marple version which turned out to not be true to the story; Marple nor any other Christie detective is featured in this book. It stands alone as a murder mystery case solved by a character of the story.
The 2nd mystery I had seen as a BBC Marple version which turned out to not be true to the story; Marple nor any other Christie detective is featured in this book. It stands alone as a murder mystery case solved by a character of the story.
September 10, 2017
This was the first agatha christie book I read and this was one of my initial books.
I have not stopped reading Agatha Christie since.
I always love to read how ingeniously a murder was committed and whether I could solve it
I have not stopped reading Agatha Christie since.
I always love to read how ingeniously a murder was committed and whether I could solve it
April 23, 2018
Even though I know I’ve read them before, Dame Agatha Christie kept me guessing and second-guessing. “I think that’s who it is. Am I remembering the solution or remembering my original guesses or guessing anew? Oh wait, maybe it’s this person...”
June 28, 2021
I remember watching a BBC broadcast of Towards Zero years and years ago. Thought the premise was fantastic. Ordeal by Innocence was an enjoyable read, but did not care for any of the characters, though I think that was Christie's point.
November 9, 2017
4* for Toward Zero; 3* for Ordeal by Innocence; 10* for Hugh Frasier's narration.
October 15, 2022
Enjoyed both audiobooks.
March 18, 2023
Enjoyed both of these mysteries. Was totally shocked by who the murderer was in both books.
January 3, 2024
Two more Agatha Christie books. If you like Agatha Christie you can’t go wrong with these books.
January 10, 2025
Was quiet a good book slow at first but was surprised who done it
April 21, 2025
A failed suicide attempt and a wrongful accusation of theft .
May 21, 2026
5 stars for Toward Zero. 3 stars for Ordeal by Innocence. And 5 stars for narrator Hugh Fraser
March 7, 2017
This was one of the best of Agatha Christie's that I've read. It kept me guessing to the end.
Lots of interesting and suspicious characters. This one was solved by neither Miss Marple nor Hercule Poirot.
Lots of interesting and suspicious characters. This one was solved by neither Miss Marple nor Hercule Poirot.
May 3, 2017
Interesting story.
February 16, 2017
Towards Zero was great; Ordeal by Innocence less so. Narration was first rate throughout, though!
August 5, 2015
I thought Hugh Fraser might be a good narrator - instead, he's wonderful. I had to force myself to stop listening to this. At least the first story.
Towards Zero - When Neville Strange and the attractive young American Kay fell in love, his wife Audrey coolly gave him a divorce, then spent quite some time clearly broken-hearted. So it shocks everyone, especially Kay, when Neville announces he thinks she and Audrey should be friends. Their first meeting takes place at Lady Tressilian's. Is it any wonder murder soon follows? 4 stars
Ordeal by Innocence - I knew I'd read this before, but I didn't really remember it. Now listening to it I see why. This book is pretty much all people remembering, just thinking in their own heads. There's very little dialogue, almost no interaction. It drags... Then there's the strong emphasis of heredity, the "blood will out" thinking that Christie always believes in. And having to listen to so many people think and talk about why they hated their mother. I wanted to tell them to get over it and grow up. In fact, as we see into everyone's thoughts we not only come to dislike the dead woman but just about everyone else, too. Not a recipe for a book I'll love. Still I didn't have the ending worked out completely, yet it made sense, and the narration was wonderful. 2 stars
So averaging the scores together this rates 3 stars.
Towards Zero - When Neville Strange and the attractive young American Kay fell in love, his wife Audrey coolly gave him a divorce, then spent quite some time clearly broken-hearted. So it shocks everyone, especially Kay, when Neville announces he thinks she and Audrey should be friends. Their first meeting takes place at Lady Tressilian's. Is it any wonder murder soon follows? 4 stars
Ordeal by Innocence - I knew I'd read this before, but I didn't really remember it. Now listening to it I see why. This book is pretty much all people remembering, just thinking in their own heads. There's very little dialogue, almost no interaction. It drags... Then there's the strong emphasis of heredity, the "blood will out" thinking that Christie always believes in. And having to listen to so many people think and talk about why they hated their mother. I wanted to tell them to get over it and grow up. In fact, as we see into everyone's thoughts we not only come to dislike the dead woman but just about everyone else, too. Not a recipe for a book I'll love. Still I didn't have the ending worked out completely, yet it made sense, and the narration was wonderful. 2 stars
So averaging the scores together this rates 3 stars.
November 2, 2022
Towards Zero and Ordeal by Innocence were crazy reads. I enjoyed listening to them on audiobook. The narrators for each of the stories did a great job. Agatha Christie always manages to keep me guessing until the last second.
June 24, 2013
Good audiobook. Toward Zero is now
my favorite Agatha Christie, great way to come full circle with every little hint.
my favorite Agatha Christie, great way to come full circle with every little hint.
September 8, 2013
i love reading agatha christies book but this book was very interesting
Displaying 1 - 30 of 33 reviews