Reading the Detectives discussion

This is the spoiler thread for Sad Cypress, the latest Poirot buddy read.

Read it in one evening after some reluctance with the first 20 or so pages. Especially after chapter 6, with the letter collection speeding things up, I found it very enjoyable!

I think I mixed this story up with another but don't quite know which one... I was right about the aunt from overseas pretending to be someone else but thought Mary's adoptive father had to be in on the scheme too.

Just finished this one and a little disappointed with how far-fetched the result was-I assumed (as clearly I was meant to) that it was Roddy trying to kill Elinor so he would get the money and could marry Mary, and then things went horribly wrong. That was way to long a long game for Nurse Hopkins-hadn't she been in the neighbourhood for years?

Also, the denouement wasn't delivered by Poirot but by the defence counsel which rather robbed him of his glory, didn't it?

I think this might be my favorite Poirot so far, though not a very typical one. I liked the structure: trial / backstory / trial. I heard, on a podcast, that Christie thought Poirot was not a good fit for the book and I would have liked the doctor's character to be more fully explored which might have been possible without Poirot.

I agree that the murderer is a bit unlikely, but I would not have believed Roddy as the murderer as he seems such a passive person, not one to ever take his future in hand.

Jessica wrote: "Read it in one evening after some reluctance with the first 20 or so pages. Especially after chapter 6, with the letter collection speeding things up, I found it very enjoyable!

I think I mixed th..."

Oooh, good plot twist, I definitely suspected the aunt, but hadn’t thought of the father being involved...I loved this one, couldn’t remember reading it, but it had all the elements of a great GA puzzle!

Frances wrote: "Just finished this one and a little disappointed with how far-fetched the result was-I assumed (as clearly I was meant to) that it was Roddy trying to kill Elinor so he would get the money and coul..."

Actually, I was grateful to avoid Poirot’s long-winded summation! And yes, I really thought also, if it’s not the nurse, it’s definitely Roddy.

Sandy wrote: "I think this might be my favorite Poirot so far, though not a very typical one. I liked the structure: trial / backstory / trial. I heard, on a podcast, that Christie thought Poirot was not a good ..."

Me, too, I thought it was very well done - yes, quite a stretch as far as auntie is concerned, but fun and satisfying- I am more than willing to suspend reality and go with the flow, I think it’s the same reason I like Midsomer Murders on the telly. Just this side of implausible murders and motives, but the detectives play it straight, and somehow it all works as entertainment!

Sandy wrote: "I think this might be my favorite Poirot so far, though not a very typical one. I liked the structure: trial / backstory / trial. I heard, on a podcast, that Christie thought Poirot was not a good ..."

Good points- about both Roddy and the doctor, I would have enjoyed seeing more of him. That was funny when he tried to fool Poirot with planted clues!

I felt the reveal of the nurse was sprung on us, obviously I hadn't guessed.

A little bit of a slow start, but a great and unique finish, which made this one of my favorite Poirots. I briefly suspected Roddy and the doctor, but the nurse/aunt as killer was so much more of an interesting conclusion. I am happy that Elinor didn't end up with Roddy--he was a weak-willed do-nothing who was just shuffled through life. She was far too spirited for such a mate.

Tara wrote: "A little bit of a slow start, but a great and unique finish, which made this one of my favorite Poirots. I briefly suspected Roddy and the doctor, but the nurse/aunt as killer was so much more of a..."

And Elinor couldn't really express her love to Roddy in the way that she wanted to for he didn't care for such outward emotions. She is a MUCH perfect match with Dr. Lord.

I didn't really suspect anyone (I did briefly wonder about both Roddy and Ted), so I was at a loss, but I really enjoyed it. Sandy, it's really interesting that Christie didn't see this as a good fit for Poirot - maybe not, but I still enjoyed his character in this.

Christie goes against the unpopular victim cliche again here by making Mary such an appealing character - I felt very sorry for her.

PS I was also glad that Roddy doesn't end up with Elinor at the end - that would not be a great ending after all that has happened between them.

Who else enjoyed this one? I want to try to see the TV adaptation with David Suchet.

I enjoyed this one, I didn't guess the solution despite thinking when Mary was writing the will the scene (with the nurse) was significant. I think I did see the TV adaptation years ago, but had it confused with another one, so it didn't help me work it out.

I think it was difficult to guess the background about the nurse - I didn't, though Christie does quite often have this kind of surprise connection! I don't tend to remember TV episodes all that well if it is a while since I saw them, but sometimes suddenly do remember the ending...

This is one of my absolute favourites. In some of her mysteries, Christie does characterisation by numbers, but in some, she seems to throw her heart into creating the people and this book is one of them. I see Roddy, Mrs Gerrard, Mary, Peter Lord and most of all Elinor so very clearly that it feels more like a literary novel than a detective story in some ways.

I am a little irritated with the far-fetched solution. As someone above says, that's an incredibly long game for Nurse Hopkins to play. And Roddy would clearly make a very satisfactory and sinister murderer. But it's clear from reading Christie's notebooks that she tended to have dozens of solutions in mind for any story she was writing and often plumped for one over another for logistical, technical reasons rather than for the sake of satisfactory characterisation - or even on a whim. In this case, I think her plotting instinct to throw in yet another twist and introduce the aunt was wrong and it would have been more emotionally fulfilling as a novel if it had been Roddy. But either way, I love it.

I also wonder whether a syringe mark on the wrist would be noticeable enough to require the elaborate rose-tree explanation. Nurse Hopkins could easily have just pulled her cuffs down. But I would guess AC had that 'rose without thorns' clue in her mind for years and was waiting for an opportunity to use it and I do love it.

I just ransacked my mother's DVD collection to steel some Poirots and this one it in there too! So do let me know what you thought of the episode Judy. I'll watch it sometime this weekend.

Jessica, the episode is also on ITV Hub - I'm watching the start now.

I really enjoyed the TV episode, although it does make some changes - wonderful cast, including Paul McGann, Diana Quick and Rupert Penry-Jones. Despite being in colour, at times I think the camerawork gives it a film noir feel, rather like an old Bette Davis film - this is high praise from me as I'm a big fan of classic films.

Great points, Annabel - I also thought the characters in this were memorable
- I liked the element of romance too.

I agree about the syringe mark but also that the rose is a very clever touch.

Glad you enjoyed the TV episode! I don't have access to itv (Netherlands) unfortunately... But the ancient technology of DVDs still works! ;)

I have read this book several times before and I've always thought it was a good Poirot. However, this time I was struck by Aunt Laura's treatment of Mary Gerrard. I know it was a different time and having an illegitimate child was a serious issue back then, but she let her own daughter be raised by her ladies maid and an abusive husband. And then she didn't write a will to make sure that any of her money went to Mary. She made sure Mary went to school but this time it struck me strongly as not enough for her own daughter. She could have done more.

Diane wrote: "I have read this book several times before and I've always thought it was a good Poirot. However, this time I was struck by Aunt Laura's treatment of Mary Gerrard. I know it was a different time an..."

Yes I thought that was pretty unmotherly treatment, considering how she had kept the photo of the father all those years

Good point about Laura - she is praised a lot for her kindness, but by the end of the book readers will be taking a different view of this. Also very strange that she does not make a will - I kept expecting one to turn up hidden somewhere.

Jill wrote: "Diane wrote: "I have read this book several times before and I've always thought it was a good Poirot. However, this time I was struck by Aunt Laura's treatment of Mary Gerrard. I know it was a dif..."

Exactly!

Jill wrote: "Diane wrote: "I have read this book several times before and I've always thought it was a good Poirot. However, this time I was struck by Aunt Laura's treatment of Mary Gerrard. I know it was a dif..."

I believe that not only did she not make up a will, she specifically didn't want Mary to get her money, as she felt that it wouldn't suit her station in life (which she obviously helped to manufacture). Talk about classism! It would have been a small step in making amends for the betrayal of her childhood.