Dumb Witness (Hercule Poirot)
by Agatha Christie
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Book Summary Information
Author: Agatha ChristieEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Format: Print
Published: 1986-10-15
ISBN: 0425098540
Number of pages: 272
Publisher: Berkley
Product features:
- Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot Mystery
- Alternate Title: Dumb Witness
- New Dell Edition, 1st printing, November 1968
- Dell # 6984
- Amazon ISBN-10: 0425098540, ISBN-13: 978-0425098547
Book Reviews of Dumb Witness (Hercule Poirot)
Book Review: "I Employ the Little Grey Cells..."
Summary: 3 Stars
Almost smack-dab in the middle of the chronological order of the Poirot books is "Dumb Witness," a murder-mystery with a difference. That is, for a long time the reader is not quite sure if a murder has even taken place. Emily Arundell's death does not come as a surprise: she was elderly and sickly, and just a few weeks before her death she suffered from a nasty fall down the stairs. It was blamed on a ball left on the landing by her fox terrier, but Emily was suspicious enough to write a letter to Hercule Poirot, asking for his assistance.
Strangely, the letter did not reach Poirot until two months later, by which point Emily is already dead. Curious as to why the letter was delayed for so long a time, Poirot goes to investigate matters with the long-suffering Captain Hastings in tow. Things at Littlegreen House seem straightforward enough: Emily's death was deemed natural, the lateness of the letter has a rational explanation, and her last will and testament is all in order. But surprisingly, she decided to disinherit her nephews and nieces in favour of her companion, and Poirot is interested to find that her family is going to contest the will. Hastings is a reluctant tag-a-long, who cannot fathom what Poirot finds so suspicious about the whole affair.
But of course, the combined efforts of Poirot's instincts and his little grey cells can sniff out a mystery where there appears to be none. Suspecting foul play, Poirot assumes several different personas in order to investigate the Arundell family and the Littlegreen household: methods that Hastings finds quite un-sportsmanlike, but which add a degree of humor to the proceedings as Poirot shamelessly eavesdrops, deceives and manipulates his way to the information he seeks.
Once again it is Hastings, the Watson to Poirot's Sherlock, who provides the first-person account of the proceedings (noteworthy is the fact that this is the second to last book narrated by Hastings), kept hopelessly in the dark as Poirot carries on with his theories and hint-droppings right up until the wrap-up. As always there is an intriguing range of characters woven throughout the plot, from the chilly beauty queen to the rakish never-do-well, the frightened doctor's wife to the dowdy housekeeper and a pair of spiritualists, each with their own secrets.
The dumb witness of the title obviously refers to the dog, though sadly he does not play as large a part in the mystery or its solution as one might hope; in fact, it's safe to say that this is not one of Poirot's finest mysteries. Still, even an average Christie is better than no Christie at all, and "Dumb Witness" makes a good read for a cold winter's night.
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