Lord Edgware Dies

Lord Edgeware dies: he gets stabbed in the neck, and there are plenty of suspects around. Poirot gets involved in the case, along with his friend Captain Hastings who has just returned from Argentina after a misguided investment.

The reunion of the 4 series regulars (Suchet, Fraser, Jackson and Moran) after a couple of years gives a warm feeling to this episode, but its chief virtue remains Agatha Christie's plot. Her technique here involves a daring double-deception: she takes the obvious truth and camouflages it to the point where you never think of it! But even the little details of the story ("Paris...") are brilliant, and everything gets perfectly explained at the end. Helen Grace gives an astonishing, scene-stealing performance. This is easily in the Top 5 episodes of the series up to this point. (***1/2)

Looking back over the whole series, I would put this one in my top five list, it is a brilliant adaptation.

This is one of my favourite Poirot novels, it's a brilliant book, this adaptation certainly does it justice. The writing is smart, the music is terrific, and it boasts some lavish production values too. There are some glorious costumes throughout.

Helen Grace is perfect casting for Jane Wilkinson, she was truly first rate, what a beautiful woman. She looks so glamorous throughout. I believe in her character's manipulation of Poirot. Fiona Allen too is such an underrated actress, her impressions were so much fun. Even though John Castle only has a small amount of screen time he is excellent.

I know they cheat at the moment of deception, which did annoy a few fans, but for me it doesn't matter, it doesn't detract from the brilliance of the episode. They could have perhaps shot it in a different way. The ending is a triumph, very dramatic.

We had a four year break, and after The Murder of Roger Ackroyd this felt like a massive return to form, it was great to have the old gang back too. How good to see Japp right for once.

Love it! 10/10

They are well written stories that carry you along with it. It is great to see the main characters back together again and all actors and actresses do a fine job. The only thing I found, I'll say different, is the American accents. The English have trouble with it just like the Americans have trouble with an English accent. This is a good story and a good representation.

Quicksilver 2

Unlike "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", as far as I remember it stays EXACTLY the same as the book. As usual, the ending is quite a suprise. David Suchet (who played Japp himself, without a script, and admires Philip Jackson) shines as usual, but I thought Hugh Fraser looked somewhat plumper. A re-make of a stupid TV movie called "Agatha Christie's Thirteen at Dinner", which had an aging Peter Ustinov as Poirot and, as I before mentioned, Suchet as Japp. Enjoyable whodunit.

After his short-lived retirement and country living, Hercule Poirot is back in his flat in London. Miss Lemon is back as his assistant. Hastings is back from Argentina, semi-broke after a bad investment decision and sans bride. Chief Inspector Japp is around, so the old gang are reunited, and have a dinner to celebrate. A few days later, Poirot gets drawn into the private lives of curmudgeonly Lord Edgware and his beautiful young actress wife, Jane Wilkinson. Lady Jane wants a divorce and Lord Edgware won't accede to her request. She asks Poirot, as a friend of Lord Edgware, to try to convince him. When Poirot speaks to Lord Edgware it is revealed that he decided to agree a month earlier, and informed Lady Jane of this in writing. Lady Jane says she never received the letter. Later that night, Lord Edgware is murdered, and witnesses say that they saw Lady Jane entering his study around the time of the murder. However, soon hereafter an actress, Carlotta Adams, is found dead in her bed from a drug overdose. Poirot had deduced that she had impersonated Lady Jane that night, but arrived too late to prevent her death. So it looks like Carlotta Adams killed Lord Edgware, but, as Poirot believes it was murder, who killed Carlotta Adams?

Intriguing, as always, with some great twists and turns. One or two implausibilities but a reasonably good plot nonetheless. Great to see Hastings back - his naivety, lack of objectivity with regard to female suspects and accidental crime-solving make him one of my favourite long-term characters in the Hercule Poirot series. After Poirot, of course...