A Hercule Poirot – a novel by the Queen of Mystery - Agatha Christie
This adaptation of the novel can be seen on Prime Video. Originally it was written by Agatha Christie in 1969. In this movie – the action is moved to the 1930’s. One of the guests is Ariadne Oliver, a crime writer, with the setting taking place in an old Victorian country house in the village of Woodleigh Common.
The additional guests include:
Joyce Reynolds – 13-year-old girl who declares that she once witnessed a murder
Mrs. Rowena Drake – a widow who is the owner of the house the party takes place at. Mrs. Drake, inherited the house 2 years prior, from her late aunt, a wealthy widow named Mrs. Llewellyn – Smyth who died under suspicious circumstances and whose death could have been witnessed by Joyce Reynolds
Judith Butler, the mother of Miranda Butler, a 12-year-old girl that due to illness, was unable to attend the party. She is the best friend of Joyce, they attend the same local school, The Elms.
Leopold Reynolds – the older brother of Joyce.
Mrs. Ann Reynolds – the mother of Joyce and Leopold.
Mrs. Goodbody, the local cleaning woman, attending the party dressed up as a witch.
Elizabeth Whittaker, a mathematics teacher and Latin at the Elms School. She was an associate of a young woman named Janet White, also a local teacher, who had died by strangulation a few years before the party.. another death that could have been witnessed by Joyce.
This story begins on a very cold and stormy night. The wind is blowing. The moon is full. An owl is hooting in the distance. It is Halloween night. Inside the old Victorian house – a party is in progress. Everyone is dressed up the costume of their choice. We observe the children bobbing for apples. Apples in a bucket of water. In the library. We see many children and a few adults. Joyce is dressed as a bumble bee- she is a plain teenage girl. Out of the blue- Joyce tells the party goers that “she has seen a murder.. when she was younger.. at the time she didn’t realize it was a murder…now she does..”.
Since this young girl has a history of telling tall tales and making up stories- she is disbelieved. Someone is heard to say ‘she is just trying to get attention… just making this up “However, Joyce is insistent- she persists in saying she had seen a murder.
We then see the children in the living room playing a parlor game popular from about the 16th century where Brandy is heated and placed in a shallow bowl. Raisins are then added, then the Brandy is set on fire. The lights are dimmed, and the blue flames create a very scary effect. The children then catch the raisins in their mouths.
The camera then shows Mrs. Rowena Drake hold a large vase filled with flowers. She appears to glance toward the library and whatever she has seen, causes her to drop the vase, water spilling on the carpet and on her clothing.
The next thing we see is poor little Joyce, head down in the bucket of water with apples. Dead. A victim of drowning. Mrs. Drake enters the room and finds the victim- then we hear a scream. How awful. I must admit that Ms. Agatha Christie is not squeamish about children being victims in her novels. A rare occurrence surely but in this story, Joyce won’t be the only child who dies.
Mrs., Ariadne Oliver, the visiting guest at the Halloween party and a crime writer, decides to pay a visit to her friend – Mr. Hercule Poirot- the inimitable Belgian Detective, who is living in London. Poirot observes that Mrs. Oliver is very distressed. He asks her to tell him what has happened- she starts by saying “It started with a party”. There were games played- bobbing for apples and Snapdragon.. then a girl went missing…. Only to be found in the library.. dead.. drowned after someone shoved her down in the bucket of water with the apples.. Mrs. Oliver then told Mr. Poirot “I never want to see another apple again”
Poirot then asks Mrs. Oliver to tell him about the murdered girl.. well… Mrs. Oliver tells him that “I don’t think she was a very nice girl… she was the type of girl who shows off and boasts” Mrs. Oliver then said ‘It sounds unkind what I am saying… but…- now when hearing this- Poirot reassures her that ‘It is not unkind in murder to say what the victim was like… it is very necessary. The personality of the victim is often the cause of many a murder”
Mrs. Oliver went on to tell Poirot that Joyce, the victim, had stated earlier in the evening that “she once saw a murder”. She was insistent. “I saw a murder… I saw it I tell you” One of the other girls told her “Don’t be silly Joyce, your just making things up” Joyce had been asked when did this happen… she couldn’t specify how long ago this murder occurred. She was asked why she didn’t go to the police.. she would say that only after a later time did she realize what she had seen.. a murder.
Poirot then went on to say that it is very interesting that no one appeared to have believed her.. and yet when her dead body is found.. perhaps she was indeed telling the truth.
“A girl is murdered… murdered by someone who had the strength to hold her head down in a bucket of water, someone was threatened.. they struck as soon as it was humanly possible.” Poirot decides it will be best if he travel to Woodleigh Common and do some investigating himself. He meets with Mrs. Oliver again and discusses his plan of action. Certainly, he will keep an open mind. Poirot will meet with the local inspector and then dutifully question many of the other guests that attended the Halloween Party.
One of the first people Poirot decides to question is the hostess of the party- Mrs. Rowena Drake. They discuss the circumstances around the unfortunate death of little Joyce. It is agreed that there would have been a great deal of water splashed around. Poirot says that whomever the person was that killed Joyce, must have gotten wet. Poirot went on to say that he understood she claimed to have seen a murder committed. He then asked Mrs. Drake whether she took the statement seriously. Mrs. Drake responded “Well of course I didn’t. It was a very silly thing to say” Poirot asked Mrs. Drake whether she recalled any murders taking place in Woodleigh Common. Mrs. Drake replied that no.. she did not recall any murders. She went on to say that the girl made the statement only to impress friends and perhaps interest Mrs. Oliver, the crime writer.
He then questioned Joyce’s older brother – Leopold as several of the other children. The consensus was that Joyce was making up her story.. Her brother Leopold went on to say that ‘It wasn’t true.. there haven’t been any murders here in ages.. she likes showing off.. “
Mr. Poirot begins to ask around the area and finds out some very interesting information. One interesting fact is the disappearance of an au pair, a young woman named Olga Seminoff that had been the companion to Mrs. Lewellyn Smythe, the deceased aunt of Mrs. Rowena Drake. Seems there had been a change in Mrs. Smythe’s will – only found to be fake- allegedly Mrs. Smythe changed her will in favor of Ms. Seminoff who had been very kind and caring to her,.. then Poirot discovers that there had been a suspicious death of a Mr. Lesley Farrier- stabbed to death behind the Green Swan Pub. Interesting- Mr. Ferrier had worked for a Mr. Fullerton, the solicitor of Mrs. Smythe. Wow, things are definitely not as wonderful as some living in Woodleigh Common would like to believe.
One of the other people Poirot decides to interview is Dr. Ferguson- the physician called to examine Joyce Reynolds when she was found dead. Dr. Ferguson, a man in his sixties and of Scottish descent, greets Poirot with some reservation. He is asked by Poirot if he has any idea who killed her. Whereby Dr. Ferguson replies “Do you think that’s a question I can answer.. just like that… I’d have to have some evidence.. I’d have to be sure..” Dr. Ferguson went on to say that no one hated Joyce, nor did anyone gain by her death. He did admit that he thought that the murderer must had been at the party. One of the guests or one of the help. He dismissed the idea of some deranged person coming in through a window or an unlocked door. Poirot observes “Amongst those present… a murderer….”
Monsieur Poirot then chooses to interview a Miss. Elizabeth Whittaker, another party guest. He asks her to think back and tell him anything that she remembers that might be important. ‘Something that might be of significance. Miss Whittaker pauses and then recants something that she observed.. It occurred after the game of Snapdragon ended.. the lights were still dim. She told Poirot that she remembered seeing Mrs. Drake, the party hostess, holding a vase containing water and fall flowers. Mrs. Drake was looking in the direction of the library. Suddenly she apparently made a sudden movement, a start so to speak- I would describe.. yes, definitely. Something surely had startled her. She was apparently soo unnerved, that she lost her grip on the vase, it fell, reversing itself thus covering her with water and the vase then crashed to the floor breaking into small pieces.
Poirot then asked Miss Whittaker ‘So.. what do you think she saw that started her?” She replied she wasn’t exactly sure.. but Mrs. Drake was looking toward the direction of the library door.. maybe a door opening.. an unlikely person emerging.. just enough to cause her to relinquish her grip and therefore the vase was dropped.
Poirot then asked what Mrs. Drake was doing next. Well, she made a sharp exclamation of vexation and then said to Miss Whittaker “Look what I have done now.. what a mess” Poirot shared his initial thoughts of when he first met Mrs. Drake- “She did not appear to be the kind of woman that startles easily” He asks Miss Whittaker if she concurs- ‘Certainly. That is what I myself have also wondered”
Poirot asks Miss Whittaker if she remembers a teacher at The Elms named Janet White. Yes, she recalled Ms. White.. she told Poirot that Ms. White had been killed several years ago.. strangled walking home from school one night. Was it possible that this might have been the murder Joyce Reynolds had been alluding to? Miss Whittaker didn’t think so.. this happened a long time ago. As Monsieur Poirot observes “Old sins cast long shadows..”
As this story continues, we are introduced to a gardener named Michael Garfield. A most interesting person so observes Poirot. He tends to the expansive garden in the heart of Woodley Common.
And, oh yes- spoiler alert- there is another murder – this time- yes- another young person is killed. Terrible.. who did this awful deed? Were the murders of Joyce Reynolds and this second murder connected in some way?
As avid readers of Agatha Christie know- in the words of the author “very few of us are what we seem” Another quote that certainly pertains to this story is “Where large sums of money are concerned.. it is advisable to trust nobody”
This is a very complicated story.. in my opinion one of Ms. Christie’s more convoluted story lines. As having read the book and also watching the Poirot episode on Amazon Prime, in this instance, I preferred the book. I still did not guess who the murderer(s) was until it was revealed at the very end. Overall, I give Hallowe’en Party – 4 out of 5 stars.
I welcome your feedback and observations my fellow mystery buffs. My next review will be on the PBS Series- Miss Scarlett and the Duke- Susan B.
Looking forward to reading it! Great website.