After the Funeral (Poirot Facsimile)

Richard’s death which up until that point hadn’t been considered suspect is closely analysed by the members of the family and especially by the family’s solicitor Mr Entwhistle, whose suspicions are substantially increased when only a day after the funeral Cora herself is murdered in a frenzied hatchet attack.

The obvious motive is money and with Cora’s share of Richard’s will now being split amongst the other family members, Mr Entwhistle begins to make enquiries as to everyone’s whereabouts on the day of Cora’s murder. When he feels he has taken things as far as they can go he calls in a favour of an old friend, a certain M. Hercule Poirot.

The novel is very typically Christie with the various members of the family all having their own little secrets as to their real whereabouts and motives. Poirot poses as the head of a foreign charity planning to buy the house for refugees and thereby gains access to their movements.

It’s always quite hard to say when a Christie novel is set, as she very rarely mentions dates. Published in 1953 the book takes great care to mention how times are changing for the Abernethie family, they must sell the house knowing it will probably be bought by a company for redevelopment, much is made of the problems of securing “good staff these days” and poor M. Poirot, very much a celebrity in his day is now unheard of by the younger members of the family.

But these are all interesting and entertaining subjects to read of in a Christie book, along with her very un-PC writing about foreigners and the mental state of Cora, it is for these very outdated attitudes that make the books still so much fun to read. The actual hinge of the plot and crime is, as in many of her books, quite farcical and could never happen in real life (surely) but is still intriguing and lots of fun to read.


Christie's Last Classic   July 12, 2003
hacklehorn
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Christie's last classic performance, playing (as she did in the 1930s) on the genre's conventions. Here, a wealthy old man is cremated without any suspicion of foul play arising until his sister asks 'He was murdered, wasn't he?', whereupon she is battered to death. The family lawyer calls in Poirot, who functions late, but very effectively. Clueing top-notch standard job, including two brilliant devices (the mirror and the wax flowers) dangled lovingly (yet tantalisingly out of reach) before the reader's very nose. Murderer's identity as brilliant as the plot used to camouflage the murder, and, as a character, ranks with those in Lord Edgware Dies and Five Little Pigs.


MY FAVOURITE AGATHA CHRISTIE   January 27, 2003
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

Yes, despite all Agatha Christie's other top-notch mysteries 'After the Funeral' is my favourite. I have read it several times. The Abernethie family are portrayed with considerable depth and their family home, Enderby Hall, is described in a way that conveys real atmosphere. The events in the story (without giving anything too much away) include a bombshell dropped by an old aunt after a family funeral, an axe murder, poisoned wedding cake and an electrifying climax in the ancestral home courtesy of M. Poirot. An absolute classic!