Part of Hercule Poirot, book 20
First published 2001
Simeon Lee sits in his mansion, plotting his family's Christmas gathering with malicious intent. The wealthy patriarch has ordered all four sons to return home with their wives. Each son carries his own burden: one remains loyal, another has strayed from the family, the third struggles with money, and the fourth possesses an artistic temperament. Simeon has no interest in holiday warmth or reconciliation. Instead, he unleashes cutting remarks at each son, savoring their discomfort. His cruelest blow comes when he declares his intention to stop their financial support and rewrite his will entirely. The announcement shatters any pretense of family harmony. Then Simeon Lee dies under suspicious circumstances. Hercule Poirot arrives to untangle the web of family resentment, financial desperation, and long-buried secrets. Each family member had reason to want the old man dead. Poirot must determine which of them acted on that desire.
Genres: 20th-century, mystery, crime, detective, mystery-thriller, agatha-christie
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: amateur-sleuth, family-drama, murder-mystery
Period: 20th-Century
335 pages · Paperback · Harper Collins Publishers