The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor: A Hercule Poirot Short Story

By Agatha Christie

An aging, heavily-insured country squire whose estate is in financial ruin is thought to have committed suicide. Hercule Poirot investigates, in the guise of a representative of the victim's insurance company, to uncover the identity of the real murderer.

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Release date: May 8, 2012
• ISBN: 9780062210920

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in a hundred foreign languages. She died in 1976, after a prolific career spanning six decades.

Book preview

The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor

A Hercule Poirot Short Story

by Agatha Christie

An Imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers

Contents

Cover

Title Page

The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor

About the Author

Back Ads

Copyright

About the Publisher

The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor

‘The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor’ was first published in The Sketch, 18 April 1923.

I had been called away from town for a few days, and on my return found Poirot in the act of strapping up his small valise.

‘A la bonne heure, Hastings, I feared you would not have returned in time to accompany me.’

‘You are called away on a case, then?’

‘Yes, though I am bound to admit that, on the face of it, the affair does not seem promising. The Northern Union Insurance Company have asked me to investigate the death of a Mr Maltravers who a few weeks ago insured his life with them for the large sum of fifty thousand pounds.’

‘Yes?’ I said, much interested.

‘There was, of course, the usual suicide clause in the policy. In the event of his committing suicide within a year the premiums would be forfeited. Mr Maltravers was duly examined by the Company’s own doctor, and although he was a man slightly past the prime of life was passed as being in quite sound health. However, on Wednesday last – the day before yesterday – the body of Mr Maltravers was found in the grounds of his house

Reviews for The Tragedy of Marsdon Manor

[vesper1931 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Poirot is sent to Marsdon Manor by an insurance company to investigate the death of Mr Maltravers, who had recently taken out a life insurance policy with them.
Another enjoyable short mystery

[ferrisscottr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The ending wasn't as good as Christie usually produces but she makes everything seem so effortless and she makes it just so easy to get lost in her work. I enjoyed the book quite a bit but am only giving three stars because the plotting could have been better and she didn't give enough clues re: the ending to make it solveable.