After the Funeral (1953)

"Nobody had felt any deep grief for Richard Abernethie's death since none of them had had any close ties with him".

But when his sister Cora makes the suggestion that Richard was actually murdered, and is then viciously murdered herself on the day after his funeral, the long-time family solicitor Mr Entwhistle is upset at the possibility.

At the beginning of the novel the reader is provided with a copy of the Abernethie family tree, indicating who was at Richard's funeral. Once Hercules Poirot is engaged by Mr Entwhistle to investigate any possible connections between Cora Lansquenet's murder and her claim that her brother was murdered, then we are taken fairly systematically through how members of the family will benefit from either death. In the long run it is a very tidy plot.

It is not the first time I have read this novel, but I found that I had only a vague idea of the final resolution. Red herrings abound and as usual and Poirot does not share all his suspicions. The novel ends with his usual collective revealing of the culprit.

As I have been doing with most of the Christie novel I have read so far, I was also looking for the author's commentary on British social life. The novel is set after World War II and and Enderby, the Abernethie family home, once the scene of a privileged life, will have to be sold so that the proceeds of the estate can be divided up amongst Richard Abernethie's heirs. Yet another sign that the old social order is collapsing. ( )

Richard Abernethie has died suddenly. Well, not too suddenly -- he was ill, after all -- but sooner than was expected. After the funeral, his remaining siblings and nieces and nephews gather at the old Abernethie house to find out the contents of the will. As they discuss Richard's demise, the youngest sister, Cora, says "But he was murdered, wasn't he?" Consternation! Uproar! Even more consternation and uproar when Cora herself dies as well. A murderer is on the loose!

Hercule Poirot is in fine form here. Hastings is not here to provide narration and detective assistance, but the Abernethie solicitor, Mr. Entwhistle, proves capable in that regard. My attention was held throughout and I could not possibly guess whodunnit. A couple of the clues may have been a bit subtle, but the subtlety or fairness of clues is not really an issue for me. It was a really ingenious solution once it was finally revealed. I enjoyed this very much and would definitely recommend it if you're looking for a particularly satisfying Agatha Christie novel. ( )

After the funeral of the wealthy Richard Abernethie, his remaining family assembles for the reading of the will at Enderby Hall. The death, though sudden, was not unexpected and natural causes have been given on his death certificate. Nevertheless, the tactless Cora says, "It's been hushed up very nicely ... but he was murdered, wasn't he?" The family lawyer, Mr. Entwhistle, begins to investigate. Before long there is no question that a murderer is at large.

(wikipedia.org)

Another great mystery solved by fantastic Poirot! I really do enjoy him as a detective. He's so funny and really knows what he is doing. This story revolves around the death of Richard Abernethie. The day after his funeral his sister Cora was mysteriously murdered with a hatchet. Poirot is trying to figure out "who done it".

As usual, Poirot is delightful! The crime it's self isn't as spectacular as some of the others, but it's still wonderfully written! The suspects each could have had different motives and reasons. The whole time I thought I knew who had committed the murder and then.....BAM! Agatha Christie hits you with a twist! I throughly loved the ending. I had know idea what was coming!

All in all I give 3.5/5! This means that it really good but not as good as some of the others I've read. But don't get me wrong it was still a good short novel to read in spare time! I can't wait to read other novels by Agatha Christie! ( )

Following the funeral of Richard Abernathie his family gather for the reading of the will. All seems as it should until his estranged sister Cora Landsquenet upholds a long tradition of blurting out uncomfortable truths and speaks out "But he was murdered, wasn't he?"
The family dismiss this as Cora being Cora but within a matter of days she herself is violently murdered and the family solicitor and long-term friend, Mr Entwhistle decides to seek the advice of Hercule Poirot.

I have read this book before but had forgotten most of it, so the twist at the end was still a surprise. I liked the book and felt it was one of Agatha Christie's best. Poirot is my favourite of her detectives and although I missed Hastings I enjoyed the relationship between Poirot and Entwhistle just as much. ( )

Stellar build-up - creeping and sinister; cheerfully and anarchically callous about offing its cast! - with a lame SAD TROMBONE of a twist and follow-up. However, it's delicious for the first 4/5, with schools of red herrings and classic Christie antici-pation. ( )