The Mystery of Three Quarters
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (March 2019) |
ISBN 978-0008264451 | | |
| Preceded by | Closed Casket | |
|---|---|---|
| Followed by | The Killings at Kingfisher Hill | |
The Mystery of Three Quarters[1][2] is a work of detective fiction by Sophie Hannah. It is the third in her series of Hercule Poirot novels, after being authorised by the estate of Agatha Christie to write new stories for the character. The previous two are The Monogram Murders (2014) and Closed Casket (2016).
Plot
Four people receive
Explanation of the novel's title
Poirot refers to the case as "the mystery of three quarters" because, of the four people who received letters purporting to be from him, three are in some way connected to the late Barnabas Pandy, whose murder the letters accuse each one of. The fourth, however, is seemingly unconnected. Poirot, then, must figure out the relevance of the fourth person, or quarter. To symbolise the four quarters Poirot uses a slice of Church Window Cake, whose fourth square is separated from the other three.
Characters
Main characters
- Hercule Poirot, private detective
- Edward Catchpool, inspector from Scotland Yard
Recipients of the letters
- Hugo Dockerill, housemaster to Pandy's great-grandson
- John McCrodden, seemingly unconnected to Pandy
- Sylvia Rule, mother of a boy in the same school house as Pandy's great-grandson
- Annabel Treadway, Barnabas Pandy's granddaughter
Other characters
- Kingsbury, Pandy's butler and closest friend
- Ivy Lavington, Treadway's niece
- Lenore Lavington, Ivy's mother
- Timothy Lavington, Lenore's son
- Rowland "Rope" McCrodden, John's father, a solicitor nicknamed "Rowland Rope" due to his preference for capital punishment
- Freddy Rule, Sylvia's son and Timothy's classmate
- Mildred Rule, Sylvia's daughter
References
- ^ "Review: The Mystery of Three Quarters by Sophie Hannah". Criminal Element. 27 August 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
- ^ "THE MYSTERY OF THREE QUARTERS by Sophie Hannah - Kirkus Reviews". Kirkusreviews.com. Retrieved 4 March 2019.