Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

The only reason why I chose to read this book is because I watched a Doctor Who episode where Agatha Christie is starred and I got interested. I bought this book at a second hand book store... they don't sell it in Fahasa.

During a children's Halloween party, a murder occurred. Someone has drowned Joyce Reynolds in the bobbing for apples tub in the library of the Drake's home. Mrs. Oliver, a detective novel writer, seeks the help of Hercule Poirot in solving this mystery. On the day of the party preparation,  Joyce says she's seen a murder, which doesn't surprise anybody as she has been known to tell lies to upgrade her popularity.

Hercule Poirot begins to ask people about the night of the party and about all the murders of the past years so it can match with the murder Joyce might've seen. One was of Mrs. Llewellyn-Smythe, who was Mrs. Drake's late husband's aunt. She died of a heart attack but her death was noticed as dubious as her will has been found saying everything was to be given to her opera girl Olga Seminoff. She disappeared after they said it was a forgery. The other murders were of a lawyer's clerk who died due to stabbing in the back, a strangled school teacher and Charlotte a shop assistant who died due to head injuries.

Mrs. Drake was a possible suspect as on the night of the party where everyone was watching a Snapdragon show, the same time the murder was possibly on going, Mrs. Drake came down the stairs stopped halfway and stared at the library door, she dropped the vase of flowers she was carrying. An incident witnessed by a school teacher who happened to be there when it happened, an incident which excited Hercule Poirot.

Later Hercule Poirot meets with a landscape designer Michael Garfield in Mrs. Llewellyn Smythe's quarry garden. He also meets Miranda Butler a young girl who spends a  lot of time in the garden.

Joyce's brother, Leopold, was murdered later on having blackmailing Joyce's murder.

SPOILER - turn back now!

Miranda was the one who saw a murder committed instead of her friend Joyce. Having spend so many time in the garden, she climbed up a tree one day. She sees a murder happen and afterwards escape. Her escape was easily heard by the murderers. She told Joyce about it and since Miranda was sick during the Halloween party and couldn't attend, Joyce lied about her really seeing a murder happen. Michael Butler and Mrs. Drake murdered Olga Seminoff so they can have all of Mrs. Llewellyn Smythe's money. 

Miranda was Michael's illegitimate daughter and at the end of the book he was about to murder her as well to hide his previous murders so he can keep his ambitions: he was to use the money in the Greek island where he would build the perfect garden.

I'd give it a 5 out of 5 as I love all mystery and detective stories.