the ABC murders

The A.B.C. Murders is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 6 January 1936 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company on 14 February of the same year. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6) and the US edition at $2.00. The book features the characters of Hercule Poirot, Arthur Hastings and Chief Inspector Japp. The form of the novel is unusual, combining first- and third-person narrative. This approach was famously pioneered by Charles Dickens in Bleak House, and was tried by Agatha Christie in The Man in the Brown Suit. What is unusual in The A.B.C. Murders is that the third-person narrative is supposedly reconstructed by the first-person narrator, Hastings. This approach shows Christie's commitment to experimenting with point of view, famously exemplified by The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. plot intro: The novel follows the eponymous murders and their investigation as seen by Arthur Hastings, Poirot's old friend. Poirot receives typed letters signed by A.B.C.. In each is given the date and location of the next murder. A.B.C. moves alphabetically: Alice Ascher is a tobacco shop owner killed in her shop in Andover, Betty Barnard is a flirty waitress killed in Bexhill and Sir Carmichael Clarke is a wealthy man killed at his home in Churston. A.B.C. leaves an ABC railway guide with each victim. Poirot has two doubts in his mind a) Why would A.B.C. write to him instead of the Scotland Yard or any reputed newspaper?, and b) Why did a meticulous man like A.B.C. misspell Poirot's address on the Churston letter? Each chapter narrated by Hastings is followed by a description of events in the life of Alexander Bonaparte Cust, a travelling salesman. Cust, an epileptic who had served in the war, was rendered incapable of doing many kinds of work due to a head injury which made him prone to memory blackouts and constant headaches. Meanwhile, Poirot forms a "Legion" of relatives of the deceased in hopes of uncovering new information. Inspector Crome, who doubts Poirot's detective abilities and Dr Thomson, who tries to profile this serial killer, are part of the police team. Plot summary: After a meeting with the third victim's widow, Lady Clarke, Poirot realises one commonality at each of the three murders: a man selling silk stockings appeared the day of the murder. He sold a pair to Mrs. Ascher and to Mrs. Barnard, while being sent away from the Clarke home. A.B.C. sends his next letter, directing everybody to Doncaster. As the St. Leger horse race will take place that day, Poirot hopes to find him on the race course. But A. B. C. strikes in a cinema hall instead, killing George Earlsfield, instead of Roger Emmanuel Downes, a logical victim sitting only two seats away. However, Cust, about whom neither the Legion nor Poirot knows, slips out of the cinema hall unnoticed, after suffering a blackout. Cust, who has no idea of the happenings, finds the murder weapon in his pocket, blood on his sleeve, and realises the implications. Tom Hartigan tips off Crome, while Lily tips off Cust, who tries to flee, but collapses at the Andover police station. When taken into custody, he believes he must be guilty. The search of his rooms finds silk stockings, lists of clients, the fine paper of A.B.C.'s letters to Poirot, an unopened box of ABC railway guides, and in the hall, the still-bloody knife used in the last murder. The police find that Cust was never hired by the stocking firm and the letters were typed on the typewriter he claims was given to him by the firm. Poirot meets Cust, but doubts his guilt after hearing Cust's full story; Cust has a solid alibi for the Bexhill murder and has no memory of any murder. Poirot calls a Legion meeting. He categorically proves that Cust is not the murderer. Early on, in discussing the Churston letter, Hastings remarks that the letter was meant to go astray. Poirot realises this simple solution is the correct one. The murderer wanted no chance of the police interrupting that murder. Poirot reveals that A.B.C. is in fact Franklin Clarke. Franklin feared that after Lady Clarke's imminent death, Carmichael would marry Thora Grey. Then the estate which Franklin stood to gain would go to Thora and any children she might have with Carmichael. Franklin decides to kill his brother while Lady Clarke is alive and make it look like a serial killing to throw off suspicion. Franklin met Cust in a chance encounter in a bar, thus giving him the idea of A.B.C. He plans and executes everything so that Cust will be framed, having served as his stalking horse. Franklin laughs off Poirot's claims, but panics when Poirot states that his fingerprint was found on Cust's typewriter key, and that Franklin had been recognised by Milly Higley in the company of Betty Barnard, the second victim. Franklin tries to shoot himself using his gun, but Poirot has already had the gun emptied with help of a pickpocket. The police take him. With the case finally solved, Poirot pairs off Megan and Donald. Poirot tells Cust to demand a higher price from the press for his story and suggests that Cust's headaches may arise from his spectacles. Poirot tells Hastings that the fingerprint on the typewriter was a bluff. Poirot is pleased that he and Hastings had another experience together: "we went hunting once more".