"Five Little Pigs"

Did somebody get away with murder sixteen years ago?

That was when the painter, Amyas Crayle, was poisoned. The police (and just about everyone else) believed that his wife, Carolyn Crayle, had murdered him because she had learned he was planning to abandon her and their toddler daughter and marry his latest model, Elsa Greer. All that Carolyn would say at the trial in her own defense was that she hadn't killed her husband. Her death sentence was reduced to life in prison, because there were extenuating circumstances, but Carolyn Crayle died in prison only a few months later. 

Fast forward sixteen years and Hercule Poirot gets a visit from a young woman who calls herself Carla Lemarchant. But her name is really Carolyn Crayle - she is that young daughter, now grown up. On her 21st birthday, Carla - let's call her that, for clarity's sake - was given a letter left for her by her mother in which Carolyn Crayle insisted on her innocence and asked her daughter to help clear her name. Now, Carla wanted Hercule Poirot to investigate the murder of Amyas Crayle. And Poirot was also quite conscious of the fact that if Carolyn Crayle had not committed murder - then someone else in a very small circle of possible suspects had indeed gotten away with murder - and would be unlikely to welcome the renewed attention.

That's the foundation for one of Agatha Christie's best books, first published in 1942, called Five Little Pigs. It's the subject of today's audio review on the Classic Mysteries podcast, and you can listen to the entire review by clicking here.

To Hercule Poirot's mind, there could only be five possible suspects, people in the inner circle of the Crayle household who could have been involved in the murder. Poirot couldn't help but think of them as the "five little pigs" of the old nursery rhyme. There was Amyas Crayle's oldest and closest friend, Philip Blake, the "piggy" who went to market. Philip's reclusive older brother, Meredith Blake was the "piggy" who stayed home. Crayle's mistress, Elsa Greer, was the piggy who hogged most of the roast beef. Carolyn's old family nurse, Cecilia Williams "had none." and Carolyn's disfigured sister, Angela Warren cried "wee! wee! wee!" all the way home.

Five suspects. Could Poirot pin down a piggy murderer? Five Little Pigs is one of Agatha Christie’s most powerful – and, I think, most successful – books. The characters are beautifully drawn for us, the clues, while subtle, are carefully placed (and, as always, the author does a superb job of misdirecting the reader). I recommend it to you very highly.

Comments

[Colin McGuigan]

A superb book, Les, and one I only got round to finally reading at the beginning of this year. I had a very good time with it and thought I knew exactly where it as all heading, till Christie hoodwinked me quite comprehensively.

[Les Blatt]

She certainly had a real talent for misdirection, didn't she, Colin? I do think it's one of her best.