I've never been a big fan of Agatha Christie but I generally like to read her book from time to time. However, I have read a few of them more than usual lately and I think I have had enough of them. The more I am pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book.

Bungled Suicide: Angus MacWhirter had tried to jump off a cliff near the location of the murder roughly a year before the story began, but did not die and was hospitalised instead. He was quite bitter about this at first, though things got better for him at the final chapters. Of course we have. Look here, Kay, we’ve had this out before. Sir Matthew was my guardian. He and Camilla looked after me. Gull’s Point is my home, as far as any place is home to me.’ Nevile Strange (no relation to Doctor) is a handsome tennis star who is married to a young hottie. But when he meets his ex-wife in the park, it's decided that they should all just try to get along and be friends again. Which translates into staying at his aunt's estate at the same time over the holidays. Adrian Royde: brother to Thomas; barrister, loved Audrey Strange, recently killed in road accident.Superintendent Battle: Vacationing with his nephew, he is assigned to the case with him; husband and father of five children, youngest of whom gives him an insight useful to solving this case. In 2010, Joy Wilkinson adapted Towards Zero as a radio play, first transmitted in January 2010, in four parts, each 30 minutes by BBC Radio 4. [13] The cast includes: In 2007, the novel was adapted as part of the third season of the Agatha Christie's Marple television series produced by ITV. Geraldine McEwan plays Miss Marple. [12] The novel did not include Miss Marple; other characters are changed as well for this adaptation to fit the series approach. Superintendent Battle is replaced by Superintendent Mallard played by Alan Davies. This is probably one of the less known books of Christie, which is a shame, because it is a really good book. Which in my opinion would also make a fantastic film. The general structure of this story, of course, does not differ from Christie's typical pattern. A murder in a closed house that could only be committed by one of the small group of people who were there at the time. Each of these people had a motive, sometimes more than one. And basically everyone had the opportunity. Suspicion falls on everyone one after the other. And just as recently I was completely tired of this scheme in After the Funeral, here I truly enjoyed this classic scheme. Observers to the debacle - wise Mr Treves, silent Thomas Royde, and hardworking Mary Aldin - cannot see how this trip will end well. Needless to say it doesn’t! In the wake of a violent murder, Superintendent Battle is forced to cut short his own holiday to investigate. Evidence from an unconnected witness, Angus MacWhirter, lead the policeman and his Inspector nephew round in circles. Who will go to the gallows for the crime?

Marcum, J S (May 2007). "American Tribute to Agatha Christie: The Classic Years: 1940 - 1944" . Retrieved 13 October 2015. The novel was adapted for French TV by Studio Canal as L'Heure zéro, first broadcast on 31 October 2007. Contrived Coincidence: A year before the murder took place, Angus MacWhirter attempted suicide and failed. Then, while he was pondering about his life in his "suicide location", he met Audrey Strange and became a key witness to the on-going murder investigation. Superintendent Battle even remarks that his involvement, and his subsequent assistance in solving the crime, was a "miracle". He crossed the hall, squared his shoulders as though definitely throwing off some burden, passed through the living-room and out on to a glass-enclosed verandah where his wife, Kay, was curled up amongst cushions drinking orange juice.Chekhov's Gunman: The first chapter introduces a certain Angus MacWhirter, a suicide survivor, who seemingly has nothing to do with the victim or the suspects. However, he reappears in the final act of the story as a key witness who ultimately provided the solution to the crime. All Love Is Unrequited: Ted is in love with Kay, who is married to Nevile, who still seems to have feelings for his ex-wife Audrey. Audrey's own feelings for Nevile is ambiguous, but she certainly does not reciprocate Thomas' love. Kay Strange was twenty-three and unusually beautiful. She had a slender but subtly voluptuous figure, dark red hair, such a perfect skin that she used only the slightest make-up to enhance it, and those dark eyes and brows which so seldom go with red hair and which are so devas¬tating when they do.

They always seem to be very polite to you. You know quite well I wouldn’t stand for it if they weren’t.’ Nevile, after setting up a meeting with Audrey, arranges that all three Stranges would be present in Gull's Point during the summer holidays, a suggestion that doesn't sit well with any of the other guests. He then makes an over-the-top assertion that the whole thing was his idea, and no, Audrey had not put any ideas in his head about it. This only reinforces the idea that Audrey was the one who manipulated Nevile to let her meet his new wife, and that he's protecting her. Well, perhaps I was going a bit too far. But at any rate once the thing had happened, there it was. You’ve got to accept these things!’In October and November 1944, it was serialized with illustrations under that same title as a supplement to The Mail (Adelaide), in Australia. Portions are missing from the newspapers scanned by Trove, so the exact dates are not certain, save for the start on 7 October 1944. [7] Adaptations [ edit ] Stage [ edit ] The review by Maurice Willson Disher in The Times Literary Supplement of 22 July 1944 was overwhelmingly positive: "Undiscriminating admirers of Miss Christie must surely miss the thrill of realizing when she is at her best. If this argument is sound then Towards Zero is for the critical. By virtue of masterly story-telling it makes the welfare of certain persons at a seaside town seem of more importance at the moment than anything else in the world. Mechanized brains may object that the murderer "perfects" his mystery by methods imposed upon fiction's police, but even when the maze is vaguely recognised the tale still grips. The characters become so much a part of the reader's existence that he must know what their ultimate fate may be before he will rest satisfied. How alive they are is apparent when two men, both dogged, laconic, poker-faced, never seem alike. The wife and the ex-wife, who neither like nor dislike one another, also reveal creative power. As an exhibition of the modern brand of human nature, Towards Zero deserves higher praises than any that can be awarded to it as an excellent detective story." [3] Nevile Strange was coming down the stairs. He was dressed in white flannels and held four tennis racquets under his arm.

Maurice Richardson in the 6 August 1944 issue of The Observer wrote, "The new Agatha Christie has a deliciously prolonged and elaborate build-up, urbane and cosy like a good cigar and red leather slippers. Poirot is absent physically, but his influence guides the sensitive inspector past the wiles of the carefully planted house party, and with its tortuous double bluff this might well have been a Poirot case. How gratifying to see Agatha Christie keeping the flag of the old classic who-dun-it so triumphantly flying!" [4] Similar statements are given by Major Despard in Cards on the Table and Michael Rodgers in Endless Night and might be approved by Mrs Christie as well. [2]If I see any weaknesses in this book, this is without a doubt the last scene. It is completely sentimental and unrealistic and in my opinion spoils the entire effect of this book. This story would be great without this silly scene. Fortunately, that's basically the only thing that annoyed me. Kissing Cousins: Thomas Royde is head-over-heels in love with Audrey, who is a distant cousin of his. He comes to Gull's Point intending to propose to her, now that she's divorced. In a subversion, Audrey does not return his feelings. Double Subverted later when it's revealed that Audrey was romantically involved with Thomas's late brother, Adrian. In 1930, Christie married archaeologist Max Mallowan (Sir Max from 1968) after joining him in an archaeological dig. Their marriage was especially happy in the early years and remained so until Christie's death in 1976. When the Lady Tressilian was murdered, all evidence pointed to her late husband's ward, Nevile Strange — the two had been heard arguing before her death, and her blood was found on Nevile's golf club and coat. Battle delayed making an arrest, to the confusion of the other officers, until one of the maids provided him with a solid alibi.