The Murder on the Links
1923
A wealthy Englishman stabbed in the back and left in a freshly dug grave beside a golf course. This is the grim welcome that awaits Hercule Poirot when he arrives at the French seaside village of Merlinville-sur-Mer, summoned by a client who feared for his life, but who arrives too late to save. Paul Renauld is dead, and his killer has constructed an elaborate trail of false leads,真假难辨的嫌疑人,以及一个来自巴黎警察总署的竞争对手, all determined to throw the great detective off the scent. Arthur Hastings, meanwhile, has his own distractions: a captivating young woman from his train journey who seems to appear at every inopportune moment, her own mysterious connection to the case threatening to cloud his normally steadfast judgment. Poirot must untangle a web of buried secrets and long-past crimes,his legendary memory for similar murders proving the only key to unlocking a puzzle nearly perfect in its deception. The Murder on the Links showcases a young Christie already mastering her craft, delivering a mystery that entertains, misdirects, and ultimately satisfies in equal measure. For readers who relish golden age puzzles, romantic subplots, and the pleasure of watching a brilliant mind work.
