Publication
HarperCollins (2016)
Original publication date
1932 (Short story)
1925-01-31
1953 (play)
Collections
Genres
Description
When wealthy spinster Emily French is found murdered, suspicion falls on Leonard Vole, the man to whom she hastily bequeathed her riches before she died. Leonard assures the investigators that his wife, Romaine Heilger, can provide them with an alibi. However, when questioned, Romaine informs the police that Vole returned home late that night covered in blood. During the trial, Ms. French's housekeeper, Janet, gives damning evidence against Vole, and, as Romaine's cross-examination begins, her motives come under scrutiny from the courtroom. One question remains, will justice prevail?
User reviews
LibraryThing member BookAngel_a
I am always a bit disappointed when Christie puts a supernatural element in her short stories. I prefer the mystery to be explained by human cunning or cleverness. Several of these stories have a hint of the supernatural. Most of them do not. What a writer she is, though - all of them were very
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compelling reading! Show Less
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This was a delightful discovery of a volume of short mysteries, only one of which was familiar to me—the title story which was the basis for a famous play. Except for the last story, featuring Hercule Poirot, these were tales about ordinary people who find themselves in extraordinary
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circumstances and were nicel surprises for me. Show Less
LibraryThing member Kaethe
Lots of fine twists to the spaghetti. Christie is particularly well served by the short form/script because of her focus on plot. I think I read the play first, then the story for comparison.
Library copies
Library copies
LibraryThing member Kaethe
Lots of fine twists to the spaghetti. Christie is particularly well served by the short form/script because of her focus on plot. I think I read the play first, then the story for comparison.
Library copies
Library copies
LibraryThing member ferrisscottr
I love love love Agatha Christie but this book just didn't do it for me. Not enough "puzzle" and not enough of the great characters I expect from her. A very rare dud for Agatha Christie.
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
This BBC radio drama attempts to present the essential elements of Agatha Christie's Witness for the Prosecution in less than half an hour. It's only partially successful. While key parts of the plot are present, too much of the context has been stripped out of the drama. I've seen the play and the
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films based on it enough times to be familiar with all of the plot twists and I still had trouble making sense of the radio drama. I even re-listened to a couple of segments and still felt like I was missing something. I'd love to have heard the cast in an unabridged audio production of the play. If you haven't seen, heard, or read the play as written by Christie, avoid this plot-spoiling bare bones adaptation. Show Less
LibraryThing member mstrust
The majority of these stories have a supernatural bent, which is unusual for Christie, but shows her skill at creating tension in just a short amount of time. "The Fourth Man" is a tale of three orphans, two of whom are at the mercy of their more attractive and cruel friend, and is particularly
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good. The title story is a good, twisted crime story. Show Less
LibraryThing member john257hopper
This Agatha Christie short story is packed full of twists and turns around the case of Leonard Vole, accused of murdering an old lady to get her money. I think this story demonstrates the strength of the short story model. No need for superfluous characters, just a straightforward but gripping
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story. Show Less
Language
Original language
English