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England, London, 1944-1946
I efteråret 1944 overhører Hercule Poirot en historie i sin klub "The Coronation Club". Den handler om Gordon Cloade, der er blevet dræbt i et luftangreb. Hans unge kone, Rosaleen på 25 år, vil blive en rig enke, men fortælleren mener at vide at hans første mand,
I foråret 1946 bliver Poirot opsøgt af en kvinde, Katherine, der er gift med Lionel Cloade, en anden af Gordons brødre. Hun kommer med en lang floromvundet historie fra åndernes rige og vil have Poirot til at finde Robert Underhay, så han kan "blive forenet med sin ægtefælle". Et ædelt formål synes hun og hun vil også have Poirot til at gøre det gratis i alt fald indtil han har fundet Robert, hvorefter der ikke skulle være problemer med at aflønne ham. Han takker nej til opgaven og venter og ser.
Sceneskift til den landsby Warmsley Vale, hvor også familien Cloade kommer fra. Lynn Marchmont er lige blevet hjemsendt fra WREN og keder sig allerede lige så meget, som hun glædede sig til at komme hjem. Lynn er datter af Adela Marchmont, der er søster til Gordon. Lynn er forlovet med Rowley Cloade, der er hendes fætter. Rowley har en gård sammen med vennen Johnnie Vavasour.
Familien i lidt udvidet forstand, dvs Jeremy og Frances Cloade, Lionel og Katherine Cloade, mrs Marchmont, Lynn Marchmont og hendes kæreste Rowley, kunne allesammen godt bruge nogle af Gordons penge her i efterkrigsårenes forarmede England. Men Rosaleens bror, David Hunter, er ikke til sinds at lade dem få en penny. Jeremy er advokat og han har dummet sig og misbrugt betroede midler - for ikke at snakke om at han også har formøblet Frances medgift, men det tilgiver hun ham nu uden at blinke. Mrs Marchmont har held til at låne 500 pund af Rosaleen inden David smækker pungen i, men de 10000 pund Frances kommer efter, kan hun godt glemme.
Lynn og David er tiltrukket af hinanden og det er Rosaleen og Rowley måske også.
En fremmed kommer til byen og indskriver sig på kroen som Enoch Arden, Cape Town, englænder. Han sender et brev til David om at han har nyt fra Robert Underhay. Enoch Arden hentyder til et digt af Tennyson om en Robinson Crusoe-agtig person. David taler med ham og Enoch forsøger at få penge ud af ham. Samtalen overhøres af en stuepige, der fortæller videre til Rowley, der også opsøger Enoch.
Dagen efter bliver Enoch fundet død. Han er blevet slået ihjel med et slag bagfra af en ildrager. Et knust armbåndsur, en kostbar lighter med initialer D.H. og en læbestift bliver fundet på værelset.
Et ligsyn konkluderer at det er overlagt mord begået af David Hunter. Poirot er til stede og inspektør Spence er ret træt af kendelsen fordi den indskrænker hans råderum. Ved ligsynet erklærer Roseleen at Enoch Arden ikke er hendes mand og en major Porter erklærer at manden er Robert Underhay. Poirot har sat Frances stævne og får et glimt af et portræt af hendes far, lord Edward Trenton. Familieligheden er stor og det er ligheden mellem Edward og "Enoch Arden" også. Han er hurtigt identificeret som Charles Trenton, familiens sorte får og i denne omgang var han engageret af Frances til at se om man kunne presse nogle penge ud af David og Rosaleen. Nu er det jo så lidt underligt at major Porter erklærede at "Enoch Arden" var Robert Underhay, men det er lidt svært at hænge ham op på det for han viser sig at have begået selvmord, da Poirot dukker op på hans adresse. Derefter tager Poirot hen til Lynn og de beslutter at opsøge Rosaleen, der har opført sig noget besynderligt. Da de ankommer der, er Rosaleen ikke stået op endnu. Med god grund for hun er død i sin søvn af en overdosis morfin. Den eneste morfinist i nærheden er dr Lionel Cloude, hvilket hans hustru Kathie bekræfter da Poirot spørger.
Lynn opsøger Rowley for at fortælle at hun ikke vil giftes med ham. Det tager han hende ilde op og forsøger at kvæle hende, men Poirot dukker op i tide. Nu har han samlet alle trådene.
Rowley opsøgte "Enoch Arden" og blev klar over at Frances og Jeremy var ude på at få penge ud af David. Han slog "Enoch" ned og denne slog hovedet uheldigt og døde på stedet. Rowley kamuflerede uheldet som et mord og plantede Davids lighter på stedet for at få ham i fedtefadet. Senere fjernede han også Porters selvmordsbrev.
Til gengæld var det Hunter, der tænkte hurtigt og skaffede sig selv et alibi, da han opdagede at Enoch var død. Og Poirot har også gættet at Rosaleen ikke er den rigtige Rosaleen, men en ung irsk husassistent Eileen Corrigan. Hun har været med på komedien, men har fået samvittighedskvaler og derfor må hun dø. Så det er altså David, der har slået "Rosaleen" ihjel.
Poirot afslører ham og han bliver fanget af politiet.
Lynn og Rowley finder sammen i hvad, der på overfladen ikke ligner noget særligt holdbart eller trygt forhold, men giftes vil de i alt fald...
Meget charmerende bog, hvor Poirot først dukker op sent og man når at få grundige beskrivelser af de involverede personer, hvoraf ingen er helt gode eller helt dårlige og de fleste ejer evnen til selvreflektion. Hver enkelt persons motiver til deres handlinger står krystalskarpt og overbevisende, selv om handlingen tilsammen er lidt overkonstrueret.
I efteråret 1944 overhører Hercule Poirot en historie i sin klub "The Coronation Club". Den handler om Gordon Cloade, der er blevet dræbt i et luftangreb. Hans unge kone, Rosaleen på 25 år, vil blive en rig enke, men fortælleren mener at vide at hans første mand,
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Robert Underhay, måske slet ikke er død. Det vil så gøre hendes ægteskab med Gordon ugyldigt og dermed vil hans familie arve i stedet for hende. Hans ene bror Jeremy overhører også historien.I foråret 1946 bliver Poirot opsøgt af en kvinde, Katherine, der er gift med Lionel Cloade, en anden af Gordons brødre. Hun kommer med en lang floromvundet historie fra åndernes rige og vil have Poirot til at finde Robert Underhay, så han kan "blive forenet med sin ægtefælle". Et ædelt formål synes hun og hun vil også have Poirot til at gøre det gratis i alt fald indtil han har fundet Robert, hvorefter der ikke skulle være problemer med at aflønne ham. Han takker nej til opgaven og venter og ser.
Sceneskift til den landsby Warmsley Vale, hvor også familien Cloade kommer fra. Lynn Marchmont er lige blevet hjemsendt fra WREN og keder sig allerede lige så meget, som hun glædede sig til at komme hjem. Lynn er datter af Adela Marchmont, der er søster til Gordon. Lynn er forlovet med Rowley Cloade, der er hendes fætter. Rowley har en gård sammen med vennen Johnnie Vavasour.
Familien i lidt udvidet forstand, dvs Jeremy og Frances Cloade, Lionel og Katherine Cloade, mrs Marchmont, Lynn Marchmont og hendes kæreste Rowley, kunne allesammen godt bruge nogle af Gordons penge her i efterkrigsårenes forarmede England. Men Rosaleens bror, David Hunter, er ikke til sinds at lade dem få en penny. Jeremy er advokat og han har dummet sig og misbrugt betroede midler - for ikke at snakke om at han også har formøblet Frances medgift, men det tilgiver hun ham nu uden at blinke. Mrs Marchmont har held til at låne 500 pund af Rosaleen inden David smækker pungen i, men de 10000 pund Frances kommer efter, kan hun godt glemme.
Lynn og David er tiltrukket af hinanden og det er Rosaleen og Rowley måske også.
En fremmed kommer til byen og indskriver sig på kroen som Enoch Arden, Cape Town, englænder. Han sender et brev til David om at han har nyt fra Robert Underhay. Enoch Arden hentyder til et digt af Tennyson om en Robinson Crusoe-agtig person. David taler med ham og Enoch forsøger at få penge ud af ham. Samtalen overhøres af en stuepige, der fortæller videre til Rowley, der også opsøger Enoch.
Dagen efter bliver Enoch fundet død. Han er blevet slået ihjel med et slag bagfra af en ildrager. Et knust armbåndsur, en kostbar lighter med initialer D.H. og en læbestift bliver fundet på værelset.
Et ligsyn konkluderer at det er overlagt mord begået af David Hunter. Poirot er til stede og inspektør Spence er ret træt af kendelsen fordi den indskrænker hans råderum. Ved ligsynet erklærer Roseleen at Enoch Arden ikke er hendes mand og en major Porter erklærer at manden er Robert Underhay. Poirot har sat Frances stævne og får et glimt af et portræt af hendes far, lord Edward Trenton. Familieligheden er stor og det er ligheden mellem Edward og "Enoch Arden" også. Han er hurtigt identificeret som Charles Trenton, familiens sorte får og i denne omgang var han engageret af Frances til at se om man kunne presse nogle penge ud af David og Rosaleen. Nu er det jo så lidt underligt at major Porter erklærede at "Enoch Arden" var Robert Underhay, men det er lidt svært at hænge ham op på det for han viser sig at have begået selvmord, da Poirot dukker op på hans adresse. Derefter tager Poirot hen til Lynn og de beslutter at opsøge Rosaleen, der har opført sig noget besynderligt. Da de ankommer der, er Rosaleen ikke stået op endnu. Med god grund for hun er død i sin søvn af en overdosis morfin. Den eneste morfinist i nærheden er dr Lionel Cloude, hvilket hans hustru Kathie bekræfter da Poirot spørger.
Lynn opsøger Rowley for at fortælle at hun ikke vil giftes med ham. Det tager han hende ilde op og forsøger at kvæle hende, men Poirot dukker op i tide. Nu har han samlet alle trådene.
Rowley opsøgte "Enoch Arden" og blev klar over at Frances og Jeremy var ude på at få penge ud af David. Han slog "Enoch" ned og denne slog hovedet uheldigt og døde på stedet. Rowley kamuflerede uheldet som et mord og plantede Davids lighter på stedet for at få ham i fedtefadet. Senere fjernede han også Porters selvmordsbrev.
Til gengæld var det Hunter, der tænkte hurtigt og skaffede sig selv et alibi, da han opdagede at Enoch var død. Og Poirot har også gættet at Rosaleen ikke er den rigtige Rosaleen, men en ung irsk husassistent Eileen Corrigan. Hun har været med på komedien, men har fået samvittighedskvaler og derfor må hun dø. Så det er altså David, der har slået "Rosaleen" ihjel.
Poirot afslører ham og han bliver fanget af politiet.
Lynn og Rowley finder sammen i hvad, der på overfladen ikke ligner noget særligt holdbart eller trygt forhold, men giftes vil de i alt fald...
Meget charmerende bog, hvor Poirot først dukker op sent og man når at få grundige beskrivelser af de involverede personer, hvoraf ingen er helt gode eller helt dårlige og de fleste ejer evnen til selvreflektion. Hver enkelt persons motiver til deres handlinger står krystalskarpt og overbevisende, selv om handlingen tilsammen er lidt overkonstrueret.
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Genres
Publication
Kbh, [1960]. Carit Andersens Forlag
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML: In Agatha Christie's classic puzzler Taken at the Flood, the indefatigable Hercule Poiroit investigates the troubling case of a twice-widowed woman. A few weeks after marrying an attractive widow, Gordon Cloade is tragically killed by a bomb blast in the London blitz. Overnight, the former Mrs. Underhay finds herself in sole possession of the Cloade family fortune. Shortly afterward, Hercule Poirot receives a visit from the dead man's sister-in-law who claims she has been warned by "spirits" that Mrs. Underhay's first husband is still alive. Poirot has his suspicions when he is asked to find a missing person guided only by the spirit world. Yet what mystifies Poirot most is the woman's true motive for approaching him.....… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member mrtall
Although not among the best-known of Agatha Christie's Poirot novels, Taken at the Flood is never the less very good indeed. An extended family of hangers-on burns in resentment as their rich Uncle Gordon marries a pert little tart, and then is promptly killed in the Blitz, leaving the gold-digging
Christie is in her stride here, with several memorable characters, and Poirot on good form. This 1948 novel, set in 1946, also portrays the deprivation and confusion of Britain's immediate post-war years very effectively.
Recommended.
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strumpet and her creepy but charismatic brother all that money they'd been counting on for years . . . .Christie is in her stride here, with several memorable characters, and Poirot on good form. This 1948 novel, set in 1946, also portrays the deprivation and confusion of Britain's immediate post-war years very effectively.
Recommended.
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LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This was not Agatha Christie at her best but it was entertaining. She did completely fool me in one way. I knew very early on who the murderer was—but the plot twist involved the murder not being the one you thought it was. Mistaken identity was also rife in this book. It was clever in a way, but
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a little “flat.” In a sleepy English village a young bride –just two weeks a widow—when her much older husband is killed in a blitzkrieg and she survives. The husband family resent her—they had never met her. She moves into the mansion she’s inherited with her dominant brother and strange things seem to happen in the neighborhood. Show Less
LibraryThing member riverwillow
An interesting story, which evokes a real feeling of the hardships of post war Britain. Again Christie proves herself the mistrss of misdirection as you assume first one character and then another has murdered the victim.
LibraryThing member bcquinnsmom
In 1944, as the German bombs are falling, Hercule Poirot is safely ensconced in the Coronation Club, when he first hears of the Cloade family. It seems the family patriarch & millionaire, Gordon, was killed when a bomb hit his London home, but his young wife was spared. As it turns out, the wife
Christie then takes the story to Warmsley Vale, and introduces the Cloade family. It seems that all of them were financially dependent on Gordon Cloade, and that this young wife, Rosaleen, has thrown a bit of a monkey wrench into the situation. Living now in Gordon's home with her brother David, Rosaleen was the sole beneficiary to Gordon's vast estate, and David stands between the family and financial assistance. Rosaleen, it seems, is eager to help, but David despises the rest of the Cloades and refuses to lend them a penny. Things go from bad to worse when a mysterious stranger, one Enoch Arden (the namesake of a poem from Tennyson) appears with a bizarre story about Robert Underhay. Pretty soon someone ends up dead. It is Poirot's job to not only figure out who the murderer is, but to get to the bottom of the whole mess. This won't be a simple task.
With several suspects to choose from, Taken at the Flood is one of those stories where the truth is unraveled bit by bit, so that the reader is not really sure of the whodunit until the end. There are plenty of red herrings to sort through -- and just when you think you know who it is, something else pops up to make you think again. Throughout the novel there is a buildup of suspense as you wonder what is really going on here.
Not my favorite of Agatha Christie's novels, it is still an enjoyable read. There is a small peek at some of the hardships of postwar British life that enhances the sense of the desperation of these characters, and Christie manages to keep the underlying tension running throughout the novel.
Taken at the Flood is Poirot's 27th adventure - and he's still going strong, although the earlier Poirot novels of the 20s & 30s were more to my liking. Recommended for fans of Poirot and for Agatha Christie readers in general - these books may be old, but they're still worth reading.
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had previously been married to a Robert Underhay, who had mysteriously disappeared in Africa and was presumed dead. Two years later, Poirot receives a strange visit from one of the Cloade family of Warmsley Vale who has received a message from the spirit world that Robert Underhay is not really dead. Not long after, he reads about the death of an Enoch Arden in the same village. Christie then takes the story to Warmsley Vale, and introduces the Cloade family. It seems that all of them were financially dependent on Gordon Cloade, and that this young wife, Rosaleen, has thrown a bit of a monkey wrench into the situation. Living now in Gordon's home with her brother David, Rosaleen was the sole beneficiary to Gordon's vast estate, and David stands between the family and financial assistance. Rosaleen, it seems, is eager to help, but David despises the rest of the Cloades and refuses to lend them a penny. Things go from bad to worse when a mysterious stranger, one Enoch Arden (the namesake of a poem from Tennyson) appears with a bizarre story about Robert Underhay. Pretty soon someone ends up dead. It is Poirot's job to not only figure out who the murderer is, but to get to the bottom of the whole mess. This won't be a simple task.
With several suspects to choose from, Taken at the Flood is one of those stories where the truth is unraveled bit by bit, so that the reader is not really sure of the whodunit until the end. There are plenty of red herrings to sort through -- and just when you think you know who it is, something else pops up to make you think again. Throughout the novel there is a buildup of suspense as you wonder what is really going on here.
Not my favorite of Agatha Christie's novels, it is still an enjoyable read. There is a small peek at some of the hardships of postwar British life that enhances the sense of the desperation of these characters, and Christie manages to keep the underlying tension running throughout the novel.
Taken at the Flood is Poirot's 27th adventure - and he's still going strong, although the earlier Poirot novels of the 20s & 30s were more to my liking. Recommended for fans of Poirot and for Agatha Christie readers in general - these books may be old, but they're still worth reading.
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LibraryThing member smik
The most interesting feature of TAKEN AT THE FLOOD, apart from the central and rather tangled story of the dashed expectations of the Cloade family, is the social commentary on the effects of World War II not only on Britain as a whole, but also on the personal expectations of those who either
In TAKEN AT THE FLOOD Christie explored the changes from a different angle. World War II is a character ever present.
Lyn Marchmont has returned home to live with her elderly mother, who was one of those dependent for her allowance on Gordon Cloade. Lyn realises that the money is not going as far as it used to, but her mother has not as yet seen the need for some economies, for doing some of the housework herself.
Lyn is unemployed and feels that the qualities that war service encouraged and valued are not valued in this post war world.
Enterprise, initiative, command, those were the commodities offered [by the returnees]. But what was wanted? People who could cook and clean, or write decent shorthand. Plodding people who new a routine and could give good service.
Lyn was engaged six years before, before the war, and now she has come home to marry Rowley, who stayed home and farmed. He is conscious that she has changed and she thinks he hasn't.
And worse, Gordon Cloade's young widow is a stranger and she and her brother have access to the Cloade fortune, which before the war supported the extended family.
Lyn thought suddenly, 'But that's what's the matter everywhere. I've noticed it ever since I got home. It's the aftermath the war has left. Ill will. Ill feeling. It's everywhere. On the railways and buses and in shops and amongst workers and clerks and even agricultural labourers. And I suppose worse in mines and factories. Ill will. But here it's more than that. Here it's particular. It's meant!'
This theme of nostalgia for the pre-war days, nostalgia for the sense of purpose that imbued the days of war, continues throughout the book.
'Yes, it's soon forgotten - all of it. Back to safety! Back to tameness! Back to where we were when the whole bloody show started! Creep into our rotten little holes and play safe again...'
For some the war gave opportunity, only to have it snatched away again when the war ended. But the fabric of society had been irrevocably ruptured. In addition the expenses of the war and its destruction had to be paid for.
The views expressed by various characters seem to be Christie's own heartfelt views, the result of her own observations and reflections in the period just after the war, when life can't have been easy.
The storyline of TAKEN AT THE FLOOD has its complications and problems. It explores the concept of Enoch Arden, a narrative poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson in 1864 in which a long missing sailor returns home to find that his wife has re-married. The character Enoch Arden appears not only in this Christie novel, but also in the short story "While the Light Lasts" and in GIANT'S BREAD, the first Christie's six novels written under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott.
I think the plot itself caused Christie a few problems. Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate, and is himself duped by a man whom he vouched for as a reliable witness. The final explanation of the solution to the puzzle is simultaneously clever and inventive, but also a bit out of left field. There is a time when Christie plays with the readiness of the reader to trust the judgement of Lyn Marchmont.
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served in the forces or stayed at home. In my review of THE HOLLOW, the previous novel, I commented that, although there was no specific reference to the war, people don't seem to realise that the old way of life has gone forever, that the days of large houses and servants to run them has gone forever.In TAKEN AT THE FLOOD Christie explored the changes from a different angle. World War II is a character ever present.
Lyn Marchmont has returned home to live with her elderly mother, who was one of those dependent for her allowance on Gordon Cloade. Lyn realises that the money is not going as far as it used to, but her mother has not as yet seen the need for some economies, for doing some of the housework herself.
Lyn is unemployed and feels that the qualities that war service encouraged and valued are not valued in this post war world.
Enterprise, initiative, command, those were the commodities offered [by the returnees]. But what was wanted? People who could cook and clean, or write decent shorthand. Plodding people who new a routine and could give good service.
Lyn was engaged six years before, before the war, and now she has come home to marry Rowley, who stayed home and farmed. He is conscious that she has changed and she thinks he hasn't.
And worse, Gordon Cloade's young widow is a stranger and she and her brother have access to the Cloade fortune, which before the war supported the extended family.
Lyn thought suddenly, 'But that's what's the matter everywhere. I've noticed it ever since I got home. It's the aftermath the war has left. Ill will. Ill feeling. It's everywhere. On the railways and buses and in shops and amongst workers and clerks and even agricultural labourers. And I suppose worse in mines and factories. Ill will. But here it's more than that. Here it's particular. It's meant!'
This theme of nostalgia for the pre-war days, nostalgia for the sense of purpose that imbued the days of war, continues throughout the book.
'Yes, it's soon forgotten - all of it. Back to safety! Back to tameness! Back to where we were when the whole bloody show started! Creep into our rotten little holes and play safe again...'
For some the war gave opportunity, only to have it snatched away again when the war ended. But the fabric of society had been irrevocably ruptured. In addition the expenses of the war and its destruction had to be paid for.
The views expressed by various characters seem to be Christie's own heartfelt views, the result of her own observations and reflections in the period just after the war, when life can't have been easy.
The storyline of TAKEN AT THE FLOOD has its complications and problems. It explores the concept of Enoch Arden, a narrative poem written by Alfred Lord Tennyson in 1864 in which a long missing sailor returns home to find that his wife has re-married. The character Enoch Arden appears not only in this Christie novel, but also in the short story "While the Light Lasts" and in GIANT'S BREAD, the first Christie's six novels written under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott.
I think the plot itself caused Christie a few problems. Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate, and is himself duped by a man whom he vouched for as a reliable witness. The final explanation of the solution to the puzzle is simultaneously clever and inventive, but also a bit out of left field. There is a time when Christie plays with the readiness of the reader to trust the judgement of Lyn Marchmont.
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LibraryThing member amelish
"When you caught hold of me by the throat and said if I wasn't for you, no one should have me - well - I knew then that I was your woman!"
Be still my wife-beating heart.
Be still my wife-beating heart.
LibraryThing member RubyScarlett
Very good. Chilling villain and rather bizarre end for one of the couples though but the penultimate scene with Poirot insisting on having coffee with three of the suspects is priceless.
LibraryThing member Bridgey
Taken at the Flood - Agatha Christie ***
What is it about?
Written in 1948 (first published under the name 'There is a Tide'), the title is taken from a line in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The majority of the book takes place just after the second world war, although we are privy to a few flashbacks
We follow the Cloade family, a mismatch of individuals that although relatively successful in their own fields have always relied upon their elder brother Gordon Cloade's income. Having been promised all their lives that upon his death each member will be bequeathed enough money to live out their days comfortably, they are shocked to discover that he has taken a young bride and unfortunately been killed during an air raid before having chance to adjust his will resulting in their being cut from the inheritance. However, Gordon is his bride's second husband, and there is a rumour that her first husband may still be alive. If he can be found then the marriage would be illegal and the Cloade fortune would once again be in the hands of the family. When a stranger turns up in the village from South Africa, a glimmer of hope rises and Poirot is employed to try and iron out the creases. What follows is a story rich with murder, blackmail and secret identities. Which side will win the battle of wits between the family and the recently widowed Rosaleen, who governed by her roguish brother David make a very formidable team.
What did I enjoy/not enjoy?
The first half of the book was spent fleshing out the Cloade characters, allowing the reader to dig into their individual personalities and histories. Christie is a master of creating fully rounded characters that the reader can easily empathise with or dislike. This created a very clever build up of tension before the introduction of Poirot, allowing us to try and second guess what he will make of the situation or what plan of attack he will adopt. Some readers may have been a little dismayed that their hero did not arrive until the second half, but for me this was a welcome change to the normal books.
There were a few aspects of 'Taken at the Flood' that stopped me giving my usual high mark for Christies books. Firstly I found the way the plot unravelled a little disappointing, although there were a few twists and turns, many of these I had second guessed. The ending didn't have the same sense of realism that many of the other titles in the series has, and I found myself wondering if it would ever have really worked out like that, or was it just too obvious. Unusually for me I had worked out correctly the killers identity a number of chapters before it became confirmed (which I became a little peeved at as this is one of the few Poirot books that I had not seen the tv adaptation for). The other detail I found issue with was the way that Christie kept referencing the thoughts of the characters, I have noticed this in other novels but not to the same frequency as here. At one point is was almost after nearly every other speech. I just felt it was often unnecessary and distracted me away from the storyline.
Well worth a look if you are a fan of either Christie or the Poirot series, but not a novel I would advise a reader unfamiliar with Christie to start with.
What is it about?
Written in 1948 (first published under the name 'There is a Tide'), the title is taken from a line in Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. The majority of the book takes place just after the second world war, although we are privy to a few flashbacks
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to events previously taken place during the war years. The novel is typical Agatha Christie, we encounter the wealthy deceased and the family squabbles that result from the reading of the will, a beautiful girl, jealousy and of course the various alibis and motives. Although this is a Poirot novel, we meet him in the opening pages and then he is absent for the first half of the book. We follow the Cloade family, a mismatch of individuals that although relatively successful in their own fields have always relied upon their elder brother Gordon Cloade's income. Having been promised all their lives that upon his death each member will be bequeathed enough money to live out their days comfortably, they are shocked to discover that he has taken a young bride and unfortunately been killed during an air raid before having chance to adjust his will resulting in their being cut from the inheritance. However, Gordon is his bride's second husband, and there is a rumour that her first husband may still be alive. If he can be found then the marriage would be illegal and the Cloade fortune would once again be in the hands of the family. When a stranger turns up in the village from South Africa, a glimmer of hope rises and Poirot is employed to try and iron out the creases. What follows is a story rich with murder, blackmail and secret identities. Which side will win the battle of wits between the family and the recently widowed Rosaleen, who governed by her roguish brother David make a very formidable team.
What did I enjoy/not enjoy?
The first half of the book was spent fleshing out the Cloade characters, allowing the reader to dig into their individual personalities and histories. Christie is a master of creating fully rounded characters that the reader can easily empathise with or dislike. This created a very clever build up of tension before the introduction of Poirot, allowing us to try and second guess what he will make of the situation or what plan of attack he will adopt. Some readers may have been a little dismayed that their hero did not arrive until the second half, but for me this was a welcome change to the normal books.
There were a few aspects of 'Taken at the Flood' that stopped me giving my usual high mark for Christies books. Firstly I found the way the plot unravelled a little disappointing, although there were a few twists and turns, many of these I had second guessed. The ending didn't have the same sense of realism that many of the other titles in the series has, and I found myself wondering if it would ever have really worked out like that, or was it just too obvious. Unusually for me I had worked out correctly the killers identity a number of chapters before it became confirmed (which I became a little peeved at as this is one of the few Poirot books that I had not seen the tv adaptation for). The other detail I found issue with was the way that Christie kept referencing the thoughts of the characters, I have noticed this in other novels but not to the same frequency as here. At one point is was almost after nearly every other speech. I just felt it was often unnecessary and distracted me away from the storyline.
Well worth a look if you are a fan of either Christie or the Poirot series, but not a novel I would advise a reader unfamiliar with Christie to start with.
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LibraryThing member cbl_tn
During a London air raid, Poirot listens to a man ramble on about a young bride who, with her brother, survived an air raid while her husband and the servants died. The newlyweds had only just arrived in London after their wedding, and the widow became the heir to his fortune to the dismay of the
This is more of a page-turner than is usual for a Christie novel. The foundation for the murder is laid in the prologue with the story that Poirot hears during the air raid. It seems more and more certain that something dreadful is looming, but it's not quite clear how events will play out. I did spot an obvious clue and I worked out part of the puzzle, but the ending still held a surprise or two for me. I found one aspect of the ending very disturbing and it lowered my overall rating for the book.
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husband's relatives who were financially dependent upon him. Poirot has a reason to recall this story a couple of years later when the widow and her in-laws are connected to a murder in their rural village. Instead of narrowing down the suspects, each new clue seems to add more confusion. It's a mystery only Poirot could solve.This is more of a page-turner than is usual for a Christie novel. The foundation for the murder is laid in the prologue with the story that Poirot hears during the air raid. It seems more and more certain that something dreadful is looming, but it's not quite clear how events will play out. I did spot an obvious clue and I worked out part of the puzzle, but the ending still held a surprise or two for me. I found one aspect of the ending very disturbing and it lowered my overall rating for the book.
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LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
Complicated at first, with a large cast list of relatives, but once it got going it was an enjoyable book. A fairly typical Hercule Poirot light crime novel. The ending was perhaps a little unrealistic, but overall a good light read.
Seven years later, I read 'Taken at the Flood', with no idea that
Seven years later, I read 'Taken at the Flood', with no idea that
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it was the same book with a different title. I did not remember it at all... but felt much the same. Not a bad book, but I would not have guessed the ending. Show Less
LibraryThing member Cassandra2020
The trouble with reading some of the Poirot & Miss Marple books is the number of them that have been televised and therefore I have a preconception of what will happen. The good thing is that quite often the TV adaptation has diverged from the book and that means that you can still enjoy the
The biggest difference between this book and the TV version is that Poirot is on screen 99% of the time yet in the book, he hardly features until halfway through and, of course, there's no Hastings! There are one or two other changes, but the main plot is still the same, so sadly I knew roughly what would happen & 'whodunit', but it was still enjoyable and still an easy diversion after struggling a little with my previous read.
It's the usual comments: if you like Agatha Christie, then you'll like this book, it's up to her usual standards and as always, captures the period. If you're looking for a nice easy (& quick) read, this is perfect.
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read.The biggest difference between this book and the TV version is that Poirot is on screen 99% of the time yet in the book, he hardly features until halfway through and, of course, there's no Hastings! There are one or two other changes, but the main plot is still the same, so sadly I knew roughly what would happen & 'whodunit', but it was still enjoyable and still an easy diversion after struggling a little with my previous read.
It's the usual comments: if you like Agatha Christie, then you'll like this book, it's up to her usual standards and as always, captures the period. If you're looking for a nice easy (& quick) read, this is perfect.
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LibraryThing member ritaer
Well plotted mystery featuring Poirot. Well drawn characters and unexpected plot twist. Identities are the key and no one is quite what they claim.
LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
Gordon Cloade was killed two weeks after his marriage to a much younger woman in a bombing Blitz of London. He died without evidence of a will, so although he promised to leave everything to his niece, nephew, sister & her husband & brother & his wife.... his widow inherits EVERYTHING.....
Rosaleen
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Cloade is now a widow twice over, but is she really..... there are mummers around London that her first husband did not actually die in Africa, but faked his death.... Her brother is frantic for Rosaleen to hold on to her inheritance, which he greatly benefits from, but Rosaleen has a conscience and sees no problem w/ helping out the Cloade family.
Meanwhile, a man appears in town & claims to know that Rosaleen's first husband is still living... he is killed, and then Rosaleen dies, of poisoning.....
Everyone had reason to want one or the other or both dead......
Did I like this? More or less, I've read better & I've read much worse.
I liked that M. Poirot did not enter the story until much later in the story and his ego seemed subdued for a change.
I did not particularly like the Cloades and I particularly disliked Rosaleen's brother..... I loathed Christie's hateful & prejudice interjections.....
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LibraryThing member nadineeg
Much better than the Poirot TV adaptation (which stands alone well enough) Great character development and Poirot does not appear until the middle of the books so patience is required.
LibraryThing member vintagebeckie
In my house a road trip is synonymous with Agatha Christie and a classic Hercule Poirot novel read by Hugh Fraser. My husband and I listened to Taken at The Flood during our one week trip around the southeast. We had actually tried to listen to this book in December as part of our bowl game
Hercule Poirot makes a brief appearance in the beginning of Taken at The Flood, but does not play a major role in the story until way past the halfway point. Christie uses the majority of the book to set up the backstory of the Cloade family — their relationships, personalities, and varied motives. I actually liked this quite a bit. My husband was, however, impatient for the mystery-solving to begin. The mystery takes quite a few turns, and more than one dead person shows up. The ending is tied up in classic Poirot style, and we were pleasantly surprised. We did not see it coming!
If you are a fan of classic mysteries, I recommend Taken at The Flood. Just be patient for the amazing Poirot’s appearance.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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excursion, but it just didn’t catch our attention. So we tried again to much greater success. In fact, this twisting mystery took both of us by surprise! Recommended.Hercule Poirot makes a brief appearance in the beginning of Taken at The Flood, but does not play a major role in the story until way past the halfway point. Christie uses the majority of the book to set up the backstory of the Cloade family — their relationships, personalities, and varied motives. I actually liked this quite a bit. My husband was, however, impatient for the mystery-solving to begin. The mystery takes quite a few turns, and more than one dead person shows up. The ending is tied up in classic Poirot style, and we were pleasantly surprised. We did not see it coming!
If you are a fan of classic mysteries, I recommend Taken at The Flood. Just be patient for the amazing Poirot’s appearance.
Recommended.
Audience: adults.
(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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LibraryThing member kgodey
There is a Tide (also sold as Taken at the Flood) is a Hercule Poirot novel. It's a pretty typical (I mean that in a good way) Christie book, following the devious plots of the Cloade family and interested parties.
While in a club to escape an air raid in World War II, Hercule Poirot overhears a
This book has a million twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming. I read somewhere that Agatha Christie often pulls up new evidence that explains everything at the end – I have never found this to be the case. Every time a new revelation was made, I realised that I should have connected the dots, but of course, my little grey cells are not Poirot's. Each clue is definitely foreshadowed. There are also plenty of red herrings, motives for murder, false alibis... everything that makes a Christie novel fun. I also enjoyed the look at post-World War II British hardships. Definitely recommended.
Originally posted on my blog.
While in a club to escape an air raid in World War II, Hercule Poirot overhears a
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story claiming that a man, Robert Underhay, who has been reported dead was actually intending to fake his own death and live a new life as Enoch Arden. He files it away in his brain as being interesting, and years later. something actually comes of it. Robert Underhay's young widow, Rosaleen, has married Gordon Cloade, who is an incredibly rich man. Unfortunately, he is also soon dead, killed in an air raid. The Cloade family has been dependent on Cloade's money (with his encouragement), and now all of it goes to Rosaleen. Things are complicated by a man named Enoch Arden turning up at the Cloades' home village, Warmsley Vale.This book has a million twists and turns, most of which I didn't see coming. I read somewhere that Agatha Christie often pulls up new evidence that explains everything at the end – I have never found this to be the case. Every time a new revelation was made, I realised that I should have connected the dots, but of course, my little grey cells are not Poirot's. Each clue is definitely foreshadowed. There are also plenty of red herrings, motives for murder, false alibis... everything that makes a Christie novel fun. I also enjoyed the look at post-World War II British hardships. Definitely recommended.
Originally posted on my blog.
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LibraryThing member g33kgrrl
This is a decent Agatha Christie until the very end, when one of the characters gives an impassioned speech about how she remembered how much she loved her fiancee after he almost strangled her and so she wants to marry him after all. Yuck, Dame Agatha, yuck.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I was somewhat amazed to find a Hercule Poirot book that I had never read before! Pleasantly convoluted with plenty of surprises in the final exposition by Poirot.
LibraryThing member pgchuis
This was ingenious and kept me guessing, but Poirot was barely in it and all the characters were unlikeable and had dubious morals. I'm deducting an extra star for the idea that
SPOILER
it is romantic to marry some one who tried to strangle you because danger is exciting.
SPOILER
it is romantic to marry some one who tried to strangle you because danger is exciting.
LibraryThing member Nicole_13
Automatic 1 star almost entirely because one of the prominent female characters ended up marrying a man who literally tried to kill her. Specifically because in doing so he showed himself to not be the boring man she thought him to be.
Essentially, the book romanticized domestic violence. I would
Essentially, the book romanticized domestic violence. I would
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give it zero stars if possible. Show Less
LibraryThing member rosalita
Hercule Poirot is visited by a woman who has been reliably informed by a member of the spirit world that her brother-in-law's young widow, sole inheritor of the fortune that until his death in the London Blitz had been supporting his entire extended family, had a previous husband who is still
This is another twisty mystery from Dame Agatha, and I should have known better than to boast on Liz's thread when I was only halfway through the book that I knew exactly how it was going to end. Yeah, not so much. The final chapters were a real rollercoaster ride, and if not for a truly unpleasant bit of domestic violence between the book's main romantic couple, who nevertheless end up together, I would have loved it. That bit was a little much even for me.
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alive. The sister-in-law wants Poirot to investigate and find him, so that the fortune can revert to her and the rest of her freeloading family, none of whom are apparently capable of supporting themselves.This is another twisty mystery from Dame Agatha, and I should have known better than to boast on Liz's thread when I was only halfway through the book that I knew exactly how it was going to end. Yeah, not so much. The final chapters were a real rollercoaster ride, and if not for a truly unpleasant bit of domestic violence between the book's main romantic couple, who nevertheless end up together, I would have loved it. That bit was a little much even for me.
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LibraryThing member Figgles
A mid period Agatha Christie suffised with a feeling of post war malaise. The Clode family’s fortunes have take on a turn for the worse after the war and they are dismayed when the rich older brother, Gordon Clode, who had encouraged them to rely on him financially, is killed in an air raid
but a mysterious stranger. A good complicated plot for Poirot to unravel is somewhat marred by some casual misogyny.
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leaving his money in trust to his new young wife, a wife very much under the thumb of her dashing ex-commando brother David. The Clodes need money badly but it’s not the widow found deadbut a mysterious stranger. A good complicated plot for Poirot to unravel is somewhat marred by some casual misogyny.
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LibraryThing member electrascaife
Another banger from the Dame. Multiple deaths, lots of suspects, and a sort of double love triangle. Excellent stuff.
LibraryThing member leslie.98
I was somewhat amazed to find a Hercule Poirot book that I had never read before! Pleasantly convoluted with plenty of surprises in the final exposition by Poirot.
LibraryThing member delphimo
Agatha Christie loves to deal with mistaken identities like Shakespeare did in so many of his plays. With Taken at the Flood, we have two young lovers posing as brother and sister to receive an huge inheritance. The imposter, Rosaleen Cloade, presents herself as the young widow of Gordon Cloade.
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Gordon and a few other individuals died in a bombing raid in London. The real Rosaleen actually died with her new husband, and her maid took her identity to claim the inheritance. The Cloade family depended on Gordon for financial support and with Rosaleen alive, their money has evaporated. Enter Hercule Poirot to find a solution. The plot thickens deliciously. Agatha Christie never fails to entertain the reader with her twists and turns, and of course, Hercule Poirot and his self importance reign royally. Show Less
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1948-03-01
Physical description
204 p.; 18.5 cm
Local notes
Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser et armbåndsur med knust glas
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
De trestjernede kriminalromaner, Agatha Christie, bind 52
Oversat fra engelsk "Taken at the Flood" af Ellen Duurloo
Side 56: Livet er ikke sikkert - husk det - det er farligt, forbandet farligt.
Side 131: Hvad sker der med en vedbend, når egen den klynger sig til, bliver hugget om?
Side 131: Den menneskelige karakter er ikke noget statisk, mon cher. Den kan udvikle sin styrke. Og den kan lige så vel blive svagere. Hvad et menneske virkelig er, viser sig først, når det bliver sat på prøve - det vil sige i det øjeblik, det bliver tvunget til helt at stå på egne ben.
Side 174: There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune. - det er et citat fra Shakespeares Julius Cæsar.
Side 181: Man kan ikke vide noget om et menneskes karakter, før det bliver udsat for prøvelser. Til de fleste af os kommer denne prøvelse tidligt i vort liv. Et menneske bliver ret hurtigt stillet over for nødvendigheden af at stå på egne ben, at se farer og vanskeligheder i øjnene og kæmpe mod dem på sin egen måde. Det kan blive på den mest regelrette måde, men det kan også blive på en mere ureglementeret måde, men på hvilken måde han griber sagen an, så vil den hurtigt lære ham, hvad stof han er gjort af.
Side 191: Da du greb mig om struben og sagde, at jeg var din, og hvis ikke du kunne få mig, skulle heller ingen anden have mig - ja - da vidste jeg, at jeg var din kvinde!
Omslaget viser et armbåndsur med knust glas
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
De trestjernede kriminalromaner, Agatha Christie, bind 52
Oversat fra engelsk "Taken at the Flood" af Ellen Duurloo
Side 56: Livet er ikke sikkert - husk det - det er farligt, forbandet farligt.
Side 131: Hvad sker der med en vedbend, når egen den klynger sig til, bliver hugget om?
Side 131: Den menneskelige karakter er ikke noget statisk, mon cher. Den kan udvikle sin styrke. Og den kan lige så vel blive svagere. Hvad et menneske virkelig er, viser sig først, når det bliver sat på prøve - det vil sige i det øjeblik, det bliver tvunget til helt at stå på egne ben.
Side 174: There is a tide in the affairs of men which taken at the flood leads on to fortune. - det er et citat fra Shakespeares Julius Cæsar.
Side 181: Man kan ikke vide noget om et menneskes karakter, før det bliver udsat for prøvelser. Til de fleste af os kommer denne prøvelse tidligt i vort liv. Et menneske bliver ret hurtigt stillet over for nødvendigheden af at stå på egne ben, at se farer og vanskeligheder i øjnene og kæmpe mod dem på sin egen måde. Det kan blive på den mest regelrette måde, men det kan også blive på en mere ureglementeret måde, men på hvilken måde han griber sagen an, så vil den hurtigt lære ham, hvad stof han er gjort af.
Side 191: Da du greb mig om struben og sagde, at jeg var din, og hvis ikke du kunne få mig, skulle heller ingen anden have mig - ja - da vidste jeg, at jeg var din kvinde!
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
204
DDC/MDS
| 823.912 |