Status
Call number
Series
Genres
Collection
Publication
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
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.
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.
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.
Be still my wife-beating heart.
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.
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.
Seven years later, I read 'Taken at the Flood', with no idea that
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.
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
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.....
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.)
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.
SPOILER
it is romantic to marry some one who tried to strangle you because danger is exciting.
Essentially, the book romanticized domestic violence. I would
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.
but a mysterious stranger. A good complicated plot for Poirot to unravel is somewhat marred by some casual misogyny.