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A slipcase containing five classic Agatha Christie novels, all sporting the stunning '21st Century' Christie livery and featuring the redoubtable Superintendent Battle. Superintendent Battle's impassive expression misleads many new aquantances into underestimating the determined lawman -- but it is not nothing that one of Scotland Yard's finest detectives is assigned the most volatile and mysterious cases of murder. In his first adventure, The Secret of Chimneys, the Superintendent is concerned with a missing packet of letters -- and their vital connection to murder and control of the throne of Herzoslovakia. In The Seven Dials Mystery Battle returns to Chimneys, the sprawling country house with a dark secret, to investigate the existence of a secret organisation and the numerous deaths linked to it. Cards on the Table is considered the best of Christie's 'closed-door' murders and centres on an evening of Bridge with four successful murderers and four crime experts. It's up to the Superintendent and Hercule Poirot to discover who exactly killed the host -- and why. The quiet, English, rural village depicted in Murder is Easy is shocked by a series of brutal murders -- and Superintendent Battle will need all his cunning and intuition to see though the village's idyllic facade -- and stop the guilty party before they can strike again. Finally, Towards Zero sees Battle attempting to identify a psychopathic killer who has murdered an old woman without any apparent motive.
Superintendent Battle, a stoic and methodical Scotland Yard detective, navigates complex webs of deceit to apprehend elusive killers across five distinct criminal investigations. Tasked with solving cases that range from international political intrigue to intimate, closed-door homicides, Battle must rely on his keen observation skills and unflappable demeanor to outmaneuver cunning adversaries. The narrative framework across these novels utilizes Christie's signature third-person perspective, focusing on the psychological tension between the investigator and the suspects. Battle faces various obstacles, including social facades, hidden organizations, and the challenge of identifying motives in seemingly motiveless crimes.
This collection is widely regarded as a definitive compilation for enthusiasts of Golden Age detective fiction. Readers often highlight the contrast between Battle's understated, professional demeanor and the high-stakes, often dramatic nature of the crimes he investigates. The inclusion of diverse plot structures, ranging from international espionage to intimate village murders, demonstrates the breadth of Christie's narrative capabilities. Critics frequently point to the inclusion of 'Cards on the Table' as a highlight, noting its unique premise and the interplay between different detective archetypes. The collection serves as a testament to the enduring appeal of the procedural mystery, solidifying Battle's status as a cornerstone of the genre.
Page Count:
1800
Publication Date:
2002-11-04
Publisher:
Harpercollins Pub Ltd
ISBN-10:
000713679X
ISBN-13:
9780007136797
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