Audiobook Review - Lord Edgware Dies

Because of the events of the last few months with my employment and, because of this, falling into a bit of a reading/audiobook slump, I had no plans to do a library audiobook for a while. I am desperate to get my TBR piles of books/audiobooks publishers have kindly gifted me (in exchange for an honest review/reaction) under some control (remember last April when my Amazon was hacked/deleted and all my proofs were wiped off my kindle? I am still affected by that!). 

But I couldn’t bring myself to start audiobooking one of my many audiobooks that I have got from publishers or bought myself. I just wasn’t in that headspace. I needed something short, something I can listen to really quickly and that would kick me out of my audiobook slump. 

Then this became available on my library’s audiobook app. And who doesn’t love a classic murder mystery? 

Title and Author: Lord Edgware Dies by Agatha Christie

Publisher: HarperCollins

Bought, Borrowed or Gifted: Borrowed via library’s audiobook app

Buy from (Affiliate): uk.bookshop.org

In Poirot’s ninth outing, after seeing an impressionist performance of Carlotta Adams, Poirot is approached by the actress Jane Wilkinson. She is currently married to Lord Edgware and, according to her, he will not give her a divorce and asks Poirot for help. Though Poirot doesn’t get involved, he agrees and visits Lord Edgware where he discovers that Lord Edgware is happy to give a divorce and wrote a letter to let Jane know. 

Poirot tells Jane Wilkinson and she is thrilled over the news, and Poirot thinks that is that. Except the following day, Poirot discovers that Lord Edgware has been murdered. Stabbed at the base of the skull, and witnesses say that they saw Jane Wilkinson at the family home at the time of the murder. But that can’t be possible as she had been at a party and there are twelve witnesses that can testify to that. 

Is it possible for a woman to be in two places at once? Who murdered Lord Edgware? How is it connected to a drugs overdose of Carlotta Adams? And how did a chance remark from a stranger help Poirot come to the truth?

Like I said earlier, I had no plans to audiobook this or any other library books for leisure as I have so many audiobooks to listen to via purchases or for review. But decided on impulse to listen to this was wonderful as it helped with my slump. 

I am going to admit that Hugh Fraser’s narration is a delight. I think it helps that this was Poirot story told from Captain Hasting’s point of view and seeing as Hugh Fraser was Hastings in the ITV adaption of the Poirot stories (and I grew up with this series), it made perfect sense. I am aware that David Suchet has narrated some Poirot audiobooks and I am intrigued to see what they will be like (I have my eye on one or two titles, plus I have plans to relisten to a few later this year as I would like to do a month of Golden Age Crime reading). 

But the case. I am going to admit that I guessed who the killer was very quickly (not sure if I was aware of it from something deep in the past or not), but I wanted to know how it was done. That was what got me stumped so I feel like this was more of a howdunnit rather than a whodunnit. 

As someone who does like reading crime novels, this was right up my street and eased me back into this world of Christie as I did try a Poirot sometime last year (Peril at End House) and I rage-quit it as I found it so dull and slow. I seem to have a very hit/miss relationship with Christie - some books I devour and others just drag. 

I see why this is most Poirot’s fans favourite story. It’s a twisted plot with a satisfying ending. Oh yes, I think I’m going to try Poirot again later this year…