Poirot is forced into investigating a trivial pilfering at a student house to restore Miss Lemon’s efficiency and his own equanimity. With catastrophic consequences.

Then ‘with long graceful steps Mademoiselle Maricot walked out of the small salon and out of the story.’

Everyone seems to believe that Richard Abernethie died from natural causes. Until, that is, the words are uttered: ‘But he was murdered, wasn’t he?’

A letter to Miss Marple from Gladys her former maid: ‘Dear Madam, you’ll have seen the newspapers it was murder they say but it wasn’t me that did it, not really, …’

Dr Maverick laughed cheerfully ‘We’re all mad, dear lady,’ he said. 'That’s the secret of existence. We’re all a little mad.'

‘Always on your knees scrubbing. And then piles of other people’s washing up ... I’d be positively relieved to be murdered. I really would.’

‘Dr Pauncefoot Jones greeted his colleague.. ‘Hallo Richard my boy, so you’ve turned up. I had an idea you were arriving on Tuesday. I don’t know why.’ ‘This is Tuesday,’ said Richard.

‘A murder will take place on Friday at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm.’ …

The hero, Charles Hayward is in love with Sophia Leonides. But Aristide Leonides, the patriarch of the family, has been murdered. And Sophia is a suspect. …

‘You’re a foreigner.’..you should all Go Back..That’s what we fought the war for..so people could go back to their proper places and stay there.’