Ordeal by Innocence

There is no famous detective here, and that suits the story. Calgary is an outsider who feels responsible for the damage his news has caused, and the book follows him as he tries to set things right. The real subject is the Argyle family: several adopted children, a distant father, a loyal housekeeper and a daughter-in-law, all forced to look at each other with new eyes.

Christie is interested in what suspicion does to people. Every family member has a reason to fear the truth, and the strain shows in quiet, sharp scenes. Rachel Argyle, the dead mother, emerges as a complex figure whose generosity was not always welcome. The solution is well hidden and fits the emotional logic of the book.

The pace is slower than in the detective novels, and the large cast takes some time to settle. The mood is more sombre than usual, though the violence stays offstage. Readers who enjoyed Five Little Pigs or Crooked House will find a similar interest in the long shadow of a single crime. It is a rewarding change of pace. About 288 pages in the William Morrow paperback.