There are others who may have wanted Arlena out of the way-from her stepdaughter, Linda Marshall, to Rosamund Darnley, an old friend of Captain Marshall's who perhaps would like to be more than friends. But the husband seems to have a perfectly good alibi. Naturally, the local inspector is looking at the most likely suspect-the betrayed husband. Soon Poirot is setting aside his holiday in order to help the local police get to the bottom of the case. He volunteers to stay with the body and sends Emily for help. He shouts to Emily that Arlena is dead, strangled. But it's he who gets the surprise.a rather nasty one. They spot her sunbathing with a large green hat over her face and Redfern insists on going onto the beach and surprising the sunbather. Redfern later goes out rowing with Emily Brewster, a rather athletic young woman who always goes rowing in the mornings, and he just 'happens' to row in the direction Arlena had taken. It's obvious to the detective that she has an assignation, but when Redfern appears on the beach and looks about helplessly it would seem that the beautiful Arlena is meeting someone besides the ardent young man. One morning, Arlena asks Poirot to help her launch her little boat-insisting that she wants to be alone for once and that he should tell no one where she's gone. Poirot observes that Redfern is really quite in love with his wife and that may be so, but the young man seemingly can't resist the siren's call. Her latest conquest is Patrick Redfern, a handsome young man with a rather mousy little wife. Her long-suffering husband, Captain Marshall, must stand by as men fall over themselves to get close to her. And, despite his emphasis to his fellow residents that he is definitely not on a case, he finds that murder has decided to holiday on the coast as well.Īrlena Marshall, a beautiful former actress, is seen by the other guests as a femme fatale. Hercule Poirot is taking a holiday at the Jolly Roger Hotel, an exclusive resort on the Devon coast.

Evil Under the Sun (1941) by Agatha Christie

Murder under the sun agatha christie