Towards Zero:

By; Agatha Christie

Page number: 178

Originally published: 1944

"Something about a fine Italian hand. That's what I seem to see in this business." (pg. 110)

By Agathe Christie's imaginative mind, the book Towards Zero is a fantastic murder-mystery novel. The characters are well-rounded, and the storyline fluent. The book is an easy read and will keep you second-guessing who the murderer is till the last moments. Murder is the zero point of the crime that began a long time ago. The scheming Italian hand is at work, and to the untrained eye, any of the handful of suspects may have committed such killing due to their particular standing at Salt Creek.

Summary:

The book follows the story of Nevile Strange. In the beginning, the reader is informed that Mr. Strange got a divorce from Audrey Strange, and remarried to the breathtaking Kay Strange. It seems, Mr. Strange did not attain what he was looking for from the calm and simple Audrey and was intrigued by the assertive and compelling Kay. However, it becomes clear that the trio's history was not as simple as it seemed.

Gulf Point’s ownership was transferred from Mr. Tressilian to his wife Lady Tressilian after his death. Lady Tressilian was a mother figure to both Nevile and Audrey from a young age. One summer in 1944, with the planning of Nevile himself, Kay, Nevile, and Audrey went to Saltcreek for vacation. The strange way of this gathering and the tense feeling in the air made Saltcreek a place of suspicion and worry for its inhabitants.

One night, Mrs. Tressilian was murdered in her room, when she was laying on the bed. The murderer was certainly one of the residents of the hall, but who? The seemingly perfect Nevile? The oddly quiet Thomas? The jealous and out-spoken Kay? Kay's mysterious handsome friend Ted? The allegedly resentful Audrey? Or the maids who have been working for Lady Tressilian for many years? The two police officers will unveil the true name of the murderer after learning about the reality of the trio's history, and investigating the way the crime was committed. The criminal had to be a manipulative soul who have lost all sense of mercy and affection. It had to be someone who would not stop until he got what he wanted; revenge.

personal rating of the book: 9/10