One ... two ... three "accidental" deaths in a row. And only Miss Fullerton suspected they weren't accidents at all. In fact, as she told Luke Fitzwilliam, she knew Dr. Humbleby would be next. But she was wrong. She herself was number fourâ Dr. Humbleby was number five.

Realizing that the old lady had not just been a muddled aunty Fitzwilliam began a one-man campaign to end the terrifying chain of ghoulish murders.

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When Luke Fitzwilliam retires from a police position in an Eastern location and returns to England, he's not expecting to instantly begin investigating a series of murders in a small village. And when an elderly lady relates her story to him en route to London to report the suspected murders to Scotland Yard, he thinks she has an overly-active imagination. Then he sees an article in the newspaper about her being killed by an automobile while crossing the street to Scotland Yard. A few days later he sees an obituary for the old woman's next predicted murder victim. The policeman in him can't resist and he soon finds himself in the aforementioned village under a false pretense, but with the intent to get to the bottom of the murders the old woman didn't get the chance to report. If all the victims on her list were actually murdered, he knows he's dealing with a psychopathic killer. As always, the question in Agatha Christie's novel is Who-Dun-It? The story has plenty of twists which will keep you guessing to the last minute and also an unexpected romance for Luke Fitzwilliam.: Inspector Battle arrives on the scene towards the end of the book but in time to make an arrest. He's really involved in solving the mystery so I would call this an Inspector Battle story. 1977 copy.

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A retired police officer, a little old lady who knew too much, an antique dealer with a taste for witchcraft and a multiple murderer...

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