"Nothing is so sad, in my opinion," muses Captain Hastings, "as the devastation wrought by age." In this final outing for the inimitable Hercule Poirot and his loyal friend Arthur Hastings, the body may be weak but Poirot's brain is still functioning magnificently. A murder will be committed, the famous detective tells his friend, and Hastings must function as Poirot's legs. Aging and failing in health, the once energetic Poirot is now confined to a wheelchair. However, that does not stop the two friends from once again going on the hunt together in a case Poirot himself tells Hastings will be his last case but his most interesting one. As a special bonus for Poirot fans, we return once again to Styles, the scene of Poirot's first adventure. A near-death of one woman followed by the actual death of another, a sadist who is able to convince others to murder, a most surprising act by Hastings himself, a peep through a keyhole, a visit to a faithful valet, and murder most symmetrical are clues that lead to the uncovering of the criminal Poirot has come to Styles to unmask. Surely, this must rank as one of Christie's finest as we bid a fond adieu to Hercule Poirot. We shall not hunt together again, my friend.
