-Hercule Poirot, attributed to philosopher Sextus Empiricus
I had not read an Agatha Christie novel in some time, and I was looking for Christmas stories, so this one called my name. I have read 3 other mysteries by this very prolific author and seen film versions of a few others, and they do seem to follow a pattern. A murder and numerous suspects with motive and twists and turns of plot.
Wealthy and aging Simeon Lee has called his family together for Christmas at his mansion, Gorston Hall. The gathering included 4 sons and their wives and a Spanish-born granddaughter. When on Christmas Eve, the deceptive old man is found brutally murdered in a locked room, it falls to Chief Constable Colonel Johnson, Superintendent Sugden and Hercule Poirot, who just happened to be in the vicinity, to solve this shocking crime.
The circle of suspects includes the family members mentioned above plus a few servants of the manor---valet, butler and footman. After the discovery of a diamond theft and the revealing of a few family secrets, Poirot puts his "little grey cells" to work to point out the killer.
I enjoyed the book, rather a page-turner and a rating of 4.
The quote I began with is mentioned more than once in the novel. In case you aren't familiar with the quote, here is what I found on Wikipedia:
The phrase "the mills of God grind slowly" conveys the idea that while divine justice may not be immediate, it is inevitable and thorough.
One hopes this is true.
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