THIRD GIRL | AGATHA CHRISTIE

THIRD GIRL

Author: Agatha Christie

Publisher: Collins Crime Club

Summary:

Hercule Poirot’s day is going as normal as ever. That is before he is interrupted by a girl; a girl who thinks she has murdered someone. She mentions that she thinks she murdered someone and then she just leaves, without giving any more information. Hercule Poirot finds it intriguing and strange how she thought she murdered someone; as if she didnt know whether she actually murdered someone or not. And so, with whatsoever no information about this girl, he begins to look for her to see whether she actually committed a murder or not.

Review:

Hercule Poirot mysteries never fail to deliver thrill and suspense. Agatha Christie was an expert on this matter and the plot will never fail to amaze me. The title, “Third Girl”, itself had me curious about what this book was actually about. The curiosity about the book led me to read what I’d call arguably one of the best thriller and suspense books I’ve read so far.
Hercule was having quite a normal day, or at least as normal as it can be for a detective. That was until a girl showed up at this place without an appointment, told him that she thought she had committed murder, then decided that he was too old to help her out and left. Sounds like a fever dream, right? It was way out of the ordinary for Hercule as well; he was not used to someone calling him old, especially not after telling him about a possible crime they committed.
He decides that the only right thing to do in this case was to find out about her. You’d think “How can he possibly find out anything about the girl? He doesnt even know her name!”. Honestly I thought so as well. But you could say that Hercule got very lucky when a friend of his, Ariadne Oliver, happened to know the girl. The girl, whose name was Norma Restarick, was a third girl – someone who shares a flat with two other people. Upon finding this out, Hercule decides that he needs to know more about her roommates and her family. 
With the help of Ariadne Oliver he learns that Norma Restarick's father is Andrew Restarick, who left Norma and her mother when Norma was only 5 years old. And that Andrew Restarick was back in England to work in the family firm along with a new wife named Mary. Coincidentally (or maybe not) his secretary, Claudia, was one of Norma's roommates. 
Following this, a discovery is made by Mrs.Oliver and Poirot: a woman living in the same apartment building as Norma, had died recently by falling from her window. The woman was named Louise Charpentier and Poirot remembered Norma mentioning that the woman with whom Andrew ran away with was named Louise Birell. Poirot comes to the conclusion that Norma is bothered about the death of Louise Charpentier. The only question that remained was whether Norma actually killed Louise Charpentier. And if she didnt then why did she think that she committed a murder?

“Is she a very clever little actress, acting a part? Or is she a genuine semi-moronic suicidal victim?”

~Avani Endait