The title this time has a lot to do with the book, and refers to something a teacher says. When asked, during the investigation, if she noted anything strange or wrong, she says she only has the impression that someone's not right, but can't explain better what she means, it's just an impression, which is: it's like we're all pidgeons and there's a cat among us. A perfect explanation of this book, where an iinternational intrigue is at its center, and many people are not who they said they were. The story starts in the middle-east, in the rich country of Ramat where Prince Ali Yusuf must escape the imminent revolution, with the help of true friend Bob Rawlingson, a character I fell in love in a moment, so rare a thing in Christie's books, so of course the poor soul died after a few pages, his plane sabotaged for money, and Ali died with him. I loved Bob, so honest, loyal, brave, and I agree with him that this world really needs some good old common sense, so rare instead.
Ali gave Bob a little sack full of precious jewels, for him to find a way to bring them out of Ramat. Bob hides them in his sister's daughter's things, but then dies and can no more say it to anyone.
Back in England, young Jennifer Sutcliffe enters the famous Meadowbank college not knowing anything about her precious package and make friends with Julia Upjohn.
Princess Shaista is also there. Miss Honoria Bulstrode is the head of the school, Miss Chadwick its cofounder; Eileen Rich , Eleanor Vansittart, Grace Springer, Miss Rowan, Miss Blake, Angele Blanche are the teachers, Ann Shapland is Miss Bulstrode's secretary, Miss Johnson is the housekeeper;
someone that saw Bob hiding the jewels is now trying to steal them, but it's not so easy. First Miss Springer is killed, then Miss Vansittart too, both in the gym. Jennifer is approached by a strange woman giving her a new tennis racket, and at this point her friend Julia, more intelligent and less vain, suspects something. Since the two girls had previously exchanged their rackets, Julia now has Jennifer's old one. Julia examines it very carefully and finds the jewels cleverly hidden inside. She's charmed by such precious beauty, but also scared someone might kill her too, now, so she does a clever thing: a family friend, Mrs Summerhayes (curious huh? I choose the book at random, and yet here she is, the woman in the last book I read, who apparently has learned well when Poirot taught her how to cook an omelette :lol: ) told her of how Poirot saved a man from being hanged for murder, so she leaves Meadowbank with a note saying she's not been kidnapped (like apparently has happened to Shaista) and she's not running away either, and she'll be back, then she heads to London and gives Poirot the jewels. At this point Poirot comes to Meadowbank and solves the case.
We knew from the start that gardener Adam Goodwin was actually special agent Ronnie something. At the end we find out that Shaista was actually an actress and that the real Shaista had been kidnapped three weeks before. Miss Blanche (who tried blackmail and was killed for it) is actually the sister of the real teacher. Miss Rich was at Ramat because pregnant without a husband, Miss Chadwick killed Miss Vansittart because jealous she could take over "her" school, and Ann Shapland is both an old spy and assassin as well as the fake dancer that saw Bob that day from the next room. When found out, Ann uses her gun, but Miss Chadwick throws herself to protect her old friend Miss Bulstrode and dies. Agatha had pity of her and gave her a good death.
Poirot gives the jewels to misterious Mr Robinson, who will sell them and provide the money to Alice Calden and her son Allen, English wife and son of Prince Ali.
It's a bit slow, this book, and there's little investigation, but the college was nice and Julia appearing at Poirot's door, introduced by George the butler, was the best part of it.
About the rest, I don't like the secret-identities-mysteries.
Ita: Macabro quiz
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