Frank H. (perryfran) reviewed on 6/10/2022 + 1223 more book reviews

EVIL UNDER THE SUN was first published in 1941 and is generally considered by many readers among their favorite Christie works. It is the 25th appearance of Hercule Poirot and has him on vacation at the Jolly Roger Hotel on Smuggler's Island to enjoy the sun and sea air. But as usual, murder follows Poirot wherever he may go. There are several guests also staying at the inn and among them is the glamorous beauty, Arlena Marshall, who appears to be having an affair with another guest, Patrick Redfern. Then Arlena turns up strangled to death on a beach that is normally empty during the morning hours because it doesn't get sunlight until the afternoon. The prime suspect is Arlena's husband, Kenneth, who may be jealous of Arlena's indiscretions but also seems to have an airtight alibi. So who could have committed this foul deed?

Of course Poirot is able to sift through the clues and determine the killer by book's end. However, I was really stymied by this one. I had no idea who the killer was although along the way I had various ideas which all turned out to be wrong. The way the murder took place was very complex and I salute Agatha Christie for coming up with this very ingenious plot. Overall, another enjoyable outing from her.

In 1982, this one was made into a movie with Peter Ustinov playing Poirot. I remember seeing this years ago but fortunately, I didn't remember how the murder was resolved or who the killer was. I'll probably be watching it again as well as reading more of Christie.

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