The Hollow (1946) (Poirot # 26) by Agatha Christie. The Hollow is the name of the estate where this murder mystery is set. It is also a description of what Poirot thinks about the people living there. They seem empty of life, hollow shells that are giving a simulation of people doing the things they would normally be doing. All that is except for the one who is dead.
Originally the title included an s at the end of Hollow, which inclines me to think Dame Agatha had originally been talking about the cast of characters rather than the location. Either way, this is a discernibly different type of storytelling for her. We all know there will be a murder, but the corpse doesn’t present itself until almost a third of the way in the story. Poirot comes into play at about the same time and, initially irritated at the pandering quality of the tableaux displayed to him which he has fancied as some type of party game, he quickly surmises that the woman holding the gun over the body laid out next to and dripping blood in the pool, may indeed have actually killed the man at her feet.
Two of the other houseguests are arriving on the scene as well as the rather bemusing lady of the house. Several people are automatically suspect, others add their names to that list, the history of the dead person is locked into, a Hollywood movie star who just “Happens” to be staying at the next abode may be involved, and the local police even suspect Poirot.
This is an interesting little poser as it is quickly shown that the most likely person to have not committed the murder is the woman found holding the gun. Dame Agatha out did herself in setting up this cozy little mystery. The portraits of all involved will leave you questioning means and motive.
Just remember, the lady of the house did prove to be a very keen pistol woman. ( )