History Literature / TowardsZero

* TheBeard: [[spoiler: Neville married Kay to support the thesis that it was he who left Audrey and not the other way around.]]

* FramingTheGuiltyParty: [[spoiler: Neville frames ''himself'' in a way that's easily explained away and makes Audrey look like she's framing him.]]

* AllLoveIsUnrequited: Ted is in love with Kay, who is married to Nevile, who still seem to have feelings for his ex-wife Audrey. Audrey's own feelings for Nevile is ambiguous, but she certainly does not reciprocate Thomas' love.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Angus [=MacWhirter=] tried to commit suicide by throwing himself off the cliff near Gull's Point, but survived. A year later, he rescues Audrey from attempting to do the same. The two then bonded together over their shared misfortune, and they decide to marry at the novel's ending. Kay Strange and Ted Latimer are another example, both being glamorous, party loving lounge lizards who don't fit in with the prim and proper (and prejudiced) English gentry.

* FalseConfession: One of the opening chapters has Superintendent Battle being called to his daughter's school after said daughter confessed to stealing. A brief chat with the girl reveals that she was only confessing due to pressure, and the circumstances of her confession are what made the Superintendent later realize that Audrey's confession to Lady Tressilian's murder was also due to overwhelming pressure. This convinced him that Audrey was innocent.

* DomesticAbuse: An hellish example with [[spoiler: Neville and Audrey. He is a psycho but keeps up a very believable MaskOfSanity. His first wife had now and then glimpse of something very off about him (and he was subtly very jealous and controlling of her) but no one would believe her.]]

* GoodIsNotNice: Superintendent Battle is a just man who refuses to convict an innocent even when all the evidence seemingly point to that person. This doesn't stop him from deliberately throwing one of the suspects, Ted Latrimer, into the sea to verify the young man's claims that he can't swim.

** [[spoiler: Same with Audrey, she attempts suicide when it seems she's going to be arrested for Lady Tressilians's murder but Angus saves her and helps the police finding the real killer. In the end she agrees to marry him.]]

* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Audrey was never in love with Neville to begin with, and it was never her idea to reunite with him and Kay under the same house. In fact she was scared of him and ''she'" was the one who left, but Neville made everyone believe the contrary with some supreme ManipulativeBastard qualities.]]

* SerialKillingsSpecificTarget: While the killer was apprehended before they could get the intended victim, Lady Tressilian's death was actually just a means to get [[spoiler:Audrey Strange convicted and hanged for her murder. Nevile wanted to see her go through the emotional torment of being accused of the crime and dying of a painful execution as a "punishment" for trying to divorce him]].

* TheSociopath: [[spoiler:Neville Strange]] is a remorseless killer who, [[EnfantTerrible as a child]], had murdered their friend and made it look like an accident. Extremely vain and self-absorbed, they committed at least two murders--one of whom was [[spoiler:his own, loving stepmother]]--just to get revenge on [[spoiler:his ex-wife, Audrey, for having the audacity to try and leave him due to his abuse]]. In order to pin the blame on [[spoiler:Audrey and ensure that she would be convicted and hanged]], they thought of a convoluted double bluff that not only made it look like [[spoiler:she was guilty, but also that she attempted to frame Neville beforehand]]. Their plan was foiled only by ContrivedCoincidence, which even the presiding detective considers a miracle.
* SpannerInTheWorks: Angus [=MacWhirter=] ends up being this to [[spoiler:Neville Strange]] by manner of ContrivedCoincidence of stopping [[spoiler:Audrey from killing herself after being accused]] and [[spoiler:then securing a critical piece of evidence in the form of a damp rope used by the culprit to climb into the house after swimming from the creek]].

* PairTheSpares: At the end of the book, [[EveryoneMustBePaired everyone that wasn't guilty is happily paired off]], in a way that neatly solves the AllLoveIsUnrequited issues above. [[spoiler:Audrey goes to marry Angus, while Ted is free to pursue Kay after her husband is convincted as the murderer. It is implied that Thomas would eventually get over Audrey and get together with Mary instead.]]

* AmateurSleuth: While his line of work is not specified, it is quite obvious that Angus [=MacWhirter=] is not an officer of the law. However, when he became involved in Lady Tressilian's murder via Audrey, he did some snooping around (without the police knowing) with some help by Mary Aldin [[spoiler:by finding and securing the damp rope used by the murderer]], and managed to deduce the truth of the murder while presenting it as an eyewitness account. Semi-averted in the Radio 4 adaptation, which merges Superintendent Battle into his character and makes him a disgraced ex-detective with the Met.
* AscendedExtra: Superintendent Battle has been featured in several other works by Christie, such as ''Literature/CardsOnTheTable'', but he was only a supporting character in those books. Here, he is a protagonist.

* RedRightHand: Mr. Treves mentions that he could recognize his "little murderer" because the child has a very distinctive physical trait. This is a rather unusual example of the trope, since it turns out that most of the guests possess an outstanding attribute: Audrey Strange has a scar on her ear, Thomas Royde has a disfigured hand, Ted Latimer's head is of strange shape, and Mary Aldin has a SkunkStripe. [[spoiler: But only after TheReveal will most readers realize that yet another peculiar physical characteristic was explicitly mentioned in the book - namely, the difference between Nevile Strange's little fingers.]]

* SkunkStripe: Mary Aldin has a white lock of hair, which she's had since she was young.

Was adapted to TV in 2007 as a part of ITV's ''Agatha Christie's Series/{{Marple}}'' series.

* AmateurSleuth: While his line of work is not specified, it is quite obvious that Angus [=MacWhirter=] is not an officer of the law. However, when he became involved in Lady Tressilian's murder via Audrey, he did some snooping around (without the police knowing) with some help by Mary Aldin [[spoiler:by finding and securing the damp rope used by the murderer]], and managed to deduce the truth of the murder while presenting it as an eyewitness account.

* FourthDateMarriage: Angus [=MacWhirter=] saved Audrey's life about a week before he's set to leave for South America. The grateful Audrey requests to join him, and suggests that they marry before leaving the country. Angus agrees.

* GoodIsNotNice: Superintendent Battle is a just man who refuses to convict an innocent even when all the evidence seemingly point to that person. That didn't stop him from deliberately throwing one of the suspects, Ted Latrimer, into the sea to verify the young man's claims that he can't swim.

** While he was quite bitter about his failed suicide at first, Angus would eventually be given a good job by an eccentric millionaire who admires his integrity, and find a new love.
** [[spoiler: Same with Audrey, she attempts suicide when it seems she's going to be arrested for Lady Tressilians's murder but Angus saves her and helps the police finding the real killer. In the end she married him.]]

* PairTheSpares: At the end of the book, everyone that wasn't guilty is happily paired off. Arguably a good idea after a dark book with a lot of psychological torment.

* AmateurSleuth: While his line of work is not specified, it is quite obvious that Angus [=MacWhirter=] is not an officer of the law. However, he became involved in Lady Tressilian's murder, he did some snooping around (without the police knowing), and managed to deduce the truth of the murder while presenting it as an eyewitness account.

* EnfantTerrible: There was an incident in the past where a child had murdered their friend using a bow and arrow. The case was ruled as an accident, but an eyewitness account that the child had practised using the weapons beforehand suggested otherwise.
* FalseConfession: One of the opening chapters has Superintendent Battle being called to his daughter's school after said daughter confessed to stealing. A brief chat with the girl reveals that she was only confessing due to pressure, and the circumstances of her confession are what made the Superintendent later realise that Audrey's confession to Lady Tressilian's murder was also due to overwhelming pressure. This convinced him that Audrey was innocent.

* HeKnowsTooMuch: The killer arranges for Mr. Treves's death after the latter publicly discusses an old case about a child who murdered their friend, and had since adopted a new identity. That child is now an adult and is among Lady Tressilian's guests. Mr. Treves recognises the child and believes that they are still capable of murder.

* LovingAShadow: Thomas Royde's affections for Audrey are mostly based on the image of the girl he once grew up with, and not the woman she is now. Audrey then asserts that he'd be better off with Mary Aldin as she prepares to go to South America with Angus.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Angus [=MacWhirter=] ends up being this to [[spoiler:Neville Strange]] by manner of ContrivedCoincidence of both [[spoiler:witnessing the culprit enter the house and stopping Audrey from trying to kill herself]], leading to him securing some critical evidence [[spoiler:against Neville]].

* SpannerInTheWorks: Angus [=MacWhirter=] both being given someone's unclean jacket by accident and being at the cliff where he'd tried to kill himself a year before where Audrey attempts the same leads him to uncovering important evidence [[spoiler:that ends up foiling Neville's plans to frame Audrey for his stepmother's murder]].

* RedRightHand: Mr. Treves mentions that he could recognise his "little murderer" because the child has a very distinctive physical trait. This is a rather unusual example of the trope, since it turns out that most of the guests possess an outstanding attribute: Audrey Strange has a scar on her ear, Thomas Royde has a disfigured hand, Ted Latimer's head is of strange shape, and Mary Aldin has a SkunkStripe. [[spoiler: But only after TheReveal will most readers realize that yet another peculiar physical characteristic was explicitly mentioned in the book - namely, the difference between Nevile Strange's little fingers.]]
* TheReveal: [[spoiler: Audrey was never in love with Neville to begin with, and it was never her idea to reunite with him Nd Kay under the same house. In fact she was scared of him and ''she'" was the one who left, but Neville made everyone believe the contrary with some supreme ManipulativeBastard qualities.]]

* RedRightHand: Mr Treves mentions that he could recognise his "little murderer" because the child has a very distinctive physical trait. This is a rather unusual example of the trope, since it turns out that most of the guests possess an outstanding attribute: Audrey Strange has a scar on her ear, Thomas Royde has a disfigured hand, Ted Latimer's head is of strange shape, and Mary Aldin has a SkunkStripe. [[spoiler: But only after TheReveal will most readers realize that yet another peculiar physical characteristic was explicitly mentioned in the book - namely, the difference between Nevile Strange's little fingers.]]

* The beard: [[spoiler: Neville married Kay to support the thesis that it was he who left Audrey and not the other way around.]]

* TheSociopath: [[spoiler:Neville Strange]] is a remorseless killer who, [[EnfantTerrible as a child]], had murdered their friend and made it look like an accident. Extremely vain and self-absorbed, they committed at least two murders--one of whom was [[spoiler:his own, loving stepmother]]--just to get revenge on [[spoiler:his ex-wife, Audrey, for having the audacity to try and leave him due to his abuse]]. In order to pin the blame on [[spoiler:Audrey and ensure that she would be convicted and hanged]], they thought of a convoluted double bluff that not only made it look like [[spoiler:she was guilty, but also that she attempted to frame Neville beforehand]]. Their plan was foiled only by ContrivedCoincidence, which even the presiding detective considers a
miracle.

* HeKnowsTooMuch: The killer arranges for Mr Treves's death after the latter publicly discusses an old case about a child who murdered their friend, and had since adopted a new identity. That child is now an adult and is among Lady Tressilian's guests. Mr. Treves recognises the child and believes that they are still capable of murder.

* DomesticAbuse: An hellish example with [[spoiler: Neville and Audrey. He is a psycho but keeps up a very believable MaskOfSanity. His first wife had now and then glimpse of something very off about him (and he was subtly bvery jealous and controlling of her) but no one would believe her.]]

* HappilyFailedSuicide: While he was quite bitter about his failed suicide at first, Angus would eventually be given a good job by an eccentric millionaire who admires his integrity, and find a new love.

* BirdsOfAFeather: Angus [=MacWhirter=] tried to commit suicide by throwing himself off the cliff near Gull's Point, but survived. A year later, he rescues Audrey from attempting to do the same. The two then bonded together over their shared misfortune, and they decide to marry at the novel's ending.

* RedRightHand: Mr Treves mentions that he could recognise his "little murderer" because the child has a very distinctive physical characteristics, which most of the guests possess: Audrey Strange has a scar on her ear, Thomas Royde has a disfigured hand, Ted Latimer's head is of strange shape, and Mary Aldin has a SkunkStripe. [[spoiler: Only after TheReveal most readers realize that yet another peculiar physical characteristic was explicitly mentioned in the book - namely, the difference between Nevile Strange's little fingers.]]

* HeKnowsTooMuch: The killer arranges for Mr Treves's death after the latter publicly discusses an old case about knowing a child who murdered their friend, and had since adopted a new identity. That child is now an adult and is among Lady Tressilian's guests. Mr. Treves recognises the child and believes that they are still capable of murder.

* GolfClubbing: It appears that Lady Tressilian was killed with a golf club. [[spoiler:The murder weapon was actually a modified tennis racket. This is important because it means that she was killed not by Audrey Strange, a left-handed golfer, but Nevile Strange, a right-handed tennis player using a backhand.]]

* ChekhovsGunman: The first chapter introduces a certain Angus [=MacWhirter=], a suicide survivor, who seemingly have nothing to do with the victim or the suspects. However, he reappears in the final act of the story as a key witness who ultimately provided the solution to the crime.

** First, his daughter is accused of stealing when the school headmistress pressured the girl to confess to the crime. This incident played a part in his deduction of the murder case.

** After Nevile Strange has been acquitted, new leads implicate his ex-wife Audrey, who then confessed the crime. Battle noticed how similar her circumstances was to his daughter's forced false confession, convincing him that Audrey was innocent. He must then find new leads despite the overwhelming odds against it.

* BluffingTheMurderer: [[spoiler:Nevile Strange]] finally confesses to murdering Lady Tressilian after Angus [=MacWhirter=] testified seeing someone swim across the creek and climb into the witness's bedroom during the time of the murder, and [[spoiler:Nevile]] was the only person could possibly do all of that. Angus later reveals that he did not actually witness anything, but deduced what happened after finding the killer's jacket and the rope they used to climb into the Lady's room. Of course, since a deduction doesn't hold as much water as an eyewitness account, he presented it as such.