Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

Review of the novel Cards on the Table by Agatha Christie

Published by Wm. Collins Sons & Co. Ltd.

First Published: 2 November 1936

Dedication: None

Cost: 25p (UK Paperback 1972)

ISBN: 0 330 02924 X (Paperback Edition – starts on page 7 - 190 pages)

This is a great story, and partly because it is a quick read, only 190 pages, but it is quite complex and needs the reader to unravel the plot as it progresses. This time Agatha Christie uses a Closed Circle plot to present a murder mystery challenge to her readers. A crime that must have been committed by a small group of individuals. This is the fifteenth story featuring Hercule Poirot, but he is without Hastings; replacing him is Superintendent Battle.

The story opens with Poirot visiting an exhibition of snuff-boxes at Wessex House in London, He finds time to talk to Mr Shaitana, a wealthy, but mysterious man. Shaitana is known to be a collector of rare objects, and has a fascination with crime, particularly murders and the people who commit them.

Shaitana encourages Poirot to attend one of his dinner parties, where it is the fashion to play the card game bridge, following the meal. (For those of you who want to know how to play bridge, I have included a brief description at the end of the review.)

On the designated evening, guests include four sleuths – Hercule Poirot, secret agent Colonel Race, mystery writer Mrs Ariadne Oliver, and Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard – and four people in the eyes of Shaitana, are suspected to have murdered in their past – Dr Roberts, Mrs Lorrimer, young Anne Meredith, and Major Despard.

After dinner, the guests retire to play bridge – the sleuths play in one room, while the others play in another room that Shaitana relaxes in. As the evening comes to a close and the sleuths end their game of bridge, Poirot and Race find that Shaitana had been stabbed in the chest, with a small dagger from his collection, which has been on display in the room. As he made a veiled accusation about how murder could be committed within one's profession, the sleuths suspect one of the other four guests is the murderer.

After reporting the crime to Scotland Yard, Superintendent Battle is assigned to the murder investigation. He interviews each of the suspects, and asked about their movements during the evening, one aspect becomes clear.

‘It’s difficult,’ he said frankly. ‘I can remember my own movements, more or less. I got up three times – that is, on three occasions when I was dummy I left my seat and made myself useful. Once I went over and put wood on the fire. Once I brought drinks to the two ladies. Once I poured out a whisky and soda for myself.’

  ‘Can you remember the times?’

  ‘I could only say very roughly. We began to play about nine-thirty, I imagine. I should say it was about an hour later that I stoked the fire, quite a short time after that I fetched the drinks (next hand but one, I think), and perhaps half past eleven when I got myself a whisky and soda - but those times are quite approximate. I couldn’t answer for their being correct.’

Each of them denies murdering Shaitana.

In fact, all the sleuths agree it is a difficult investigation, however, each feels that they have a view as to the possible solution of the murder. For Poirot, it the bridge score sheets that interests him, (See pages 38 & 39) as it will establish when each of the four card players were responsible for the dummy hand and able to leave the table for drinks and food – and possible murder!

Over the coming days, it is Superintendent Battle and Poirot that interview the possible suspects and it is here that Christie presents some red herrings for her reader. She suggests typical murder methods from her previous stories to distract the reader.

As Poirot delves further into the four suspects' memory of the bridge game, he begins to establish aspects of their character and when further murders are committed, he narrows it down to one suspect. They could remember little of the card game, except for the grand slam that they made, but they could remember the layout of the room they played in. This was in direct contrast to what the other suspects recalled. The suspect continues to go about their daily routine, believing they have the skill to conceal their murder weapon of choice and the ability to cover-up their crimes,

Although straight forward, the investigation seems to be going nowhere, so in typical Christie fashion, Poirot invites those involved to his home to discuss the various aspects of the case and is fortunate that the murderer is brave enough to attend. Poirot recalls certain points on the night Shaitana was murdered and the other murders that have happened since and finally states – with a little bluff - that there is only one individual who could have committed the murders they are investigating and declares the truth. Although attempting to wriggle out of the points raised by Poirot, the murder admits his crime and gives themselves up.

I really like this story. I enjoy playing bridge and I like the Closed Circle plot and the challenge of trying to solve the crime before it is declared and feel that this is Christie at her best. Rating, 5 stars.

Dr Sheppard

11 July 2020

The Game of Bridge

Bridge is a card game played with 4 players divided into 2 teams of 2 people each. The players sitting across from each other at the same table form partnerships as North‑South and East‑West. The two teams are "pairs".

For this moment think of the card game called Trumps. In a pair, whoever is playing the hand is the "declarer" because that person has declared the “trump suit” or has made the hand to be played without a trump suit, which is called "no trump."

The "dummy," which comes from the French word for silent, is the declarer's partner (and takes no part in the game) and places their hand face-up on the table after the “bidding” is done and the “opening lead” is made by the player on declarer's left.

The other two players are the defenders for that hand

A bridge deal consists of two phases: bidding and card play. In the bidding, players bid for the minimum number of tricks they think they can take to win the deal.

The dealer makes the first call. He is the "opener". Then the auction proceeds clockwise. There may be several bidding rounds. The bidding ends when three players in succession say Pass, meaning that they do not want to bid higher. The final bid becomes the "contract".

The purpose of bidding is to relay information about the strengths and weaknesses of your hand to your partner. It will help you determine the easiest contract to make based on your respective hands. It is therefore important to know the meaning of each bid. This is referred to as "bidding systems and conventions".

During the card play, whoever has played the highest card in the suit wins the trick and leads any card in any suit desired to the next trick.

In a trump contract, if a player doesn't have a card in the suit led, a trump can be played. In that case, he takes the trick unless a higher trump card is played by someone else.

At the end of the game, if the declaring pair takes the number of tricks (or more) it committed to in the initial contract, it scores a certain number of points. But if it does not make its contract, the other pair score points.

https://www.funbridge.com/how-to-play-bridge