There’s a serial killer on the loose, bent on working his way through the alphabet. And as a macabre calling card he leaves beside each victim’s corpe the ABC Railway Guide open at the name of the town where the murder has taken place. Having begun with Andover, Bexhill and then Churston, there seems little chance of the murderer being caught – until he makes the crucial and vain mistake of challenging Hercule Poirot to frustrate his plans…

“There is no more cunning player of the murder game than Agatha Christie.” Sunday Times

“A masterwork of carefully concealed artifice… most stunningly original.” Julian Symons

“An Agatha Christie triumph.” Morning Post

”The best thing she has ever written, compact, witty and horribly exciting.” Sunday Referee

“An entirely original idea.” Daily Telegraph

“Mrs Christie has invented an entirely new plot for a detective story – a difficult thing in these days; she is to be congratulated on the perfection of her invention.” The Times