Crooked house - wikipedia Crooked house For other uses, see Crooked House ( disambiguation ). Crooked House Dust - jacket illustration of the UK first edition. Author Agatha Christie Country United Kingdom Language English Genre Crime novel Publisher Dodd, Mead and Company Publication date March 1949 Media type Print ( hardback & paperback ) Pages 211 pp ( first edition, hardback ) ISBN 978 - 0 - 00 - 713686 - 5 Preceded by The Rose and the Yew Tree Followed by A Murder Is Announced Crooked House is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in March 1949 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on 23 May of the same year. The action takes place in and near London in the autumn of 1947. Christie said this and Ordeal by Innocence were her favourites amongst her own works. Contents 1 Title meaning 2 Plot introduction 3 Plot summary 4 Characters 5 Reception 6 Film, TV or theatrical adaptations 7 Publication history 8 References 9 External links Title meaning The title refers to a nursery rhyme ( `` There Was a Crooked Man '' ), a common theme of the author. Narrator Charles 's fiancée Sophia says it refers not to dishonesty, but rather `` we had n't been able to grow up independent... twisted and twining, '' meaning unhealthily interdependent on the intensely strong personality of the family patriarch, Aristide Leonides. Plot introduction Three generations of the Leonides family live together under wealthy patriarch Aristide. His first wife died ; her sister Edith has cared for the household since then. His second wife is the indolent Brenda, decades his junior, suspected of having a clandestine love affair with the grandchildren 's tutor. After Aristide is poisoned by his own eye medicine ( eserine ), his granddaughter Sophia tells narrator and fiancé Charles Hayward that they can not marry until the killer is apprehended. Charles 's father, `` The Old Man '', is the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, so Charles investigates from the inside along with assigned detective, Chief Inspector Taverner. Plot summary Towards the end of the Second World War, Charles Hayward is in Cairo and falls in love with Sophia Leonides, a smart, successful Englishwoman who works for the Foreign Office. They put off getting engaged until the end of the war when they will be reunited in England. Hayward returns home and reads an obituary in The Times : Sophia 's grandfather, the wealthy entrepreneur Aristide Leonides, has died, aged 85. Due to the war, the whole family has been living with him in a sumptuous but ill - proportioned house called `` Three Gables '' -- the ' crooked house ' of the title. The autopsy reveals that Leonides was poisoned with his own eserine - based eye medicine via an insulin injection. Sophia tells Charles that she ca n't marry him until the matter is cleared up. The obvious suspects are Brenda Leonides, Aristide 's much younger second wife, and Laurence Brown, a conscientious objector who has been living in the house as private tutor to Sophia 's younger brother and sister, Eustace and Josephine. They are rumoured to have been carrying on an illicit love affair under old Leonides 's nose. The family members hope these two prove to be the murderers because they despise Brenda as a gold digger and also hope to escape the scandal that a different outcome would bring. Charles agrees to help his father, an Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, to investigate the crime. He becomes a house guest at Three Gables, hoping that someone might reveal a clue at an unguarded moment. All the family members had motive and opportunity, none has an alibi, and each of them knew that Aristide 's eye medicine was poisonous. According to the will, they all stand to gain a healthy bequest from the old man 's estate. Aside from this, the family members have little in common. Edith de Haviland, Aristide 's unmarried sister - in - law, is a brusque woman in her 70s who came to stay with him after his first wife 's death to supervise his children 's upbringing. Roger, the eldest son and Aristide 's favourite, is a failure as a businessman. He has steered the catering business bestowed to him by his father to the brink of bankruptcy and he longs to live a simple life somewhere far away. Roger 's wife Clemency, a scientist with austere and unsentimental tastes, has never been able to enjoy the wealth offered by her husband 's family. Roger 's younger brother, Philip, has suffered under his father 's preference for Roger, and retreated into a distant world of books and bygone historical epochs, spending all his waking hours in the library. Philip 's wife Magda is an only moderately successful actress to whom everything, even a family murder, is a stage show in which she wants to play a leading part. Sixteen - year - old Eustace has polio. He is handsome and intelligent, yet embittered by his disability. His twelve - year - old sister Josephine, on the other hand, is ugly, precociously intelligent, and obsessed with detective stories. She spies continually on the rest of the household, letting everyone know that she is writing down her observations in a secret notebook. Leonides had secretly redrafted his will to leave everything to Philip 's daughter Sophia. He believed that she alone had the strength of character to assume his place as the head of the family. Josephine, who had been bragging that she knows the killer 's identity, is found lying unconscious in the yard from a blow to the head from a marble doorstop. Charles discovers a cache of incriminating love letters from Brenda to Laurence, and the two are arrested. While they are in custody, the children 's nanny dies after drinking a digitalis - laced cup of cocoa that had apparently been intended for Josephine. The family realises that the killer is still among them. Charles, afraid for Josephine 's life, tries in vain to induce her to disclose the murderer 's name. Edith de Haviland invites Josephine to come out with her in the car for an ice cream soda. The car drives over a cliff and both are killed. Back at Three Gables, Charles finds two letters from Miss de Haviland. One is a suicide note for Chief Inspector Taverner taking responsibility, although not explicitly confessing, to the murders of Aristide and Nanny. The second letter, intended for Sophia and Charles only, reveals the truth of the matter. Josephine was the murderer. As proof, de Haviland has enclosed the child 's secret notebook, the first line of which reads `` Today I killed grandfather ''. Josephine killed her grandfather because he would n't pay for her ballet lessons ; she then revelled in all the attention she received afterwards and planned her own assault with the marble doorstop as a way of diverting attention. She poisoned Nannie for encouraging Magda to send her to Switzerland, and also because Nannie called her a `` silly little girl ''. She also included threats against Magda if her mother seriously considered sending her away. Miss de Haviland had discovered Josephine 's notebook hidden in a dog kennel, and committed the murder - suicide car crash as she did not want Josephine to suffer in a prison or asylum if and when the police learned she was the murderer. Characters Charles Hayward, fiancé to Sophia Leonides, narrator Sophia Leonides, daughter of Magda and Philip Leonides, granddaughter of Aristide Brenda Leonides, spoiled much younger widow of Aristide Leonides Magda West, a flamboyant stage actress Edith de Haviland, Sophia 's elderly spinster great - aunt, sister of Aristide Leonides ' first wife, Marcia de Haviland Roger Leonides, son of Aristide Leonides Clemency Leonides, his wife, a scientist Philip Leonides, Magda 's husband and Roger 's brother Laurence Brown, tutor to Josephine and Eustace ; in love with Brenda Josephine Leonides, Magda 's 12 - year - old daughter Eustace Leonides, Magda 's son ; brother of Sophia and Josephine Janet Rowe, nanny to the Leonides children Chief Inspector Taverner, Scotland Yard inspector assigned `` The Old Man '', Sir Arthur Hayward, Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, father of Charles Hayward Reception Maurice Richardson, in the 29 May 1949 issue of The Observer gave a positive review in comparison to his opinion of Taken at the Flood the previous year : `` Her forty - ninth book and one of her best seven. Poisoning of aged iniquitous anglicised Levantine millionaire. Nicely characterised family of suspects. Delicious red herrings. Infinite suspense and shocking surprise finish make up for slight looseness of texture. '' An unnamed reviewer in the Toronto Daily Star of 12 March 1949 wrote : `` Chief Inspector Taverner of Scotland Yard was as brilliant as usual but barking up the wrong tree -- as Agatha Christie demonstrates in a surprise ending which introduces a novel idea in murder mystery. '' Robert Barnard : `` ' Pure pleasure ' was how the author described the writing of this, which was long planned, and remained one of her favourites. As the title implies, this is a family murder -- and a very odd family indeed. The solution, one of the classic ones, was anticipated ( but much less effectively ) in Margery Allingham 's ' prentice work The White Cottage Mystery. '' In the `` Binge ! '' article of Entertainment Weekly Issue # 1343 - 44 ( 26 December 2014 -- 3 January 2015 ), the writers picked Crooked House as an `` EW favorite '' on the list of the `` Nine Great Christie Novels ''. Film, TV or theatrical adaptations The novel was adapted for BBC Radio 4 in four weekly 30 - minute episodes which began broadcasting on 29 February 2008. It starred Rory Kinnear ( Charles Hayward ), Anna Maxwell Martin ( Sophia Leonides ), and Phil Davis ( Chief Insp. Taverner ). The radio play was dramatised by Joy Wilkinson and directed by Sam Hoyle. It was subsequently issued on CD. This version removed the character of Eustace. In 2011, US filmmaker Neil La Bute announced that he would be directing a feature film version, for 2012, of the novel with a script by Julian Fellowes. On 15 May 2011, Gemma Arterton, Matthew Goode, Gabriel Byrne and Dame Julie Andrews were announced to lead the cast. In a report issued on 10 June 2012, Sony Pictures Worldwide Acquisitions acquired all rights in the US, Canada and internationally for the film, which could help secure it a lucrative release, though the cast and creative team had changed. The film, directed by Gilles Paquet - Brenner and starring Christina Hendricks, Gillian Anderson, Max Irons, Glenn Close, Julian Sands, Terence Stamp, Stephanie Martini and Christian McKay, was released digitally on 21 November 2017. On December 22nd, 2017, it received a modest ( 16 theatres ) theatrical release in the U.S. via Vertical Entertainment. Publication history 1949, Dodd Mead and Company ( New York ), March 1949, Hardback, 211 pp 1949, Collins Crime Club ( London ), 23 May 1949, Hardback, 192 pp 1951, Pocket Books ( New York ), Paperback, ( Pocket # 753 ), 200 pp 1953, Penguin Books, Paperback, ( Penguin # 925 ), 191 pp 1959, Fontana Books ( Imprint of HarperCollins ), Paperback, 191 pp 1967, Greenway collected works ( William Collins ), Hardcover, 223 pp 1967, Greenway collected works ( Dodd Mead ), Hardcover, 223 pp 1978 Omniprose collected works with Passenger to Frankfurt, Hardcover, 472 pp, ISBN 0921111096 1991, Ulverscroft Large - print Edition, Hardcover, ISBN 0 - 7089 - 2419 - 0 A condensed version of the novel was first published in the US in Cosmopolitan magazine in the issue for October 1948 ( Volume 125, Number 4 ) with an illustration by Grushkin. In the UK the novel was first serialised in the weekly magazine John Bull in seven abridged instalments from 23 April ( Volume 85, Number 2234 ) to 4 June 1949 ( Volume 85, Number 2240 ) with illustrations by Alfred Sindall. References Jump up ^ American Tribute to Agatha Christie Jump up ^ The Scotsman 19 May 1949 ( p. 9 ) Jump up ^ The Observer, 29 May 1949 ( p. 8 ) Jump up ^ Toronto Daily Star, 12 March 1949 ( p. 29 ) Jump up ^ Barnard, Robert. A Talent to Deceive -- an appreciation of Agatha Christie -- Revised edition ( p. 190 ). Fontana Books, 1990. ISBN 0 - 00 - 637474 - 3 Jump up ^ `` Binge ! Agatha Christie : Nine Great Christie Novels ''. Entertainment Weekly ( 1343 - 44 ) : 32 -- 33. 26 December 2014. Jump up ^ Eden, Richard ( 20 March 2011 ). `` ' Downton Abbey ' creator Julian Fellowes to make Agatha Christie fashionable again ''. The Daily Telegraph. London. Jump up ^ Higgins, Charlotte ( 15 May 2011 ). `` Cannes 2011 : Neil LaBute turns his macabre hand to Agatha Christie ''. The Guardian. London. Jump up ^ Cohn, Gary ( November 21, 2017 ). `` '' What 's on TV Tuesday : ' Crooked House ' and ' Who Killed Tupac ? ' `` ''. New York Times. Jump up ^ Holdings at the British Library ( Newspapers -- Colindale ). Shelfmark : NPL LON LD116. External links Crooked House at the official Agatha Christie website Works by Agatha Christie Universe Characters Hercule Poirot Miss Marple Tommy and Tuppence Ariadne Oliver Arthur Hastings Superintendent Battle Chief Inspector Japp Parker Pyne Mr. Harley Quin Colonel Race Lady Eileen `` Bundle '' Brent Sir Henry Clithering Raymond West Miss Felicity Lemon Countess Vera Rossakoff Locations St. Mary Mead Novels The Mysterious Affair at Styles The Secret Adversary The Murder on the Links The Man in the Brown Suit The Secret of Chimneys The Murder of Roger Ackroyd The Big Four The Mystery of the Blue Train The Seven Dials Mystery The Murder at the Vicarage The Sittaford Mystery Peril at End House Lord Edgware Dies Murder on the Orient Express Why Did n't They Ask Evans ? Three Act Tragedy Death in the Clouds The A.B.C. Murders Murder in Mesopotamia Cards on the Table Dumb Witness Death on the Nile Appointment with Death Hercule Poirot 's Christmas Murder Is Easy And Then There Were None Sad Cypress One, Two, Buckle My Shoe Evil Under the Sun N or M ? The Body in the Library Five Little Pigs The Moving Finger Towards Zero Death Comes as the End Sparkling Cyanide The Hollow Taken at the Flood Crooked House A Murder Is Announced They Came to Baghdad Mrs McGinty 's Dead They Do It with Mirrors After the Funeral A Pocket Full of Rye Destination Unknown Hickory Dickory Dock Dead Man 's Folly 4.50 from Paddington Ordeal by Innocence Cat Among the Pigeons The Pale Horse The Mirror Crack 'd from Side to Side The Clocks A Caribbean Mystery At Bertram 's Hotel Third Girl Endless Night By the Pricking of My Thumbs Hallowe'en Party Passenger to Frankfurt Nemesis Elephants Can Remember Postern of Fate Curtain Sleeping Murder As Mary Westmacott Giant 's Bread Unfinished Portrait Absent in the Spring The Rose and the Yew Tree A Daughter 's a Daughter The Burden Short story collections Poirot Investigates Partners in Crime The Mysterious Mr Quin The Thirteen Problems The Hound of Death The Listerdale Mystery Parker Pyne Investigates Murder in the Mews The Regatta Mystery The Labours of Hercules The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories Three Blind Mice and Other Stories The Under Dog and Other Stories The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding Double Sin and Other Stories The Golden Ball and Other Stories Poirot 's Early Cases Miss Marple 's Final Cases and Two Other Stories Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories The Harlequin Tea Set While the Light Lasts and Other Stories Plays Black Coffee And Then There Were None Appointment with Death Murder on the Nile The Hollow The Mousetrap Witness for the Prosecution Spider 's Web Verdict The Unexpected Guest Fiddlers Three Akhnaton Chimneys Radio and television plays Wasp 's Nest The Yellow Iris Three Blind Mice Butter in a Lordly Dish Personal Call Other books The Road of Dreams Come, Tell Me How You Live Star Over Bethlehem Poems An Autobiography Book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Crooked_House&oldid=826690190 '' Categories : 1949 British novels Novels by Agatha Christie Works originally published in Cosmopolitan ( magazine ) Novels first published in serial form Dodd, Mead and Company books British novels adapted into films Hidden categories : EngvarB from September 2013 Use dmy dates from September 2013 Pages to import images to Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Bosanski Dansk Deutsch Español Français 한국어 Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Italiano Magyar Nederlands नेपाली 日本 語 Polski Português Русский Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska Українська 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 20 February 2018, at 14 : 19. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution - ShareAlike License ; additional terms may apply. By using this site, you agree to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Wikipedia ® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a non-profit organization. About Wikipedia

Question: when is agatha christie's crooked house set
Answer: the autumn of 1947