British Police Procedural: The Four Man Band

 Recently, the British television industry, forever delighted with mysteries and police procedurals, have settled on an effective formula that is infinitely repeatable.  Many new shows have adopted this formula to the point where it is a recognizable trope.

In this formula, the show is divided into two parts, with half of the story devoted to solving a mystery (the A plot), and the other half involving the social side of the main characters (the B plot).  Each of the characters may have some part to play in the A side, the B side, or both. 

1.  The Quirky English Detective.  This is the main focus of program, which follows a Detective Inspector as he grapples with the murder.  Always quirky, the writers delight in highlighting odd English habits and customs that create a 'fish-out-of-water' atmosphere for the lead investigator.  This can make him socially awkward but also a little vulnerable as a counterweight to his flashes of brilliance which are necessary to them solving the mystery.

For Death in Paradise (DiP), the Inspector is readily identifiable.  Jack, Humphrey, Neville, Robert, Marvin.  They have unique quirks, but each matches the definition.

2.  The more normal and relatable Detective Sergeant, who is the sounding board that allows the Inspector to verbalize all the clues that they discover.  The dialogue between the two gives the writers a vehicle for introducing and discussing not just the details  of the case, but also the implications of those details.  The presence of the relatable DS serves to highlight the oddities of the Inspector.

[DiP]  Camille, Florence, Madeline, Naomi, all become the classic DS who is a mirror to the Inspector's quirks, and a sounding board for his ideas. 

The other two in the four man band are usually two uniformed officers.

3.  The first of these is the Junior, a young uniformed officer who is often naive or inexperienced in some way, but often very earnest and eager to prove themselves.  They may be prone to making mistakes or acting impulsively, which gets them into trouble.  At the same time they are often portrayed as being cute and lovable, and an audience favorite.

[DiP]  JP, Ruby, Marlon, the Chicken man, Darlene  Each take their role as the junior officer. 

4. The second is a more experienced officer, who brings worldly know-how to a lower-ranked role. This is someone whose time on the street gives them knowledge, contacts, local lore and history, and also correct procedural knowledge that keeps them out of trouble and can prove valuable in finding the mystery's solution. 

[DiP]  Dwayne is the classic senior uniform, but later JP takes on that role for Marlon.  This happens as well to Florence and Naomi, each starting as a senior in the uniformed ranks and moving into a detective role.  

 What's interesting about this role is that as characters come and go from the show, the internal roles are often shifted around.  JP is first introduced as the rookie, but later becomes the senior officer.  Florence is introduced as a Sergeant, but then is promoted to Detective Sergeant when Camille moves on to Paris.  This uncertain progression within the ranks becomes part of the interpersonal dynamic of the show so that an initially deferential JP becomes a more confident Sergeant Hooper, later a training specialist on a larger island.  The same progression happens to Florence, who eventually becomes an undercover operative on Jamaica.

 

 In addition, there are often two more peripheral characters who make an appearance once a show, though not always part of the core team.

5.  The Authority figure.  This is someone who has a supervisory role over the investigative team, but doesn't take part in the day-to-day solving of the mystery.  They act as a direct foil to the Inspector, but at the same time rely on the Inspector's brilliance to keep the department in the political black by having a very high clear-up rate.

[DiP]  Clearly, the authority figure here is Commissioner Selwyn Patterson.   

6.  The Outside Influence.  This is a character who isn't in the direct chain of command of the investigators but who may bring important information to bear, or may be a source of social cohesion to the team. 

[DiP] Catherine serves that role throughout the long series.  She runs the bar/restaurant where the team often socializes, and later becomes the mayor of Honore and takes part in some of the cases, where appropriate.  She is established as a social mentor and advisor to the Inspector.  

7.  The Family Angle.  Often, one or more of the core team members may have a re-curring family member who is present in the social side of things, but may occasionally take part in the investigation, where it is appropriate. 

[DiP]  Typically, this show doesn't have a consistent family figure, though there are frequent family appearances.  Initially, DS Camille Bordey was the daughter of Catherine, and later DI Jack Mooney had guest appearances by his daughter Siobhan.  JP would often mention his wife Rosie and his children, and she made occasional appearances on the show.  Famously, Florence had a fiance, Patrice, for several seasons, while Humphrey met Martha and eventually married her.

 

Beyond Paradise

This pattern is clearly seen in a spin-off series Beyond Paradise, starring one of the Inspectors from Death in Paradice, Humphrey Goodman

1.  The Quirky Detective:   Humphrey Goodman.  Classic realization of the trope

2. The Relatable Detective Sergeant:  Esther Williams.  Practical, often amused at Humphrey's oddities, but respecting his acumen

3.  The Junior Uniformed Officer:  Kelby.  Classically earnest, eager to please, prone to rookie mistakes but an office and audience favorite.

4.  The Experienced officer.  In this case, the presence of the street-wise and lore-fluent character is filled by Margo Martins, who officially is Office Support, but still takes an integral part in untangling the mysteries.

5.  The Authority figure.  Chief Superintendent Charlie Woods was often a foil for Humphrey, holding him to task.  

7.  The Family Figure.    The obvious choice here was Martha, Humphrey's fiance and eventual wife.  But Zoe, Esther's daughter, also functioned in a similar role, filling out the social narrative.

6.  The Outside Influence:  That role is filled by Anne Lloyd, Martha's mother.  She could simply be another family figure, but she often offered social commentary as a native of Shipton Abbot, and later as a member of the Town Council.on the Police and Crime panel. 

Death in Paradigm, deconstructing the trope

 Initial notes:

Death in Paradise has averaged 8 episodes a season over 15 seasons, officially making it a classic Long-runner.  With 5 Christmas Specials, that makes 125 individual episodes, mostly centered on Locked-room mysteries or impossible crimes.

With that mighty list of stories, certain types of stories begin to recur.  Here we are exploring what these mysteries have in common.

1.  The Plantation murder:  A wealthy head of a company is involved in a murder under his corporate roof.  The big man is usually surrounded by his entourage: personal assistant, accountant, shop foreman, etc and he usually has some family members in the foreground as well.  Typically this includes a wife, a disappointing or rebellious child (son or daughter), and a mistress.  Bonus point if the mistress is also one of his business associates.  There is likely an inheritance involved, and it is common for there to be a hidden inheritor involved as well.  The young woman who recently joined the company but seems extremely loyal turns out to be the boss's daughter from his younger philandering days. Usually involves a great mansion as the setting, along with a company warehouse, growing fields, plantation processing barn, etc.

2.  The weekend retreat.  There is a small company that hosts a small group of people for an isolated adventure.  During this adventure, one of the party is murdered, but during a time when everyone else is together and so everyone has an alibi.  Typical members are 1. the expedition leader with money troubles, 2.  The faithful assistant who suffers from ambition and broken promises, 3. The immensely wealthy/ famous party member who travels the world looking for the next experience, 4. The quiet secretary who wanted to go on an adventure.

3.  The sports murder.  Someone is murdered while participating in a sporting event.  The story follows the team, interpersonal feuds among team mates, inter-team rivalries, failed coaches or ones with foiled ambitions.  Parent-child relationships between team manager and star player, where the coach is especially hard on the child, or favors an untalented child player to the detriment of a more talented team mate.  Bicycle racing, beach volleyball, boating, soccer  

4.  Small Corporate.  A small company of just a few employees, often in an isolated location experiences a murder.  Unlike the Boss murder, the outfit is usually small and struggling, so the dynamic is more egalitarian.  Isolated locations might include a mid-sized boat, a jungle outpost.  Cast members include the leader with a dream, a specialist or two, a hopeful assistant who's untrained but willing to learn.

5. The famous production.  Some team visits the island that is involved in a television show, shooting a movie, a news broadcaster, a radio disc jockey, a popular Reggae band, a book writer is here for a book signing, a famous artist for an exhibition.  Often surrounded by the same cast of characters:  personal assistant, manager, financial person, devoted sycophant, technical person involved with the production.  This is usually noted for having extensive recordings of the people involved, and often the murder event itself is recorded.  How could the murder have been committed when everyone was watching/listening?   Typically one or more of the "recordings" has been altered in some way.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Rating the Bond Films

The Main character.  Each actor who plays James Bond has to make the character his own, and make it work within the Bond universe.  They aren't all the same, nor should they be, but do they manage to capture the balance between charisma, intelligence, athleticism, and deadliness?

The Journey.  Each Bond film takes the audience on a journey across multiple locations and dimensions, with the best films drawing the viewer into an increasingly complicated web of development.  The final climactic scene unfolds in a showstopping confrontation that is an emotional catharsis that releases all the pent up tension and complication into a final victory.  The perfect Bond film carries the audience through that journey, while lesser movies lose momentum halfway through, or fail to deliver the final climax that brings everything home.

The Locations.  Bond films are filmed in a series of exotic locations and cultures, and go out of their way to create that sense of international espionage.  They don't just take you to somewhere new, they give you a sense of actually being there and experiencing the bright spots that the culture has to offer.  Lesser films rely on generic locations and non-descript hotel rooms.

The Technology.  Bond is always enhanced by the latest gadgets provided by Q and his beautiful and expensive cars, guns, and explosives.  

The Femme Fatale.  Every Bond comes up against his female adversary, someone who matches his wit and charm and striking good looks.  Often the Femme Fatale plays a dangerous game, with changing loyalties between Bond and the Villain.  She frequently has a final role to play as the story nears its conclusion.   

The Villain.  In the end, it always comes down to a challenge of wits between Bond and the deadly villain he's up against.  Some of these foes are brilliant in their charm and cruelty, while others are unremarkable.  The villain has to be the one to come up with the fabulous schemes to take over the world, and the outsized evil bases from which to strike at the world.

The Supporting Cast.  While Bond is customarily a loner, he is always surrounded by a cast of characters that provide invaluable assistance both in the office and in the field.  This includes the obligatory scenes with M, and Q.  It also might include Moneypenny, and Felix Leiter, as well as a variety of other local contacts like Tiger Tanaka.  These supporting characters give Bond his best opportunity for witty repartee, and to show the emotional and physical pressure he is under.

 

So these are the 7 criteria that we judge the films on.  And each gets a rating between 0 and 7, as befits Bond's double-O Seven status.  With a possible top score of 49.

 

The Meaning Behind Fairy Tales - Purpose and Function

 Fairy tales remain a literary tradition that is distinct from other forms of fiction.  We recognize them and don't confuse them with fantasy stories, or children's stories, even though they are both.  What is it that gives them this unique identity?

Fairy tales have ancient antecedents.  They use narrative elements that have their origins in very old story forms, almost timeless.  

In the most basic of interpretations, fairy tales are tales told for the instruction of children, imparting to them life lessons that they can remember throughout their lives. 

Typically, these lessons involve 

1. Moral lessons about right and wrong behavior.  They often include examples of fairness, betrayal, commitment, and injustice.

2. Societal lessons about how people should act.  

What are the responsibilities of girls when they grow up?  First, there is the expectation to get married that Jasmine or Pocahontas had to face. They should be ready to keep the house, as Cinderella did for the Stepmother, or as Snow White did for the dwarves.  They should be prepared to have their will integrated with that of the husband, like the Princess and the Frog or Belle did for the Beast.  

What are boys going to be asked to do when they grow up?  Boys will be asked to live by their wits like Aladdin, to fight for their loved ones like the prince in Sleeping Beauty, to plunge into the fraud-infested world of commerce, as did Jack and the Beanstalk.  

Mystery Settings: A Timeline

 1890's:  The end of the Victorian Era, with her Diamond Jubilee celebrated in 1897.  It is the Gaslight era, with houses and streetlights all powered with flickering gas lamps. Horses and horse-drawn carriages dominate the streets and the railway was a primary form of long distance travel.  Steamships with steel hulls crowd the docks carrying passengers and goods across the globe, bringing silk, spices, manufactured goods from India, Kenya, and Hong Kong and making trips between London, New York, and Melbourne a regular occurrence. The British empire is active in India and Africa

This is the setting for Sherlock Holmes, working in London and the surrounding community. Wilkie Collins' The Moonstone was published in 1868.  It is a thrillingly chaotic and unsettling era of a late-Victorian London pervaded by greed and crime.  Jack the Ripper wanders the streets, as did Bram Stoker's Dracula.  Occultism experienced a surge in notoriety.

1900 - 1910:  The brief time of Edwardian England with highly and rigidly stratified social classes divided into the Upper Class, the Middle Class, and the Working Class.  Men and Women's roles were also sharply divided, but this era saw the emergence of the Women's Suffrage movement.  It was a time of technological development, with advances in airplanes, automobiles, and electricity.  Expect to find stories of X-rays, untraceable poisons, flying contraptions and radio waves. 

Arthur Conan Doyle continues with the Sherlock Holmes series, while, RA Freeman's Dr. Thorndyke is a forensic scientist, and Maurice Leblanc introduces Arsene Lupin, the gentleman burgler.  It is the age of the powerful industrialists known as the Robber Barons.  In the US, it is the culmination of the Gilded Age, a period of fabulous and unrestricted wealth, over a base of unrelieved poverty, sometimes given an example in the 1912 sinking of the Titanic.

1910 to 1920:  Long term factors like nationalism, militarism, imperialism, and complex alliance systems lead to the horror of World War I from 1914 - 1918, which overshadowed the period.  Many mysteries explored themes of espionage, family tragedy, and social upheaval caused by the conflict.  It is a transition period from the more innocent and civilized period of the previous decade to a more hard edged post-War world.

GK Chesterton writes about Father Brown in 1911, AC Doyle writes the last of Sherlock Holmes stories (Including Valley of Fear, 1915).  It is a period where exotic adventure stories dominate, such as Edgar Rice Burroughs' Tarzan of the Apes and John Carter of Mars, Peter and Wendy by JM Barrie, and Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Gray.  The Book of Wonders by Lord Dunsany and offers an early glimpse of fantasy while a series of stories by John Buchan (Thirty-Nine Steps) place British intelligence officers against German spymasters in World War I.

1920's:  The 1920s, known as the “Roaring Twenties,” were a decade of decadence, jazz, flappers, and prohibition.  This period between the wars hosts the Golden Age of detective novels, with notable authors such as Agatha Christie, and Dorothy Sayers. 

1930's:  The 30's added Margery Allingham and Ngaio Marsh to the ranks of the Queens of Crime as the Golden Age continued.  

In the U.S., however, the trend of the Hard-Boiled detective began to take prominence, with Dashiell Hammett's The Maltese Falcon (1929) and Raymond Chandler's The Big Sleep.  Hammett also crossed over to the lighter side with The Thin Man (1933).  Prohibition came to an end, but Organized Crime had already established a foothold.  Erle Stanley Gardner began his prolific Perry Mason series

1940's:  This was firmly the era of World War II (1939 - 1945).  While Agatha Christie continues her work, other authors such as Rex Stout begin their own long journey.  While there are a number of novels set during the war, there is also a distinct Post-War period where the authors aim to put the war behind them.  With the world already at the sharp end of the Second World War, people didn't want to read about more death and destruction. They wanted to read about love and making a new start on a better life.

1950s:  The 50s continue with more psychological and thriller style plots.  Serialized detectives such as Perry Mason and Nero Wolfe were staples of the era

 

 

A Murder in Five Acts: an original mystery game

 A Murder in Five Acts is a storytelling game for ideally 4 or more players, one of whom will take on the role of Narrator and another will assume the duties of a Recorder.  All of the creative elements of the game are provided by the imagination of the players.  As a result, it is helpful, but not required, for the players to have some familiarity with the genre of Golden Age mysteries such as those written by Agatha Christie.  It is from her works that all the conventions and structure are taken.

The Murder is structured into five Acts, resembling the form of a play.  Within each Act will be several Rounds, where the narrator will ask a question of the group and each player will take a turn to provide an answer, or part of the answer.  Players are encouraged to work with other players' previous contributions to build a more creative and cohesive narrative.

The Set Up:  

The players sit in a circle, for example around a table.  The players will choose a classic Christie character and develop it through the questions that the narrator asks them to consider. Each player is given a small pad and pen to write down their own personal answers. The Recorder has a larger sheet for reporting on the general outlines of the story. The Narrator starts the rounds by asking the question for that round and eliciting the answer for everyone to hear.  The Narrator and Recorder will also play a character.

A Token or Talisman is used to identify the player where the round begins.  This Token should be suitable for the mystery story being told, such as a scarab beetle, a letter opener, a goblet, or a candlestick.  In addition it can be helpful for the Narrator to have access to a d20 die to roll when a random number is required.

Finally, it is also appropriate for each player to have a small shot glass or sherry glass with wine to be sipped at the beginning of each Act. 

General Standing Rules for the game

1.  There are no wrong answers.  The wilder the better.

2.  Short and Sweet.  Answers should generally be directly relevant to the game play.  There is no need to spend long minutes agonizing over the perfect answer. 

3.  Support, don't Squash.  Subsequent answers should support others stories that have already been introduced.  Introducing elements that directly contradict something already stated is considered to be "Squashing" and is considered bad form.  If there are any emergent or inadvertent contradictions introduced into the play, it is part of the narrative for the players to reconcile them before the story is complete.

 Gameplay:  

The Narrator and the Recorder administers the setup, and the Talisman is placed in the hands of the player to the Narrator's right.  That person will be given the chance to respond first to the question for that round, and then the person to their right will offer an answer and so on around the circle counter-clockwise.  When the round is over, the Talisman will pass to the next player on the right, again proceeding counter-clockwise around the circle.  That new holder of the token will have the chance to provide the first answer on the next round.

Typically, the question will be asked and a few minutes will be allowed to lapse while the player consider their answers and write them down on the detective's notebook in front of them.  After a few minutes, the Narrator will call for the answer and follow the order established by the token.  The players should refrain from just calling out their responses, but should wait for the order to reach them.

Act 1 

Round 1:  Introductions The narrator will read the first three character types from Agatha Christie's cast of characters. for the first player.  The first player will then choose one of those three to be their character.  Then read the next three characters from the list for the next player and so on around the circle. 

The players must choose the answers for the following and write them down in their detectives notebook:

• Choose one of the types
• Give the character a name
• Write down one thing about that character that is common knowledge 

After 5 minutes, following the order set by the token, each player introduces their character 

One of the players is given the choice between the Politician, the Industrialist, and the Social Outcast.  The player chooses the Industrialist, and names him Angerlen Blake.  Lord Blake was an arms manufacturer during the war but was disgraced when certain munitions proved faulty.  

Round 2: Connections.  Now that all the characters have been introduced, choose one of the other characters that your character has some kind of ongoing interaction with.  It could be a family relationship (child, parent, spouse), business partner or co-worker, old army buddy, former patient. This is not a secret association but one that could be identified with a reasonable amount of research.  (Secrets will be uncovered later).

Blake once worked with Dr. Stroud when they were both younger.  But the two of them had a falling out over business decisions.  Blake wanted to work with the government to develop a nerve agent, and Dr Stroud broke off the business arrangement. 

Round 3:  Aura.  Determine for your own character what kind of Aura they have.  Are they good or evil or morally gray, sunny or gloomy, bright or dark or shadowy.

Blake has a very shadowy, grey aura. Definitely not someone to be trusted. 

Act 2

Round 4:  The House.  The Narrator outlines a few basic parameters for where the story will take place.  It could be a remote country house on the river, or a stern wheeler traveling the Mississippi.  Then each player will contribute one detail of the house to complete the setting.

Round 5a:  Setting.  The narrator asks each player to think of a number between 1 and 12.  The recorder records all the numbers as they are returned and determines the average.  That average is multiplied by 10 and added to 1900 to decide the year in which the mystery is set.  (for example. the average of five numbers is 6, so the story is set in the 1960s.)

Round 5b: The Older Time:  The narrator asks each player to think of a number between 1 and 20.  The average is the number of years prior to the current time when an ominous event happened.  

Round 6: The Ominous Event. This is something tragic that everybody knows about but no one talks about.  Examples from Christie:  10 years ago two little girls were kidnapped and never seen in the village again; 2 years ago the cruel old lady was murdered and one of her sons was executed for it; last year the colonel received a poisoned pen letter and committed suicide. The current events must relate to this ominous event in some way.  Each player takes a turn to describe what the ominous event was.

Act 3

Set Up:  The narrator rolls a d20 randomly and uses the number to select an unused character from the Cast of Characters.  If the exact one is being used by a player, use the next one closest to it.  The narrator reads out the character and provides one pivotal detail to their arrival that evening.  Maybe the lawyer brings an important document, but he doesn't say what it is.  Maybe the Doctor has an important vial of medicine carefully packed in a traveling case, but again no details are provided;  Maybe a former maid or cook or other domestic staff shows up carefully clutching an album of old photos, but she doesn't let anyone look inside; the Vicar arrives bringing a historic and holy relic made of gold but only offers the barest glimpse of it;  the specialist engineer arrives with a rolled document case rumored to contain design plans for the newest fighter aircraft.

The next morning, the narrator tells everyone, that character has been murdered.

Round 7: The First Murder. Each player contributes one detail about the murder.  This can include the room where they were murdered, the murder weapon, any other clues about the murder scene, and what happened to the actual item that they were seen with when they arrived.

Round 8: The Secret.  Each player reveals one secret that another character knows about them, or that their character knows about someone else.    It should also reference the Older Time or the murder victim.

Act 4

Round 9:  The Confession.  Each player should tell us why their character is the murderer.  This explanation should involve the Pivotal Detail from the Set Up to Act 3.  Tell us how it was done, using the clues provided in Round 7, and tell us why, incorporating all the details you've created and referencing the Older Time as well as the current time period. 

Act 5

Round 10:  What Really Happened.  Together, all the players have to do their best to reconcile all the differing stories into one coherent narrative, incorporating the design of the house, the ominous events of the Older Time, and the secrets and relationships of all the characters.  One or more of the characters, or even all of them together, can be identified as the real murderers. 

Agatha Christie: Ordeal by Innocence (Geraldine McEwan)

 Synopsis

 

Cast of Characters

1.  The Energetic Young Woman.  Gwenda, Miss Marple's friend .  She came to the house as a secretary for Leo, and then in a fairy-tale romance after Rachel died, she fell in love with Leo and they were set to be married.  Tragically, she was murdered

2.  The Efficient Professional.  Without stretching things too far, there is a sense that Gwenda was the Efficient Professional during her early life as Leo's secretary.

 3.5  The Cloud-headed Girl.   Hester.  "Who is the weakest in this family, Miss Marple?" "Mother had been bullying her for years"  "Animals don't have money, do they?" - Hester as she teeters on the edge of the dock.  She literally has no mooring.

5.  The Lawyer.  Bobby,  The man of finance who takes care of the estate.  but like all such people in this position of trust, he has squandered the family fortune badly and is reduced to selling the family's silver to make up his shortfalls.

7.  The Specialist.   Mr Croker, the private detective who discovered Philip's womanizing

8.  The Policeman.   Inspector Huish

9.  The Temptrix.  Jacko's wife, Maureen.  She is one of Christie's classic characters, but subverted.  We expect her to be common and a gold digger, and yet she was a normal person, faithful wife, and abused by her husband.

10.  The Rake.  Mr. Philip Durant the pilot.  The private investigator Mother Rachel hired was easily able to find information about numerous infidelities.  It is suggested that even from the wheelchair, Philip was pushing a relationship with the young Hester.

11. The Rival.  Jacko.  "Women had a thing for him.  He could play them like a piano."  It wasn't that Jacko was  a rival to the Rake, or even any one person.  He was emblematic of the trouble and irresponsibility that the family suffered from.

12. The Mirror.   The two twins, Bobby and Jacko.  Where one is a gambler and an irresponsible wastrel, the other is a financial man in London, even though they were both brought up in identical circumstances.  And yet, according to Miss Marple, "It seems to me that the twins, Bobby and Jacko, were more alike than anybody realized."

13.  The Loving/Lonely Wife.  Mrs Durant, who knew about her husband's philandering, and now is forced to take care of him since he's been confined to a wheelchair by polio

14.  The Housekeeper  Kirstin Lindstrom.  "I am the eyes of this house.  I see what I'm not supposed to see."  Miss Marple: "Who considers herself to be the real mother of these children?  The one who gave them the sort of unconditional love they were so badly short of?"

17.  The Cantankerous Old Woman/ Cruel Old Man.   The Mother, Rachel Argyle.  Outwardly she appears to be a loving mother who adopted five children over the course of her life.  Inwardly, she was a terrible mother, and ruled her children's lives with an iron fist.  Many of them grew up to be less than satisfactory and deeply unhappy because of her cruelty.

18.  The Dubious Man from India - The Overseas Connection.  Dr. Calgary (named after a city in Canada).  He was Jocko's alibi but the next day sailed for the arctic on a two year expedition.  He only arrived recently with the news about Jocko

3.  The Batty Eccentric.  

4.  The Doctor.  

6.  The Vicar.  

15.  The Maid.  

16.  The Daughter.  

19.  The Politician.  

20.   The Industrialist.

21.  The Social Outcast.

22.  The Shopkeeper.  

A. The Time Gap.  Two years ago, the fateful argument and the mothers murder took place.  Ever since that event, the family has been living in unease and suspicion.  At that time, Jacko's alibi, the scientist, had left for a two-year expedition to the arctic, symbolically putting a freeze on all the happenings of the household.  When he returned, his actions set all the misery to begin to thaw and all the emotions were still raw and undimmed by time.

B.  The Ominous Event.  Rachel Argyle, the mother of the house of adoptees was murdered.  After a short investigation and speedy trial, Jocko was executed for the murder.  

C. The Obscure Relationship. Although legally brother and sister, Mickey and Tina Argyle were carrying on a relationship in secret in a room they had taken in town.  Because both were adopted from different families, there was technically nothing immoral about their affair.

D. The Convoluted Will.  There is no mention of a will, but the mother Rachel left all her money in a Trust, to be administered by Bobby Argyle.  All the family funds were tied up in this trust, and Bobby's unwillingness to disburse it led to considerable consternation among parts of the family.  It also perpetuated the situation where the family was locked together, unable to move on and live separate lives.

E.  The House.  In a classic Christie confined space, the house named Sunny Point is located on an island.  The only access is by small rowboats that the family are accustomed to plying across the water.  However, during the thunderstorms common to the area the crossing can be difficult.