Masterpieces of Murder Agatha Christie Anthology, 4 Classics in one volume.

THE MURDER OF ROGER ACKROYD; AND THEN THERE WERE NONE; WITNESS FOR THE PROSECUTION; DEATH ON THE NILE: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: Set in the quiet English village of King’s Abbot, the story begins with the death of Mrs. Ferrars, a wealthy widow rumored to have poisoned her husband. Shortly afterward, Roger Ackroyd, a wealthy manufacturer and the man Mrs. Ferrars was expected to marry, is found murdered in his study. The famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who has retired to King’s Abbot to grow marrows, is persuaded by Flora Ackroyd, Roger’s niece, to investigate the crime. The murder seems especially mysterious because Ackroyd had just received a letter from Mrs. Ferrars, revealing she was being blackmailed — and the identity of her blackmailer. Before he could finish reading it, he was killed. And Then There Were None: Ten strangers from different walks of life are invited to Soldier Island, a mysterious and isolated island off the coast of Devon, by a host none of them have ever met—someone calling themselves U.N. Owen (a play on “unknown”). When they arrive at the luxurious mansion, their host is absent. After dinner, a gramophone record plays, accusing each guest — Justice Wargrave, Vera Claythorne, Philip Lombard, General Macarthur, Dr. Armstrong, Emily Brent, Mr. Blore, Mr. and Mrs. Rogers, and Anthony Marston — of having caused someone’s death in the past and escaping punishment. Soon after, the guests begin to die one by one, in ways eerily mirroring the lines of the children’s nursery rhyme “Ten Little Soldiers.” Panic and suspicion grow as they realize that the killer must be one of them. One by one, they die — through poisoning, strangling, shootings, and other methods — until no one is left alive on the island. Witness for the Prosecution is a courtroom drama and psychological thriller by Agatha Christie. The story follows Leonard Vole, a charming young man accused of murdering Emily French, a wealthy older woman who had recently made him her principal heir. The evidence against him looks damning — his fingerprints are on the scene, and he stood to gain a fortune from her death. Vole’s defense lawyer, Sir Wilfrid Robarts, believes in his innocence, but the case takes a shocking turn when Leonard’s German wife, Romaine (Christine) Heilger, is called as a witness — for the prosecution. She testifies that Leonard admitted his guilt to her, seemingly destroying his defense. However, as the trial progresses, a mysterious woman brings new letters proving that Romaine’s testimony was false — she had lied under oath to save Leonard by discrediting herself and casting doubt on the prosecution’s case. The jury acquits Leonard, and he walks free. Death on the Nile: While vacationing in Egypt, Hercule Poirot boards a luxurious steamer, the Karnak, for a cruise down the Nile. Among the passengers is the wealthy and beautiful Linnet Ridgeway Doyle, recently married to Simon Doyle, who was formerly engaged to her best friend, Jacqueline de Bellefort. Jacqueline, furious over the betrayal, follows the couple on their honeymoon, causing tension and drama among the guests. When Linnet is found shot dead in her cabin, suspicion immediately falls on Jacqueline — but she has an alibi. Poirot, along with Colonel Race, investigates the other passengers, uncovering hidden motives, secrets, and lies. Nearly everyone on board seems to have something to hide — from financial troubles to personal vendettas.