Another old mystery with Hercule Poirot starts out with a family together for the funeral of the oldest brother, Richard Abernethie, who had been in iffy health, although his doctor expected him to last a couple more years. Richard leaves his estate to his remaining brother (who seems to be an invalid most, but not all, of the time) and to a nephew and 2 nieces, with portions of the estate to support his sister Cora and the widow of one of his brothers until they die. After the funeral, Cora‒who's a bit of an eccentric‒makes the statement that of course Richard was murdered, which shocks the group. When Cora is found dead a couple days later, her words are taken more seriously.
It's too late to consider the possibility that Richard was murdered because his body has been cremated. His attorney, Mr. Entwhistle, starts nosing around, contacting the remaining family members, until he collects enough information to make almost every family member (and spouse) look like a suspect. Then he calls in his friend Poirot, who poses as a possible buyer of the estate, in order to see what else he can learn. As always, a surprising ending, even for someone who has read this book before!
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