To the residents of Rugeley, William Palmer was a country doctor with a wife and family and an interest in raising and betting on race horses. When his gambling companion John Parsons Cook died in agony at the inn across the street, the locals thought it suspicious. In the past few years, Palmer’s wife and […]
After introducing Hercule Poirot in her debut novel, “The Mysterious Affair at Styles,” Agatha Christie wanted to try something different for her second book. Something fun. Something easy to write, because plotting a mystery took a lot out of her. Plus, the family needed money, and even though she earned only £25 for “Styles,” the […]