The Missing Will

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

67173

Title

The Missing Will

Language

en

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

In this delightful mystery, Hercule Poirot assists Miss Violet Marsh in solving her eccentric uncle's final puzzle. After his death, Andrew Marsh leaves Violet a year to find a hidden second will within Crabtree Manor; failing to do so, she risks losing her fortune to charity. Poirot's methodical investigation uncovers a clever ruse involving disappearing ink and a secret compartment, ultimately vindicating the niece's intelligence and securing her inheritance in a charming display of wit and deduction.

Summary up to 500 words

In Agatha Christie's *The Missing Will*, Hercule Poirot is engaged by Miss Violet Marsh to solve a peculiar inheritance puzzle left by her late uncle, Andrew Marsh. A shrewd but traditional man who opposed women's higher education, Andrew died recently, leaving a will that bequeathed Crabtree Manor and his fortune to Violet only if she could locate a hidden second will within a year; otherwise, the estate would pass to charitable institutions. Violet, an educated woman who defied her uncle's wishes to attend Girton College, views the challenge as a sporting test of her wits rather than a trap. Poirot and his companion, Hastings, travel to Crabtree Manor to investigate. The house is orderly, yet Poirot notices a discrepancy: the key to the study's roll-top desk bears a dirty envelope with handwriting unlike the deceased's neat script. Through questioning the Bakers, the couple who cared for the uncle, Poirot learns that two will-forms were obtained and that workmen from Plymouth had recently repaired the fireplace. Suspecting the will is hidden in the fireplace, Poirot and Hastings return to the manor after confirming the workmen's story. They locate a cavity beneath a brick in the fireplace, but it contains only a charred fragment of paper. Poirot initially feels defeated, believing someone else found the will first. However, on the train back to London, Poirot realizes he overlooked the tradesmen's books mentioned earlier. Returning to the manor in the early morning, he examines the envelope attached to the desk key. He discovers that the inside surface of the envelope contains faint writing made with sympathetic ink. The hidden will, dated shortly after the first, leaves everything to Violet Marsh, witnessed by a local confectioner and his wife. The uncle had anticipated every search method, using the envelope's exterior as a decoy while hiding the true document inside. The mystery is solved, proving Violet's right to her inheritance and highlighting the uncle's sharp mind and the value of education.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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data/epubs/pg67173.epub

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Categories

• Short Stories
• Mystery
• Detective and mystery stories