Greetings crime readers and food, well drink lovers! Today we are celebrating the delights of the Agatha Christie novel Peril at End House with a fabulous dry martini. And there are many delights to this book. First, it is a Poirot, second, the adaptation is filmed in the most gorgeous location and third, we get to drink a martini!
Also, for those of you who may think that Christie novels are all knitting and cups of tea at the Vicarage, this book has a Scarface-esque amount of cocaine in it. Those bright young things of the 1930’s were not shy when it came to a bit of blow!
Peril at End House – The Plot
Poirot and Hastings are taking a little vacay to the Cornish town of St Loo. While sitting on the terrace of the Majestic Hotel, they make the acquaintance of Nick Buckley, a young female who is the owner of End House, a ramshackle mansion next door to the hotel.
Nick tells them that she has escaped death a number of times recently – a heavy painting fell of the wall cliff and onto her bed. Luckily she had been making tea at the time and missed having her head bashed in by it. The brakes on her car failed and she is nearly crushed by a boulder on the cliff path. Indeed, even as she is talking to Poirot and Hastings she is bothered by what she thinks is a bee flying too close to her face. Poirot later discovers that this was in fact a bullet, not a bee.
Someone is apparently trying to kill Nick Buckley!
Poirot convinces Nick to send for her cousin Magdalena to help keep her safe. Magdalena is then killed whilst wearing Nick’s shawl, presumably in a case of mistaken identity.
On top of a dead cousin, rafts of cocaine and multiple life attempts we have
- The wonderfully named Commander Challenger
- Some shonky Australian housekeepers
- Chocolates poisoned with cocaine
- Some wonderful repartee between Hastings and Miss Lemon in the adaptation
- Missing pilots
- Love letters and secret marriages
- Lost wills
- Fake deaths and mad ex-husbands
Peril At End House – The Covers
There are quite a few foreign covers in this lot – some French, an Italian and even an Arabic (?) one. Also two FABULOUS pulp fiction covers from the 1950’s or 60’s!
The Recipe – Dry Martini
‘What about a cocktail?’ I suggested. ‘It’s just about the time.’
‘Well—’ She hesitated. ‘Thanks very much.’
‘Martini?’
‘Yes, please—dry Martini.’
I went off. On my return, after having ordered the drinks, I found Poirot and the girl engaged in animated conversation.
‘Imagine, Hastings,’ he said, ‘that house there—the one on the point—that we have admired so much, it belongs to Mademoiselle here.’
‘Indeed?’ I said, though I was unable to recall having expressed any admiration. In fact I had hardly noticed the house. ‘It looks rather eerie and imposing standing there by itself far from anything.’
‘It’s called End House,’ said the girl. ‘I love it—but it’s a tumble-down old place. Going to rack and ruin.’
Agatha Christie, Peril at End House
PrintDry Martini
A classic dry martini
Ingredients
- 2 1/2 ounces Gin, I used Four Pillars Cousin Vera Gin
- 1/2 ounce dry vermouth. I used Noilly Prat
- Green olive or a lemon twist to garnish
- Ice cubes
- Ice
Instructions
Combine the gin and vermouth in a mixing glass full of ice cubes
Stir them to combine.
Strain into a chilled cocktail glass.
Garnish with an olive (or two) on a cocktail stick.
Notes
If you are not a fan of olives you can also garnish with a lemon twist
Other Food Mentioned in Peril at End House
Bacon and eggs (as per every other Poirot)
Marmalade, coffee and rolls.
Good champagne (of couse darling!)
Chocolate eclairs
I LOVED this book! It was probably my favourite so far and the adaptation is also mwah chef’s kiss perfect!
If you are reading along, next up is Lord Edgware Dies.
Have a great week and happy reading!
4 Comments on Dry Martini – Peril at End House
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Thank you for this! I wanted to say I always like your blog but I really love the Agatha Christie posts.
THank you so much Brandyce, I really love doing them too! xx
My brother-in-law likes his martinis extra dry. “Just waft the vermouth over the glass.”
I really wanted to include this quote from M*A*S*H’s Hawkeye Pierce in the post but in the end I thought it wasn’t in keeping with the overall theme! Your comment on dry martinis gave me the perfect opportunity so thank you very much!!!
“I’d like a dry martini, Mr. Quoc, a very dry martini. A very dry, arid, barren, desiccated, veritable dustbowl of a martini. I want a martini that could be declared a disaster area. Mix me just such a martini.”
Hawkeye Pierce