Hello crime readers, foodies and lovers of terrible puns! Today’s Dining With The Dame comes to us via another short story, Witness For The Prosecution. This story appears in the Hounds of Death collection. We have already featured The Red Signal from this collection. I also have a French version of this story! Today, I am pairing the story with a classic starter, Proscuitto and Melon. We love a twofer here at Dining With the Dame so later this week, we will also be celebrating a very special occasion with a cocktail also inspired by this story.
Witness For The Prosecution- The Plot
“Supposing I tell you that he did not come in that night at twenty past nine, but at twenty past ten? You say that he tells you he knew nothing about the money coming to him. Supposing I tell you he knew all about it, and counted on it, and committed murder to get it?”
Agatha Christie – The Witness for The Proecution
Young, handsome but hard up, Leonard Vole finds himself accused of murdering the elderly lady, Emily French, in order to inherit her wealth. The facts seem stacked against Leonard. Mr Mayherne his solicitor is certain that Leonard is innocent. The only person who can provide an alibi for Leonard is his wife Romaine.
My Mayherne goes to see her, despite knowing that a court is unlikley to give much credence to the evidence of a devoted wife. He gets the a terrible shock when Romaine not only tells him she detests her husband but that he is not actually even her husband! She was married to another man in her home country of Austria but he was locked away in a madhouse so the two could not marry.
Therefore double jeopardy does not apply
She also says that Leonard committed the murder and confessed so to her.
How can Mr Mayherne save Leonard when even his own wife is determined to see him hanged?
The Witness for the Proscution – The Covers
I could not find many covers for Witness for The Prosecution as it is usually part of a collection such as The Hound of Death. We’ll look at some of the playbills and movie posters next time and talk a bit more about the 1957 movie next time.
The Recipe: Proscuitto and Melon
I’m not entirely sure we need a recipe for somerthing as simple as this, but our old friend The A-Z of Cooking has one so here it is!
I decided to sit my melon slices on some Romaine lettuce in honour of Leonard’s wife!
Links To The Christieverse
None that I could find but please let me know if you spotted any!
Other Food & Drinks Mentioned in The Witness for The Prosecution
Brandy
Our June read will be Taken at the Flood. Yay, it’s a Poirot!
Hello crime readers and food lovers! Today’s installment of Dining With The Dame is inspired by a story collection called The Labours of Hercules, and features our favourite detective, Hercule Poirot. As Poirot nears retirement, he takes on twelve new cases – each case mirroring one of the twelve labours of Hercules from Greek mythology! It’s a fun concept, though perhaps a tad forced at times. The Lernean Hydra is the second of these stories. Moving on to the culinary delights, our recipe for Afternoon Tea Scones comes from a long-time blog favourite, Good Housekeeping’s World Cookery.
The Lernean Hydra- The Plot
Poirot nodded his head thoughtfully. He said: “Yes, rumour is indeed the nine-headed Hydra of Lernea which cannot be exterminated because as fast as one head is cropped off two grow in its place
Agatha Christie – The Lernean Hydra from The Labours of Hercules
Dr. Charles Oldfield seeks Hercule Poirot’s help to dispel rumors that he poisoned his wife in order to marry his medical dispenser, Jean Moncrieff. The rumours are destroying his reputation and his medical practice.
We have:
The Doctor inheriting a rather large fortune from his difficult and hypochondriac wife. Is that a motive for murder?
Both the doctor and Jean Moncrieff had access to drugs, including arsenic. Mrs Crawford died of a gastric ulcer, the symptoms of which are similar to that of arsenical poisoning
Cells from Mrs Crawford’s exhumed body containing more than a lethal dose of arsenic
Did the Doctor do it? Did Jean? Will the course of their true love not run smooth because one of them is a murderer? Good thing we have Poirot on the case to bring the guilty to justice and stop the vicious hydra of gossip.
The Labours of Hercules – The Covers
There are some wonderful covers here including a Russian version. I love the two pulp fiction covers but for me the absolute highlighr is the French cover, bottom left. This depiction is a little Poirot, a little Groucho Marx and a little Dumbo the elephant!
The Recipe: Afternoon Tea Scones
Nibbling delicately at a scone and balancing a cup of tea on his knee, Hercule Poirot allowed himself to be come confidential with his hostess. Miss Leatheran had been kind enough to ask him to tea andhad thereupon made it her business to find out exactly what this exotic little foreigner was doing in their midst
Agatha Christie – The Lernean Hydra
Links To The Christieverse
A Miss Leatheran lives in the village and it is she who gives Poirot the scones. Although this is not a common surname, there is no mention that she is any relative of Amy Leatheran from Murder in Mesopotamia.
Other Food & Drinks Mentioned in The Lernean Hydra
Hello crime readers and food lovers! Today’s Dining With The Dame novel, The Hollow, contains many references to food so I did not have to resort to any terrible puns. The novel was published in 1946 which makes me wonder if, despite rationing continuing well into the 1950s, there was a sense of post-war abundance that fuelled so many food references! I chose Caramel Custard as my menu item for The Hollow as not only it is referred to in the novel but it is also one of my favourite desserts!
Like me (and Poirot) many of you will be more familiar with the French name for this dish, Crème Caramel. My recipe for this classic French dish came from the amazing cookbook by thriller author Len Deighton, The Action Cookbook.
The dedication for the The Hollow reads:
For LARRY and DANAE
With apologies for using ther swimming pool as the scene of a murder
And for my mind, the best scene in the Poirot episode features that pool. It reminds me of a Slim Aarons pool shot…with a little murder thrown in!
The Hollow – The Plot
Of course, say what you like, a murder is an awkward thing—it upsets the servants and puts the general routine out
Agatha Christie – The Hollow
Who killed Doctor John Christow? His wife Gerda stands by his dying body holding a revolver. But his last word was “Henrietta”, the name of his mistress. He has also just recently spurned his former fiance, actress Veronica Cray.
Could one of these three women be reponsible for his death? Or could someone else have done it?
Poirot cannot rid the feeling that the murder scene is staged
For what he was looking at was a highly artifiical murder scene. By the side of the pool was the body, artistically arranged with an outflung arm and even some red paint dripping gently over the edge of the concrete into the pool. It was a spectacular body, that of a handsome fair haired man. Standing over the body, revolver in hand, was a woman…
And there were three other actors. On the far side of the pool was a tall young woman…she had a basket in her hands full of dahlia heads. A little further off was a man, a tall inconspicuous man in a shooting coat, carrying a gun. And immadiately on his left with a basket of eggs in her hand was his hostess, Lady Angkatell.
It was clear to Poirot that several different paths converged here at the swimming pool and that these people has each arrived by a different path.
It was all very mathematical and artificial
Agatha Christie – The Hollow
Luckily Poirot is around to cut through the artifice to find out whodunnit!
The Hollow – The Covers
I believe we have our first Japanese cover in the mix today! And possibly the first Polish cover too! Most of these stick to the elements of the swimming pool, the gun, the house. A few also nod to Henrietta being a sculpturer. But bless the French for their brightly coloured pool float flamingo!
The Recipe: Caramel Custard
The Len Deighton Acion Cookbook was first published in 1965 It was a compilation of “cookstrips” also drawn by Deighton and originally published in The Observer. It is a truly wonderful cookbook!
After the ducks there was a caramel custard which, Lady Angkatell said showed just the right feeling on the part of Mrs. Medway. Cooking, she said, really gave great scope to delicacy of feeling.
“We are only, as she knows, moderately fond of caramel custard. There would be something very gross, just after the death of a friend, in eating one’s favourite pudding. But caramel custard is so easy – slippery if you know what I mean”
Agatha Christie – The Hollow
Links To The Christieverse
Lucy Angkatell says that Poirot was in Baghdad “solving something” when her husband was the High Commissioner there but I could find no reference to speciifc cases.
Hello crime readers and food lovers. Let me start right off with an apology for the atrocious pun. I am so sorry. But…I was racking my brains to think of what to cook for Towards Zero and, as is my want, I started searching for a pun. “What rhymes with Audrey..tawdry…no cancel that one. Battle rhymes with cattle…maybe a beef Wellington?” And then I got to Nevile and “eh voila” as Poirot would say, the idea of Neviled Eggs was born. And once it was in my head…there was no going back.
I adored “Towards Zero,” so please don’t mistake my playful recipe title for any disrespect towards this brilliant novel. Usually, I read these books twice: once for the initial experience, and then again to glean details for these posts. My first read of Towards Zero left me utterly bewildered about the culprit, right until the big reveal. On my second read, however, I was astounded by the sheer number of cleverly hidden clues scattered throughout.
The plotting here is simply masterful! What seemed like passing chatter on the first go-round all converged beautifully towards the killer’s identity. To any aspiring mystery writer, I wholeheartedly recommend “Towards Zero” as a masterclass in artful clue placement. But even if you’re simply seeking a meticulously crafted detective story, this is a must-read.
Towards Zero – The Plot
“I like a good detective story,’ he said. ‘But, you know, they begin in the wrong place! They begin with the murder. But the murder is the end. The story begins long before that—years before sometimes—with all the causes and events that bring certain people to a certain place at a certain time on a certain day.”.”
Agatha Christie – Towards Zero
We start with four seemingly disparate vignettes.
A group of London lawyers are speaking of the latest case and Mr Treves, a highly esteemed and elderly solicitor makes the above quote about murders being the end of a series of events that can bring a group of very different people together, all as they move towards zero hour.
Angus MacWhirter is recovering in a hospital after a failed suicide. He is bitterly disappointed still to be alive but his nurse tells him that he was saved because God may need him in the future
We next take a peek at a very disturbed person who is meticulously planning a murder
Superintendent Battle’s daughter is intimidated into confessing that she stole things when she is innocent
Could these four seemingly unconnected events, be somehow related as they all move towards zero?
Our Cast:
Nevile Strange is a tennis player, known for his good sportsmanship on the court. Neville was raised by Matthew and Camilla Tressilian at their home Gull’s Point. Sir Matthew has now passed and Lady Tressilian is bedridden but Neville visits her each year. (Incidentally, I did my first “reading” of this on audio via YouTube and the reader kept referring to Nevile as Ne-vile and not Neville. For me, Ne-vile Strange sounded like the name of a Harry Potter villain.
Kay Strange is Nevile’s second (trophy) wife. She finds the visits to Gull’s Point boring and would prefer to be having fun with her friends, one of whom is Ted Latimer, a very handsome but somewhat louche young man. Whilst not staying at Gull’s Point, Ted has taken up residence at Easterhead Bay, a short distance across the bay from Gull’s Point.
Audrey Strange, Nevile’s first wife. Normally Audrey and Neville stagger their visits to Lady Tressilian however this year their trips converge. And no one seems happy about it. Except Nevile who seems to be trying to rekindle his old flame.
Mary Aldin, Lady Tressilian’s companion
Thomas Royde. Audrey’s cousin who is visiting from Malaysia
Mr Treves, who was an old friend of Sir Matthews is holidaying in the vicinity and is invited to dinner one fateful evening.
We have:
Mr Treves killed by staircase (ingenious!)
Lady Tressilian beaten to death with a golf club and,
Superintendent Battle virtually pushing someone off a boat to confirm that really can’t swim!
Rank odours, MacWhirter asking odd things of Mary
Something significant in the attic
And many, many people being lying liars who lie
Battle also channels his inner Poirot to bring the killer to justice.
Battle rubbed his chin and frowned. “I wish I knew what keeps putting Hercule Poirot into my head.”
“You mean that old chap – the Belgian – comic little guy?” asked Leach.
“Comic my foot,: sais Superintendent Battle. “About as dangerous as a black mamba and a she-leopard – that’s what he is. I wish he were here – this sort of thing would be right up his street.”
Towards Zero – Agatha Christie
If only Battle had used a Boomslang (as per Death in the Coulds) as his snake analogy!
Towards Zero – The Covers
So many great (and non-English) covers here. My three favourites are Audrey on the cliff (top row second from left), a theatre bill, second row first from left showing Gull’s Point and of course, top row, first on the left, Tennis racquet head! So clever and cluey!
And it’s not the first tennis racquet head we’ve had either! Murder at the Vicarage also has one of these!
Place the eggs in a pan filled with enough water to cover them. Bring the water to boil then cover with a lid, remove from the heat and let the eggs sit for 2 minutes.
Drain and cool the eggs in cold water with some ice cubes in it.
Peel the eggs, cut them in half and scoop out the yolks.
Mash the yolks with the lemon juice, mustard, Tabasco and mayonnaise until the mixture is smooth.
Fill a piping bag with the mashed yolks and pipe back into the egg whites.
Garnish with a little sprig of dill and a salmon egg.
Enjoy!
Notes
I found it easier to place the dill sprigs and salmon roe on the eggs with a pair of tweezers because I have massive man hands that are not great for delicate tasks like this!
Links To The Christieverse
Battle mentions Poirot a few times but does not refer to any specific cases. The other Superintendent Battle books are:
Hello crime readers and food lovers! I will admit that I was not looking forward to reading Death Comes As The End. Whilst I have read a few historical mysteries, it is not my preferred genre of mystery reading. The 150 years from the late 19th century (Sherlock Holmes) to now a pretty much my reading wheelhouse, mysteries included. So, the prospect of a story set in Ancient Egypt didn’t fill me with joy. And, who on earth knows what people in ancient Egypt ate? And would I be able to replicate something even remotely similar?
Luckily for me, Death Comes as The End is littered with references to items of food and so I was able to form an idea of what ingredients may have been available to someone in that time. Esa, references her favourite dish of reedbirds with leek and celery a few times so that formed the basis of the meal I wanted to make. Cooked celery makes me gag so that was out. But leek and duck…that sounded like something good!
I’m going to shake things up this time and list the foods mentioned first instead of last because I think that will help explain how “I” came to devise this dish.
Food & Drink Mentioned in Death Comes As The End
Roast Duck
Spelt
Barley
Dates
Syrian Wine
Honey
Triangular loaves of bread
Grapes
Quail
Cakes with Honey
Reed birds with leeks and celery
Olives
Pomegranate juice
Wine
From that list of ingredients, I chose duck, spelt or barley and leeks as the things I wanted in my recipe. I then searched through my cookbooks. I couldn’t find exactly what I wanted so I turned to technology to help. “Find me a recipe with duck, leek and spelt” I typed into an AI Chatbot. It delivered two recipes, one a barley risotto type thing and one a Spelt Salad with Duck, Leeks andPomegranates. Bingo! A bonus is that the recipe also contains honey which is in the above list!
I also love the combination of using modern tech helping me to solve a problem of food from 4000 years ago!
I wasn’t sure if cheese was a thing in Ancient Egypt. Turns out, that Egyptians were making cheese 5000 years ago! How cool is that? I mean, they were also making the pyramids and the Sphinx which for most people probably trumps the fact that they were also making a bit of feta on the side. But for me, that is the funnest fact I have learned all year (13th January at the time of writing).
And, after all that, I forgot to add the cheese to my salad anyway! 🤦🏽♀️
Some Fun Facts About Death Comes As The End
This was the FIRST EVER historical whodunnit novel. Even if you dislike the book (I really liked it but I may be in the minority here) that is something!
It is the only Agatha Christie novel not set in the 20th Century
The novel is based on real letters written in Ancient Egypt from a man complaining about how badly his family treated his concubine
The book came about when Christie’s and Egyptologist Stephen Glanville suggested Agatha write a book set in ancient Egypt
It is one of the few Christie novels not (yet) adapted for the screen
Death Comes As The End – The Plot
Because you are truly Egyptian – because you love life, because, sometimes – you feel the shadow of death very near…
Agatha Christie – Death Comes as The End
Renisenb has returned to her father’s home with her young daughter after the death of her husband. Also living in Imhotep’s house are other members of his family including:
His eldest son Yamose, his wife Satipy and their family. Yahmose is diligent but also diffident. His wife constantly henpecks and belittles him.
Middle son Sobek and his wife Kait. Sobek is as hot-headed and rash as Yahmose is careful. Kait is the typical tiger mother, absorbed by and protective of her children
The youngest son, Ipy is arrogant and boastful. He is eager to be seen as an intelligent adult and no longer a child.
Semi blind, Imhotep’s mother Esa rounds out the members of the family however there are two others also living with the family.
Henet is a poor relative of Imhotep’s deceased wife who remains in the family to take care of them. She is obsequious gossip and a thoroughly nasty piece of work.
Finally there is Hori who is Imhotep’s scribe. Later, Kameni, another scribe joins the household.
There is some tension between the brothers and the wives bicker with each other but these troubles are nothing compared to what happens when, after a trip to the North, Imhotep brings Nofret, his new concubine, to live with them. The family is not happy about this. and are even less happy when Nofret begins to drive wedges between Imhotep and family members.
Nofret then falls to her death from a cliff. Accident? Or did someone in the family take matters into their own hands?
And then, there were nearly none!
Several more deaths follow leaving the remaining members of the family terrified. (A lot of people die in Death Comes As The End. The death count in this novel is second only to And Then There Were None! )
Are they being cursed by Nofret’s vengeful spirit or is the murderer far more corporeal?
Death Comes As The End- The Covers
I was able to find French, German, Czech and Portuguese covers along with some English ones for this novel. They are all pretty much as you would expect for a novel set in Ancient Egypt.
1/2 tbs duck seasoning (I didn’t know what this was so used 1/2 tbs ras el hanout for its Middle Eastern Flavours. )
2 leeks thinly sliced
1 tbs olive oil
1 orange, segmented
Handful of walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/2 cup crumbled goat cheese (I forgot to add this and the salad was fine without it so consider it optional)
Pomegranate Molasses
For The Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp honey
Salt and pepper
Instructions
The AI recipe had no method of cooking the leeks so I assume they had them raw. I do not like the idea of raw leeks so I began by sauteeing the leeks in olive oil for around 20 minutes until they were soft and just starting to caramelise.
Preheat the oven to 180C.
Put the spelt in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer for 20 minutes. Drain and cool for 5 minutes.
Score the duck breasts in a crisscross pattern. Season with salt and pepper. Then brush with oil and sprinkle with duck seasoning / ras el hanout.
Heat a frying pan over medium heat and fry the duck, skin side down for 5 minutes. Then turn and cook on the flesh side for 2 minutes. Transfer, skin side up to a small roasting tin and put in the oven for 15 minutes. (I found this was too long, my duck was overcooked. I would check for doneness after about 8 minutes in the over and then every 2 minutes from there.)
While the duck cooks, toss the cooked spelt with the leeks, orange segments, pomegranate seeds and walnuts.
For the dressing, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice, honey, salt and pepper.
Slice the duck and arrange on top of the salad. Drizzle with the dressing and crumble the goat cheese over the top. / Mix the dressing with the spelt mixture. Slice the duck and arrange on top of the salad. Drizzle some pomegranate molasses over the duck.
Serve Immediately.
Enjoy!
Notes
Items in italics are those added by me, the rest is the recipe generated by AI
