The Murder on the Links · Chapters

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Chapter companions for The Murder on the Links by Agatha Christie.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
Agatha Christie dedicates the book to her husband, acknowledging his shared passion for detective stories and his valuable advice and criticism.
Chapter 2
The Murder on the Links
Hastings recounts meeting a mysterious girl on a train to France, followed by Poirot receiving an urgent appeal for help from a man named Paul Renauld. They travel to the Villa Geneviève in Merlinville, where they discover Renauld has been murdered, stabbed in the back on a golf links. Poirot begins his investigation, noting a disturbed flower bed and a wrist watch, while the local police and the famous detective Giraud arrive on the scene.
Chapter 3
I: A Fellow Traveller
Captain Hastings travels from Paris to London on the Calais express and meets a young, outspoken actress who calls herself 'Cinderella.' They converse about her life in vaudeville, Hastings' war experiences, and his friend Hercule Poirot's detective work, including the Styles case. The girl departs at Calais without revealing her real name, leaving Hastings intrigued.
Chapter 4
II: An Appeal for Help
Poirot and Hastings receive a desperate appeal for help from Mr. Paul Renauld, who fears for his life. Poirot deduces that the postscript was added deliberately to ensure their arrival, indicating the urgency of the case. They travel to Merlinville, with Poirot expressing a premonition that this will be a long and troublesome problem.
Chapter 5
At the Villa Geneviève
Poirot and Hastings arrive at the Villa Geneviève and observe the initial police investigation. The examining magistrate, M. Hautet, and the commissary, M. Bex, interrogate the servants. Françoise insists Madame Daubreuil visited M. Renauld the previous evening, but Denise claims a different, younger English lady came. The body of Paul Renauld is discovered stabbed in an open grave, and his wife is found bound and gagged. Poirot notes inconsistencies, including the dismissal of the chauffeur and the locked front door.

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Dedication

The Murder on the Links

I: A Fellow Traveller

II: An Appeal for Help

At the Villa Geneviève