The Murder on the Links · Chapter
The Murder on the Links explained
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.
What happens
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.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it marks the emotional and psychological peak where the narrator,…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Deception and Appearance
The murder scene and the tied-up Madame Renauld suggest a staged crime, hinting at hidden truths beneath the surface.
- Crime and Its Consequences
The brutal murder of Paul Renauld sets the stage for exploring the aftermath and investigation of a violent crime.
Characters to notice
- Captain Hastings
Narrator of the chapter; meets a girl on the train and accompanies Poirot to the crime scene.
- Hercule Poirot
Receives the urgent appeal from Paul Renauld and leads the investigation at the Villa Geneviève.
- Paul Renauld
The murder victim; his body is discovered on the golf links with a knife in his back.
- Mrs. Renauld
Found tied and gagged in her bedroom; gives her account of the night's events to Poirot.
- M. Giraud
The famous detective from the Sûreté who arrives to assist with the investigation.
Key passages
“I am a very good fellow, but I am not a patient fellow.”
I am a decent person, but I lack patience.
Poirot describes his own temperament to Hastings.
“The man who wrote that letter was in the grip of a great fear.”
The letter's author was terrified.
Poirot deduces the emotional state of Paul Renauld from his urgent note.
