As you might have already guessed from the title, this episode is not dealing with a murder, but with a theft: to be more precise, with the theft of some top secret plans for a fighter plane from the desk of an English engineer. The main suspect is an American lady that many believe is a spy working for the Germans, but Hercule Poirot, who has been invited to the same house for the weekend, is not convinced that the case is that simple.
This is a rather trifling episode of the Poirot series, and maybe the easiest way to explain that would be to say that murder mystery stories are usually more engaging than pre-WWII spy stories. But then again, "this is a matter of national security", as one character says. No, I think the problem lies elsewhere: in the fact that, if you think about it, the story and its outcome would have been essentially the same WITHOUT Poirot's involvement (can't get into more detail without spoiling it, but think about it). On the plus side, Inspector Japp gets some laughs in this episode, particularly when he's trying not to look at the female suspect while she's getting undressed in the next room. (**)
This is a rather trifling episode of the Poirot series, and maybe the easiest way to explain that would be to say that murder mystery stories are usually more engaging than pre-WWII spy stories. But then again, "this is a matter of national security", as one character says. No, I think the problem lies elsewhere: in the fact that, if you think about it, the story and its outcome would have been essentially the same WITHOUT Poirot's involvement (can't get into more detail without spoiling it, but think about it). On the plus side, Inspector Japp gets some laughs in this episode, particularly when he's trying not to look at the female suspect while she's getting undressed in the next room. (**)