In the novel Towards Zero,Kay Strange (née Mortimer) is the beautiful and emotional second wife of Nevile Strange. She is 23 years old during the events of the novel.
Kay was quite well born, according to Mary Aldin. But her father who was a gambler had to resign from all of his clubs, after some card bussiness. He had died shortly after. Her mother had moved the French Riviera and had lived a scandalous life there, bringing Kay up at various hotels.
She thought that she stood to inherit £50.000 after Sir Matthew Tressilian upon Lady Tressilian's death. The misunderstanding happened because she had heard that the inheritance would be divided between 'Neville and his wife', which she took to be Neville and his legale wife. But Sir Matthew's will clearly stated that the money was to be divided between Neville and Audrey Strange. Neville and Audrey's divorce couldn't change that.
Portrayals[]
Agatha Christie's Marple[]
In the Towards Zero Agatha Christie's Marple episode, Kay Strange was portrayed by Zoë Tapper. Here she is introduced to Miss Marple by her acquantance of Lady Tressilian.
L'heure Zero (2007 film)[]
In the French adaptation L'Heure zéro (2007 film), the character name is Caroline Neuville and she is portrayed by Laura Smet. The portrayal is faithful to the description in the book. The book is silent about what her next move would be after the arrest of her husband and the revelation that she would not inherit anything. Here, she ends up going off with Fred Latimer. They were not however going to marry but planning to go into business together--in a kind of business which he says he is a professional at. She would find someone rich to marry, fleece him and split the takings. She warns Latimer, however, no violence--just fleecing.
Towards Zero[]
In the 2025 adaptation, Kay's name as unmarried is Kay Elliot.