Murder at the Manor is an omnibus edition of Agatha Christie works which, as the title suggests, features novels where the main action takes place in an English country house. Two versions of the title exist. A large print edition was published by Doubleday and released in 2003 (ISBN 9780739440421). This includes two novels: Crooked House and Ordeal by Innocence. A second version released by the Mystery Guild Book Club in 2004 (ISBN 9780739438282) has three novels: Crooked House, Ordeal by Innocence and The Seven Dials Mystery.
This title is not to be confused with Murder in the Manor, another omnibus of Agatha Christie's works.
Blurb on front and back flaps of the Mystery Guild version[]
THE SEVEN DIALS MYSTERY was first published in 1929. Dame Agatha once wrote that it "was one of what I called 'the light-hearted thriller type.' These were always easy to write." And a joy to read! Lady Eileen "Bundle" Brent is all agog when she learns that a houseguest, one Gerry Wade, died in his bedroom when staying at Chimneys, her father's estate. Amazement turns to suspicion when Bundle finds a letter Gerry wrote to his half-sister, warning her to "forget" about a secret society called the Seven Dials!
"Of my detective books, I think the two that satisfy me best are Crooked House and Ordeal by Innocence."
- --Agatha Christie
Small wonder! They both represent Christie at the very top of her splendid game. Published in 1949, CROOKED HOUSE takes place at Three Gables, the home of the indecently wealthy and recenty deceased Aristides Leonides and his extended family. In love with Aristides' granddaughter Sophia, Charies Hayward becomes embroiled with the whole clan. As they come to suspect that Leonides may have been murdered, Charles is stunned when each of the family in turn telis him that if's all right "if the right one did the murder." In ORDEAL BY INNOCENCE (1958), it's dark days at Sunny Point after Rachel Argyle is murdered and her adopted son Jacko is convicted of the crime. Two years later, Dr. Arthur Calgary returns from a trek to Antarctica--after a bout of partial amnesia--and provides an airtight alibi for Jacko, who has since passed away in prison. And though the good doctor thought the Argyles would be glad to have Jacko's name cleared, he finds he's dead wrong for now they have to root out a killer in the house.
References[]