Crooked House Summary
Agatha Christie

Crooked House Overview

In the novel Crooked House by Agatha Christie, Charles Hayward must solve a murder before he can marry the girl he loves. Sophia Leonides never talks much about her family until Charles suggests they consider marriage. At that point, Sophia mentions that her family is a strange group. Charles does not realize how strange until Sophia’s grandfather is murdered. Being the son of the Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, Charles helps out in the case by interacting with the members of Sophia’s family. He tries to determine which one might have a motive for killing the family patriarch. As he investigates, Charles finds himself drawn into the mantra of the rest of the family, that everything would be all right if the right person is the killer. The author addresses topics such as identifying the traits of a killer, family dynamics, and role playing.