A to Z Blogging Challenge 2021 — ” U ” — The Unexpected Guest by Agatha Christie

A man whose car breaks down on a country road walks into a nearby bungalow for help. He walks in on a crime scene. An attractive woman is holding a gun. Her crippled, psychotic and sadistic husband lies shot to death.

A note found near the body refers to an incident in the victim’s past when he ran over and killed a little boy while overspeeding . The investigation begins with an inquiry into the whereabouts of the boys father but he is found to have died some years ago.

Suspicion falls on the murdered man ‘s circle of family and friends. The denouement is completely unexpected in true Agatha Christie fashion.

The Unexpected Guest was written by Agatha as a play. The version I read was a novel adapted from the play by Charles Osborne.