In every club there is a club bore. The Coronation Club was no exception; and the fact that an air raid was in progress made no difference to normal procedure.

Major Porter, late Indian Army, rusted his newspaper and cleared his throat. Every one avoided his eye, but it was no use.

...

'There's a tide in the affairs of men which, taken at the flood,leads on to fortune...'

The unfortunate Gordon Cloade's fortune, to be precise. Killed in a bombing raid during London's Blitz, his entire fortune has passed to his young wife,the former Mrs Underhay.

Gordon's blood relatives are less than happy, however- so, it seems, are 'the spirits' who have communicated their doubts to Hercule Poirot.

Caught between a fortune and some hard-up relations, Poirot must do all he can to prevent Rosaleen joining her detractors on 'the other side'...