Poirot is invited to give away prizes at a staged murder mystery hunt planned by the scatter-brained Mrs. Oliver, but when an actual murder occurs, only Poirot can unravel the real clues from the fake ones staged in the game.

I really loved the cast of characters in this book! The three or four main suspects are quite interesting and strange characters with forceful personalities, but the remaining extra characters are fairly nondescript, staying in the background.
Poirot is absolute perfection, of course, and the delicious Mrs. Oliver is a wonderful oddball, full of imagination and half-finished thoughts.
The writing is excellent, as always, and the plot keeps you guessing and wondering until the astonishing reveal at the end. Then I spent about half an hour, going over the plot again in my mind, and fitting in all the little pieces, the details that I had overlooked, and remembering, “Aha! So THAT’s what that meant!” Even after finishing the book, I was still thinking it over and basking in the intricacy of a beautifully woven mystery.

One of Christie’s best!