The Blue Geranium by Agatha Christie. Short summary

5 seconds

A story from the collection «Thirteen Mysterious Cases. A year has passed since the formation of the Tuesday Club. Sir Henry comes again to St. Mary’s Meade and proposes to continue the meetings of the club. The next story is from Colonel Bantry.

1 minute

Mrs. Mary Pritchard was a difficult character, so the nurses did not stay with her long. Only Nurse Copling somehow managed her tantrums. In addition, Mrs. Pritchard became interested in spiritualism. One day the medium Zarida appeared to her and predicted death on the full moon, when the woman saw a blue geranium.

On the first full moon, a blue primrose appeared on the wallpaper; on the second full moon, the pattern of the mallow tree turned blue. On the third full moon, Mrs. Pritchard was found dead, and the red geranium on the wallpaper turned blue. Next to the body lay the snuff salt.

Once again, Miss Marple quickly solves the crime. A solution of cyanide and water is very similar to smelling salts — which is what the killer took advantage of. The flowers on the wall were red litmus paper, which reacted with the snuff salt and turned blue. The murder was committed by Nurse Kopling, who disguised herself as the psychic Zarida. The nurse hoped to marry Mr. Pritchard after his wife died.