Dumb Witness by Agatha Christie was another book from World Book Fair 2024 Book Haul. You can read my review of the other book – “Murder in the Family”- HERE.
The theme of “Dumb Witness” by Agatha Christie
Agatha Christie’s 1937 novel, “Dumb Witness,” is a classic whodunit that will keep you guessing until the very last page. The story unfolds with the arrival of a frantic and cryptic letter from Market Basings at the doorstep of our celebrated eccentric detective, Hercule Poirot. While Dr. Hastings, Poirot’s aide dismissed it as the senile and senseless mumblings of an old woman, Poirot suspects that the sender Ms Emily Arundell is in fear for her life.
Intrigued, Poirot sets off to investigate, only to discover upon his arrival that Miss Arundell had died two months before he received her letter and had left all her assets to her lady companion Ms. Wilhelma Lawson to everyone’s surprise and gossip at the town of Market Basings.
The Quaint Market Basings setting
Christie’s storytelling is quite charming in “Dumb Witness”. Her prose is clear and concise, drawing you into the quaint English village setting and the lives of its inhabitants. It is endearing to see the English village life and to read about their interactions right from the village grocer to the spiritually inclined Tripp Sisters. The narrative cleverly shifts perspectives, allowing you to peek into the minds of the various characters, each with their dark secrets and ulterior motives.
But who is the “dumb witness” in this Christie Mystery?
The answer is both surprising and delightful. It’s Bob, Miss Arundell’s loyal wire-haired terrier. Though unable to speak, Bob’s presence and behavior throughout the story hold hidden clues that Poirot, with his keen eye for detail, meticulously unravels. The dumb witness acts as a catalyst in solving the mystery behind the death of his beloved Mistress.
The Plot
A letter arrives for Hercule Poirot on 28th June but the letter was written on 17th April and posted much later. In the letter, Miss Emily Arundell. an elderly spinster (as deducted by Poirot) entreats to investigate the goings on in her mansion – The Little Green House. To his dismay, Poirot discovers that he is too late to help Miss Arundell and she passes away a few days after writing the letter. Though the client is dead, Poirot feels duty-bound to find out the real cause of her death, surrounded as she was by hungry and unscrupulous nieces and nephews.
As the investigation progresses, Poirot, with his trusty companion Captain Hastings by his side, meticulously examines the seemingly mundane details – a misplaced ball, a seance during which the observers saw a luminous aura around Ms Arundell, two wills. Each piece of the puzzle adds a layer to the complex web of deceit woven around Miss Arundell.
The suspects in this case are a colorful bunch: greedy relatives, a mysterious spiritualist couple, and even Miss Arundell’s seemingly devoted companion Miss Lawson. Christie masterfully creates an atmosphere of suspicion, where everyone seems to have something to hide.
Final Verdict
Being a Christie fan and a rather seasoned reader of mysteries, even I could not guess the ending!
The magic of “Dumb Witness” lies in its cleverly constructed plot. Just when you think you’ve figured out the culprit, Christie throws in a new twist, keeping you guessing. From the deceased lady’s companion Ms Lawson to the fashionable and bitchy niece Theresa, the needle keeps pointing in different directions. These twists are cleverly woven in such a way that they only build up the suspense thicker while not making it too convoluted and that is a difficult thing to pull off for a crime writer. The final revelation, delivered in Poirot’s signature dramatic style, is both shocking and satisfying because it fits the facts presented so far.
“Dumb Witness” is a perfect read for anyone who enjoys a good mystery with a touch of the unexpected with a bit of canine charm which had me chuckling. For a change, “The Dumb Witness” has some light and witty moments as compared to most other Agatha Christie mysteries I have read so far, which feels like a relief from the usual sharp and taut narration in most Poirot mysteries.
My rating is a 3.8/5
This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla in collaboration with Dr. Preeti Chauhan.
Visit my Goodreads profile to check out my ratings and reviews of some lovely books.

One can always rely on an Agatha Christie mystery to be a comfort read when wanting to read in this genre. Your comment on ” light and witty moments” made me rethink about picking up this book, despite your rating of 3.8/5 which has me in two minds
Getting this for sure. I have been reading yours and Noor’s posts on Agatha and need to go back to the narratives with a mature head now. I don’t remember the books, but your review has brought that desire to dig into an Agatha Christie again. Dumb Witness, high on my list.
I love reading reviews of her books, its been ages since i read them, but reading about your enjoyment of them is so lovely.
Christie is the ultimate detective queen, and Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple are my favouritest detectives, even today. Your review brings back lovely memories of the book inspiring me to pick it up again, for the umpteenth time. I agree with everything you say about Christie.
I don’t think I will read an Agatha Christie again but through reviews like yours, some of my forgotten memories get revived and I go, ‘Oh yaaaaa…’ The other day I was watching a foreign language mystery movie and the detective kind of reminded me of Mr. Poirot and I realised that many characters draw inspiration from him, if not in a huge manner, in some small way too.
The clever twists and Poirot’s dramatic style sound really engaging. The light and witty moments make it a must-read for me, though the 3.8 rating makes me think. Still, as an Agatha Christie fan, I’m definitely going to give it a try.
I had read this book quite some time back. Hercule Poirot is one of my all time favourite literary characters. Waiting for your next review.
I love reading Hercule Poirot mysteries. I don’t think I have read this one but I will surely pick it up.
I should revisit this to remember this story. But I vaguely remember the name ! So guess I have read it..Agatha Christie is a master writer. Can never forget most of her novels
When it is Agatha Christie books I dont need to think much before picking it up as she is one of the few foreign authors work I like and love to read.
I have been reading quite a few Agatha Christie’s lately but have yet to pick up this one. Poirot is incomparable. The charm of the books is also that they have aged well.
By reading your and Noors review on Agatha, I think I should get it too. I love Hercules mystery but this one I never read.
This book needs to be added to my Agatha Christie collection. Her stories are always so unpredictable and Poirot is the most fun and eccentric detective there ever was. Checking this out now.
Agatha’s books are a masterpiece. I remember reading And Then There Were None and it was just mind-blowing. I couldn’t put it down—her ability to weave intricate plots and create suspenseful twists is unparalleled. Each character was so well-developed, and the way the story unfolded kept me guessing until the very end. Agatha Christie truly has a knack for crafting captivating mysteries that linger long after the final page.
That’s the beauty of Agatha Christie books– unexpected twists. Was curious though, to know, why have you rated it at 3.8? What didn’t work in your favor?
I have never read a Agatha Christie yet. But I keep hearing about his books all the time. Hoping I can get myself to start on one of his books soon. Nice review though.
I have never read a Agatha Christie yet. But I keep hearing about his books all the time. Hoping I can get myself to start on one of his books soon. Nice review though. Thanks for sharing
Agatha Christie is my favourite author and I read almost all of her books. Loved this plot and I am going to read this one soon. Thanks for such a brilliant review.
Has this script by any chance made into a movie? I love the storyline of this and your style of writing made it more interesting! Kudos to you for allowing readers to love the book without oversharing the story but left seeking for more.
I also re-read this one recently for my Project Poirot series, and though it’s ending is unpredictable, I found the plot similar to some of her earlier Poirot novels – I guess that’s the price to be paid for reading them all in order and in quick succession!