Five Little Pigs Summary

Five Little Pigs Plot Summary

Covers the whole plot, including the ending.

1. Lucy Crale's Plea to Hercule Poirot

   Sixteen years after her mother, Caroline Crale, was convicted of poisoning her artist husband, Amyas Crale, Lucy Crale approaches Hercule Poirot. Lucy has recently received a letter from her deceased mother, written shortly before her death in prison, in which Caroline states her innocence. This letter has disturbed Lucy, causing her to ask Poirot for help. Poirot, initially hesitant to reopen such a cold case, is interested in the psychological challenge and agrees to investigate. He understands that solving the mystery depends on the memories and views of the five other people present the day Amyas Crale died.

2. The Five 'Little Pigs' Identified

   Poirot begins his investigation by finding the five people who were at Alderbury, the Crale estate, the day Amyas Crale was poisoned. These five become his 'five little pigs,' each a potential suspect or witness whose testimony is important. They are: Philip Blake, a stockbroker and Amyas's half-brother; Meredith Blake, Philip's reclusive brother and an amateur herbalist; Elsa Greer (now Lady Dittisham), a socialite who was sitting for a portrait by Amyas and was openly in love with him; Cecilia Williams, a governess; and Angela Warren, Caroline's disfigured younger half-sister. Poirot decides to interview each of them separately, asking them to write their accounts of the events before and after Amyas's death, focusing on their individual views and memories.

3. Philip Blake's Account

   Philip Blake, Amyas's half-brother, gives his account, describing Amyas and Caroline's difficult marriage. He recalls Amyas's many affairs, which Caroline usually tolerated with cynical amusement. He also notes that Caroline was possessive of her husband. Philip describes the tension during Elsa Greer's stay, as Amyas was openly planning to leave Caroline for Elsa. He recounts seeing Caroline upset the day of the murder and hearing an argument between the couple. He believes Caroline killed Amyas out of jealousy and because Amyas was finally leaving her for Elsa, which Philip felt was different from previous affairs.

4. Meredith Blake's Perspective

   Meredith Blake, Philip's brother and a botanist, offers a more detached account. He admits to having a quiet affection for Caroline and recalls seeing her upset but also resigned. His testimony focuses on details about the poison, coniine, which he kept in his laboratory. He describes how the coniine was stored and how it could have been accessed. Meredith also recalls seeing Caroline handle a glass of beer that Amyas later drank. He remembers Amyas complaining of a bitter taste before collapsing. He notes Caroline's calm after Amyas's death, which he found chilling, supporting the general belief in her guilt.

5. Elsa Greer's Bitter Recollection

   Elsa Greer, now Lady Dittisham, gives a passionate and self-serving account. She openly admits her intense love for Amyas and her belief that he genuinely intended to leave Caroline for her. Elsa describes Caroline as cold and calculating, seemingly not bothered by the affair, which she found unsettling. She recalls Amyas telling her he would tell Caroline that very day. Elsa's story is filled with triumph and anger, portraying Caroline as a woman who killed out of possessive jealousy rather than true love, to stop Amyas from leaving her. She saw Caroline's calm exterior as a mask for her murderous intent.

6. Cecilia Williams's Loyal Defense

   Cecilia Williams, the governess, gives a sympathetic account of Caroline. She describes Caroline as a woman of great inner strength and loyalty, who, despite her outwardly cynical appearance, truly loved Amyas. Cecilia portrays Amyas as a selfish genius who used Caroline's support. She recalls Caroline's distress over Amyas's affair with Elsa, seeing it as a particularly painful betrayal. Cecilia's testimony shows Caroline's protective nature towards her younger sister, Angela, and suggests that Caroline would never intentionally harm anyone, let alone commit murder. She struggles to reconcile the Caroline she knew with the murderer she was convicted of being.

7. Angela Warren's Childhood Memory

   Angela Warren, Caroline's younger half-sister, gives a fragmented but important account. Her testimony is poignant as she was only a child at the time of the murder, and her face was disfigured in an incident involving Amyas and Caroline years before. Angela remembers Caroline's deep protectiveness and her own resentment towards Amyas, whom she blamed for her disfigurement. Importantly, Angela recalls seeing Caroline handle a glass of beer that day. She also remembers a distinct argument between Caroline and Amyas earlier, where Amyas threatened to send her away, which Caroline strongly opposed. Angela's story hints at a deeper, more complex dynamic between the sisters and Amyas.

8. Poirot's Deductions and Hypotheses

   After receiving and carefully analyzing the five written accounts, Poirot finds several inconsistencies and psychological details. He notes that while all five accounts suggest Caroline's guilt, they offer very different ideas of her character and motives. He focuses on the timing of events, the nature of the arguments, and the specific details surrounding the poison. Poirot considers each of the five individuals as a potential killer and begins to build a timeline of events, paying close attention to who had access to the poison and a plausible motive. He examines the 'psychology' of each individual, not just their stated facts.

9. The Key to the Past: Angela's Bottle

   Poirot's investigation uncovers an important detail about Angela Warren's disfigurement. He learns that the accident was not, as commonly believed, caused by Amyas throwing a paperweight at Caroline, which accidentally hit Angela. Instead, Caroline, in a fit of rage after Amyas confessed to an affair and mocked her, threw a bottle at him, missing and hitting Angela instead. This revelation changes how Caroline's character is seen, showing a passionate, volatile side often hidden. It also provides a possible reason for Angela to resent Amyas, or for Caroline to feel immense guilt, making the simple murder story more complicated.

10. The Truth Revealed: Meredith's Motive

    Poirot carefully reconstructs the day of the murder, revealing the truth. He concludes that Meredith Blake, who had a long, unreturned love for Caroline, was the murderer. Meredith had fallen in love with Caroline and was deeply distressed by Amyas's affair and his plan to leave Caroline for Elsa. The day of the murder, Meredith, alone with Amyas, saw an opportunity. He knew Amyas would drink a beer before lunch. He swapped Amyas's usual tonic for a glass containing coniine, which he had available. He then subtly implicated Caroline by making sure she was seen handling a glass of beer, knowing her reputation for cynicism would make her seem capable of the crime. His motive was a twisted act of 'love' to save Caroline from further heartbreak and to remove the man he saw as her tormentor.

11. The Final Confession and Justification

    When confronted by Poirot's logic and psychological insights, Meredith Blake confesses to the murder. He explains that he had loved Caroline for years and could not watch Amyas destroy her. He saw Amyas's decision to leave Caroline for Elsa as the final insult, a cruelty Caroline could not endure. Meredith believed he was protecting Caroline and acting out of a misguided sense of chivalry. He describes how he carefully planned the poisoning, using his knowledge of herbal toxins and ensuring that Caroline would be framed. He had carefully planted the seeds of suspicion, knowing that Caroline's calm exterior and her history of arguments with Amyas would make her the obvious suspect. His confession brings a difficult end to the sixteen-year-old mystery.

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