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Short Story Review - Motive v. Opportunity by Agatha Christie

© Janet Kay Blaylock

For this article I read "Motive v. Opportunity" by Agatha Christie. This story is found in "The Thirteen Problems" by Agatha Christie. Agatha Christie is a well-known classic and British mystery writer.

Simon Clode took care of his grandaughter when she was younger. Then, he took care of his nieces, Grace and Mary, and his nephew, George until they grew up.

Simon Clode wanted to change his will, so he had his maid get his pen. She went to the drawer on the left instead of the drawer on the right where Simon kept his pen. This upset Simon because he wanted his things put kept in a particular place. However, he took the pen and wrote out his will. Then, he put it in a sealed envelope.

Everything was okay until after Simon Clode passed away. The sealed envelope was located and opened, but there was a blank piece of paper. Now the detectives and Miss Marple had to figure out what happened to the will.

There is where the title, Motive v. Opportunity, comes into the story. The detectives and Miss Marple make a list of the suspects and who had the opportunity to take the will. What happened to the will. If the envelope was sealed, how could anyone take the will? Who could have taken the will? What was the motive? Who had the opportunity to steal it? Was it actually taken?

The detectives discussed the suspects and who had the motive or opportunity. Here are some things they came up with.

Mrs. Eurydice Spragg was one of their suspects who had the opportunity to take the envelope, but did she have the motive? People thought she was an imposter. Her husband Absalom also had the opportunity to take the will, but what was his motive?

The detectives discussed how Mr. and Mrs. Spragg had the opportunity to remove the will from the coat that was being handled, but they couldn't think of a motive, or did they figure out a motive later? The housemaid, Emma Gaunt, had a motive, but she didn't have the opportunity, or did she? She was there when Simon Clode wrote the new will. She handed him the pen he used, which happened to be in the wrong drawer. Could she have taken the will later on? Were the detectives mistaken about her not having an opportunity? What was her motive for taking the will?

If you are interested in reading a great mystery, then you will enjoy this short story. It was easy to read and understand. I also like the way that the suspects were discussed. Readers were shown who had the opportunity to commit the crime and who had the motive.

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