Taken at the Flood

In the shadow of the London Blitz, Gordon Cloade, recently married to the enigmatic widow Rosaleen Underhay, perishes in a bomb blast. Overnight, Rosaleen inherits the vast Cloade family fortune, much to the dismay and financial ruin of Gordon's extended relatives. As the family grapples with their sudden loss and financial despair, Hercule Poirot is approached by Gordon's sister-in-law, who relays an unsettling message: 'spirits' have revealed that Rosaleen's first husband, presumed dead for years, is in fact still alive. This revelation could invalidate Rosaleen's marriage to Gordon, thus restoring the Cloade inheritance to its rightful heirs. Poirot, ever the rationalist, is intrigued less by the spiritual claims and more by the true motives of the woman seeking his help. He delves into a complex web of familial resentments, hidden pasts, and desperate desires, where the line between coincidence and calculated murder blurs, and the truth of Rosaleen's past threatens to unravel the entire Cloade legacy.