 After blurting out "but he was murdered, wasn t he?" at her brother s funeral, Cora Gallaccio is found hacked to death in her cottage by an intruder. However, pieces of evidence don t add up to a very convincing burglary theory. Now, Cora s family, the dysfunctional Abernethie clan, are suspects in a murder case. Gilbert Entwhistle, the family solicitor, brings in his friend Poirot to solve the case.