History Literature / DumbWitness

''Dumb Witness'' is also notable as the last novel before ''Literature/{{Curtain}}'' to have Hastings as a narrator.

* ChekhovsGun: Dr. Grainger, who attended Miss Arundell in her final illness mentions offhandedly how he lost his sense of smell after suffering from the flu four years ago. [[spoiler:This caused him to miss the garlic odor that is a symptom of phosphorus poisoning.]]

''Dumb Witness'' is a 1937 mystery novel by Creator/AgathaChristie featuring Literature/HerculePoirot.

* TheBearWasFramed: Miss Arundell fell down the stairs after tripping on Bob's ball. [[spoiler:She actually fell over a concealed tripwire, but Bob had a habit of leaving his ball at the top of the stairs, so he was initially blamed for it, as the killer intended.]]

* FramingTheBear: Miss Arundell fell down the stairs after tripping on Bob's ball. [[spoiler:She actually fell over a concealed tripwire, but Bob had a habit of leaving his ball at the top of the stairs, so he was initially blamed for it, as the killer intended.]]

* ChekhovsGun: Dr. Grainger, who attended Miss Arundell in her final illness mentions offhandedly how he lost his sense of smell after suffering from the flu four years ago. This caused him to miss the garlic odor that is a symptom of phosphorus poisoning.

* CoolOldLady: Crotchety old Miss Peabody, who is very very sharp and sees straight through Poirot's BS about writing a book but tells all her gossip anyway because she likes to gossip. She encounters Poirot at the end and ribs him again for basically covering up the murder of Miss Arundell.

* DrivenToSuicide: Bella Tanios kills herself by drug overdose, after Poirot reveals that he knows she's the killer.

* MedicationTampering: The victim’s liver pills are doctored with phosphorus. The hint is given by the ‘aura’ seen around the woman: the phosphorescence of her breath.

* NeverOneMurder: Subverted. A chapter near the end that is even titled "Another Victim" has Bella Tanios, who has suggested to Poirot that she knows a secret, die of a drug overdose. It seems like a third-act murder in the usual Christie style, but it turns out that she killed herself.

* TripTrap: Miss Arundell is believed to have fallen down a staircase after tripping over a dog's chew toy. Poirot, however, discovers the remains of a tripwire on the top step, a clue that points to attempted murder.

Poirot and Hastings receive a message with a prospective job offer from Emily Arundell. Ms. Arundell has recently survived an attempt on her life, and suspecting a member of her family, changed her will in favor of a servant, while hiring Poirot. By the time they arrive, Ms. Arudnell has died, apparently from illness, causing the detectives to embark on a quest to find out whether it was murder, and who is responsible.

* HappyMarriageCharade: Poirot comes to feel that Bella Tanois is far less devoted to her husband than he lets on, and feels that she had to settle for marrying him.

* MailmanVsDog: Discussed. Poirot has a theory about why dogs attack the mailman; they think that the mailman is an unwelcome guest, because he often comes to the door but never allowed in.

* ShadyRealEstateAgent: The local real estate agent is used by Poirot and Hastings as a source of information while they are supposed there house-hunting. When Hastings says that the man assured them Ms. Arundell's death was accidental, Poirot asks if Hastings also believes the man's claim about what the house they saw was really worth, causing Hastings to admit that Poirot has a point.

!! Tropes:

* InheritanceMurder: Both Poirot and Ms. Arundell feel this was the reason for the first attempt on her life, and possibly the second one as well, given how she didn't tell everyone involved that she'd changed her will.

* OutnumberedSibling: Emily Arundell had three sisters and one brother, Thomas. According to Emily's old friend, Miss Peabody, Thomas was "a bit of an old woman himself".

* OldMaid: Ms. Arundell and two of her sisters died this way and Poirot suspects their niece Bella married simply to avoid this fate. Emily Arundell's best friend, Miss Peabody is another example.

* StalkerWithACrush: Charles and Theresa Arundell's father followed the murder trial of an attractive woman, collecting clippings form it, then after she was acquitted, took a train to London and asked her to marry him.

* MailmanVsDog: Discussed. Poirot has a theory about why dogs attack the mailman; they think that the mailman is an unwelcome guest, because he often comes to the door but never allowed in.

* StalkerWithACrush: Charles and Theresa Arundell's father followed the murder trial of an attractive woman, collecting clippings form it, then after she was acquitted, took a trial to London and asked her to marry him.

* WhatDoesSheSeeInHim: Several people wonder why Theresa and Rex are together.

* UptightLovesWild: London party girl Theresa and reserved, unemotional local doctor Rex Donaldson seem to be very different personalities, but have a secure and loving romance.

* OldMaid: Ms. Arundell and two of her sisters died this way and Poirot suspects their niece Bella married simply to avoid this fate.

* OutnumberedSibling: Emily Arundell had three sisters and one brother.

''Dumb Witness'' is a 1937 novel by Creator/AgathaChristie featuring Literature/HerculePoirot.

Dumb Witness is also notable as the last novel before ''Literature/{{Curtain}}'' to have Hastings as a narrator.

* ExactWords: As usual, Poirot does this, telling Hastings he dissects there will be another murder, but letting him draw his own, wrong conclusions about what he means.