Mark Aldridge

What about Isabella?

What was your feelings about Isabella as a character?

I always said that she's in some ways quite passive, but that isn't... that's what it is.

Yes, having just said, I don't think Agatha Christie has to write this book.

Actually, that's a really nice example of where you've got to have her skill to make those little moments pop.

Oh, yeah.

But that is one moment where you go... It has got a thrillery bit in the second half, in the final act, really.

Like the cost of an individual life.

And it's worth just saying quickly, because we'd mentioned before about questions of how reliable the narrator is, whether Hugh is a reliable narrator, that this is one of the things that Sophie Hanna...

advocates for is the idea that at the end because she points out quite rightly how often he coincidentally happens to be at places when things happen and she's like well is he actually a bit of a stalker is he actually actively seeking out these things did he actually follow them so I think that's quite an interesting idea that actually Hugh is telling us what he wants us to believe happened and that actually an examination of the plot

makes you go huh actually you do seem to be central to quite a lot of these things that happened are you finding a way to justify that you weren't responsible in some way for mixing things up making them want to leave escape you well yeah it becomes death on the night right yeah yeah i can see there's precedent there's clear precedent in chrissy there

Yes, it's so weird.

And I remember when I reread it a little while ago, thinking like, is it really that straightforward?

Like, is there something I'm missing here that there is more to it?

Well, maybe if you follow

Sophie's reading is has he been set up you know is it is that actually true that that's yeah why the trot was fired with Hugh actually I think I'll have to reread this again now yeah there you go and then you should listen to Westmoreport I think they've done a whole episode about it wait what's that oh I don't know it's just a couple of gays

I know, I can't bear it.

It is open to interpretation.

Definitely open to interpretation.

brilliantly written the ambiguity of it how layered it was and I think before we finish speaking about Isabella we've got to mention the most I guess famous scene the most memorable scene with her I would say which is where John Gabriel discusses with her in front of Hugh about this idea that Isabella can withstand pain and John Gabriel tries to disprove this I was going to say if only it were a discussion it becomes very well that's it because it starts with that