- A poet hangs himself in his locked conservatory. Father Brown thinks that it was not a suicide, but a murder.
- Poet Leonard Quinton invites Father Brown to the house where he lives with his long suffering wife Martha and young mistress Violet as his spiritual adviser Umesh has told him he will soon die and he wants the priest to look after Martha. Shortly after Violet has threatened him for not leaving Martha for her Leonard is found hanged and Umesh, as his sole heir, I s arrested. Martha tells Father Brown that she and Leonard had once had a baby, born disfigured, who died and whom they buried in the garden, the event which she believes drove them apart. Martha's admirer Harris then admits to killing Leonard Quinton - though Father Brown knows better.—don @ minifie-1
- Father Brown is bemused - and the ever present Mrs. McCarthy is thrilled - when he and Lady Felicia are invited by famed poet Leonard Quinton to a reading at his home. Also present are Quinton's wife Martha, his mistress Violet and his business manager, Mr. Harris. When Brown asks why he is there, all Quinton asks is that he look after his wife should anything happen to him. When Leonard Quinton is found hanging soon after, it has all of the earmarks of a suicide but Father Brown believes they are dealing with a murder. Quinton's spiritual advisor, Umesh Varma, inherits his estate and is an obvious suspect. Someone confesses to murdering him but Father Brown is certain the man, who genuinely thinks he did it, is quite innocent.—garykmcd
- Eccentric poet Leonard Quinton is found fatally hanging after a provocative reading in his estate. Father Brown realizes it isn't the apparent suicide and holds back inspector Valentine from arresting potential suspects. Those include his gardener and guru Umesh Varma, who predicted his death, Lenord's wife Martha, erratic since their deformed baby's death, airhead mistress Violet Parnassus, and cynical business manager Harri, whose confession is absurd yet confirms his motive and intent to strangle, while poison abounds.—KGF Vissers
- Ex Harley Street doctor Leonard Quinton lives with his estranged and deeply disturbed wife Martha, his mistress and muse Violet. He also has a gardener; an Indian Guru Umesh Varma he met in India when he fled from his wife for three months after the birth of their baby Olivia.
Now a renowned poet Quinton invites Father Brown to this strange household. Lady Felicia and Mrs McCarthy also accompany him. Also at the house is Harris, an admirer of the trouble Martha. Quinton asks Father Brown to look after his wife, a lapsed catholic, because Umesh has predicted his death from the sign of a mysterious poisonous plant growing in the garden.
While touring the garden Harris, Father Brown, Mrs McCarthy, and Lady Felicia who trips over the dead body of a poisoned cat owned by the Quinton's. Nearby Father Brown discovers a small unmarked grave.
A scream from Violet leads them to the conservatory to find the hanging body of Leonard Quinton having, from a note he left, committed suicide.
Inspector Valentine initially arrests Umesh but he is alibied by Lady Felicia. Harris confesses to the murder by strangulation because he wished to protect Martha he feared would herself murder her husband.
Father Brown realising Quinton had poisoned himself, testing the poison on the cat, and was already dead before Harris strangled and strung him up. The first suicide note had been faked by Harris and Brown discovers the real note expressing his remorse and love of Martha.
Martha realising her husband still loved her is prevented from killing herself by Father Brown and a sad confession reveals the she and her husband had difficulty in conceiving and when pregnant suffered from terrible morning sickness. Leonard treated her morning sickness with a new German wonder drug, Thalidomide? This resulted in the birth of a severely deformed baby, limbless and the wrong shape. Her husband fled to India while she sold up in London and moved to the present house in the Cotswold. Three months later he returned with Umesh just as the baby died and they buried the baby in an unmarked grave in the garden and hardly spoke to each other again.
Father Brown conducted a private burial service in the garden for the baby, with a named headstone for Olivia, on which Martha scattered the ashes of her dead husband on the grave.
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