My Dear James,
You have always been one of the most faithful and kindly of my readers, and I was therefore seriously perturbed when I received from you a word of criticism.
You plaihat my murders were getting too refined-anaemi fact. You yearned for a "good violent murder with lots of blood." A murder where there was no doubt it''s being murder!
So this is your special story-written for you. I hope it my please.
Your affeate sister in law,Agatha
我親愛的詹姆斯：
你一直是我最忠實最寬容的讀者之一，正因為這樣，當我受到你一點兒批評，我就為此感到極大的不安。
你抱怨說我的謀殺事件變得太文雅了，事實上是太貧血了。稱渴望一件「血淋淋的暴力謀殺」，一件不容質疑的謀殺案：
這就是特別為你而作的故事。我希望它能讓你滿意。
你摯愛的嫂子 阿加莎
（此處「嫂子」應為「小姨」，為翻譯的誤譯；詹姆斯是阿加莎·克里斯蒂的姐夫）