Cat Among the Pigeons by Agatha Christie

Set at the prestigious Meadowbank girls' school, this Agatha Christie mystery begins with the smuggling of royal jewels out of a Middle Eastern revolution. The plot intensifies as the gems are hidden within a student's tennis racquet, leading to a series of violent events including multiple murders on school grounds. Hercule Poirot eventually intervenes to untangle a web of international espionage, false identities, and personal vendettas. Key characters include the school’s founder, Miss Bulstrode, and an undercover agent posing as a gardener to monitor the situation. The narrative concludes with a dramatic showdown where the true killers and the location of the fortune are finally revealed. These excerpts highlight the intersection of a school setting with high-stakes political intrigue and classic detective work.