Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials Book Ending Involves A Secret Society

Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery was published nearly 100 years ago, but as a new Netflix series inspired by the novel proves, the author’s twisty tales are as compelling as ever.

Streaming now, Agatha Christie’s Seven Dials brings together a star-studded ensemble (including Helena Bonham Carter and Queen Charlotte’s Corey Mylchreest) to tell the story of a murder investigation that reveals a killer among friends. (Yes, it’s the perfect complement for your Traitors marathon.)

Want to peek ahead and see how the mystery unfolds — or compare after watching the Netflix series? Here are the Seven Dials book ending and plot summary.

A Prank Turns Treacherous

The novel begins with a group of friends staying at a country estate, the Chimneys. One of the party, Gerry Wade, has a habit of oversleeping, so his pals play a prank on him by lining up a whopping eight alarm clocks in his room.

But the next morning, Gerry is found dead in his bed. And curiously, only seven clocks remain.

Lady Eileen “Bundle” Brent, whose family owns Chimneys, sets out to investigate the murder. Gerry’s friend Ronny Devereux is shot and tells Bundle before dying: “Seven Dials” and “Jimmy Thesiger,” the name of another member of the group.

Inside The Seven Dials

With the help of her friend Bill Eversleigh and Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard, Bundle learns that the Seven Dials is a secret society that carries out dangerous international security work.

Gerry, who was part of this group, suspected Jimmy of stealing and selling government secrets. To prevent being found out, Jimmy killed Gerry — staging the scene to look like he died of accidentally taking too much sleep medicine.

It’s revealed that Ronny removed the eighth clock from Gerry’s room while viewing his friend’s body: an attempt to see if the remaining seven clocks would unnerve the killer and let them know the Seven Dials was on their scent. This is why Jimmy killed Ronny, too.

Jimmy and Loraine Wade, Gerry’s stepsister, are arrested in connection with the scheme. And in the book’s final pages, it is revealed that Bundle and Bill are getting married — and that Bundle is now a member of the Seven Dials herself. As Mia McKenna-Bruce, who plays the multi-faceted heroine, recently told HeyUGuys: “I love that despite her being this go-getter, and not taking no for an answer, she would never trample on people to get what she needs. She wants to take everyone along with her.”