Agatha Christie Short Stories 2025: November Reviews #AgathaChristieSS25

I had a mixed feeling for my November reads for #AgathaChristieSS25. The Poirot one was dull, while the Tommy-Tuppence was as exciting as I would want to be in writing short stories.

The Kidnapped Prime Minister

It was during First World War, and when Poirot and Hastings were discussing about the assassination attempt towards the British Prime Minister, two government officials arrive. They ask him to locate the Prime Minister, who has been kidnapped during his journey to Versailles for a secret conference. His failure to attend the conference would be of immense consequence for the country, and might be, the world peace. The problem is, Poirot only has twenty four hours to do that. 

Once Poirot, Hastings, and two detectives arrive in France, instead of taking immediate actions, Poirot brings them to a hotel, where he sits down for four hours exercising his little grey cells. There are only two main suspects in this case, and after returning to London (what the purpose was of going to France in the first place, eluded me), Poirot makes inquiries to several cottage-hospitals, before locating the Prime Minister! As I said, it was a boring story. I wish Christie would elaborate it a little, sprinkling it with some actions or red herring. I begin to realize that Poirot's strong point is always his understanding of psychology, that his way of investigation isn't quite fit for short stories. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Blindman's Buff

Tommy and Tuppence, on the other hand, are in on an exciting adventure! Business is slacking at Blunt's Detective Agency, and they have just received warning from the Chief that their disguise has been apprehended by the enemies. Tommy, then, proposed to exercising their detecting skills. So, combined with his passion of using methods of fictional detectives, he put on a pair of black eyeshades, and testing his awareness of the surroundings only by the other senses - in short, he's practicing to be a blind man - while Tuppence's acting as his guide. In that manner, Tommy and Tuppence dine out at a restaurant, where two men (a Duke and his servant) approach them. The Duke hires 'Mr. Blunt' to rescue his kidnapped daughter, and insists on bringing both of them separately by car to his house.

The Duke appears to be merely a disguise, and the kidnap is a trap. He's the enemy, and he knows about the Beresfords' disguises. The question is, how would Tommy extricate himself from the enemy's pointed gun and the electrified metal floor which would be exploded as soon as one step onto? In the end, it's a wonderfully fun story to read, although, of course, I already knew the "solution" long before. It's quite childish, even, but still, it has action and suspense, and I always love the witty banters between Tommy and Tuppence. Tommy shines this time, with Tuppence a little on the background.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Agatha Christie Short Stories 2025: SEPTEMBER Reviews

The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan

Captain Hastings treated Hercule Poirot to spend the weekend at the Grand Metropolitan Hotel in Brighton, where their eyes were feasting with the grand ladies and their sparkling jewelries. One of these ladies is of Hasting's acquaintance, and soon Poirot was introduced to the Opalsen couple. Mrs. Opalsen loves jewels, and offers to show her pearl necklace to Poirot. However, the pearl necklace wasn't in the jewel box where she'd kept it; it had been stolen! The suspects were Mrs. Opalsen's French maid - who had been instructed not to leave the bedroom while the chambermaid's cleaning it - and, of course, the chambermaid. The police searched the two maids, and found not the necklace. But after thorough search of the rooms, they've found it hidden inside the French maid's bed. Mrs. Opalsen cried: "Oh, my necklace!", and Poirot and Hastings left to their bedrooms. Is it over then, just like that? Of course not....

The Grand Metropolitan in London

Poirot continued his investigation; he inspected the room next to the Opalsen's, and asked a few questions to the chambermaid, the butler, even Mr. Opalsen himself. One of these proved later to be the clue to the true robbery, while the other was a red herring. Then, to Hasting's puzzle, Poirot went to London that very night. It was, in the end, a not very sophisticated case. One thing is sure, the police should have learned more about jewelry - but for Hercule Poirot's wide knowledge, it could have been a simple but perfect robbery!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Case of the Missing Lady

The next client of the Blunt International Detective Agency is a famous explorer who has just returned from an expedition to the North Pole. He had been engaged with a widow, Hermione, right before he left two years ago, and now was rushing to marry her. But she's not in her aunt, Lady Susan's, house where she'd been staying, and Lady Susan didn't know, or wouldn't tell him, of his fiancée's whereabouts. Feeling apprehensive that something fishy had been happening, he hired "Mr. Blunt" to investigate and find the missing lady.

Tommy and Tuppence's investigation led them, first to Maldon, from where a telegram from Hermione had been received by Lady Susan, and next to a sinister isolated nursing home in a village. It was there that they finally stumbled to the right trail. But what was really happening to Hermione? And would Tommy and Tuppence succeeded in rescuing her from whatever her predicament was?

This seemingly simple case turned out to be a thoroughly entertaining one to read! The "chase", the thrill, the humorous and witty interchanges of the duo, and especially... the ending. This case ended in much unexpected way that I laughed out loud after finishing it. Such a brilliant job from Agatha Christie, always with her witty and cheeky way!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2
 

Agatha Christie Short Stories 2025: AUGUST Reviews #AgathaChristieSS25

THE BLOOD STAINED PAVEMENT

As the Thursday Murder Club reconvened, Joyce retold her eerie adventure in Spain. While sketching during her holiday, a young couple arrived to stay at the same hotel. At the same time a red car arrived, and a striking woman in red came out of it. She was the husband's old acquaintance, and was the very opposite of his subdued wife's plain appearance. The three of them went for a swim on a little island.

Meanwhile, Joyce spotted a red taint on the pavement, which a local man shared that it's believed to foretell a death would occur. And right enough, the wife that stayed at the hotel was found dead, while her husband and friend were out swimming.

This story reminded me instantly of Evil Under the Sun. And in this instance, Miss Marple correctly guessed what happened, while the others didn't even think it a murder case. It mixes superstitions and a good plot of murder. However, as it's too closely similar to one of Christie's famous novels, it just felt redundant.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON

Edward Robinson is engaged to a sensible girl called Maud, under whose thumb, had agreed to marry very soon, despite of his preference to postpone until his prospects improve. Edward loves to read novels, and always admires the self-confidence of the men in those stories. He impetuously entered a competition, won a 500 pounds prize, and bought a car. Edward didn't tell Maud about this, as he knew she would insist to save the money for their wedding.

On his Christmas holiday, Edward drove the car into the country - again, without telling Maud. He felt the thrill of freedom as he sped on with his shiny red two-seater along the country road. After sunset he parked his car, and had a walk before leaving for home. However, he mistakenly took another red car when he came back, which was exactly like his, and found a diamond necklace on the its side pocket, and a note with instruction to meet someone at a local village. Edward impulsively obeyed, and met a beautiful young woman who thought that he's the brother of a man she knew. It turned out that the necklace was a stolen object, but Edward played along. How would Edward free himself from this exiting but dangerous situation? And what would Maud do to him when she knew the truth?

This is neither a murder nor mystery story, but it's an exhilarating one that promised to make a very fun and satisfying reading!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Agatha Christie Short Stories 2025: Reviews for JULY #AgathaChristieSS25

The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb

It is always a treat when Christie indulged in her fascination about archeology and ancient Egypt. In this short but engaging story, an excavation of the tomb of the Pharaoh Men-her-Ra had suddenly became public's fascination after two men involved died one after another in just a fortnight - one of a heart failure, the other blood poisoning. People had been questioning whether the curse of the Pharaoh hunted the excavation, when the third death occurred, this time a suicide.

The widow of the excavation's leader, Sir John Willard, asked Poirot's help to protect her son, who now led the excavation. So Poirot and Hastings left for Egypt, and stayed the night at the camp. They felt the forces of evil in the air - Christie used this a lot in her novels. Things began to be out of control when Poirot choked on the tea brought by the servant. Was he being attacked by the desperate murderer, or this was just one of Poirot's theatrical acts to reveal the murderer?

On the whole, it's fun to read. The exotic expedition in Egypt, the superstitions, and the little dramatic act. It was what I always expect from Christie's shorties.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger

It's a boring day at Blunt's International Detective Agency. The blue letter or number 16 that they must be wary of, had, so far, never come. But three arrivals broke the dull; the first was a package, the second a letter, and the third a client. The package contained Tuppence's purchase, a silver cigarette case with "to Francis, from Tuppence" engraved on it, which was a gift for a General Francis, whom Tuppence drove for at war. The letter was the blue Russian letter that they've been looking forward to. However the client's arrival checked their discussion. Moreover, the client seemed to be eyeing on the letter, longer than he should have been. Was he a real client, or the disguised enemy?

This one was a highly entertaining story, a reminiscent of The Secret Adversary, albeit the tiny-weeny version of it. Friend-turned-foe, deception, decoy, fast-paced action - all was packed into a well-proportioned short story. My favorite part is the different fictional-detective-style that the Beresfords always adopted on each case. This time they adopted Francis and Desmond, the Okewood Brothers, created by Valentine Williams (1883-1946). Usually these were just to add humor to the story, but this time, it was key to their victory. A clever move by Christie!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Agatha Christie Short Stories 2025: Mini Reviews for June #AgathaChristieSS25

Ingots of Gold

It's Raymond West's turn to tell a mysterious story when The Tuesday Night Club next re-convened. It involved his newest acquaintance, at whose abode in Cornwall, Raymond had been invited to spend the Whitsun. It was an unsolved mystery, and which he expected the club would discuss and find a solution.

John Newman had bought rights from Spanish Armada to salvage the wreck of a sunken ship, which he believed contained of treasure. On the way to Newman's, Raymond met a Police Inspector, who was investigating another, more recent shipwreck with ingots of gold in it which had been stolen. Throughout his stay, Raymond felt a foreboding of something bad about to happen; with the menacing pub's landlord, and big storm. On top of it all, Newman was missing - apparently abducted, and witnessed a smuggling. Was this the answer of the stolen ingots of gold? In the end, it was, as usual, the meek Miss Marple who solved the mystery. Quite an entertaining one!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Sing a Song of Sixpence

I have found that the stories from The Listerdale Mystery collection are by far my most favorites. This one is no exception. Sir Edward Palliser received a visit from a young woman, Magdalen, whom he'd known years ago, and whose plead for help he couldn't refuse. Magdalen's eccentric aunt had been murdered, and the household - consisted of Magdalen, her brother, the aunt's nephew and his wife, and a devoted servant called Martha. To clear her family's reputation, Magdalen asked Sir Edward to investigate.

From his visit to the house, and his interview, Sir Edward found himself with a puzzle, but without nothing to suggest how to proceed, until, by chance, he caught a sight of a shop. And then, eureka! He saw how the murder had been committed. The key is the nursery rhyme which Christie used as this story's title. I loved the solution and twist, which I would've never guessed by myself. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Reviews for #AgathaChristieSS25: April

The day finally come when I can say that I loved very much BOTH of the stories I read for #Agatha ChristieSS25! Here are my (belated) reviews: 

The Idol House of Astarte

This might be one of my favorites in Miss Marple's short stories collection - so far. You know how Christie could infuse the evil atmosphere into the story, that you could even feel it yourself surround you while reading? This story is just that. 

When the Tuesday Night Club was meeting again, it was Dr. Pender's turn to tell his story - and it was an amazing one. It happened during a house party where he was invited by Sir Richard Haydon. The house is called Silent Grove, near which there's a grove, thick of trees, which Sir Richard believed to be the grove of Astarte (an ancient Egypt goddess), and where he had built a stone summerhouse as a kind of 'temple'.

It was the midsummer, and Sir Richard with his guests visited the grove. Instantly they felt the evil atmosphere was closing on them. One of the guests was an enchanting society beauty called Diana Ashley, whom most of the men were attracted to, including Sir Richard. She suggested a dress party at the grove, and there they went. But when the others approached the temple, Diana disappeared and later appeared in front of the temple dressed magnificently as priestesse of Astarte. Despite her warning to not approaching, Sir Richard walked towards her. He suddenly collapsed, dead with a knife stabbed into his heart, though no one had approached him, nor the weapon found near him. The police suspected Diana, though couldn't find out how she could have committed the murder. Only Miss Marple could solve the mystery, as correctly as what Dr. Pender had learned years ago after the murderer confessed to him through a letter.

What a wonderful mystery, well plotted and geniusly written!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Philomel Cottage

A thirty something Alix Martin is newly married to a man she met at a friend's house: Gerald Martin. She's a typist, and had had an understanding with a fellow clerk Dick Windyford. The latter was annoyed when Alix's fortune changed after a cousin died. But much chagrin after her marriage with Gerald, warning her that Alix didn't know anything about her husband. 

Meanwhile, the Martin's moves to Philomel Cottage, a picturesque house. Strange things began to happen. The gardener told Alix that Gerald told him she's going to London the next day - which she's not - and that the cottage costs two thousand pounds - when Gerald told her three. Her recurring dreams of Dick murdering Gerald didn't help either. She began to be suspicious. Finding Gerald's diary and picture were the last straw, Alix was sure that her husband was a murderer, and he's going to murder her! What was she going to do?

This is another success for April's #AgathaChristieSS25. Thriller isn't often found in Christie's collection, and this one is my favorite. We know who the murderer is - it's not a tough guess - and how he'd planned to execute it, and it's only how the victim would survive it. In short, it's what a good thriller should be, and short though it is, Christie managed to write it so well!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Another Belated Reviews for #AgathaChristieSS25: March

The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge

Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings were invited to stay with a Mr. Havering. Their host received a telegram from his wife that his uncle was shot to dead the night before. And so, Havering went with Hastings, serving as Poirot's assistant, as the detective was indisposed. Hastings acquired information from the housekeeper, a Mrs. Middleton, that prior to the incident, a bearded man had visited the deceased. She and Mrs. Havering, who were outside the room, then heard a shot from within. But entering the room, they found the body, while the pistol and the murderer were missing.

The case might not have been solved at all, were it not for the amazing deduction skill of Hercule Poirot. When Hasting wired him the facts, he saw clearly what might have happened, and asked Hastings to inquire about what seemed to be trivial, but proved to be the key to the mystery. This is one of Christie's stories with unsatisfactory ending - I rather hate it everytime she "lets" providence took over the police's authority in way of punishment. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

A Pot of Tea

Tommy and Tuppence Beresford have been settled in the detective agency they were asked to take over by the secret service (it's a camouflage for the secret service). So far they've been receiving divorce cases, and Tuppence was dissatisfied. It couldn't go on much longer, they got to start having serious cases. But the arrival of a Lawrence St. Vincent, the heir of an Earl, changed everything. He asked them to investigate the disappearing of a girl he's been engaged to, who's working at a hat shop. They took it, and Tuppence found the girl, and solved their first case wonderfully.

The interesting point of this case isn't in the mystery solving, but in Tuppence's ingenuity -- atta girl! On the whole, it's a funny, witty, entertaining story, with an unexpected little twist. I loved the arrangement of the detective agency - Tommy posing as Mr. Blunt, to create confidence in potential client; while Tuppence as the efficient secretary, who's actually the main brain of the establishment.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

(Much) Belated Reviews for #AgathaChristieSS25: February

It's end of April, and I am still struggling to catch up with my reviews, especially for #AgathaChristieSS25, which I am hosting! Shame on me, but that's life. Sometimes you seem to have all the time in the world to blog, but sometimes it needs determination - a lot of them - to just continue on. Here I am, still writing reviews for short stories I've read two months ago, which I completely forgot, and must depend on Wikipedia to refresh my memory. But, the bottom line is, I determine to catch up, albeit slowly. So, here are the two stories for February; the March ones will follow soon.

The Tuesday Night Club

The first story in Miss Marple's collection of Thirteen Problems is the "founding" of the Tuesday Night Club. It comprises of Joyce Lemprière (an artist), Sir Henry Clithering (a former Scotland Yard commissioner), Dr. Pender (a clergyman), Mr. Petherick (a solicitor), Miss Marple her self, and her nephew, a writer called Raymond West. These six gather every Tuesday (hence the club's name) to try to "investigate" past unsolved mystery. The first case was brought by Sir Henry, a mysterious food poisoning case. Three people dined the same meal of tinned lobster, bread and cheese, and trifle, but only a Mrs. Jones who died, apparently of poisoning; while the other two: the husband, Mr. Jones, and the maid, Miss Clark. 

It was a simple case, I think. We might guess the whodunnit, but might not the howdunnit. Only Miss Marple, through her huge experience and understanding of human nature, who could precisely solve the mystery. The one person whom nobody even thought of asking the opinion of, is the one who shed a light on the case in the end.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Listerdale Mystery

After Mr. St. Vincent died, his widow and two children are, financially, in the mud. They live presently in a boarding house. But someday Mrs. St. Vincent read in the advertisement, about a charming little house, furnished (even with a butler!), which was let for very row rent. She's taken with the house, although the son suspected something foul beneath it. But in the end they moved in. They learned that the house belonged to Lord Listerdale, who disappeared eighteen months previously and turned up in East Africa. Mrs. St. Vincent lives comfortably in the house, and life goes on amiably for the family. But the mystery perplexed Rupert, the son, completely. Was Lord Listerdale perhaps been murdered, and his body was buried somewhere inside the house?....

This turned out to be a charming mystery in the end - quite unexpectedly too. It's the kind of story which, when finished reading, you would say: well... "all's well that ends well". Loved it!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mini Reviews for #AgathaChristieSS24: December

The Chocolate Box

Poirot is telling Hastings his humiliating failure when he's still a detective in Belgian Police force. At the time when there's struggle between state and church in France, a fanatical anti-Catholic deputy was murdered just one day short of becoming Minister. Reluctantly, for Poirot was a Catholic himself (a surprising fact for me!), he took to the investigation. He found the clue in a new box of chocolate on the table; the mismatched color of the box and the lid was suspicious. The murdered man was fond of chocolate, and one of the house member or his guests must have put the poison inside of those chocolates. But who? Could Poirot solve the mystery based on the evident? Or did he made an incorrect solution?

I liked this one, a very simple and basic murder. Poirot failed this time because he hadn't acquired the art of psychology yet, and just depended on the facts. It is an iconic case too, because "chocolate box" would become Hasting's keyword to remind Poirot to be humble - which he fails all the time! LOL...

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐

A Christmas Tragedy

In a rather similar theme with Poirot's story, Miss Marple lamented that she had once failed to prevent a murder. She met a couple in a Hydro resort, and knew at once that the husband was getting a way to rid of his wife. She had warned the rather foolish but devoted wife, and was cautious not to let the couple alone. But the wife was found murdered one day, when the husband had a perfect alibi. Had Miss Marple, like Poirot, made a wrong deduction after all? Or was this a clever murder?

This one, by far, is my most favorite of Miss Marple's stories. The old spinster appears less vague than ever, and the murder plot is one of Christie's genius - seems simple but very clever.

Rating:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Mini Reviews for #AgathaChristieSS24: November

THE GIRL IN THE TRAIN

A young man called George Rowland who has just been disowned by his rich uncle, decided to seek a better luck at Rowland House (he shares the name, it must be a good sign, right?) On board the train a beautiful girl asked his help to hide her, apparently from an angry "uncle". She asked him further to tail an anonymous man and to keep a mysterious parcel for her. Stimulated by the mystery, Rowland did all these. Staying at a hotel, he's confronted by some men accusing him of hiding a royal princess of a small Balkan country. Furthermore he found that the small parcel is missing. What's really going on? Is the beautiful girl really a princess? And what was in that parcel?

It's an exciting story to read; light, humorous, full of action, with a touch of light budding romance, the style of which reminded me a little of Patricia Wenthworth's Benbow Smith mysteries.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

THE DEAD HARLEQUIN

When visiting a painting exhibition, Mr. Satterthwaite found a painting titled The Dead Harlequin; a man is looking from outside the window to a dead body lying on the floor inside the room. The man resembled his friend, Mr. Harley Quin, and the room reminded him of one death in Charnley House. Curious, he bought the painting and invited the painter for dinner, which is also attended by a Colonel who investigated the death. A man shot himself fourteen years ago. 

The dinner was interrupted by two women who insist on buying the painting from Mr. Sattherthwaite - two women who no doubt are familiar with what the painting depicted. The question is, was the death really suicide? If not, who was the murderer?

It was unexpectedly an entertaining story with a clever plot. Something that left me thinking hard after finishing it.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Mini Reviews for #AgathaChristieSS24: October

THE HOUND OF DEATH

A man called Anstruther heard from his friend of an intriguing story about the blowing up of a Belgium convent, when some German soldiers invaded it during WW2. The locals said it wasn't caused by high explosive, but by a miraculous power of a nun who brought down a lightning bolt from heaven. What's left from the building was a wall with powder mark in the shape of a giant hound. The nun now lives with a doctor in Cornwall, and is often haunted by her dreams. Visiting the nun, Anstruther suspects that the doctor, who was medically studying her behavior, might not be fully honest. But the question remains, what had really happened? Has the nun been hallucinating, or does she really possesses supernatural power? The story was ended by another "explosion", and this revealed more or less of what had really happened.

This has prospects to become a gripping and intriguing story, but the end was somehow anti-climactic. It's more of a Halloween story than a mystery.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

THE VOICE IN THE DARK

Mr. Satterthwaite is tasked by his friend, Lady Stranleigh, to investigate her daughter's claim that their house, Abbot's Mede has been haunted. "Luckily" for him, Mr. Quin is staying at the inn nearby, and would be available anytime Mr. Satterthwaite needs a chat.

Margery, the daughter, reveals to Mr. Satterthwaite that the last two months she has often been hearing voices in the dark, while she is alone in her bedroom. The voice tells her to "give back what is not yours; give back what you have stolen".

Her mother's maid, Clayton, was Lady Stranleigh's fellow survivor of a shipwreck that took away her elder sister. She, Clayton, was the key to this mystery, which is not just about voices in the dark, but also a murder, as well as an attempt of murder. It's a wonderful one, actually, and Mr. Satterthwaite solved the mystery by himself, for once.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Mini Reviews for #AgathaChristieSS24 - September

 
The Herb of Death

🌿 It's another story told around a dinner table of Colonel and Mrs. Bantry. Same as in The Affair at the Bungalow, the guests are Sir Henry something, ex-Scotland Yard or something, a doctor, an actress who "provided" the story in The Affair at the Bungalow, and of course, our dear Miss Marple. This time, Mrs. Bantry told an intriguing event when the Bantrys were guests at Clodderham Court.

🌿 The duck they had for dinner was wrongly cooked with foxglove leaves instead of sage, and everyone was ill from digitalis poisoning. But one girl, Sir Ambrose's ward, was dead. It was supposed as an accident, but of course it's a murder. Everyone gave their opinions from every angle, but in the end, it's Miss Marple who guessed correctly.

🌿 Agatha Christie "strikes" again with a poisonous murder, which is always her forte, and which I always love for its simplicity.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

The Bird with the Broken Wing

🕊 Here is my most favorite Mr. Quin's story so far. On a seance, Mr. Satterthwaite "received a message", apparently from his old elusive friend, Mr. Quin. It instructs him to go to Laidell, where he was initially invited but thought of skipping. But now he decided to go, as something would surely  happen.

🕊 An "enchanting" girl was strangled by her ukulele string. Everyone thought it's a suicide, but Satterthwaite knew otherwise; though he couldn't say to the police about Mr. Quin, but still... Moreover, the girl had confided to him that night, that she was very happy - that something is coming that would make her happy. So suicide is beyond question. But who's the murderer? Mr. Satterthwaite knew whodunnit, as well as I, though I didn't guess the how.

🕊 A very enjoyable mystery, and that, I guess, is because of Mr. Satterthwaite's confidence. Mr. Quin's involvement is almost zero; he only appeared in the end after the mystery's solved. That is just the right amount for me...

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Mini Reviews for #AgathaChristieSS24: August

The Gate of Baghdad

Parker Pyne is on holiday in the Middle East. During a long motor trip journey from Damascus to Baghdad, just when everyone is sleeping of boredom, one of the passengers, a Captain Smethurst is found dead, stabbed at the back of his neck. This time Parker Pine must use his brain, not to solve a romantic or household affair, but a murder! Luckily he has a useful habit of listening to people's talk, that it helps him this time to point out the murderer. A simple, clever, and amusing mystery.

The Man Who Was No. 16

Tommy and Tuppence are helping Inspector Carter to catch the great Russian spy, the number 16. Tommy shines in this case, after borrowing Poirot's famous method of using his grey cells, to locate the villain and releases Tuppence. A good story involving disguises, some actions, red herring, and some clever and hilarious scenes. I loved the smart conversation between No. 16 and Tommy, using a lot of the number sixteen as the password. If you haven't realized yet, I also purposely posted this mini review on the 16th! I think this is going to be my favorite from Tommy & Tuppence stories - clever, witty, with perfect proportions of actions, mysteries, and humour. And it's nice too that once and a while Tommy shines over Tuppence - though in this case she was powerless to do anything, but still.... Finally, Tommy could be the Poirot of Tuppence's Hastings! :D

The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper by Agatha Christie #AgathaChristieSS24

🗞 It's another Tommy and Tuppence story. This time, a murder case, where Tommy and Tuppence were happened to be on the crime scene. A lady has been stabbed at a costume show, and her last words were accusing her lover.

🗞 Inspector Marriot brings the victim's husband, Sir Arthur Merivale, to meet Tommy and Tuppence the next day. Despite the strong evidence which pointed to Bingo Hale - lover to the lady and best friend of Sir Arthur, he doesn't believe him guilty. Besides the lady's last words, the weighing evidence is the piece of torn newspaper in the lady's hand. It was torn from the accused newspaper costume he wore at the show.

🗞 So exact the evidence are, and yet, Inspector Marriot isn't confident - hence his bringing the case to Tommy and Tuppence. It's rather interesting to see how our beloved sleuth-couple - or rather, Tuppence - could reveal the true solution to this murder case.

🗞 It's a simple murder case - I guessed whodunnit correctly - and a short one. Too short, I think. It's hoped Christie would have elaborate it a little further. But on the whole, it's quite fun.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

Manx Gold by Agatha Christie #AgathaChristieSS24

💰 Cousins, as well as lovers/fiancées, Fenella and Juan, gets a surprise from their deceased uncle. He bequeathed his gold to his next of kin, but in competition. He had hidden the gold in four locations, and whoever of the four candidates (Fenella and Juan counted as one, and there are two others) can find them, the treasures will be theirs.

💰 Fenella and Juan get 24 hours advanced start because their Uncle knew the others are cunning and unscrupulous. He was right. Just after first treasure was found, one of the two was murdered. So now, the treasure hunt turned to a dangerous game.

💰 To be honest, this is a disappointment for me. Judging from the synopsis, I thought it would be a proper, albeit short, treasure hunt with a murder. In reality, there was a hunt, but the readers didn't know what's going on most of the time. After getting a clue in rhyme, for instance, it would run like this: "I think it's located at (...). Then they went to the spot, searching for a while, and then "I found it! Let's go to the next clue". Just like that, and the readers were not involved in the searching at all. It read like a news about a treasure hunt, not a story. 

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

The Blue Geranium by Agatha Christie #AgathaChristieSS24

💙 We meet once again with Miss Marple in this short story we are reading for June. And as usual, she only appears as a secondary character; like a shadow in the room that no one noticed at first, but then it shines for just a few seconds, to be faded into the background again.

💙 Miss Marple was invited to a dinner party at the Bantrys only to even the number of the guests. It was first suggested by one of the guests, and even Mrs. Bantry was skeptical at first. But she was invited, attended the dinner, and solved the mystery that Colonel Bantry told the guests after dinner about his friend.

💙 George Pritchard's late wife was an invalid with difficult character - you know the type - who always fuss about her health and prone to have tantrums. Many nurses had come and gone, and the last one was Nurse Copling. Mrs. Pritchard was also fascinated by fortunetellers. One calls Zarida warned her to avoid blue flowers: "Beware of the full moon. The blue Primrose means warning, the blue Hollyhock means danger, the blue Geranium means death."

💙 Days later, during full moon, some primroses in the wallpaper pattern in Mrs. Pritchard's room turned blue over night. It made her afraid, though her husband thought it's just a childish joke. On the next full moon she went to sleep in her locked room in apprehension. The next day she found, as before, the Hollyhocks in the same wallpaper turned blue.

💙 You know the rest. The next full moon, Mrs. Pritchard - who had been resigned to her faith by that time - was found dead inside a locked room, with a faint smell of gas and some Geraniums in the wallpaper turned blue. It was Miss Marple who eventually offered the solution. All in all, it's a fun mystery to read; light and simple - I guessed it quite right though not the details.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Strange Case of Sir Arthur Carmichael by Agatha Christie #AgathaChristieSS24 #ReadingTheMeow2024

🐈 First of all, I don't know why I had thought this was an Hercule Poirot story, while it's not. It's another of the "no detective stories", but what a story it had been! It has an element of cat, so I included this to my #ReadingTheMeow2024.

🐈 Sir Arthur Carmichael is a twenty-three year old young man, an heir of his father's estate, who hasn't been well these last two weeks. In fact, his case so perplexed his doctor, that he invited his colleague Doctor Carstairs, a renown psychologist, to give his opinion. What the problem was, the doctor didn't tell his friend so that he would form his own impression after seeing the patient by himself.

🐈 Arriving to the estate, Carstairs saw a young girl, Arthur's fiancée in fact, with a grey Persian cat walking by her legs. But why did his friend grew pale when he mentioned the cat? And not just the doctor, the others at the house were automatically silent when he mentioned the grey cat, which he continually heard at night meowing or scratching at his door, but there's no one around when he opened it. And no one saw it either - or rather, there had been a grey cat in the house belonged to Arthur's step mother, but it's been dead two weeks ago!

🐈 But the doctor put it aside for the time being, and he soon got to the mysterious condition of the patient. The young man wasn't himself, and Carstairs noticed that his manner had become so similar to.... a cat! He behaves exactly like cat, even pounding over a mouse! So, there's a cat that no one but Carstairs saw, and there's a healthy young man who turned into cat. What mystery lies beneath it all

🐈 It's actually quite an interesting read, though not surprising, considering the era's fascination over occultism and superstition. Agatha Christie herself had elaborated these themes with the Mr. Quin stories. I quite enjoyed it, the solution of the "murder" might be unusual, but on the whole, it's quite entertaining.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐1/2

Read also for:

Reading the Meow 2024

hosted by Mallika @ Literary Potpourri

The Crackler by Agatha Christie #AgathaChristieSS24

💸 Tommy and Tuppence are longing to have a bonafide case - the kind you'd read from Edgar Wallace - and their wish came true when Inspector Marriot arrived with a new mission: tracking down a gang of bank notes forgers. And with that, Tommy coined the word 'crackler' that points to a money forger - the word derived from the crackle of a bank note.

💸 The case is a straight forward one. Inspector Marriot gave them a hint that the bank notes seemed to circulate around the Laidlaw family. Major Laidlaw was often involved with racing and gambling, while his beautiful French wife always gathered some men on her entourage. They seemed to have plenty of money. So, after learning to spot forged bank notes from the Inspector, the couple got themselves into the Laidlaw's circle, and took action.

💸 Like I said, it's a pretty straightforward case. There's a tiny plot twist and a little bit of action, but the main interest of the story is only from the witty banters of the Beresfords. Not a memorable case, but a nice little reading nonetheless.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐

The Sign in the Sky by Agatha Christie #AgathaChristieSS24

💙 Here is another story of Mr. Satterthwaite solving a murder mystery with the help of his enigmatic friend Mr. Harley Quin. It begins when a young man was sentenced for murdering a lady with whom he had had an affair. Mr. Satterthwaite attended the trial and wasn't satisfied with the result, though he didn't know why, and would have never thought of doing anything about it if he hadn't bumped into Mr. Harley Quin.

💙 The meeting took place in a restaurant Mr. Satterthwaite frequented. Their conversation was around the murder case, and slowly but subtly Mr. Harley Quin guided Mr. Satterthwaite to act quickly before the young man was hanged.

💙 It apparently happened that all of the servants had given evidence at both the inquest and trial; all but one. And this was the one lead that Mr. Satterthwaite should follow to reveal the truth. It's rather funny how Quin encouraged Mr. Satterthwaite to take a journey to Canada, which he (Satterthwaite) refused indignantly at first, but in the end enjoyed the trip.

💙 It's the kind of mystery we are familiar with from Christie - simple, reasonable, and clever. And that is why, I think, I begin to enjoy these short stories - the satisfaction of completely following the case's detail (which are more straightforward than novels because of the shortness of the story) and finding the solution by my own. I mean plot twists are exciting, but sometimes it feels good to have guessed a mystery correctly!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐1/2

Have You Got Everything You Want? by Agatha Christie #AgathaChristieSS24

💎 A recently-married young wife is on board the Orient Express to Constantinople to join her husband, who had been there some days before. She recognizes a man whose name is familiar to her from The Times ad she often notices: 'Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne.' Well, Elsie is unhappy right now, so she consults Parker Pyne.

💎 A week before her husband left for Constantinople, Elsie found on the blotting paper few lines of her husband's writing: 'wife', 'Simplon Express', and the most curious one: 'just before Venice would be the best time'. Elsie is naturally worried, and Parker Pyne takes the matter in his hand.

💎 Near Venice, a little incident happens, and during the confusion, Elsie's jewelries were stolen. A Slavic woman is their suspect, but they find nothing on her. Where the jewelry could have been? At one point Elsie can't trust Mr. Pyne any longer as he didn't deliver what he had promised. But Parker Pyne proofs he's a good detective besides his skill of making people happy.

💎 It is a light story, and the perpetrator isn't hard to guess. Nonetheless, it's an entertaining piece of story with a bit of cuteness. I guess that's what makes every Christie's a comfort read for me. It's not just about the mystery (and they are usually simple-clever), but Christie seems to always promote love as the greatest mystery of human being. And she delivers them with a humorous cheekiness. ❤

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐