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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
"The Regatta Mystery": 3 stars
"The Mystery of the Bagdad Chest": 3.5 stars
"How Does Your Garden Grow": 4 stars
"Problem at Pollensa Bay": 5 stars
"Yellow Iris": 2 stars
"Miss Marple Tells a Story": 3 stars
"The Dream": 5 stars
"In A Glass Darkly": 3.5 stars
"Problem at Sea": 4 stars
Average: 3.66
Collection rating: 3 stars
If half stars were a thing I would give it 3.5, but alas. I don't think enough of these stories blew mw away in typical Christie fashion to go a full 4. Still immensely enjoyable.
"The Mystery of the Bagdad Chest": 3.5 stars
"How Does Your Garden Grow": 4 stars
"Problem at Pollensa Bay": 5 stars
"Yellow Iris": 2 stars
"Miss Marple Tells a Story": 3 stars
"The Dream": 5 stars
"In A Glass Darkly": 3.5 stars
"Problem at Sea": 4 stars
Average: 3.66
Collection rating: 3 stars
If half stars were a thing I would give it 3.5, but alas. I don't think enough of these stories blew mw away in typical Christie fashion to go a full 4. Still immensely enjoyable.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I always enjoy short stories, and the variety of narrators made this fun to listen to. I think “The Regatta Mystery” is the most ingenious solution.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
A small collection of short stories featuring Hercule Poirot, Mr. Parker Pyne, and Miss Marple. Solid entertainment and Christie fans can have fun spotting methods and plots that appear in expanded form in some of the novels. ★★★
"The Regatta Mystery": A diamond thief is on the loose at the Dartmouth harbor regatta festivities. Mr. Parker Pyne is on the case.
"The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest": How did the dead body get into the chest while a dance party was going on? Hercule Poirot is asked to find out the answer...and, of course, who put it there.
"How Does Your Garden Grow?": Poirot receives a letter from a woman needing someone with discretion. She dies before being able to meet with him to explain. And he goes to investigate--he finds the nursery rhyme in the title very informative. Similar beginning to Dumb Witness and notable for the appearance of Miss Lemon.
"Problem at Pollensa Bay": Parker Pyne solves the problem of a mother's dislike for her son's fiancée. At first it looks like he's failed his commission.
"Yellow Iris": a phone call summons Poirot to a restaurant and table with yellow irises on it. He spies an acquaintance at the table and is invited to join the party. But then among the champagne and dancing, a strange announcement is made... (another story reminiscent of a novel-length work).
"Miss Marple Tells a Story": Mr. Petherick brings a man accused of murdering his wife to see Miss Marple. When the man sees the elderly sleuth, he's doubtful that she can help him, but Petherick convinces him to tell his story. Mr. Rhodes and his wife were staying at a hotel. She had gone to bed and he was working in the adjoining room. Only he and a chambermaid (who brought fresh towels) had access to the rooms and there are witnesses who can state that no one else came near the rooms. The case looks very black against Mr. Rhodes and he didn't impress the jury much at the inquest. But never fear...Miss Marple can prove his innocence if anyone can.
"The Dream": An eccentric millionaire has a disturbing dream about killing himself, tells Poirot about it, and then is found dead one week later--an apparent suicide. But Poirot thinks not.
"In a Glass Darkly": Supernatural undertones to this one--which does not feature any of Christie's detectives. A young man sees a vision of a beautiful young woman being strangled by her fiancé. He believes he has saved her from her fate...is he right?
"Problem at Sea": In one of his rare voyages aboard ship (he hates traveling by boat...), Poirot solves the murder of a wealthy woman in her locked (from the inside) stateroom.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
"The Regatta Mystery": A diamond thief is on the loose at the Dartmouth harbor regatta festivities. Mr. Parker Pyne is on the case.
"The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest": How did the dead body get into the chest while a dance party was going on? Hercule Poirot is asked to find out the answer...and, of course, who put it there.
"How Does Your Garden Grow?": Poirot receives a letter from a woman needing someone with discretion. She dies before being able to meet with him to explain. And he goes to investigate--he finds the nursery rhyme in the title very informative. Similar beginning to Dumb Witness and notable for the appearance of Miss Lemon.
"Problem at Pollensa Bay": Parker Pyne solves the problem of a mother's dislike for her son's fiancée. At first it looks like he's failed his commission.
"Yellow Iris": a phone call summons Poirot to a restaurant and table with yellow irises on it. He spies an acquaintance at the table and is invited to join the party. But then among the champagne and dancing, a strange announcement is made... (another story reminiscent of a novel-length work).
"Miss Marple Tells a Story": Mr. Petherick brings a man accused of murdering his wife to see Miss Marple. When the man sees the elderly sleuth, he's doubtful that she can help him, but Petherick convinces him to tell his story. Mr. Rhodes and his wife were staying at a hotel. She had gone to bed and he was working in the adjoining room. Only he and a chambermaid (who brought fresh towels) had access to the rooms and there are witnesses who can state that no one else came near the rooms. The case looks very black against Mr. Rhodes and he didn't impress the jury much at the inquest. But never fear...Miss Marple can prove his innocence if anyone can.
"The Dream": An eccentric millionaire has a disturbing dream about killing himself, tells Poirot about it, and then is found dead one week later--an apparent suicide. But Poirot thinks not.
"In a Glass Darkly": Supernatural undertones to this one--which does not feature any of Christie's detectives. A young man sees a vision of a beautiful young woman being strangled by her fiancé. He believes he has saved her from her fate...is he right?
"Problem at Sea": In one of his rare voyages aboard ship (he hates traveling by boat...), Poirot solves the murder of a wealthy woman in her locked (from the inside) stateroom.
First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.
Agatha Christie is best known for her mystery novels, but I actually think she best shines in her short stories. “In a Glass Darkly” is one of my favorite short stories ever… full of gothic mystery, a question of paranormal, and the nature of man.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I listened to rather than read this collection. I had never realised how much “mr Parker Pyne” appeared in those books until I heard it out loud. Couldn’t take the rest of his stories seriously. Loved the Yellow Iris one and the Diamond theft one. I think because I had read the other ones before
INSTANT GRATIFICATION READ! The instant gratification monkey was pleased with this one.
A collection of short stories featuring almost all of Christie's detectives. Miss Marple's story, told in a letter, is of helping a man accused of murdering his wife. Poirot is in this one too, working on a jewel theft, as is mysterious sleuth Parker Pyne, who interrupts his vacation to help some frustrated lovers. A good collection.
I had not read a few of the stories in this book. Classic Agatha Christie: an excellent storyteller, no matter the length.