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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
Light, enjoyable, and short. Good to listen to while cleaning the house.
The Poirot stories are excellent. The Bagdad Chest story is much better with Hastings in it compared to the alternate version Christie tried later.
I usually also like Miss Marple but this one felt rather weak; more like an outline for a story rather than a proper story itself.
As for Parker Pyne… well, I’ve always felt that his stories were kind of boring. Usually the revelation feels cheap and predictable, so… nah. It’s an okay collection, but not one of Christie’s best.
I usually also like Miss Marple but this one felt rather weak; more like an outline for a story rather than a proper story itself.
As for Parker Pyne… well, I’ve always felt that his stories were kind of boring. Usually the revelation feels cheap and predictable, so… nah. It’s an okay collection, but not one of Christie’s best.
Fun listen. Has some favorites in short story. Great so that you can dip in and out when you want.
I liked this collection though some of the stories I read in different anthologies or Kindle singles. The only ones totally new to me were the Parker Pyne stories.
Per usual, since this is a collection of short stories, I gave my overall rating (5) first and then you can read below on the individual ratings for each story.
The Regatta Mystery (4.5 stars)-This story follows a young man being who fears that many believe that he stole a priceless diamond. He goes to Mr. Parker Pyne for help who apparently by story alone was able to figure out who did what and how. The main reason why this story tickled me is I was able to figure out what happened fairly easily (this never happens usually) and Mr. Pyne seems to be an English version of Poirot which I liked.
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (5 stars)-I read this one before in another collection. This story follows Poirot. He is asked to help a widow who wants to figure out how her husband was found stabbed to death in a friend's chest in his parlor. There's a lot of interesting characters in this one, but I like how Poirot solves it.
How Does Your Garden Grow (4.5 stars)-I also read this one before, it follows Poirot again. He gets sent a mysterious letter and then the writer ends up dead. Poirot decides to visit the dead woman's home to figure out what happened. What makes me laugh though is we get Poirot missing Hastings and saying that his secretary, Ms. Lemon does not have Hastings capacity for thinking up (wrong) ideas for Poirot to pick apart. I thought it had a relatively neat solution.
Problem at Pollensa Bay (5 stars)-I fell out laughing at the end and also shaking my head throughout. This one also stars Mr. Parker Pyne who is trying to just enjoy a vacation. He gets dragged into a situation between a mother and son though. I honestly thought the character of Basil was not worth all the bother. But what do I know.
Yellow Iris (3.5 stars)-I also read this one before, and it stars Poirot. This one honestly feels so convoluted that I don't think I liked it the first time through either. Or maybe the one I read was lengthier? This one feels fairly short compared to the one I read in the Poirot anthology. Now I am going to have to dig that thing out and see later.
Miss Marple Tells a Story (5 stars)-So this is why this considered a Miss Marple story. We finally get one starring her. Miss Marple tells her nephew Raymond and his wife Joan about how she ended up saving a young man who was accused of murdering his wife.
The Dream (5 stars)-I read this one before and I do like how Poirot figures out the solution to this one.
In a Glass Darkly (5 stars)-This one weirdly does not showcase Pyne, Poirot, or Miss Marple. Instead we get into what I like to call, Christie's paranormal stories. I have read other collections that she did and you can see that Christie liked paranormal/ghost stories. This one follows an unnamed man who has a premonition of a woman being strangled to death by a man with a long scar down his cheek. When he meets his hosts sister, he realizes that it is she he has seen and he thinks her finance may be the one to do it. But the story has lot of fun twists to it. The story takes place before the first world war and some time after it.
Problem at Sea (4.5 stars)-This one ends on a Poirot story. I always feel so sorry for the character of Miss Ellie Henderson at the end of this one.
Per usual, since this is a collection of short stories, I gave my overall rating (5) first and then you can read below on the individual ratings for each story.
The Regatta Mystery (4.5 stars)-This story follows a young man being who fears that many believe that he stole a priceless diamond. He goes to Mr. Parker Pyne for help who apparently by story alone was able to figure out who did what and how. The main reason why this story tickled me is I was able to figure out what happened fairly easily (this never happens usually) and Mr. Pyne seems to be an English version of Poirot which I liked.
The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest (5 stars)-I read this one before in another collection. This story follows Poirot. He is asked to help a widow who wants to figure out how her husband was found stabbed to death in a friend's chest in his parlor. There's a lot of interesting characters in this one, but I like how Poirot solves it.
How Does Your Garden Grow (4.5 stars)-I also read this one before, it follows Poirot again. He gets sent a mysterious letter and then the writer ends up dead. Poirot decides to visit the dead woman's home to figure out what happened. What makes me laugh though is we get Poirot missing Hastings and saying that his secretary, Ms. Lemon does not have Hastings capacity for thinking up (wrong) ideas for Poirot to pick apart. I thought it had a relatively neat solution.
Problem at Pollensa Bay (5 stars)-I fell out laughing at the end and also shaking my head throughout. This one also stars Mr. Parker Pyne who is trying to just enjoy a vacation. He gets dragged into a situation between a mother and son though. I honestly thought the character of Basil was not worth all the bother. But what do I know.
Yellow Iris (3.5 stars)-I also read this one before, and it stars Poirot. This one honestly feels so convoluted that I don't think I liked it the first time through either. Or maybe the one I read was lengthier? This one feels fairly short compared to the one I read in the Poirot anthology. Now I am going to have to dig that thing out and see later.
Miss Marple Tells a Story (5 stars)-So this is why this considered a Miss Marple story. We finally get one starring her. Miss Marple tells her nephew Raymond and his wife Joan about how she ended up saving a young man who was accused of murdering his wife.
The Dream (5 stars)-I read this one before and I do like how Poirot figures out the solution to this one.
In a Glass Darkly (5 stars)-This one weirdly does not showcase Pyne, Poirot, or Miss Marple. Instead we get into what I like to call, Christie's paranormal stories. I have read other collections that she did and you can see that Christie liked paranormal/ghost stories. This one follows an unnamed man who has a premonition of a woman being strangled to death by a man with a long scar down his cheek. When he meets his hosts sister, he realizes that it is she he has seen and he thinks her finance may be the one to do it. But the story has lot of fun twists to it. The story takes place before the first world war and some time after it.
Problem at Sea (4.5 stars)-This one ends on a Poirot story. I always feel so sorry for the character of Miss Ellie Henderson at the end of this one.
This collection had a feel to it of containing the leftover mysteries that didn't quite make the cut for Christie's earlier short story collections. Nowhere is this more evident than in the title story, "The Regatta Mystery", in which the advertised regatta is totally irrelevant and barely mentioned; the story could have been more aptly titled "Yet Another Jewel Theft" or something of that nature. Nor are we following the same detective throughout the collection, which features Poirot, Parker Pyne, and Marple, along with one other random dude, all mixed together.
Nevertheless, while most of the mysteries do nothing to stand out, I still enjoyed them and we really didn't have any outright bad ones. I was also surprised to find that, generally speaking, the mysteries become better as the book goes on. In particular, "The Dream" (story 7) was memorable, and "Yellow Iris" (story 5) had a memorable setup although left a bit less of a lasting impression. And "In a Glass Darkly" (story 8) stood out too, if only because this story isn't a whodunit at all, instead venturing slightly into the gothic genre. In any case, the collection will definitely be worth a read for fans.
Nevertheless, while most of the mysteries do nothing to stand out, I still enjoyed them and we really didn't have any outright bad ones. I was also surprised to find that, generally speaking, the mysteries become better as the book goes on. In particular, "The Dream" (story 7) was memorable, and "Yellow Iris" (story 5) had a memorable setup although left a bit less of a lasting impression. And "In a Glass Darkly" (story 8) stood out too, if only because this story isn't a whodunit at all, instead venturing slightly into the gothic genre. In any case, the collection will definitely be worth a read for fans.
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I enjoy seeing the beginnings of some of Dame Agatha's novels take form in short story first. Often the compact versions are better. Parker Pyne is mildly diverting.
These were good but also so incredibly short so it was just set-up and knock down and not much character, and I always like getting to know the players better.