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3.5 AVERAGE
3.5 AVERAGE
Are you happy? If not contact Mr Parker Pyne. Parker Pyne is a lesser known character of Agatha Christie and these are not, for the most part, traditional puzzle mysteries. Because of a previous job in the government, Pyne can quote you statistics on human behavior. Clients come to him because they feel their lives are lacking and he cooks up a scheme to fill their void. Christie fans will recognize some scenes and situations found in her other works. A pleasant diversion for Christie fans. NB: the original stories do contain some unpleasant racial stereotypes; the audio version I listened to excised these.
I enjoyed the first half of this collection more than the last half. The stories at the beginning where Parker Pyne runs what is essentially a small gang of benevolent con men were much more interesting and fresh than the latter part of the book, which was composed of more traditional crime stories where he’s acting as a detective. They’re still good stories, because they’re Agatha Christie, but they just weren’t as intriguing with him in that role.
“Are you happy? If not consult Mr Parker Pyne.” so begins these short stories of Agatha Christie. Most of these do not involve murder or any real mystery. Many are matters of the heart or clients looking for adventure. Some are rather amusing ,a few do indeed involve solving a crime or a potential crime. These were an interesting change from her usual complex mysteries. It’s just a three star for me because I’ve read some of her brilliant whodunnit novels. This is quite light fair and admittedly, nothing memorable. A decent , easy set of short stories .
A nice departure from the mystery line but these stories become very repetitive and a bit obvious the further the reader goes - I'd recommend for new comers to Ms. Christie, and best spread over a few reading sessions.
This was such a joyful read, very reminiscent of Partners in Crime - perhaps not the best mysteries but a lot of fun nonetheless.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
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
