Short Story Collections

5. Parker Pyne Investigates

Summary: Our detective’s personal ad posed a simple question, ‘Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne’. The answer was a resounding ‘I am not happy’ for a jealous wife who suspects her husband of infidelity, for a lonely widow driven to assume a new identity, for a distraught mother whose son has been kidnapped, and for a strangely reclusive bride-to-be. But what sort of detective would solicit in the personal column? The sort who has a knack for investigating affairs of the heart. For therein lie the darkest motives for murder. And they are proving most lucrative for the hopelessly romantic, and highly suspicious, Parker Pyne.

Review: I enjoyed the idea of someone who is not a detective coming across these different scenarios just because people answered his ad. Many of the stories kept my interest , while others just seemed like repeats of previous Christie story lines.

4. The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot)

Summary: The title story in this mystery collection revolves around the case of a man charged with the murder of a wealthy elderly woman. It is a gripping tale of courtroom suspense with a dazzling double climax, perfectly suited to the audio format. Other stories range from the strange tale of a French peasant girl with four personalities, to the letters “SOS” scrawled in dust on a nightstand, to the mystery of a blue Chinese jar and its connection to a murdered woman. Each suspenseful, each different, the tales are of brutal murder, brilliant criminals and detectives, and love in the face of death. Together they showcase the versatility and genius of Dame Agatha Christie.

Review: This had a good collection of short stories, with some of them being 5 stars for me. However, there were 2 or 3 that just made no sense, even with me reading the synopsis (looking at you “Fourth Man”).

3. The Thirteen Problems/The Tuesday Night Club (Miss Marple)

Summary: The Tuesday Night Club is the name for a varied group of guests who challenge each other to solve recent, and not so recent, crimes. It begins one evening when the group gathers at Miss Marple’s house and the conversation turns to unsolved crimes. Over the weeks, we learn about the case of the dripping bloodstains, the thief who committed his crime twice over, the message from the death-bed of a poisoned man who talked of a ‘heap of fish’, the strange case of the missing will, and a spiritualist who warned that ‘Blue Geraniums’ meant death.

Pit your wits against the powers of deduction of the ‘Tuesday Night Club’. But don’t forget that Miss Marple is present. Sometime later, many of the same people are present at a dinner given by Colonel and Dolly Bantry. Another set of six problems. Even later there’s a thirteenth. Can you match Miss Marple’s performance?

Review: I love Miss Marple, and this collection of short stories is a good showcase of her abilities to connect village life to other scenarios.

2. The Labors of Hercules (Hercule Poirot)

Summary: A collection of twelve short mysteries stars the indefatigable sleuth Hercule Poirot, who is on the brink of retiring but cannot resist a case that has been declared unsolvable.

Review: Short story collections are always a hit or miss for me. However, if they can have a premise that I can get behind, I will enjoy it overall. This was the case with The Labors of Hercules. Poirot wanted to find cases that could be connected to the different labors that Hercules had to face. I enjoyed this overall idea, and some of the stories made multiple repeat appearances in this book and others.

1. Partners in Crime (Tommy and Tuppence)

Summary: Tommy and Tuppence Beresford are restless for adventure, so when they are asked to take over Blunt’s International Detective Agency, they leap at the chance.

Their first case is a success—the triumphant recovery of a pink pearl. Other cases soon follow—a stabbing on Sunningdale golf course; cryptic messages in the personal columns of newspapers; and even a box of poisoned chocolates. But can they live up to their slogan of “Any case solved in 24 hours”?

Review: When I first began reading this, I didn’t realize how much I would enjoy this storyline and premise, but it worked so well! I loved how with each short story, Tommy and Tuppence attempted to mimic other famous detectives. This even culminated in them copying the style of Hercule Poirot.