Prior to “The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories” (1939), Agatha Christie seemed to think of her short stories in terms of collections under the banner
I generally prefer Agatha Christie’s novels to her short stories, and now “Dead Man’s Mirror” (1937, also published as “Murder in the Mews”) gives me
“Dumb Witness” (1937, also published as “Poirot Loses a Client”) is a straightforward Agatha Christie mystery in its construction. But it stands out as a
“Cards on the Table” (1936) starts with a weird premise and a weird hobby: A socialite, Mr. Shaitana, likes to throw parties where he invites
“Murder in Mesopotamia” (1936) is entertaining, but it doesn’t hold up to a close analysis the way Agatha Christie’s top-shelf novels do. In a way,
Hercule Poirot is better known for solving murders on trains and riverboats, but he also solves a killing on an airplane (or “aeroplane,” by the
There are two types of mystery readers: Those who view the book as a puzzle they must solve, and those who read it for the
Like “The Mysterious Mr. Quin,” “Parker Pyne Investigates” (1934) is a one-off collection of episodic short stories that launches a new and unusual investigator. The
In “The Boomerang Clue” (1934), as with the 1922 Tommy and Tuppence novel “The Secret Adversary,” Agatha Christie uses the mystery format to write a
“Peril at End House” (1932) comes relatively early in Agatha Christie’s career, but already it feels like an effortlessly crafted Poirot mystery, featuring all the