The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories (udgave 1998)

I made it through three of these before deciding they are Not For Me. Not nearly as interesting as charming as I usually find her mysteries, and also so many of the characters were SUPER unlikeable. The audiobook wasn't bad, but it also wasn't good enough to get me to finish it.

Some of the stories were great! But unfortunately, not everything in this collection was well written. Still enjoyable enough. ( )

The collection of nine stories include:

"The Edge":
The love of the local upright, "christian" woman's life has gone and married a beautiful, vivacious, & much younger woman. Then he stupidly insists on the two women being "friends". Upon a short trip out of town the former discover's the latter's infidelity and thus begins blackmail.

When the man decides to take his new wife and move from the country, the spurned woman urges the one she is blackmailing to meet her upon the rise of a local cliff where she once lost her dog to its mad dash over the edge of the cliff.

"The Actress":
An actress is recognized by a man from her past who has a history of seducing then blackmailing women. When he contacts her with a veiled threat, she turns the tables with her superb acting abilities...

"While the Light Lasts":
A woman, believing her 1st husband dead in the war, married for a 2nd time. Immediately after her new husband gifted her w/ an exquisite & rare yellow diamond ring, they embarked on a trip to Africa

During a visit to a tobacco plantation she discovered her 1st husband to still be alive. They then met up privately and he, being sure that he could convince her to stay with him, failed to take into consideration while he allowed her & everyone else to believe him dead, she had changed.

"The House of Dreams":
A young man begins to dream of a beautiful white house and believing that his life is about to change for the better and starts searching for the house...

Soon afterwards while he is visiting a spoiled young woman who secretly plans on marrying him, he is inadvertently introduced him to her best friend, a mysterious, alluring, tragic young woman with whom he immediately falls in love

As the tragic young woman's family history is brought to light, he dreams of the beautiful house opening its shuttered windows to reveal a hideous monster..... When the tragic young woman dies the house in his dream becomes once again peaceful and he once again begins his searching for the house.

"The Lonely God":
A rough hewed & odd statue of a Deity is the impetus for the meeting of two strangers, an odd fellow and a "nanny". As they begin a stiff friendship, and just as the Nanny begins to warm up she does a bolt, with little more than a note of apology..... Years later they meet up again, and the "Lonely God" becomes lonely again....

"Manx Gold":
Two cousins turn up on the Isle of Man in order to search for the treasure left to them & two other relatives by their Uncle. Their Uncle while leaving the cousins most all of his own possessions, believed it was a fair game to make them puzzle out where the family fortune was hidden. Thus the game becomes deadly as greed raises its ugly head.

"Within a Wall"
From the website, http://www.agathachristie.com/:
"Alan Everard, a successful modernist painter, is married to the beautiful society girl Isobel Loring who eagerly promotes her husband’s work. At one of her tea parties, to which she invites the London art critics, she unveils her husband’s latest masterpiece, a portrait of herself but Alan realizes the picture is lifeless.

However a sketch he has done of his daughter's godmother, Jane Haworth, is full of life and honesty. Alan soon discovers that the real contribution Jane has made to their life is not just her artistic judgement."

"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" (a Hercule Poirot story):
From the website,http://www.agathachristie.com/ :
"Bewitching Mrs Clayton appeals to Poirot to help exonerate her lover Major Rich, indicted for her husband’s murder. Mr Clayton’s body had been found in a chest, but who put it there?

The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest was published in US in The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories in 1939 and also in While the Light Lasts in 1997. It was expanded by Agatha Christie in 1960 and retitled The Mystery of the Spanish Chest. This longer version was adapted for television and starred David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in 1989."

"The Harlequin Tea Set" (a Harley Quin story):
From the website, http://www.agathachristie.com/:
"Years after their last meeting, Satterthwaite has an unexpected encounter with Mr Quin in the Harlequin Café. Satterthwaite is on his way to visit an old friend when Mr Quin leaves him with a single word ‘Daltonism’. Quin’s reference – to a tendency to colour blindness – may be crucial when Satherthwaite must later try and prevent a brutal murder."

I enjoyed most all of the stories as they were all absent (except one) of M. Poirot & Jane Marple. Not all were of murder, rather of psychology & intrigue.

My favorite was "The Harlequin Tea Set". I not only enjoy the characters of Mr. Satterthwaite & Mr. Quin immensely, I am fascinated by their quirky & magical relationship. ( )

Agatha writes some really cute stories that are short, quick, and fun to read. Also, I was pretty sure that Mr. Satterthwaite was tripping. ( )

Excellent. I have to get some more Agatha Christie. I hope to make some comments on these stories at a later time. ( )