Status
Available
Call number
Library's review
London, januar 1922.
Prolog:
En superskurk kaldet "Colonel" er ved at trække sig tilbage. Inden krigen (= 1. verdenskrig) og under den har han styret diverse kriminalitet og spionage. En af hans medarbejdere, Nadina, har spillet ham et puds med nogle uslebne diamanter og vil nu indkassere
Selve handlingen:
Anne Beddingfield er datter af en professor, der er berømt, men kun næsten solvent. Han dør og hun er forældreløs, men har ben i næsen og beslutter at hvis hun opsøger eventyret, så vil det nok møde hende på halvvejen!.
Hun overværer tilfældigt en ulykke, hvor en mand falder ned på de elektriske skinner i undergrunden og bliver dræbt. En "læge" i brunt tøj kommer til og undersøger liget, men forsvinder, da der kommer politi. I skyndingen taber han en seddel som Anne samler op. Hun satser alle sine penge på at forfølge sporet og havner på et skib Kilmorden Castle på vej mod Sydafrika. Kort tid efter togulykken blev en ung kvinde fundet kvalt og også dette dødsfald er forbundet til nogle af passagererne ombord. Anne klistrer sig på en Sir Eustace Pedler, der har to sekretærer med på sin rejse til Rhodesia, Guy Pagett, der ligner en giftmorder og en Harry Rayburn, der måske er prakket ham på af udenrigsministeriet, der har givet ham et brev med til general Jan Smuts, premierministeren i Sydafrika.
Anne finder ud af at Rayburn er "manden i brunt tøj", men holder mund med det for hun er blevet glødende forelsket i ham. Hun bliver bedste veninde med Suzanne Blair og de to tilsammen regner meget ud og får resten foræret af tilfældet. Fx dumper en pose diamanter ned på Suzanne midt om natten, fordi hun har byttet kahyt med en anden.
En farefuld togfærd starter med at Anne med nød og næppe når toget på trods af at nogen først har forsøgt at kvæle hende på skibet og siden spærre hende inde. Hun lokkes væk fra toget og falder ud over en skrænt. Rayburn - som vi i mellemtiden har fundet ud af sikkert hedder Harry Lucas og sammen med en kammerat gik i en fælde stillet af obersten og kun lige undgik en fængselsdom for diamanttyveri - dukker op og redder hende.
Mere en thriller end en krimi. og ikke nogen god bog, men det er så også kun den fjerde publicerede Agatha Christie roman, så det er ok at den er ret ufriseret, har en utroværdig dialog og at plottet har nogle huller.
Anne afslører at Sir Eustace Pedler er "obersten" og han bliver fængslet, men undslipper og sender Anne et brev, hvor hun ønskes held og lykke. Pagett afslører at han har kone og børn, hvilket han har holdt hemmeligt for sin arbejdsgiver, Pedler. På et tidspunkt, hvor Pagett burde have været i Florence, var han i stedet ved konen og han og Pedler så tilfældigvis hinanden. Pagett syntes det var pinligt og holdt mund med det. Pedler var mere bekymret, for det ville ødelægge hans alibi for mordet på Nadina, hvis det kom frem. Rayburn alias Harry Lucas har også en hemmelighed. Han er Laurence Earlsfield og overtog Harry Lucas's identitet, da denne blev dræbt i første verdenskrig. Anne tør dog godt gifte sig med ham selv om han er adelig og rig. Oberst Race har arvet i Laurence's sted, da alle troede at Laurence var død, men både Race og Laurence er godt tilfredse med den ordning for indeværende, så Laurence og Anne venter med at flytte til London.
Ikke nogen god bog
Prolog:
En superskurk kaldet "Colonel" er ved at trække sig tilbage. Inden krigen (= 1. verdenskrig) og under den har han styret diverse kriminalitet og spionage. En af hans medarbejdere, Nadina, har spillet ham et puds med nogle uslebne diamanter og vil nu indkassere
Show More
gevinsten.Selve handlingen:
Anne Beddingfield er datter af en professor, der er berømt, men kun næsten solvent. Han dør og hun er forældreløs, men har ben i næsen og beslutter at hvis hun opsøger eventyret, så vil det nok møde hende på halvvejen!.
Hun overværer tilfældigt en ulykke, hvor en mand falder ned på de elektriske skinner i undergrunden og bliver dræbt. En "læge" i brunt tøj kommer til og undersøger liget, men forsvinder, da der kommer politi. I skyndingen taber han en seddel som Anne samler op. Hun satser alle sine penge på at forfølge sporet og havner på et skib Kilmorden Castle på vej mod Sydafrika. Kort tid efter togulykken blev en ung kvinde fundet kvalt og også dette dødsfald er forbundet til nogle af passagererne ombord. Anne klistrer sig på en Sir Eustace Pedler, der har to sekretærer med på sin rejse til Rhodesia, Guy Pagett, der ligner en giftmorder og en Harry Rayburn, der måske er prakket ham på af udenrigsministeriet, der har givet ham et brev med til general Jan Smuts, premierministeren i Sydafrika.
Anne finder ud af at Rayburn er "manden i brunt tøj", men holder mund med det for hun er blevet glødende forelsket i ham. Hun bliver bedste veninde med Suzanne Blair og de to tilsammen regner meget ud og får resten foræret af tilfældet. Fx dumper en pose diamanter ned på Suzanne midt om natten, fordi hun har byttet kahyt med en anden.
En farefuld togfærd starter med at Anne med nød og næppe når toget på trods af at nogen først har forsøgt at kvæle hende på skibet og siden spærre hende inde. Hun lokkes væk fra toget og falder ud over en skrænt. Rayburn - som vi i mellemtiden har fundet ud af sikkert hedder Harry Lucas og sammen med en kammerat gik i en fælde stillet af obersten og kun lige undgik en fængselsdom for diamanttyveri - dukker op og redder hende.
Mere en thriller end en krimi. og ikke nogen god bog, men det er så også kun den fjerde publicerede Agatha Christie roman, så det er ok at den er ret ufriseret, har en utroværdig dialog og at plottet har nogle huller.
Anne afslører at Sir Eustace Pedler er "obersten" og han bliver fængslet, men undslipper og sender Anne et brev, hvor hun ønskes held og lykke. Pagett afslører at han har kone og børn, hvilket han har holdt hemmeligt for sin arbejdsgiver, Pedler. På et tidspunkt, hvor Pagett burde have været i Florence, var han i stedet ved konen og han og Pedler så tilfældigvis hinanden. Pagett syntes det var pinligt og holdt mund med det. Pedler var mere bekymret, for det ville ødelægge hans alibi for mordet på Nadina, hvis det kom frem. Rayburn alias Harry Lucas har også en hemmelighed. Han er Laurence Earlsfield og overtog Harry Lucas's identitet, da denne blev dræbt i første verdenskrig. Anne tør dog godt gifte sig med ham selv om han er adelig og rig. Oberst Race har arvet i Laurence's sted, da alle troede at Laurence var død, men både Race og Laurence er godt tilfredse med den ordning for indeværende, så Laurence og Anne venter med at flytte til London.
Ikke nogen god bog
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Genres
Publication
1953. Pan.
Description
Anne Beddingfeld is on her own and ready for adventures when one comes her way. She sees a man die in a tube station and picks up a piece of paper dropped nearby. The message on the paper leads her to South Africa as she fits more pieces of the puzzle together about the death she witnessed. There is a murder in England the next day, and the murderer attempts to kill her on the ship en route to Cape Town.
User reviews
LibraryThing member MrsLee
This was interesting, as it was one of her very early efforts. Though the dialogue was outlandish at times, the heroine unnatural and the romance and adventure laid on a bit thick, there were some solid characters and the mystery was intriguing and well thought out. An enjoyable read, but not
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necessary to repeat. Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
This Agatha Christie's 4th novel, and as she did in the first 3, you can see her experimenting with a different style of murder mystery.
In the Prologue, in the dressing room of a Russian dancer in Paris, through a meeting she has with another Russian, we learn 3 things. Firstly neither of them are
THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT is narrated by two characters. The first, whom we meet in Chapter 1, is Anne Beddingfield. It is she who witnesses the death of a strange-smelling man when he falls off an Underground platform and is electrocuted on the rails. She also sees a man dressed in a brown suit who pretends to be doctor, inspects the body and pronounces the man dead, and then rushes away, dropping a scrap of paper with a cryptic message on it as he does so.
The second narrator is Sir Eustace Pedler MP who keeps a diary. We begin reading extracts from his diary in chapter 8. Inevitably the paths of the two narrators converge. A young woman dies in a house that Sir Eustace owns called Mill House, and he is forced to return from abroad. He is then asked by the British government to travel to South Africa, where he has business interests, to deliver a message in person to the government of Rhodesia.
After that the setting, with all the characters we've met so far, and a few more besides, moves to a ship going to South Africa, and then the action moves to South Africa itself.
I have my reservations about THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT.
I think Agatha Christie tried to move from a murder mystery to a thriller with connections to the world of organised crime, unionism, espionage and romance. The result is a longer book with a lot of time lapses in it, caused mainly by the distances between locations, and the nature of what happens to the first narrator Anne Beddingfield. Some of the scenarios don't quite work and the result is confusion rather than a genuine puzzle for the reader to solv.
Christie tried also to show her awareness of political events in South Africa, and we get occasional mentions of General Smuts thrown into the mix.
And finally, it is a plot where definitions of good and bad are blurred, and in the long run evil goes unpunished.
The book sees the first appearance of Colonel Race; he later appears in Cards on the Table, Sparkling Cyanide, and Death on the Nile.
The Wikipedia entry gives a lot of plot details, reactions of reviewers at the time, including a comment about the fact that she had not used Hercule Poirot, but had in fact introduced another "detective" in the form of Colonel Race.
In the Prologue, in the dressing room of a Russian dancer in Paris, through a meeting she has with another Russian, we learn 3 things. Firstly neither of them are
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Russian. Secondly they have both been working for an arch criminal who is on the point of retirement. The "Colonel" has, even during the First World War, organised a series of "stupendous" coups including jewel robberies, forgery, espionage, assassination, and sabotage. Thirdly we learn the story of the theft of some South American diamonds before the war. The dancer knows where these diamonds are and intends to exchange them for some of the "Colonel's" accumulated wealth.THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT is narrated by two characters. The first, whom we meet in Chapter 1, is Anne Beddingfield. It is she who witnesses the death of a strange-smelling man when he falls off an Underground platform and is electrocuted on the rails. She also sees a man dressed in a brown suit who pretends to be doctor, inspects the body and pronounces the man dead, and then rushes away, dropping a scrap of paper with a cryptic message on it as he does so.
The second narrator is Sir Eustace Pedler MP who keeps a diary. We begin reading extracts from his diary in chapter 8. Inevitably the paths of the two narrators converge. A young woman dies in a house that Sir Eustace owns called Mill House, and he is forced to return from abroad. He is then asked by the British government to travel to South Africa, where he has business interests, to deliver a message in person to the government of Rhodesia.
After that the setting, with all the characters we've met so far, and a few more besides, moves to a ship going to South Africa, and then the action moves to South Africa itself.
I have my reservations about THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT.
I think Agatha Christie tried to move from a murder mystery to a thriller with connections to the world of organised crime, unionism, espionage and romance. The result is a longer book with a lot of time lapses in it, caused mainly by the distances between locations, and the nature of what happens to the first narrator Anne Beddingfield. Some of the scenarios don't quite work and the result is confusion rather than a genuine puzzle for the reader to solv.
Christie tried also to show her awareness of political events in South Africa, and we get occasional mentions of General Smuts thrown into the mix.
And finally, it is a plot where definitions of good and bad are blurred, and in the long run evil goes unpunished.
The book sees the first appearance of Colonel Race; he later appears in Cards on the Table, Sparkling Cyanide, and Death on the Nile.
The Wikipedia entry gives a lot of plot details, reactions of reviewers at the time, including a comment about the fact that she had not used Hercule Poirot, but had in fact introduced another "detective" in the form of Colonel Race.
Show Less
LibraryThing member MusicMom41
This is unlike any Agatha Christie I have ever read. It is a variation of the “damsel in distress” stories that I used to devour in my younger years—early [[Mary Stewart]] and Victoria Holt come to mind. It features a young and plucky heroine with intelligence who doesn’t always stop to
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think before rushing in where even fools would fear to tread. It is written in an interesting style with two POVs. I was pretty sure who the “villain” was fairly early on and certain of my conclusion well before the end, but there were enough other questions to be answered to keep me interested and two real surprises. It was a perfect “light” read when I was feeling puny. Recommended for fans of the genre. Show Less
LibraryThing member davidabrams
I’ll get it off my chest right away: The Man in the Brown Suit is a mess.
It pains me (like a jewel-hilted dagger in the back) to say this but Agatha Christie’s 1924 novel is below sub-par. The story seems cobbled together from pulp espionage novels, True Romance confessionals, and episodes of
The plot is such a jumbled mess that I’m finding it hard to come up with a proper summary.
It all starts when Anne Beddingfeld—a poor, friendless but ever-chipper girl whose “life had such a dreadful sameness”—witnesses a man fall to his death at a London train station. From there—with the flimsiest of coincidences involving an overcoat that smells of mothballs, a dropped note and a fake doctor—Anne is off on a series of adventures which take her from London to Africa in the turn of a page.
As the estimable Bedside Bathtub and Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie puts it, this is “a tale of international intrigue, diamond thefts, murder, shipboard shenanigans, bomb-throwing revolutionaries, island idylls, and at least three marriage proposals.”
Throw in a kitchen sink and you’ve pretty much got all of The Man in the Brown Suit.
All is not completely lost with this novel; there are still flashes of Agatha’s trademark wit and economical way with words—especially in her descriptions of characters. The shifty Guy Pagett, secretary to Sir Eustace Pedler is described thusly: “The only amusing thing about the fellow is his face. He has the face of a fourteenth-century poisoner—the sort of man the Borgias got to do their odd jobs for them.”
But then it settles back into dull briskness (or brisk dullness I can’t quite be sure).
I’ll chalk this one off as an early mistake of Agatha’s. This was only her fourth published book and she was testing the limits of her creativity—trying to find that balance between devising a formula for brain-snapping puzzle plots and a speedy, efficient style which would allow her to churn out books quickly enough to pay the bills.
The Man in the Brown Suit (which was also called, variously, The Mystery of the Mill House and Anna the Adventuress) missed the mark by a mile. Die-hard fans will always find something to love about every Christie novel, but for this reader, I’d rather reach for a Poirot or Marple. Heck, I’d even settle for Tommy and Tuppence on a bad day.
One small note of interest: in the center of my paperback copy of The Man in the Brown Suit (a 1962 Dell which once sold for 40 cents), there is a neat hole running through the entire volume. It seems a previous reader fired a BB gun at the book. I can certainly understand why. The Man in the Brown Suit is just another Christie victim itself.
It pains me (like a jewel-hilted dagger in the back) to say this but Agatha Christie’s 1924 novel is below sub-par. The story seems cobbled together from pulp espionage novels, True Romance confessionals, and episodes of
Show More
The Perils of Pauline. You can almost see the threads stitching together this patchwork quilt.The plot is such a jumbled mess that I’m finding it hard to come up with a proper summary.
It all starts when Anne Beddingfeld—a poor, friendless but ever-chipper girl whose “life had such a dreadful sameness”—witnesses a man fall to his death at a London train station. From there—with the flimsiest of coincidences involving an overcoat that smells of mothballs, a dropped note and a fake doctor—Anne is off on a series of adventures which take her from London to Africa in the turn of a page.
As the estimable Bedside Bathtub and Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie puts it, this is “a tale of international intrigue, diamond thefts, murder, shipboard shenanigans, bomb-throwing revolutionaries, island idylls, and at least three marriage proposals.”
Throw in a kitchen sink and you’ve pretty much got all of The Man in the Brown Suit.
All is not completely lost with this novel; there are still flashes of Agatha’s trademark wit and economical way with words—especially in her descriptions of characters. The shifty Guy Pagett, secretary to Sir Eustace Pedler is described thusly: “The only amusing thing about the fellow is his face. He has the face of a fourteenth-century poisoner—the sort of man the Borgias got to do their odd jobs for them.”
But then it settles back into dull briskness (or brisk dullness I can’t quite be sure).
I’ll chalk this one off as an early mistake of Agatha’s. This was only her fourth published book and she was testing the limits of her creativity—trying to find that balance between devising a formula for brain-snapping puzzle plots and a speedy, efficient style which would allow her to churn out books quickly enough to pay the bills.
The Man in the Brown Suit (which was also called, variously, The Mystery of the Mill House and Anna the Adventuress) missed the mark by a mile. Die-hard fans will always find something to love about every Christie novel, but for this reader, I’d rather reach for a Poirot or Marple. Heck, I’d even settle for Tommy and Tuppence on a bad day.
One small note of interest: in the center of my paperback copy of The Man in the Brown Suit (a 1962 Dell which once sold for 40 cents), there is a neat hole running through the entire volume. It seems a previous reader fired a BB gun at the book. I can certainly understand why. The Man in the Brown Suit is just another Christie victim itself.
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LibraryThing member mstrust
Soon after the death of her anthropologist father, young Anne Beddingfeld witnesses the accidental death of a stranger in the tube station. She also realizes that the doctor who pushes his way into the crowd to examine the dead man doesn't seem to know anything about basic anatomy, which makes Anne
This is one of Christie's most fun and most active. Anne's thirst for adventure has her fighting, falling down cliffs, being chased through the city and receiving proposals. If you want to sample a Christie that is not her typical English locked room mystery, this is a good one.
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follow the fraud and starts her adventure. Determined to prove that she had witnessed a crime of some kind, Anne boards a ship for South Africa, which is on the brink of revolution. Aboard, she becomes friends with a famous socialite, meets Member of Parliament Sir Eustace Pedlar and his three secretaries, Secret Service man Colonel Race, and falls in love with a wanted criminal.This is one of Christie's most fun and most active. Anne's thirst for adventure has her fighting, falling down cliffs, being chased through the city and receiving proposals. If you want to sample a Christie that is not her typical English locked room mystery, this is a good one.
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LibraryThing member riverwillow
This book was directly inspried by an Empire Tour taken by Agatha and Arthur Christie, and colonial South Africa and Rhodesia take centre stage in the novel. Its also surpising that this was first published in 1924 as its heroine, Anne Beddingfield, is depicted as a modern, liberated, adventerous
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woman, who falls in love with a man who is best described as a combination of Heathcliff, Rochester and Darcy. This is an adventure story rather than a detective story and really is a ripping yarn. Show Less
LibraryThing member antiquary
I bought this because for many years I had owned my mother's French translation (see next entry) and been too lazy to read it. (I read French slowly at best.) It is one of Christie's non-series (orr at least, outside her major series) novels which. like several others (They Came to Baghdad,
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Destination Unknown, et.) involves an ordinary young women of adventurous temperament who becomes involved in a mystery, in this case of death of a rather unpleasant ballerina. Show Less
LibraryThing member Hostie13
Anne Beddingfield cares for her famous anthropologist father whose only interest is Paeleolithic Man.
When her father dies she is suddenly left without a single living relative, only as 87 pounds her inheritance and absolutely no idea what to do with herself.
She is forced to accept the offer of her
But she gets bored with her life and inspired by her favourite heroine from “The Perils of Pamela” she dreams of adventure.
When she witnesses a man falling from a train station platform and is the only one to notice a clue on a piece of paper she sees this as an opportunity for adventure and mystery.
The police believe his death is accidental. Anne sees beyond the accident after she suspects the “doctor” on the scene not to be who he appears to be. Then there is the curious clue, a cryptic message that only Anne noticed. She needs to find the Man in the Brown Suit and solve the murder.
Her enquiries lead her to buys a ticket on a ship sailing for to South Africa. It costs exactly 87 pounds and Anne sees it as an omen that it had to be.
She decides to try and solve the mystery herself and her adventures begin. On board she meets the main characters.
· Member of Parliament, Sir Eustace Pedlar; rich and eccentric with a delightfully wicked sense of humour
· Guy Pagett, Sir Eustace Pedler's hard working and patient secretary
· Charming socialite Suzanne Blair who becomes Anne’s close friend and ally.
· The mysterious Colonel Race with a potential romantic connection. But who with - Anne or Suzanne?
Many reviews say how much they liked the character of Colonel Race but I felt that it lacked strength. However, his appearance in later books give greater insight into his character
· Harry Rayburn, dark and mysterious and who is he really?
· The creepy Rev Edward Chichester but is also what he seems. Is he even a man?
But who is the Man in the Brown Suit and are any of them what they seem?
During Anne’s her adventure passengers fight over wanting her cabin, she gets kidnapped, nearly murdered (twice) and finds love. Finally she discovers who the Man in the Brown suit really is and and reveals who the mysterious 'Colonel' is.
The story is a mixture of crime, mystery, adventure, espionage and romance with just a touch of insight into the history of South Africa.
I felt though that Anne’s romance didn’t have a build-up. Her announcement to the reader of who the man is that she loves, and of course he is ruggedly handsome, seems a bit sudden. When the relationship finally comes to something it has an exciting nature.
Part of the delight of the book is Anne’s confidence to deal with whatever comes along but when unexpected situations become truly dangerous she reflects that “this didn’t happen to Pamela” or “What would Pamela do in this situation?”
Anne is a charming heroine full of adventure and spirit. She’s an intelligent and witty young lady but at times very naïve about the dangers of her adventure.
Interspersed with Anne’s own narration of her story is that of Sir Eustace Pedler as he records his day and reflections in his diary. These writings have an amusing side particularly at the expense of his secretary who he enjoys making fun of.
While it may not be her best work it is still a great read and put simply, lots of fun and pure escapism. I think Christie has written this story a little tongue in cheek which makes for rollicking fun.
The plot is different, characters typically “Christie” vintage with the sprinkling of humour throughout.
Many reviews of this book criticise attitudes towards race and women expressed in the book. If you are offended by books that were written at a time when these attitudes were the norm then all I can say is don’t read them.
As readers, we need to be aware that may happen and, unfortunately, accept that this was the attitude of the day. If you can’t do that don’t read books from this vintage. Christie wrote this book in 1924
When her father dies she is suddenly left without a single living relative, only as 87 pounds her inheritance and absolutely no idea what to do with herself.
She is forced to accept the offer of her
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father’s friend and lawyer to live with him and his wife.But she gets bored with her life and inspired by her favourite heroine from “The Perils of Pamela” she dreams of adventure.
When she witnesses a man falling from a train station platform and is the only one to notice a clue on a piece of paper she sees this as an opportunity for adventure and mystery.
The police believe his death is accidental. Anne sees beyond the accident after she suspects the “doctor” on the scene not to be who he appears to be. Then there is the curious clue, a cryptic message that only Anne noticed. She needs to find the Man in the Brown Suit and solve the murder.
Her enquiries lead her to buys a ticket on a ship sailing for to South Africa. It costs exactly 87 pounds and Anne sees it as an omen that it had to be.
She decides to try and solve the mystery herself and her adventures begin. On board she meets the main characters.
· Member of Parliament, Sir Eustace Pedlar; rich and eccentric with a delightfully wicked sense of humour
· Guy Pagett, Sir Eustace Pedler's hard working and patient secretary
· Charming socialite Suzanne Blair who becomes Anne’s close friend and ally.
· The mysterious Colonel Race with a potential romantic connection. But who with - Anne or Suzanne?
Many reviews say how much they liked the character of Colonel Race but I felt that it lacked strength. However, his appearance in later books give greater insight into his character
· Harry Rayburn, dark and mysterious and who is he really?
· The creepy Rev Edward Chichester but is also what he seems. Is he even a man?
But who is the Man in the Brown Suit and are any of them what they seem?
During Anne’s her adventure passengers fight over wanting her cabin, she gets kidnapped, nearly murdered (twice) and finds love. Finally she discovers who the Man in the Brown suit really is and and reveals who the mysterious 'Colonel' is.
The story is a mixture of crime, mystery, adventure, espionage and romance with just a touch of insight into the history of South Africa.
I felt though that Anne’s romance didn’t have a build-up. Her announcement to the reader of who the man is that she loves, and of course he is ruggedly handsome, seems a bit sudden. When the relationship finally comes to something it has an exciting nature.
Part of the delight of the book is Anne’s confidence to deal with whatever comes along but when unexpected situations become truly dangerous she reflects that “this didn’t happen to Pamela” or “What would Pamela do in this situation?”
Anne is a charming heroine full of adventure and spirit. She’s an intelligent and witty young lady but at times very naïve about the dangers of her adventure.
Interspersed with Anne’s own narration of her story is that of Sir Eustace Pedler as he records his day and reflections in his diary. These writings have an amusing side particularly at the expense of his secretary who he enjoys making fun of.
While it may not be her best work it is still a great read and put simply, lots of fun and pure escapism. I think Christie has written this story a little tongue in cheek which makes for rollicking fun.
The plot is different, characters typically “Christie” vintage with the sprinkling of humour throughout.
Many reviews of this book criticise attitudes towards race and women expressed in the book. If you are offended by books that were written at a time when these attitudes were the norm then all I can say is don’t read them.
As readers, we need to be aware that may happen and, unfortunately, accept that this was the attitude of the day. If you can’t do that don’t read books from this vintage. Christie wrote this book in 1924
Show Less
LibraryThing member SueinCyprus
More a thriller than a usual Agatha Christie whodunit. Rather a large cast, making the plot a bit complex - but cleverly written, as ever, with satisfactory ending.
LibraryThing member Olivermagnus
The Man in the Brown Suit begins with Anne Beddingfeld, the daughter of a professor who longs for adventure. She spends her day trying to avoid creditors and longing to meet a nice young man. When her father dies, she takes an opportunity to go to London, where she witnesses the death of a man.
The story starts off at a slow pace, but it builds momentum with multiple deaths, stolen jewels, an old injustice, and kidnappings. Published in 1924 it was actually written in serialized form as “Anne the Adventuress”. I'm not a huge Christie fan but I did enjoy the quirky characters, lively dialogue and entertaining adventure story.
Overall, The Man in the Brown Suit is not the greatest mystery book, nor the greatest Agatha Christie book. It is, however, a very enjoyable addition to her highly acclaimed body of work and any Christie fan is bound to enjoy it.
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Finding a piece of paper dropped at the scene, she believes the death to be linked to that of the murder of a young woman at the house of Sir Eustace Pedlar. With only eighty five pounds to her name, her deductions ignored by the police, she boards a ship bound for South Africa. On board she meets not only Sir Eustace Pedlar but his secretary Guy Pagett, society beauty Suzanne Blair, the enigmatic Colonel Race and the attractive Harry Rayburn. If she can find out who the man in the brown suit is, seen leaving Sir Pedlar's house shortly after the murder, she hopes for a job as a journalist.The story starts off at a slow pace, but it builds momentum with multiple deaths, stolen jewels, an old injustice, and kidnappings. Published in 1924 it was actually written in serialized form as “Anne the Adventuress”. I'm not a huge Christie fan but I did enjoy the quirky characters, lively dialogue and entertaining adventure story.
Overall, The Man in the Brown Suit is not the greatest mystery book, nor the greatest Agatha Christie book. It is, however, a very enjoyable addition to her highly acclaimed body of work and any Christie fan is bound to enjoy it.
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LibraryThing member nmhale
Along with her popular private detective series, and her stand-alone mysteries, Christie also wrote a number of books that are a blend of mystery and espionage story. The Man in the Brown Suit is an example of this type of Christie story. Ann Beddingfeld becomes entangled in danger and secrets, an
Ann knows that these two events are connected, and something bigger is underfoot.
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adventure which she eagerly pursues. She witnesses a man fall on the live track at the train station, which instantly kills him. A doctor happens to be on hand to examine him. He drops a note as he is leaving the scene, and she snatches it. She can't decipher the note's strange message - 17.1 22 Kilmorden Castle - but she does notice that it smells like moth balls, just like the dead man did. The next day, Ann reads an article in the paper which reveals that a woman was just found dead at a house which was the same one as that on an ad in the dead man's pocket. The newspapers report that the only suspect is a young man in a brown suit.Ann knows that these two events are connected, and something bigger is underfoot.
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LibraryThing member breakerfallen
A good book by Christie that doesn't fit what became her traditional formula. It alternates well between a first person account by Anne and the journal/diary of Sir Edgar. There is even a little love-interest typically absent in novels Christie wrote under her own name.
LibraryThing member antiquary
French translation of The Man in the Brown Suit. See review there. This previously belonged to y parents, probably my mother who ha taught French and read it fluently. I read it less fluently.
LibraryThing member crashmyparty
Always enjoy an Agatha Christie mystery! Thought Anne Beddingfield was a fantastic heroine, can't wait to read the Miss Marple books and the other books narrated by a female.
LibraryThing member jimgysin
In another early Christie outing, we get yet another effort that is as much a thriller as it is a detective story or mystery. It's the only canon appearance of Anne Beddingfield, a young English woman who, after her father's death, gives in to her desire to seek adventure. In her case, it starts
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with a death in a London tube station and leads her to South Africa and a diamond caper. It's also the earliest appearance of Colonel Race, whose interest in Beddingfield is not reciprocated. He gets over it, though, and goes on to become pals with a guy named Hercule Poirot. Show Less
LibraryThing member Condorena
This is the first non series that Christie wrote. Published in 1924 it takes place in 1920. A feisty young girl raised in a sheltered way catering to her scholarly father has the whole world before her after her father dies but she has made no plans until she is present at the death of a man who
Our heroine Anne Beddingfeld grabs the piece of paper and starts on an adventure of a lifetime.
Anne is an unusual girl for the era in someways because she is educated, fearless and intrepid. On the other hand she longs for romance and all the things others girls of the time want. A man, family and a home.
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falls on the third rail in the subway. A man in a brown suit claiming to be a doctor tries to resuscitate the man but rushes off dropping a mysterious piece of paper.Our heroine Anne Beddingfeld grabs the piece of paper and starts on an adventure of a lifetime.
Anne is an unusual girl for the era in someways because she is educated, fearless and intrepid. On the other hand she longs for romance and all the things others girls of the time want. A man, family and a home.
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LibraryThing member mmyoung
This is Christie’s fourth published book and one can see a rabid maturation of her writing technique. After returning, in her third book, to a story built around a detective, she goes back in this book to the “romp” style of her second book. This time, however, the romp is executed with much
It is also interesting to see a book in which the woman is clearly an “action" protagonist not someone wracked by sensibility. Yes, Anne’s life is saved more than once by the mysterious man to whom she is attracted, but Anne also plays an important role in saving his life. And though he may be stronger and land a meaner punch one ends the book with the suspicion that she is the smarter of the two--and that she knows it. It is also enjoyable to find a book which shows two smart women enjoying a real friendship not based on their common relationship to a man.
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more panache than in the first case. The Man in the Brown Suit has a plot as contrived and coincidence strewn as The Secret Adversary but is more dependent on the cliches and tropes of literature than those of films imported from the United States. At the same time the book is paced more like a movie than was TSA with changes of venue and actions sequences to distract the reader from paying too much attention to the actual plot. Christie also manages to make the “real” villain amusing and likeable which means that even the many readers who twig to what is going on fairly early in the game will still find the story a fun ride.It is also interesting to see a book in which the woman is clearly an “action" protagonist not someone wracked by sensibility. Yes, Anne’s life is saved more than once by the mysterious man to whom she is attracted, but Anne also plays an important role in saving his life. And though he may be stronger and land a meaner punch one ends the book with the suspicion that she is the smarter of the two--and that she knows it. It is also enjoyable to find a book which shows two smart women enjoying a real friendship not based on their common relationship to a man.
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LibraryThing member MrsPlum
This isn't a great book in literary terms, and Agatha Christie certainly wrote better, more mature works. Nonetheless, this is one of my favourites. I like to think of it as the 'mashed potato of novels; it makes me feel good, especially when I'm a little under the weather.
LibraryThing member BookAngel_a
What can you say in a review about Agatha Christie?? Of course I liked it. I like nearly everything she wrote. However, I did find this book to be different from some of her other books. Usually Christie springs the romance on you at the end of the book - suddenly these two people discover their
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love and decide to get married. However, in this book the romance goes through almost the entire plot. And of course there is always a dramatic twist at the end of a Christie story. In this book, though, the plot twists didn't surprise me so much. I kinda saw them coming. ;) I wasn't so sure if I liked the romance at the end or not. A part of me was hoping she would end up with a different man. But I enjoyed reading this, as I do all her writings. Show Less
LibraryThing member jguidry
Another classic mystery from Dame Agatha. I loved her wit and humor placed in this one. My favorite character and point of view in the story was Sir Eustace Pedlar. He played the stereotypical bumbling English gentleman, but you could always tell there was some intelligence there behind it. I
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listened to the audio performance, and I must admit I think the narrator helped the story along. She seemed to know each character and knew how to portray them emotionally even if she couldn't quite get them voice-wise. Show Less
LibraryThing member funstm
So here goes. Anne Beddingfeld starts to narrate her adventures.
Christie, Agatha. The Man in the Brown Suit (p. 1). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
For all this is listed as the first Colonel Race book - he only appears as a secondary character. The story is only marginally about him and only
Honestly this book was incredible. I adored Anne. Anne is smart and practical and brave and kindhearted and so many other things that it's impossible to list them all. From the very start she managed to make a name for herself up there among my favourite heroines. I loved her passion and sense of adventure and her snarky monologue when she gets it. Her friendship with Susan Blair was fantastic and I loved that Susan supported her through it all - even when she was terrified.
I didn't really understand the month she was missing - it was weird. Like I'd get it if she needed time to heal her ankle or something but her not being awake for a month seemed odd. I did feel like they got to know each other better at that point though. You know, talking to one another and sharing their life stories instead of knowing each other for like two seconds and exchanging very few words. So I guess it made some sort of sense. It definitely moved the narrative along. I wasn't really expecting a romance when I read this but it was great. When Anne first discusses it with Susan I was kind of like um what now? It was totally out of nowhere but the more she talked, the more I understood and I'd definitely come around by the end of the book. Mainly because it did actually develop and Harry and Anne were hilarious. They were so heated, definitely enemies to lovers vibes happening. And really who could blame Anne for falling for the bad boy.
I really enjoyed the alternate narratives with Anne and Sir Eustace Pedler. Having the two contrasting views was interesting and gave a wider view of the events as they happened. It didn't help me at all work it out but it was interesting. In terms of the ending I didn't see any of it coming. There were so many surprises that I was just in awe. It was fantastic and it was epic and I loved it. And even parts I did guess weren't what I thought they were. I thought I was so smart working out the man in the brown suit was Harry - which I figured out when they got to the boat. Except Harry isn't Harry Lucas - but the other young man - Sir John Harold Eardsley!!! The only other thing more epically surprising was the villain. OMFG!!! Sir Eustace!!! Holy fk. I was so lead down the garden path and around and around and around. The last book I was so blindsided by was The Murder of Roger Ackroyd - so I guess I really shouldn't be surprised at how easily Agatha Christie tricks me.
A highly enjoyable and tricky mystery with lots of twists, interesting characters and a riveting plot. Definitely a new favourite. 5 stars.
Christie, Agatha. The Man in the Brown Suit (p. 1). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
For all this is listed as the first Colonel Race book - he only appears as a secondary character. The story is only marginally about him and only
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marginally includes him. It's mainly the story of Anne Beddingfeld and her adventures to uncover the man in the brown suit. And Anne is everything you could possibly want in a heroine. Honestly this book was incredible. I adored Anne. Anne is smart and practical and brave and kindhearted and so many other things that it's impossible to list them all. From the very start she managed to make a name for herself up there among my favourite heroines. I loved her passion and sense of adventure and her snarky monologue when she gets it. Her friendship with Susan Blair was fantastic and I loved that Susan supported her through it all - even when she was terrified.
I didn't really understand
I really enjoyed the alternate narratives with Anne and Sir Eustace Pedler. Having the two contrasting views was interesting and gave a wider view of the events as they happened. It didn't help me at all work it out but it was interesting. In terms of the ending I didn't see any of it coming. There were so many surprises that I was just in awe. It was fantastic and it was epic and I loved it.
A highly enjoyable and tricky mystery with lots of twists, interesting characters and a riveting plot. Definitely a new favourite. 5 stars.
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LibraryThing member Cassandra2020
Typical Agatha Christie. Set in the 1920s it's full of 'plucky girls' and 'rugged, handsome men'. All very dated now, but typical of the period.
This is neither a Poirot, Marple nor Tommy & Tuppence novel, but a standalone story and zips along at the usual sort of pace. Some of the clues are
It was a quick easy read, which is what I was looking for, but I suspect I'm getting a little jaded with all the Agatha Christies and will need to give them a rest for a while.
This is neither a Poirot, Marple nor Tommy & Tuppence novel, but a standalone story and zips along at the usual sort of pace. Some of the clues are
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obvious, some less so and there's a dusting of romance in there that you don't usually get with her novels. It was a quick easy read, which is what I was looking for, but I suspect I'm getting a little jaded with all the Agatha Christies and will need to give them a rest for a while.
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LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
A young woman semi-witnesses a man back-up, stumble, & fall under a train.... She tells the police, that the man had a surprised look on his face as if he'd seen someone/something that frightened him.
She also watches a man in a brown suit acting as a doctor examine him and pronounce him dead.... He
She is led to a house on the market, owned by a "colonel",there upon a strangled woman, and the young man who has found the dead woman....
The young woman goes to the local paper w/ her information & convinces the editor to give her a chance at investigative journalism, which leads her further into danger (ridiculous situations) and eventually a fine romance and a prime job.
She also watches a man in a brown suit acting as a doctor examine him and pronounce him dead.... He
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"doctor" hurriedly walks away, but not before dropping a piece of paper out of his pocket..... A clue which she decides to follow up on.She is led to a house on the market, owned by a "colonel",there upon a strangled woman, and the young man who has found the dead woman....
The young woman goes to the local paper w/ her information & convinces the editor to give her a chance at investigative journalism, which leads her further into danger (ridiculous situations) and eventually a fine romance and a prime job.
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LibraryThing member Sheila1957
This is Agatha Christie's first novel. It's good but not as tightly written as her later novels. There is more romance here.
So Anne's father dies leaving her with just enough money to settle his debts. She moves to London where she hopes she will find adventure. With very little money, she decides
I enjoyed this. Anne makes friends on her cruise. At least, she has someone to worry about her when the attempts are made on her life. She also has a friend in Suzanne who she can confide in. Suzanne ends up as involved in the mystery as Anne. They have to figure out who murdered the woman back in England, whether the person is on the ship, and how to expose the person. I have to admit I would never have figured it out without the explanation at the end. I was hoping it was not who it turned out to be. But I am glad that the Man in the Brown Suit turned out to be good for Anne.
I always forget how good Agatha Christie's writing is until I get lost in one of her stories.
So Anne's father dies leaving her with just enough money to settle his debts. She moves to London where she hopes she will find adventure. With very little money, she decides
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she wants to go to Africa where her father had done some digs. While on the ship, she meets some interesting characters. She is almost murdered but rescued by the man in the brown suit. Who tried to kill her? Why? Who is the Man in the Brown Suit?I enjoyed this. Anne makes friends on her cruise. At least, she has someone to worry about her when the attempts are made on her life. She also has a friend in Suzanne who she can confide in. Suzanne ends up as involved in the mystery as Anne. They have to figure out who murdered the woman back in England, whether the person is on the ship, and how to expose the person. I have to admit I would never have figured it out without the explanation at the end. I was hoping it was not who it turned out to be. But I am glad that the Man in the Brown Suit turned out to be good for Anne.
I always forget how good Agatha Christie's writing is until I get lost in one of her stories.
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LibraryThing member leslie.98
Interesting plot and a few familiar characters, but no Poirot or Marple!
Awards
Audie Award (Finalist — Mystery — 2022)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1924-08-22
Physical description
189 p.; 17.8 cm
ISBN
0330102427 / 9780330102421
Local notes
Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser nogle papirer, et pilleglas og nogle slebne ædelsten
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Gutenberg, bind 61168
Omslaget viser nogle papirer, et pilleglas og nogle slebne ædelsten
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Gutenberg, bind 61168
Other editions
Manden i det brune tøj by Agatha Christie (Paper Book)
The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie (Paper Book)
Similar in this library
Series
Pages
189
DDC/MDS
| 823.912 |