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Library's review
Indeholder "The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife", "The Case of the Discontented Soldier", "The Case of the Distressed Lady", "The Case of the Discontented Husband", "The Case of the City Clerk", "The Case of the Rich Woman", "Have You Got Everything You Want?", "The Gate of Bagdad", "The House at
"The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife" handler om mrs Packinton, hvis mand er begyndt at se en yngre dame fra kontoret. Parker får en gigolo til at klistre sig op ad mrs Packinton og det har hurtigt den ønskede effekt.
"The Case of the Discontented Soldier" handler om major Wilbraham, der er pensioneret imperiebygger og keder sig. Parker organiserer en skattejagt efter nedgravet elfenben, tilsat en kvinde i nød Freda Clegg og indespærring i kælderrum, der oversvømmes langsomt. Altsammen efter manuskript af Ariadne Oliver.
"The Case of the Distressed Lady" handler om en mrs St John, der forsøger at lokke Parker til at medvirke i et lille fikst smykketyveri, men det er han for klog til at være med på.
"The Case of the Discontented Husband" handler om Mr Reginald Wade der er ked af at hans kone Iris vil skilles. Parkers plan mislykkes for Reggie forelsker sig i den pige, Parker sender ham på halsen for at gøre Iris jaloux. Bortset fra det, lykkes planen perfekt.
"The Case of the City Clerk" handler om mr Roberts, der keder sig og gerne vil opleve noget spændende. Parker slår to fluer med et smæk og bruger ham som kurer for nogle hemmelige planer over en kanon.
"The Case of the Rich Woman" handler om mrs Amelia Rymer, den rige enke efter Abner Rymer. Hun keder sig og Parker giver hende den store tur med et fingeret hukommelsestab og opvågnen som den fattige Hannah Moorhouse. Hun bliver først paf, så rasende og så opdager hun at hun egentlig er lykkelig uden alle sine mange penge. Hun giver alle pengene væk på nær udbetalingen til en gård til hende og hendes kommende mand, Joe Welsh.
"Have You Got Everything You Want?" handler om Parker på ferie med toget Simplon Express, hvor han møder Mrs Elsie Jeffries. Hendes smykker bliver stjålet undervejs, i alt fald tilsyneladende for Parker opdager at det er Elsies mand, Edward, der har arrangeret tyveriet, så han kan betale nogle pengeafpressere. Parker lover at hjælpe med at få pengeafpresserne til at holde op og alt ender sikkert i fryd og gammen.
"The Gate of Bagdad" handler om Parker på vej fra Damascus til Bagdad og en af hans medpassagerer Smethurst bliver myrdet. Parker finder ud af at den medfølgende læge, kaptajn Loftus, ikke er læge, men tværtimod en kendt svindler på flugt, Samuel Long. Long begår selvmord efter afsløringen og beklager at han var blevet presset til at begå drabet i et desperat forsøg på at undgå afsløring.
"The House at Shiraz" handler om Parker, der flyver til Shiraz fra Teheran. Han støder på en sag, hvor en ung kvinde, lady Esther, har mistet sin selskabsdame Muriel King ved en faldulykke og nu har isoleret sig i huset. Men faktisk er det lady Esther der er død og Parker lover at hjælpe Muriel King til at komme ud af den knibe hun er kommet i ved at udgive sig for Lady Esther. Alt ender sikkert i fryd og gammen, for en ung tysk pilot Schlagal er forelsket i hende.
"The Pearl of Price" handler om Parker, der rejser fra Amman til Petra sammen med nogle andre turister. En ung kvinde mister en kostbar ørering, som hendes far har betalt. Hun frygter at hendes far selv har taget den for at skyde skylden på hendes kæreste, Jim, som han ikke kan lide og som faktisk tidligere har stjålet noget. Parker finder ud af at øreringen er taget af en arkæolog, der håbede på at kunne bekoste en udgravning med pengene. Men han finder også ud af at øreringen ikke er noget særligt værd, så den rige far er nok ikke så rig endda. Alt ender i fryd og gammen.
"Death on the Nile" handler om en kvinde, Ariadne Grayle, der bliver forgiftet med stryknin og dør. Det viser sig at være en ung fyr, Basil West, som har forsøgt at være kærester med både den ludfattige niece Pamela og den gifte lady Grayle. Ved at myrde lady Grayle og få lord Grayle dømt for det, kunne han håbe på at Pamela ville komme til penge. Motivet til drabet er ikke ret klart, men Parker får i alt fald afsløret Basil.
"The Oracle at Delphi" handler om mrs Peters der er i Delfi sammen med sin søn Willard. Han bliver kidnappet og bortførerne forsøger at fuppe hende for et diamanthalsbånd ved at lade en af banden udgive sig for at være hr Parker Pyne. Uheldigvis for dem er han faktisk til stede og blander sig i sagen, så alt ender i fryd og gamme for alle undtagen banden.
Parker Pyne har trukket sig tilbage efter 35 år på et offentligt kontor og har åbnet et bureau i stedet. Hans annonce i avisen lyder: Er De lykkelig? Hvis ikke, så aflæg Parker Pyne et besøg.
Der er to Parker Pyne historier mere, "Problem at Pollensa Bay" og "The Regatta Mystery", men dem har jeg ikke læst.
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Shiraz", "The Pearl of Price", "Death on the Nile", "The Oracle at Delphi"."The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife" handler om mrs Packinton, hvis mand er begyndt at se en yngre dame fra kontoret. Parker får en gigolo til at klistre sig op ad mrs Packinton og det har hurtigt den ønskede effekt.
"The Case of the Discontented Soldier" handler om major Wilbraham, der er pensioneret imperiebygger og keder sig. Parker organiserer en skattejagt efter nedgravet elfenben, tilsat en kvinde i nød Freda Clegg og indespærring i kælderrum, der oversvømmes langsomt. Altsammen efter manuskript af Ariadne Oliver.
"The Case of the Distressed Lady" handler om en mrs St John, der forsøger at lokke Parker til at medvirke i et lille fikst smykketyveri, men det er han for klog til at være med på.
"The Case of the Discontented Husband" handler om Mr Reginald Wade der er ked af at hans kone Iris vil skilles. Parkers plan mislykkes for Reggie forelsker sig i den pige, Parker sender ham på halsen for at gøre Iris jaloux. Bortset fra det, lykkes planen perfekt.
"The Case of the City Clerk" handler om mr Roberts, der keder sig og gerne vil opleve noget spændende. Parker slår to fluer med et smæk og bruger ham som kurer for nogle hemmelige planer over en kanon.
"The Case of the Rich Woman" handler om mrs Amelia Rymer, den rige enke efter Abner Rymer. Hun keder sig og Parker giver hende den store tur med et fingeret hukommelsestab og opvågnen som den fattige Hannah Moorhouse. Hun bliver først paf, så rasende og så opdager hun at hun egentlig er lykkelig uden alle sine mange penge. Hun giver alle pengene væk på nær udbetalingen til en gård til hende og hendes kommende mand, Joe Welsh.
"Have You Got Everything You Want?" handler om Parker på ferie med toget Simplon Express, hvor han møder Mrs Elsie Jeffries. Hendes smykker bliver stjålet undervejs, i alt fald tilsyneladende for Parker opdager at det er Elsies mand, Edward, der har arrangeret tyveriet, så han kan betale nogle pengeafpressere. Parker lover at hjælpe med at få pengeafpresserne til at holde op og alt ender sikkert i fryd og gammen.
"The Gate of Bagdad" handler om Parker på vej fra Damascus til Bagdad og en af hans medpassagerer Smethurst bliver myrdet. Parker finder ud af at den medfølgende læge, kaptajn Loftus, ikke er læge, men tværtimod en kendt svindler på flugt, Samuel Long. Long begår selvmord efter afsløringen og beklager at han var blevet presset til at begå drabet i et desperat forsøg på at undgå afsløring.
"The House at Shiraz" handler om Parker, der flyver til Shiraz fra Teheran. Han støder på en sag, hvor en ung kvinde, lady Esther, har mistet sin selskabsdame Muriel King ved en faldulykke og nu har isoleret sig i huset. Men faktisk er det lady Esther der er død og Parker lover at hjælpe Muriel King til at komme ud af den knibe hun er kommet i ved at udgive sig for Lady Esther. Alt ender sikkert i fryd og gammen, for en ung tysk pilot Schlagal er forelsket i hende.
"The Pearl of Price" handler om Parker, der rejser fra Amman til Petra sammen med nogle andre turister. En ung kvinde mister en kostbar ørering, som hendes far har betalt. Hun frygter at hendes far selv har taget den for at skyde skylden på hendes kæreste, Jim, som han ikke kan lide og som faktisk tidligere har stjålet noget. Parker finder ud af at øreringen er taget af en arkæolog, der håbede på at kunne bekoste en udgravning med pengene. Men han finder også ud af at øreringen ikke er noget særligt værd, så den rige far er nok ikke så rig endda. Alt ender i fryd og gammen.
"Death on the Nile" handler om en kvinde, Ariadne Grayle, der bliver forgiftet med stryknin og dør. Det viser sig at være en ung fyr, Basil West, som har forsøgt at være kærester med både den ludfattige niece Pamela og den gifte lady Grayle. Ved at myrde lady Grayle og få lord Grayle dømt for det, kunne han håbe på at Pamela ville komme til penge. Motivet til drabet er ikke ret klart, men Parker får i alt fald afsløret Basil.
"The Oracle at Delphi" handler om mrs Peters der er i Delfi sammen med sin søn Willard. Han bliver kidnappet og bortførerne forsøger at fuppe hende for et diamanthalsbånd ved at lade en af banden udgive sig for at være hr Parker Pyne. Uheldigvis for dem er han faktisk til stede og blander sig i sagen, så alt ender i fryd og gamme for alle undtagen banden.
Parker Pyne har trukket sig tilbage efter 35 år på et offentligt kontor og har åbnet et bureau i stedet. Hans annonce i avisen lyder: Er De lykkelig? Hvis ikke, så aflæg Parker Pyne et besøg.
Der er to Parker Pyne historier mere, "Problem at Pollensa Bay" og "The Regatta Mystery", men dem har jeg ikke læst.
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Genres
Publication
New York : Dodd, Mead & co., 1934, c1932.
Description
Fiction. Mystery. Short Stories. HTML: Agatha Christie once again demonstrates her mastery of the short form mystery with Parker Pyne Investigates�??short stories of crime and detection featuring Parker Pyne, certainly one of the most unconventional private investigators ever to pursue a hot lead. Mrs. Packington felt alone, helpless and utterly forlorn. But her life changed when she stumbled upon an advertisement in the Times that read: "Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne." Equally adept at putting together the fragments of a murder mystery or the pieces of a broken marriage, Mr. Parker Pyne is possibly the world's most unconventional private investigator. Armed with just his intuitive knowledge of human nature, he is an Englishman abroad, traveling the globe to solve and undo crime and misdemeanor.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member cathyskye
After reading two of Agatha Christie's short stories featuring the very unconventional private investigator, Parker Pyne, I knew I had to read more, so when I came across this collection, I grabbed it.
Pyne relies upon his thirty-five years in a government office compiling statistics to help him
When it comes to solving mysteries relying solely upon his observations of human nature, he has only one equal: Miss Marple herself, although the elderly lady never managed to get paid for all her troubles and Pyne does.
The stories see appearances by two characters seen elsewhere in Christie's fiction: the novelist Ariadne Oliver and Miss Lemon the secretary. (Now I'm curious as to whether Lemon worked for Pyne first before moving on to Hercule Poirot or vice versa.) When in London, Pyne helps those responding to his ad, and I love seeing how he puts his solutions together using a select few actors and other specialists whom he knows. When he's faced with mysteries while traveling abroad, they are more normal investigations. (Naturally, since the people he employs are not traveling with him.)
With the exception of twice when Christie's racism was clearly shown, I found this collection of stories to be delightful, and I'm certainly glad that I've persisted in sampling writing from the Golden Age of Mysteries.
Pyne relies upon his thirty-five years in a government office compiling statistics to help him
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solve any case that's presented to him. Some of the short stories revolve around people who respond to his advertisement in The Times, but Pyne also travels to more exotic climes, such as Jordan, Syria, and Iran and finds himself solving puzzles in those countries as well.When it comes to solving mysteries relying solely upon his observations of human nature, he has only one equal: Miss Marple herself, although the elderly lady never managed to get paid for all her troubles and Pyne does.
The stories see appearances by two characters seen elsewhere in Christie's fiction: the novelist Ariadne Oliver and Miss Lemon the secretary. (Now I'm curious as to whether Lemon worked for Pyne first before moving on to Hercule Poirot or vice versa.) When in London, Pyne helps those responding to his ad, and I love seeing how he puts his solutions together using a select few actors and other specialists whom he knows. When he's faced with mysteries while traveling abroad, they are more normal investigations. (Naturally, since the people he employs are not traveling with him.)
With the exception of twice when Christie's racism was clearly shown, I found this collection of stories to be delightful, and I'm certainly glad that I've persisted in sampling writing from the Golden Age of Mysteries.
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LibraryThing member MrsLee
I might have kept this, except it was falling apart. It was fun, the consensus of the debate in the Golden Age Detectives fan site was, this came after Poirot, but sometimes they were interchangeable. They are very similar. To begin with, the stories are not so much mysteries, as sort of fix your
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life kind of stuff. Cute. Further in, the detective actually has to solve a mystery before he can fix the lives of people. Show Less
LibraryThing member riverwillow
Interesting premise whereby an ex-civil servant, who worked in some kind of stastical analysis, sets himself to happy people become happy. He is not always successful. There is a generally a twist in the tale which makes these stories enjoyable. This collection is also noteworthy for introducing
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Ariadne Oliver, who appears in some of the later Poirot novels. Show Less
LibraryThing member smik
First published in 1934, the edition I read was published by Fontana/Collins in 1974. 158 pages.
The cover image to the right was the original one used on the dust jacket in 1934, and seems to me to be a good likeness of portly and avuncular Mr Parker Pyne.
This title is a collection of 12 of the 14
The connecting thread between the stories is Mr Pyne's advertisement at the top of the Agony column of the respectable newspapers:
Mr Pyne's solution for each of the people who consults him is individual and very varied in the fees that he charges. The first 6 stories are set in England while in the last 6 stories Mr Pyne is on holidays travelling first on the Simplon Express, and then to some of Agatha Christie's favourite places in the Middle East such as Baghdad, the Nile, Shiraz and Delphi.
Many of the 12 stories had been individually published in the period 1932-4 but the overall the effect of the collection is like an episodic novel. Wikipedia gives you a lot more detail for each story than I am going to give here. You can also get some details of their publication history.
Mr. Parker Pyne states quite clearly that he is not a detective but 'a heart specialist'. Deception, accomplices and manipulation are all part of his method of operation and he works to cure unhappiness more frequently than to investigate crime.
* The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife, apparently unpublished earlier
Mrs Packington consults Mr Parker Pyne because her husband George has fallen for a young girl from the office. I was interested to meet Miss Lemon, whom I have always associated with Hercule Poirot, in this story.
* The Case of the Discontented Soldier, August 1932
Recently returned from East Africa Major Wilbraham finds London life very tame. Mr Parker Pyne not only creates adventure for him, he sends him on a treasure hunt. In this story Mrs Ariadne Oliver makes a fleeting appearance - another character I have always associated with HP.
* The Case of the Distressed Lady, August 1932
Daphne St. John is frightfully unhappy. She has stolen a diamond and doesn't know how to return it.
* The Case of the Discontented Husband, August 1932
Mr Reginald Wade adores his wife, but she seems to have fallen for another. Mr. Pyne has to list this case as one of his failures.
* The Case of the City Clerk, August 1932
Mr. Roberts has reached the age of 48, is "happily" married, but feels his life is very dull, so Mr Parker Pyne sends on a dangerous espionage mission to Europe.
* The Case of the Rich Woman, August 1932
Mrs Abner Rymer is living proof that riches don't bring happiness.
* Have You Got Everything You Want?, April 1933
Mr Parker Pyne is on holidays, and shares a train compartment on the Simplon Express with Mrs Elsie Jeffries who implores him to help her find out what her husband is up to.
* The Gate of Baghdad, June 1933
Mr Parker Pyne joins a tourist coach from Damascus to Baghdad, and one of his fellow passengers is murdered.
* The House at Shiraz, April 1933
Mr Parker Pyne flies to Shiraz from Teheran and offers his help to a young woman considered to be both a recluse and mad.
* The Pearl of Price, July 1933
Mr Parker Pyne travels from Amman to Petra with 6 other tourists.One of his fellow passengers loses a priceless pearl earring and Mr PP works out why.
* Death on the Nile, July 1933
This is not the story that features Hercule Poirot, but one about a lady who dies of poisoning.
* The Oracle at Delphi, April 1933
Mr Parker Pyne finds someone who is impersonating him, and takes great exception, in the process foiling an attempt at extortion.
These were very readable stories without being much more than that. The one I think I liked best was The Case of the Rich Woman, which was also the most improbable.
My rating 4.2
Mr Parker Pyne appears in 2 other short stories, one of which I have already read in Problem at Pollensa Bay published in 1935. Interestingly in this short story he is referred to as Christopher Parker Pyne, although in PARKER PYNE INVESTIGATES he is always referred to as J. Parker Pyne. The other story is one I haven't yet read The Regatta Mystery published in 1939.
The cover image to the right was the original one used on the dust jacket in 1934, and seems to me to be a good likeness of portly and avuncular Mr Parker Pyne.
This title is a collection of 12 of the 14
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short stories that Agatha Christie wrote that featured Mr Parker Pyne.The connecting thread between the stories is Mr Pyne's advertisement at the top of the Agony column of the respectable newspapers:
Mr Pyne's solution for each of the people who consults him is individual and very varied in the fees that he charges. The first 6 stories are set in England while in the last 6 stories Mr Pyne is on holidays travelling first on the Simplon Express, and then to some of Agatha Christie's favourite places in the Middle East such as Baghdad, the Nile, Shiraz and Delphi.
Many of the 12 stories had been individually published in the period 1932-4 but the overall the effect of the collection is like an episodic novel. Wikipedia gives you a lot more detail for each story than I am going to give here. You can also get some details of their publication history.
Mr. Parker Pyne states quite clearly that he is not a detective but 'a heart specialist'. Deception, accomplices and manipulation are all part of his method of operation and he works to cure unhappiness more frequently than to investigate crime.
* The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife, apparently unpublished earlier
Mrs Packington consults Mr Parker Pyne because her husband George has fallen for a young girl from the office. I was interested to meet Miss Lemon, whom I have always associated with Hercule Poirot, in this story.
* The Case of the Discontented Soldier, August 1932
Recently returned from East Africa Major Wilbraham finds London life very tame. Mr Parker Pyne not only creates adventure for him, he sends him on a treasure hunt. In this story Mrs Ariadne Oliver makes a fleeting appearance - another character I have always associated with HP.
* The Case of the Distressed Lady, August 1932
Daphne St. John is frightfully unhappy. She has stolen a diamond and doesn't know how to return it.
* The Case of the Discontented Husband, August 1932
Mr Reginald Wade adores his wife, but she seems to have fallen for another. Mr. Pyne has to list this case as one of his failures.
* The Case of the City Clerk, August 1932
Mr. Roberts has reached the age of 48, is "happily" married, but feels his life is very dull, so Mr Parker Pyne sends on a dangerous espionage mission to Europe.
* The Case of the Rich Woman, August 1932
Mrs Abner Rymer is living proof that riches don't bring happiness.
* Have You Got Everything You Want?, April 1933
Mr Parker Pyne is on holidays, and shares a train compartment on the Simplon Express with Mrs Elsie Jeffries who implores him to help her find out what her husband is up to.
* The Gate of Baghdad, June 1933
Mr Parker Pyne joins a tourist coach from Damascus to Baghdad, and one of his fellow passengers is murdered.
* The House at Shiraz, April 1933
Mr Parker Pyne flies to Shiraz from Teheran and offers his help to a young woman considered to be both a recluse and mad.
* The Pearl of Price, July 1933
Mr Parker Pyne travels from Amman to Petra with 6 other tourists.One of his fellow passengers loses a priceless pearl earring and Mr PP works out why.
* Death on the Nile, July 1933
This is not the story that features Hercule Poirot, but one about a lady who dies of poisoning.
* The Oracle at Delphi, April 1933
Mr Parker Pyne finds someone who is impersonating him, and takes great exception, in the process foiling an attempt at extortion.
These were very readable stories without being much more than that. The one I think I liked best was The Case of the Rich Woman, which was also the most improbable.
My rating 4.2
Mr Parker Pyne appears in 2 other short stories, one of which I have already read in Problem at Pollensa Bay published in 1935. Interestingly in this short story he is referred to as Christopher Parker Pyne, although in PARKER PYNE INVESTIGATES he is always referred to as J. Parker Pyne. The other story is one I haven't yet read The Regatta Mystery published in 1939.
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LibraryThing member EricCostello
Solid collection of short stories, which feature ex-government employee Parker Pyne, who uses statistics to aid him in resolving "unhappiness" among his clients. Don't take the mysteries too terribly seriously; after all, the short story isn't the medium in which to develop plots and characters
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very deeply. The settings are what count, here. The last half of them take place in familiar country for Christie, the Middle East, where she spent many years on digs with her husband (and, in fact, an archaeologist is one of the villains in one story). Better than many longer-length Christie novels, in fact. Show Less
LibraryThing member JenniferRobb
A friend gave me a copy of this book for Christmas. I've tried to read Agatha Christie in the past without much success but my friend said this character and these stories were a bit different than Christie's Poirot and Marple stories. I may end up giving Christie another try at some point.
In some
In some
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of the stories, I do agree with the reviewer who compared it to the TV show "Fantasy Island"--wish-fulfillment, though in some cases the outcome isn't exactly what was expected. Show Less
LibraryThing member g33kgrrl
Definitely one of the books that shows Dame Agatha's weird personal feelings about relations between men and women as universal absolutes in the advice that Parker Pyne states.
Some casual colonialism, exoticism, and ableism, as expected, especially in the stories set in the Middle East.
I am
Some casual colonialism, exoticism, and ableism, as expected, especially in the stories set in the Middle East.
I am
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*incredibly fascinated* by the throwaway mention in the story "The House at Shiraz" about the German pilot regarding the fact that he's seen madness before, in the eyes of his submarine captain. I just finished reading about the Lusitania and have been on a general post-WWI reading kick, and now I'm curious about if contemporaneous British thought was that u-boat captains were some sort of special evil, so that other Germans, including those who served on the u-boats, could be re-integretated into society without stigma. Show Less
LibraryThing member Figgles
I'm currently listening to the excellent "All about Agatha" podcast, and that has lead me back to some of the lesser known recurring Christie characters - such as Mr Parker Pyne, retired civil service statistician and "heart specialist". This collection is in two parts - the first six stories are
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set in London where clients respond to Parker Pyne's "Are you happy?" advertisement in the personal column of The Times. The problems solved are predominantly emotional, Pyne's methods are unscrupulous, and his fees steep, but each time he uses his knowledge of human nature to change the lives of those who come to him. These stories are also notable as they include the first appearances of Christie's alter-ego, novelist Ariadne Oliver and the ever efficient secretary, Miss Lemon, who go on to feature in the later Poirots. The second six stories are set abroad, with Pyne ostensibly on holiday, and are closer to traditional detection as he assists fellow travellers mixed up in murder, theft, and kidnapping. Christie's knowledge of the countries of the eastern Mediterranean shines through. Whilst there are some passages that make the 21st century reader uncomfortable, there are also laugh out loud moments in this overall very enjoyable collection. Show Less
LibraryThing member funstm
“It is my business to know. You see, for thirty-five years of my life I have been engaged in the compiling of statistics in a government office. Now I have retired and it has occurred to me to use the experience I have gained in a novel fashion. It is all so simple. Unhappiness can be classified
Christie, Agatha. Parker Pyne Investigates (p. 19). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Parker Pyne is a happiness expert. He knows just how to make sure people find their zest for life - either by removing the problem or creating one. Together with his staff - a gorgeous woman named Madeline and a gorgeous man named Claude, Parker can fix pretty much anything.
I think part of my biggest problem with this collection is that I was expecting something very different. Parker Pyne Investigates implies investigation - detecting - and that is really not at all what this is. Sure there are some cases involving murder and theft but the bulk of it is about solving problems for people - so as to make them happy. Which isn't a bad thing - just not remotely what I was anticipating.
As with all short story collections there are some gems and some fails. My favourites were The Case of the Discontented Husband, The Case of the Rich Woman and Problem at Pollensa Bay. My least favourites were The Gate of Baghdad, The House of Shiraz and The Oracle at Delphi. Individual ratings are below, overall rating for the collection is 3 stars.
THE CASE OF THE MIDDLE-AGED WIFE ***
A wife is distraught when her husband meets a young lady. I'm not entirely sure I know what I just read. This was not at all what I was expecting. Parker Pyne is very strange. On the hand Miss Lemon! I liked the case and how they worked to solve it. 3 stars.
THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED SOLDIER ***
A retired soldier is having trouble readjusting to civilian life. I enjoyed this one. I love the idea that Parker and co are just busy staging elaborate ploys to make people happy. This is also the first story to feature Ariadne Oliver - although it's a very brief mention. 3 stars.
THE CASE OF THE DISTRESSED LADY ***
A lady steals her friend's ring and then feels very guilty and wants it to be returned. This one was interesting. Pretty ingenious way of stealing a ring - get someone else to do it. Lol, loved that she got caught though. 3 stars.
THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED HUSBAND ****
A husband is distraught to find his wife wants to leave him for another man. This was enjoyable. I think I would've liked a happier ending - but on the other hand it was a funny conclusion. Madeline is fantastic. 4 stars.
THE CASE OF THE CITY CLERK ***
A man finds himself longing for some excitement. This one was alright, pretty par for the course. 3 stars.
THE CASE OF THE RICH WOMAN ****
A rich widow finds money can't buy her happiness. Or at least that she's bought everything she can. This is the second story to feature Ariadne Oliver - although again, i's a rather brief one.
I liked this. I enjoyed that solution Parker comes up with to increase her happiness. And I liked the conclusion where she gives up her money for love. It was nice. 4 stars.
HAVE YOU GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT? *
A new wife has her jewellery stolen while on her way to see her husband. Pretty average. It was readable enough, I just didn't really enjoy it. 2 star.
THE GATE OF BAGHDAD *
A man is murdered while on a tourist bus. This one was confusing. I didn't enjoy it. 1 star.
THE HOUSE OF SHIRAZ *
An English woman has isolated herself from society after her maid's death. I didn't really like this one. It was just weird and I felt like I kept missing stuff. I guessed that the maid and lady switched places - but I also just didn't really care. 1 star.
THE PEARL OF PRICE ***
A young woman's very expensive earring is stolen and she's dismayed to find her father suspecting her beau. This started bad, but progressively got better. I enjoyed the ending finding that everyone's a liar. 3 stars.
DEATH ON THE NILE ***
An old woman believes her husband is poisoning her - and then she dies. Ha, I totally guessed this. I picked the husband's secretary easily - on the other hand I also thought he was in on it with the niece - I'm still counting it as a win. 3 stars.
THE ORACLE AT DELPHI *
A mother travelling with her son is horrified to find her son has been kidnapped. I just didn't get this one. It was ridiculously bizarre. Why on earth would anyone pretend to be Parker Pyne? It was just weird. Maybe I missed something. 1 star.
PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY ****
A mother travelling with her son is horrified to find he wants to get married to an unsuitable modern woman. This one was funny. I loved that the mother decides to like the fiancee once she appears to be the better choice. And I felt sorry for Pyne that he wasn't able to get away from anyone long enough to have a holiday. 4 stars.
THE REGATTA MYSTERY ***
A young girl bets she can successfully steal a very expensive diamond but is distraught to find it actually missing. This was alright, I didn't really guess how it was done, but the conclusion was interesting. 3 stars.
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under five main heads—no more I assure you. Once you know the cause of a malady, the remedy should not be impossible.Christie, Agatha. Parker Pyne Investigates (p. 19). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
Parker Pyne is a happiness expert. He knows just how to make sure people find their zest for life - either by removing the problem or creating one. Together with his staff - a gorgeous woman named Madeline and a gorgeous man named Claude, Parker can fix pretty much anything.
I think part of my biggest problem with this collection is that I was expecting something very different. Parker Pyne Investigates implies investigation - detecting - and that is really not at all what this is. Sure there are some cases involving murder and theft but the bulk of it is about solving problems for people - so as to make them happy. Which isn't a bad thing - just not remotely what I was anticipating.
As with all short story collections there are some gems and some fails. My favourites were The Case of the Discontented Husband, The Case of the Rich Woman and Problem at Pollensa Bay. My least favourites were The Gate of Baghdad, The House of Shiraz and The Oracle at Delphi. Individual ratings are below, overall rating for the collection is 3 stars.
THE CASE OF THE MIDDLE-AGED WIFE ***
A wife is distraught when her husband meets a young lady. I'm not entirely sure I know what I just read. This was not at all what I was expecting. Parker Pyne is very strange. On the hand Miss Lemon! I liked the case and how they worked to solve it. 3 stars.
THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED SOLDIER ***
A retired soldier is having trouble readjusting to civilian life. I enjoyed this one. I love the idea that Parker and co are just busy
THE CASE OF THE DISTRESSED LADY ***
A lady steals her friend's ring and then feels very guilty and wants it to be returned. This one was interesting.
THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED HUSBAND ****
A husband is distraught to find his wife wants to leave him for another man. This was enjoyable. I think I would've liked a happier ending - but on the other hand it was a funny conclusion. Madeline is fantastic. 4 stars.
THE CASE OF THE CITY CLERK ***
A man finds himself longing for some excitement. This one was alright, pretty par for the course. 3 stars.
THE CASE OF THE RICH WOMAN ****
A rich widow finds money can't buy her happiness. Or at least that she's bought everything she can. This is the second story to feature Ariadne Oliver - although again, i's a rather brief one.
I liked this. I enjoyed that solution Parker comes up with to increase her happiness. And I liked the conclusion
HAVE YOU GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT? *
A new wife has her jewellery stolen while on her way to see her husband. Pretty average. It was readable enough, I just didn't really enjoy it. 2 star.
THE GATE OF BAGHDAD *
A man is murdered while on a tourist bus. This one was confusing. I didn't enjoy it. 1 star.
THE HOUSE OF SHIRAZ *
An English woman has isolated herself from society after her maid's death. I didn't really like this one. It was just weird and I felt like I kept missing stuff. I guessed that
THE PEARL OF PRICE ***
A young woman's very expensive earring is stolen and she's dismayed to find her father suspecting her beau. This started bad, but progressively got better. I enjoyed the ending finding that
DEATH ON THE NILE ***
An old woman believes her husband is poisoning her - and then she dies. Ha, I totally guessed this.
THE ORACLE AT DELPHI *
A mother travelling with her son is horrified to find her son has been kidnapped. I just didn't get this one. It was ridiculously bizarre. Why on earth would anyone
PROBLEM AT POLLENSA BAY ****
A mother travelling with her son is horrified to find he wants to get married to an unsuitable modern woman. This one was funny. I loved that the mother decides to like the fiancee once she appears to be the better choice. And I felt sorry for Pyne that he wasn't able to get away from anyone long enough to have a holiday. 4 stars.
THE REGATTA MYSTERY ***
A young girl bets she can successfully steal a very expensive diamond but is distraught to find it actually missing. This was alright, I didn't really guess how it was done, but the conclusion was interesting. 3 stars.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1934-11-01
Physical description
224 p.; 16.2 cm
Local notes
Omslag: Ikke angivet
Omslaget viser stiliserede tegninger af en ring, et glas med gift og et askebæger med et halvbrændt stykke papir i
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Omslaget viser stiliserede tegninger af en ring, et glas med gift og et askebæger med et halvbrændt stykke papir i
Indskannet omslag - N650U - 150 dpi
Other editions
Parker Pyne, mesterdetektiv by Agatha Christie (Paperback)
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Pages
224
DDC/MDS
| 823/.912 |