Status
Available
Genres
Publication
Berkley (1986), Edition: Reissue, Paperback
Description
Is it a gesture of goodwill or a sinister trap that lures Rupert St. Vincent and his family to a magnificent estate? How desperate is Joyce Lambert, a destitute young widow whose only recourse is to marry a man she despises? What unexpected circumstance stirs old loyalties in Theodora Darrell, an unfaithful wife about to run away with her lover? In this collection of short stories, the answers are as unexpected as they are satisfying. The Queen of Mystery takes bizarre romantic entanglements, supernatural visitations, and classic murder to inventive new heights.
User reviews
LibraryThing member cmbohn
A collection of short stories, some involving crime, some romance, some adventure. I liked the ones at the beginning better. The ones at the end have more of a supernatural feel, and I don't enjoy those at all.
LibraryThing member BookAngel_a
I thought I would love this, but like the earlier reviewer said, the supernatural mysteries were a bit disappointing. When I read a Christie mystery, I want to find out who did it in the end. When she writes the supernatural ones, the ending is left a bit unexplained, which I found aggravating.
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Also, some stories have a sad ending, which seems unusual compared with her other works. Show Less
LibraryThing member TheDivineOomba
These are stories that a definitely written for the times. We get a man who learns how to be manly when he buys a car and hides it from his fiance. British imperialism is written throughout the book. This edition didn't tell me when the stories were written - so at times some stories seemed quite
One last thing - I didn't expect to find mysticism/magic realism in these stories. A few of them were borderline ghost stories.
The standout story for me was the "Listerdale Mystery" - where a widow with little money and children to take of moves into a house that seems to good to be true.
Recommended if you like the author, but I think it might be better to read one of her well known books first.
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modern, while others seemed much older. Generally, the women were plucky, finding love with an appropriate Gentlemen, Men were either manly, or bookish. Its a book filled with stereotypes, most that are inappropriate for today's world.One last thing - I didn't expect to find mysticism/magic realism in these stories. A few of them were borderline ghost stories.
The standout story for me was the "Listerdale Mystery" - where a widow with little money and children to take of moves into a house that seems to good to be true.
Recommended if you like the author, but I think it might be better to read one of her well known books first.
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LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
I must say that I had hesitated reading this book as I knew it was not one of Christie's better known detective stories. I was very surprised and pleased.
15 Stories:
1. The Listerdale Mystery: A woman in desperate straits finds a good home
2. The Girl on the Train: A young woman jumps on a train
3. The Manhood of Edward Robinson: A Young man learns to stand up to his bossy fiance
4. Jane in Search of a Job: A young woman agrees to impersonate a princess and ends up involved in a jewel heist
5. A Fruitful Sunday: A young couple find adventure & a ruby necklace
6. The Golden Ball: A young man ousted by his uncle makes good
7. The Raja's Emerald: A spurned young man makes good after finding a stolen emerald
8. Swan Song: An opera singer faces her past
9. The Hound of Death: A refugee nun, a secret cult, and the vanquishing of evil
10. The Gipsy: A young man and a Gipsy that is ever present warning him of danger
11. The Lamp: A haunted house, a ghost child, & a strange death
12. The Strange Case of Arthur Carmichael: A young man in a trance acting very strangely and a grey ghost cat
13. The Call of Wings: A once impoverished millionaire begins having visions of doom
14. Magnolia Blossom: A run-away wife returns home to save her husband from disaster
15. Next to a Dog: A young woman is offered a much needed position, but declines for love of her dog
15 Stories:
1. The Listerdale Mystery: A woman in desperate straits finds a good home
2. The Girl on the Train: A young woman jumps on a train
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making a fast escape3. The Manhood of Edward Robinson: A Young man learns to stand up to his bossy fiance
4. Jane in Search of a Job: A young woman agrees to impersonate a princess and ends up involved in a jewel heist
5. A Fruitful Sunday: A young couple find adventure & a ruby necklace
6. The Golden Ball: A young man ousted by his uncle makes good
7. The Raja's Emerald: A spurned young man makes good after finding a stolen emerald
8. Swan Song: An opera singer faces her past
9. The Hound of Death: A refugee nun, a secret cult, and the vanquishing of evil
10. The Gipsy: A young man and a Gipsy that is ever present warning him of danger
11. The Lamp: A haunted house, a ghost child, & a strange death
12. The Strange Case of Arthur Carmichael: A young man in a trance acting very strangely and a grey ghost cat
13. The Call of Wings: A once impoverished millionaire begins having visions of doom
14. Magnolia Blossom: A run-away wife returns home to save her husband from disaster
15. Next to a Dog: A young woman is offered a much needed position, but declines for love of her dog
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LibraryThing member Auntie-Nanuuq
I must say that I had hesitated reading this book as I knew it was not one of Christie's better known detective stories. I was very surprised and pleased.
15 Stories:
1. The Listerdale Mystery: A woman in desperate straits finds a good home
2. The Girl on the Train: A young woman jumps on a train
3. The Manhood of Edward Robinson: A Young man learns to stand up to his bossy fiance
4. Jane in Search of a Job: A young woman agrees to impersonate a princess and ends up involved in a jewel heist
5. A Fruitful Sunday: A young couple find adventure & a ruby necklace
6. The Golden Ball: A young man ousted by his uncle makes good
7. The Raja's Emerald: A spurned young man makes good after finding a stolen emerald
8. Swan Song: An opera singer faces her past
9. The Hound of Death: A refugee nun, a secret cult, and the vanquishing of evil
10. The Gipsy: A young man and a Gipsy that is ever present warning him of danger
11. The Lamp: A haunted house, a ghost child, & a strange death
12. The Strange Case of Arthur Carmichael: A young man in a trance acting very strangely and a grey ghost cat
13. The Call of Wings: A once impoverished millionaire begins having visions of doom
14. Magnolia Blossom: A run-away wife returns home to save her husband from disaster
15. Next to a Dog: A young woman is offered a much needed position, but declines for love of her dog
15 Stories:
1. The Listerdale Mystery: A woman in desperate straits finds a good home
2. The Girl on the Train: A young woman jumps on a train
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making a fast escape3. The Manhood of Edward Robinson: A Young man learns to stand up to his bossy fiance
4. Jane in Search of a Job: A young woman agrees to impersonate a princess and ends up involved in a jewel heist
5. A Fruitful Sunday: A young couple find adventure & a ruby necklace
6. The Golden Ball: A young man ousted by his uncle makes good
7. The Raja's Emerald: A spurned young man makes good after finding a stolen emerald
8. Swan Song: An opera singer faces her past
9. The Hound of Death: A refugee nun, a secret cult, and the vanquishing of evil
10. The Gipsy: A young man and a Gipsy that is ever present warning him of danger
11. The Lamp: A haunted house, a ghost child, & a strange death
12. The Strange Case of Arthur Carmichael: A young man in a trance acting very strangely and a grey ghost cat
13. The Call of Wings: A once impoverished millionaire begins having visions of doom
14. Magnolia Blossom: A run-away wife returns home to save her husband from disaster
15. Next to a Dog: A young woman is offered a much needed position, but declines for love of her dog
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LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
This is a collection of 15 short mysteries by Agatha Christie. They aren’t the typical mystery expected from Christie. A number of them have a romantic touch to them.
“The Strange Case of Sir Andrew Carmichael” is along the lines of the supernatural. “The Girl In The Train” is a mad-cap
A selection of fun, light reads with the Christie touch.
“The Strange Case of Sir Andrew Carmichael” is along the lines of the supernatural. “The Girl In The Train” is a mad-cap
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tale of boy-meets-girl on a train. “The Rajah’s Emerald” is the story of the mysterious disappearance and reappearance of a magnificent jewel. There is a little mystery and an enjoyable story in each one. Written in the 1920s and 1930s, they have the taste of the black and white movies of that era.A selection of fun, light reads with the Christie touch.
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LibraryThing member funstm
The Golden Ball and Other Stories contains fifteen miscellaneous stories including mysteries, paranormal and general fiction. It's a decent collection, showcasing the range of Agatha Christie's talents. My favourites were The Golden Ball, The Listerdale Mystery, The Girl in the Train, A Fruitful
THE LISTERDALE MYSTERY: ****
THE GIRL IN THE TRAIN: ****
THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON: ***
JANE IN SEARCH OF A JOB: ***
A FRUITFUL SUNDAY: ****
THE GOLDEN BALL: *****
THE RAJAH'S EMERALD: ****
SWAN SONG: ***
THE HOUND OF DEATH: *
THE GIPSY: ***
THE LAMP: **
THE STRANGE CASE OF SIR ARTHUR CARMICHAEL: **
THE CALL OF WINGS: *
MAGNOLIA BLOSSOM: **
NEXT TO A DOG: **
MISC: THE LISTERDALE MYSTERY: ****
A widowed woman struggles to provide for her son and daughter when she happens across an advertisement for a cheap house. I really enjoyed this one. It helped that I guessed what was going on. But it was also just rather amusing. And I liked the happy ending. One strange thing though;
To distract herself Mrs. St. Vincent picked up the Morning Post, and glanced down the advertisements on the front page. Most of them she knew by heart. People who wanted capital, people who had capital and were anxious to dispose of it on note of hand alone, people who wanted to buy teeth (she always wondered why), people who wanted to sell furs and gowns and who had optimistic ideas on the subject of price.
Christie, Agatha. The Golden Ball And Other Stories (Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection (Paperback)) (p. 5). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition.
Now I'm dying to know why people were buying teeth. 4 stars.
MISC: THE GIRL IN THE TRAIN: ****
A man helps a woman escape her uncle and finds himself embroiled in a mystery. Amusing little story. I liked how Elizabeth improvises with the ring in the sealed package to make George's little fancy about being in a mystery come true. 4 stars.
MISC: THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON: ***
A man wins some money and spends it while having a grand adventure. This one was kind of funny. Bit confusing though. 3 stars.
MISC: JANE IN SEARCH OF A JOB: ***
Jane answers a newspaper ad and finds more than she bargained for. This was average. Kind of too convoluted for me to really care about. 3 stars.
MISC: A FRUITFUL SUNDAY: ****
A couple go motoring on a Sunday and are shocked to find a stolen necklace. This one was pretty funny. I liked both characters and I enjoyed the plot. And I loved the ending. 4 stars.
MISC: THE GOLDEN BALL: *****
George Dundas is fired by his uncle for wanting to take a day off to have a holiday, so he proceeds to have an adventure. This was hilarious. I enjoyed it a lot. One of Christie's best. 5 stars.
MISC: THE RAJAH'S EMERALD: ****
James Bond (oddly enough, not the one you're thinking of - this was written long before Casino Royale) is jealous of his girlfriend Grace spending so much time with her richer, well to do friends and finds himself busy trying to keep up with the Jones'. This was good. I was left chuckling about the trouble James gets himself into. It's all particularly ironic when you consider that James Bond later becomes a spy, but here he is an accidental thief. Oops. 4 stars.
MISC: SWAN SONG: ***
An opera singer performs a private showing of Tosca. I liked the opera singer Paula. She was ruthless. And I felt sorry for Mr Cowan, the manager. He just wanted things to go well. 3 stars.
MISC: THE HOUND OF DEATH: *
A doctor investigates a nun who he believes as supernatural powers. This was weird. I didn't like it. 1 star.
MISC: THE GIPSY: ***
A gypsy continually predicts doom for a young man. I enjoyed this one although Dickie sounds like a bit of a moron. I mean maybe start listening to the lady? I liked the ending though. 3 stars.
MISC: THE LAMP: **
A woman buys a haunted house to live in with her son and her father. This started out alright but what a depressing ending. 2 stars.
MISC: THE STRANGE CASE OF SIR ARTHUR CARMICHAEL: **
A doctor is asked to investigate a case of memory loss that seems to have a supernatural twist. This was okay. Somewhat creepy. 2 stars.
MISC: THE CALL OF WINGS: *
A man struggles with his spiritual self worth. This was terrible. 1 star.
MISC: MAGNOLIA BLOSSOM: **
A woman is torn between two men - her husband and lover. It was alright. Kind of boring. 2 stars.
MISC: NEXT TO A DOG: **
A woman is running out of options to allow her to look after her pet dog. This is kind of morbid. Made me miss my own dog. 2 stars.
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Sunday and The Rajah's Emerald. My least favourites were the The Hound of Death and The Call of Wings. I don't really enjoy the ones with paranormal/supernatural elements. Overall the collection rating comes in at 2.5 stars, rounded up to 3 stars. Individual story ratings and reviews below. THE LISTERDALE MYSTERY: ****
THE GIRL IN THE TRAIN: ****
THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON: ***
JANE IN SEARCH OF A JOB: ***
A FRUITFUL SUNDAY: ****
THE GOLDEN BALL: *****
THE RAJAH'S EMERALD: ****
SWAN SONG: ***
THE HOUND OF DEATH: *
THE GIPSY: ***
THE LAMP: **
THE STRANGE CASE OF SIR ARTHUR CARMICHAEL: **
THE CALL OF WINGS: *
MAGNOLIA BLOSSOM: **
NEXT TO A DOG: **
MISC: THE LISTERDALE MYSTERY: ****
A widowed woman struggles to provide for her son and daughter when she happens across an advertisement for a cheap house. I really enjoyed this one. It helped that I guessed what was going on. But it was also just rather amusing. And I liked the happy ending. One strange thing though;
To distract herself Mrs. St. Vincent picked up the Morning Post, and glanced down the advertisements on the front page. Most of them she knew by heart. People who wanted capital, people who had capital and were anxious to dispose of it on note of hand alone, people who wanted to buy teeth (she always wondered why), people who wanted to sell furs and gowns and who had optimistic ideas on the subject of price.
Christie, Agatha. The Golden Ball And Other Stories (Agatha Christie Mysteries Collection (Paperback)) (p. 5). William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition.
Now I'm dying to know why people were buying teeth. 4 stars.
MISC: THE GIRL IN THE TRAIN: ****
A man helps a woman escape her uncle and finds himself embroiled in a mystery. Amusing little story. I liked how Elizabeth improvises
MISC: THE MANHOOD OF EDWARD ROBINSON: ***
A man wins some money and spends it while having a grand adventure. This one was kind of funny. Bit confusing though. 3 stars.
MISC: JANE IN SEARCH OF A JOB: ***
Jane answers a newspaper ad and finds more than she bargained for. This was average. Kind of too convoluted for me to really care about. 3 stars.
MISC: A FRUITFUL SUNDAY: ****
A couple go motoring on a Sunday and are shocked to find a stolen necklace. This one was pretty funny. I liked both characters and I enjoyed the plot. And I loved the ending. 4 stars.
MISC: THE GOLDEN BALL: *****
George Dundas is fired by his uncle for wanting to take a day off to have a holiday, so he proceeds to have an adventure. This was hilarious. I enjoyed it a lot. One of Christie's best. 5 stars.
MISC: THE RAJAH'S EMERALD: ****
James Bond (oddly enough, not the one you're thinking of - this was written long before Casino Royale) is jealous of his girlfriend Grace spending so much time with her richer, well to do friends and finds himself busy trying to keep up with the Jones'. This was good. I was left chuckling about the trouble James gets himself into.
MISC: SWAN SONG: ***
An opera singer performs a private showing of Tosca. I liked the opera singer Paula. She was ruthless. And I felt sorry for Mr Cowan, the manager. He just wanted things to go well. 3 stars.
MISC: THE HOUND OF DEATH: *
A doctor investigates a nun who he believes as supernatural powers. This was weird. I didn't like it. 1 star.
MISC: THE GIPSY: ***
A gypsy continually predicts doom for a young man. I enjoyed this one although Dickie sounds like a bit of a moron. I mean maybe start listening to the lady? I liked the ending though. 3 stars.
MISC: THE LAMP: **
A woman buys a haunted house to live in with her son and her father. This started out alright but what a depressing ending. 2 stars.
MISC: THE STRANGE CASE OF SIR ARTHUR CARMICHAEL: **
A doctor is asked to investigate a case of memory loss that seems to have a supernatural twist. This was okay. Somewhat creepy. 2 stars.
MISC: THE CALL OF WINGS: *
A man struggles with his spiritual self worth. This was terrible. 1 star.
MISC: MAGNOLIA BLOSSOM: **
A woman is torn between two men - her husband and lover. It was alright. Kind of boring. 2 stars.
MISC: NEXT TO A DOG: **
A woman is running out of options to allow her to look after her pet dog. This is kind of morbid. Made me miss my own dog. 2 stars.
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Language
Original publication date
1971
Physical description
240 p.; 6.7 inches
ISBN
0425099229 / 9780425099223