When I got about three-quarters of the way through this, I was all set to stop. Fortunately, I persevered, hoping for a trademark Agatha Christie unpredictable ending. I didn't really think that I would get one, though, as the clues weren't laid out as neatly as in some of her others. But, as I later discovered, they were there. And I never would have guessed the ending!

The Man in the Brown Suit is different from the other Agathas I have read in that there is a bit of a romantic storyline. It was a bit unbelievable, as Anne (the protagonist) falls in love stunningly quickly. But it does play a role in the plot and eventual resolution, so I will excuse it.

The story is narrated in first-person by Anne Beddingfield, a recently orphaned girl in search of mystery and adventure. Anne does not possess Hercule Poirot's intellect, but she makes up for it with her hunger for adventure and her innate vivacity (and tenacity). It is also narrated, in journal form, by Sir Eustace Pedler, a member of the House of Lords. Sir Eustace is a very entertaining narrator and a brilliant character. His secretary is also funny. In fact, I laughed out loud a few times during this book (but my sense of humor is at best abnormal).

I don't want to spoil the mystery, so I will say only this: a woman is found murdered in the house of the unwitting Sir Eustace. Who is she? Why was she killed? Who is the man in the brown suit? And who really killed her? By coincidence, Anne picks up a few clues and investigates, as the police are useless, and she ends up on a grand international adventure.