The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories

Hercule Poirot #46

by Agatha Christie

A grand treasure for fans of the grande dame of mystery, this collection brings together nine rare and brilliant Christie tales of murder and detection that span nearly half a century of storytelling genius.

The Edge
The Actress
While the Light Lasts
The House of Dreams
The Lonely God
Manx Gold
Within a Wall
The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
The Harlequin Tea Set

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Short Stories, Fiction, Classics, Audiobook, Crime

224 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 14, 1997

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Edge
A chance encounter at a hotel gives a spinster the chance to terrorize the cheating wife of the man she loved. A very good psychological thriller for a short story.



The Actress
A nasty blackmailer is thwarted by a clever actress who is determined to get him out of her life.



Very lighthearted and fun!

While the Light Lasts
What if you had the chance to be with your first love again?
A woman who married wealth and security after her first husband was killed in the war has the chance to revisit her past.



I really enjoyed this haunting short about second chances.

The House of Dreams
This one is admittedly weird.
First published in The Sovereign Magazine in 1926, it's a mash-up of a psychological thriller with a bit of the paranormal, and it really doesn't work all that well.
A man has dreams of a white house and he also feels this love connection to a woman in the story with a family history of mental illness.



In the end, she loses her mind and they meet in this white house in his dreams.
I'm glad the conclusion had a bit of the sweet stuff but it wasn't the easiest storyline to wrap your head around.

The Lonely God
A little statue of an unnamed god in a museum brings two lonely people together.



It has a very sweet ending.
And I'm not sure what it was about the way Christie told this story, but it made for quite a nice read.

Manx Gold
Two broke cousins are in love. <---hahahaha!
Yes. So they get a message from a rich (dead) relative saying he's got a treasure, and he's going to let the smartest cousin have it. So, these two are working together against their other (shady) cousins to figure out all the clues, find the gold (or whatever), and get enough money so they can marry and have babies with birth defects.




Within a Wall
It's one of those you picked the wrong person stories.



A famous painter adores his beautiful wife but respects the opinions of their plain Jane friend. He is confused by his feelings towards both women and senses something about his wife's spending habits isn't right.

It's a morality tale. I guess?

The Mystery of the Spanish Chest
Poirot must discover who killed a man and stuffed his body into a chest right before an intimate gathering of friends. It seems as though one of the party-goers must have done away with him and just kept on dancing.



The Harlequin Tea Set
Picking up several years after The Mysterious Mr. Quin, the nice incarnation of Death does his thing once more and helps Mr. Satterthwaite save a family he cares deeply about from some serious grief.



This was a fantastic story to end this collection on and I was very pleased with the outcome.

Recommended for fans of Agatha Christie that are looking for a (mostly) very good set of her short stories.

[Erin · Rating 4 out of 5]

#11 in my Agatha Christie Challenge

Well, this is listed as Hercule Poiriot #44 and while there is a HP short story, I felt each of these short stories are worth the reading time. As per my usual style, I will provide a brief synopsis of each story and rate thrm accordingly.

1. The Edge(1927) 4 stars

By a pure accident she had come into possession of facts that affected vitally the man she loved and the woman who she disliked and-----yes, one might as well be frank----of whom she was bitterly jealous. She could ruin that woman. Was she justified in doing this?

A.C. wields the old green eyed monster to explain the conflict between two small village women who love the same men. The climax of the story was pure Christie gold.

2. The Actress (1923) 3 stars
Nancy Taylor! he muttered.By the Lord, little Nancy Taylor!

A down on his luck fella thinks his luck has changed when he spies a woman from his past. The only problem is that she wants her past to stay in the past. A.C left me wondering which of her characters pulled off the more skillful con.

3. While the Light Lasts (1923) 3.5 stars
Even though I had a feeling about how it was going to finish, this particular storyline obviously spun the web for future writers.

4. The House of Dreams (1926) 4 stars
Twists and turns and descents into madness, oh my!

5. The Lonely God (1926) 3.5 stars
Wowza! This took me by surpriseas it was more love story than mystery, but I certainly enjoyed it..

6. Manx Gold (1930) 3.5 stars
Based on actual occurrences, Agatha Christie penned this as part of a commission for an Alderman who wanted to beef up tourism on the Isle of Man. People actually took up the challenge to solve the clues in the story that A.C had left. How cool is that?

7. Within a Wall (1925) 5 stars

It was Mrs. Lempriere who discovered the existence of Jane Haworth.
I won't say too much about the plot but oh my goodness this was AWESOME!

8. The Mystery of the Spanish Chest (1939) 4.5 stars

Our favorite Belgian detective returns! Hercule Poiriot finds himself called to a cocktail party where a recent widow is not convinced the right person has been accused of murdering her husband and asks HP to do his magic. With a little help from Shakespeare, Poiriot solves the case.

9. The Harlequin Tea Set (1971) 3.5 stars
A new to me detective, Mr. Harley Quin finds himself in the midst of a murder plot.

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only reason this book deserves a 5 star is because it has the last short story Agatha Christie wrote. Most of the stories in this collection have appeared in other collections as well- some are romantic short stories while some are also supernatural themed. One unique story included in the collection is the "Mystery of the Spanish chest" which is an expanded version of the original short story- :Mystery of the Baghdad chest.

[Karina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just noticed in the author's mini bio in the book jacket that we have the same birth date. It's no wonder I like her! Us Virgo's gotta stick together. (Smiling to myself)

Nine short stories from Miss Agatha Christie. I enjoyed most of them except Manx Gold. My favorite was The Mystery of the Spanish Chest featuring M. Poirot was a nice surprise with a good plot twist. The Actress was also a very fun one to read featuring a blackmailing coward. I really like how she gets to the point and heart of the matter. I find that some authors struggle to get to crux of the plot and then have a lazy ending. She also doesn't lower herself to unnecessary cursing and horror. I will say sometimes she has too many characters to keep up with but that's as far as a criticism I can muster for the Queen of Mystery.

Would recommend for people that love mystery or short stories even if you don't favor Christie.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice, diverse set of short stories that show Christie's range of writing. The stories range from the more traditional mysteries Christie is known for to straight up psychological stories to what I might even describe as a Lovecraftian tale. I was also introduced to one of Christie's less well known characters, Harley Quin, who I found delightful. All in all it was a very good listen with some very good stories and some that just fell a bit flat for me. I would say my favorites were 'The Lonely God' and the eponymous 'The Harlequin Tea Set'. The voices were pleasant and did not distract from the stories at all. This is a nice audiobook to while away a car trip with.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hercule Poirot has long been a stellar detective, though he is by no means the only sleuth that Agatha Christie perfected. In this collection of short stories penned throughout her career, Christie offers up some final gems including a few of her investigator protagonists. A strong reading treasure for fans of the author, it highlights some of her work through a stellar career.

Agatha Christie uses her superior storytelling abilities to impress the reader in ways they could not have expected to love. The entire Poirot journey had ended, as I read the final short stories I could find. Throughout, the retired Belgian detective sought to have everyone use their grey matter to connect the dots. The narrative in these nine stories flows well for the reader, providing a sense of intrigue with each page turn. Using numerous settings, Christie formulates tension and curiosity for those who pay attention. Plot points arise and there are some obvious surprises throughout, with a variety of characters and sleuths delivering strong sentiments in the various stories. This was the last of the Poirot pieces for me and I am happy to have made it through this intense and long-winding journey!!

Kudos, Dame Christie, for a delightful end to the Hercule Poirot adventure for me!

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.

[Morgan Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, I think I get what the fuss is about Agatha Christie now. Hint: the fuss is totally earned.

The Harlequin Tea Set is a collection of rarely published, thematically wide ranging stories. There are, of course, the murder mysteries which she's so famous for, including a story about her famous detective Poirot, The Spanish Chest. But there are also stories which edge into the domain of the supernatural and ephemeral, where some cosmic force is helping move things along to aid or bring justice to a character, stories about love and love lost, of betrayal and guilt. And of course stories about buried treasure.

There is something heavy in Christie's writing that goes beyond just subject matter. There were many times where I felt like I could have been reading Poe or, in the case of The House of Dreams, H.P. Lovecraft - albeit better written than Lovecraft. What surprised me most about Agatha Christie's writing was that, while I could definitely sense the era of the settings, the writing itself was as fresh and clear as though someone had written it now. I can't wait to read some of her full novels.

[Pauline Reid · Rating 5 out of 5]

Listened to as an audiobook via BorrowBox Audio

Duration - 1 hr 4 minutes- short story, read by High Fraser.

[Vicky Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

"But all the same it is life that really matters."

Psychological short stories from a mixture of ideas, along with the one Harley Quin and the One Hercule Poirot story round out this collection of Agatha's mostly early work. They are not arranged in chronological order, so I put them in order before reading them. They begin in 1923 and end in 1932; with the exception of the titular story, The Harlequin Tea Set, which was first published in 1971. How these two got thrown into the mix I will never know. But, it is a good collection to enjoy the diversity.

The one Poirot is 'The Mystery of the Spanish Chest,' (1932) which is a great story. 'The Harlequin Tea Set' is effectively the last Harley Quin, and the final short story that Agatha had published, some 48 years after her first short story appeared, 'The Victory Ball.' This last story was obviously written by an aging lady, and seems to take a long time to arrive at the point. I think that is the draw of such a story: you get to see the author in her final years. It was published the same year she was made a Dame of the British Empire. She would die five years after 'The Harlequin Tea Set' was published. 'Manx Gold' was written in 1930, a time when Agatha was forty and well known. She wrote it for a treasure hunt that was conducted with her help to boost tourism on the Isle of Man.

The other 6 stories were completed in the 1920's and are some of her earliest work. These six are unique psychological twist plots and provide a bit of something different from the pen of the prolific writer. What I liked best about them was the way they reflect real human qualities. 'While the Light Lasts' is especially intriguing, and will leave you thinking for years to come, as will probably 'Within a Wall.' 'While the Light Lasts' takes a Bible verse for its idea. 'Within a Wall' looks deep into the heart of a love triangle. Both of them, like 'The Edge' deal with guilt. I recommend this collection for those who like short psychological mysteries.

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads #Poirot

Agatha Christie’s The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories feels like a secret door into her creative attic—a place where she tucked away oddities, experiments, and tales that didn’t quite fit her usual series mold but still gleam with her unmistakable touch.

Published after her death, the collection brings together a range of short pieces that stretch beyond the neat confines of drawing-room murders. Yes, Poirot makes his presence felt, but this isn’t only about the little Belgian’s “grey cells.” Instead, it’s Christie in a freer, looser mode, playing with tones that range from the mysterious to the whimsical, sometimes even brushing against the eerie.

What strikes you while reading is the sheer variety. Some stories are classic Christie puzzles in miniature — all about hidden motives, sharp observations, and that sly final reveal she was so good at. Others take surprising turns, slipping into romance, suspense, or even allegory. They don’t always carry the polished inevitability of her most famous novels, but that’s part of their charm. You get to see Christie experimenting, trying out different textures, sometimes leaving a story as a fragmentary mood piece rather than a fully engineered puzzle box.

The title story, The Harlequin Tea Set, is a good example of her late-career imagination: playful, strange, tinged with symbolism, but still anchored in her fascination with human behaviour. Elsewhere, you find tales of chance encounters, hidden identities, and everyday lives suddenly disrupted by fate.

The collection has a slightly wistful air — as if you’re catching Christie in moments when she wasn’t under the pressure of delivering a “big” Poirot case or a country-house classic, but instead letting herself wander.

For fans of Poirot, this isn’t the place to find his grand finales or dazzling deductions. But if you’re interested in Christie’s breadth as a storyteller, it’s a quiet treasure. These stories remind you that she wasn’t only about meticulous plotting; she could also sketch character, mood, and irony in just a few pages.

Reading them feels a bit like sharing a pot of tea with Christie herself, hearing her say, “Here are some stories I never quite forgot.”

[Olivia's Bookish Places & Spaces · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have to say I was really disappointed in this collection as I'm a huge Agatha Christie fan. It is obvious that these are some of her earlier works as they are not as well written, the characters are flat and quite frankly I was able to figure out who 'did it' by the halfway points in these stories. I'd give this one a pass as she has far, far greater books out there than this one.

[Shiloah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a complication of short stories. We meet Harley Quin in the last story. One I’ve read in another collection. I wish there were more of Poirot.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

A varied mix of genres, and of mixed quality. The title story is a beauty, easily one of Christie's best short stories. Unfortunately, "Manx Gold" is a senseless scavenger hunt story as the 'clues' aren't going to mean anything to a reader: it's a train wreck and among Christie's weakest works. There is even an odd foreword and afterword by Tony Medawar that only adds to the confusion. "The Lonely God" is a simple romantic story: boy meets girl, boy loses girl, then there is a surprise twist. "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" is typical Christie, a satisfying murder mystery. I must say that Dame Agatha really knew what subjects/ideas make a short story vs a novel vs a stage play. No one would ever accuse her wasted words. Without "Manx Gold", this is a four-star collection. Oddly, "Gold" was first published in 1930 in the Daily Dispatch (I suppose that was/is a London newspaper/tabloid) while the others in this collection were previously published in magazines and other short story collections. "Gold" feels like a throw-away work, and should have stayed that way. I've a feeling this "Tony Medawar" (connected with "Gold" wrote most, if not the entire, story, as it is so unlike Christie's body of work.

[Zai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otra entretenida novela de Agatha Christie, ésta no la conocía, la descubrí ayer. Esta antología está compuesta por 9 relatos, de los cuales 8 ya habían sido publicados en la antología Un dios solitario y otros relatos, solamente el relato que da título a esta antología es inédito.

El relato que más me ha gustado de está antología ha sido El misterio del cofre español, también me han gustado bastante los siguientes; La casa de los sueños, El acantilado y Entre paredes blancas y los que menos me han gustado han sido; El oro de Man y La actriz; el resto han estado entretenidos.

[Tom · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Edge - 4 Stars
The Actress - 5 Stars
While the Light Lasts - 3 Stars
The House of Dreams - 3.5 Stars
The Lonely God - 4 Stars
Manx Gold - 3 Stars
Within a Wall - 4 Stars
The Mystery of the Spanish Chest - Poirot Short Story 5 Stars
The Harlequin Tea Set - 5 Stars

[Susy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars

The Edge ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Actress ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
While the Light Lasts ⭐️⭐️.75
The House of Dreams ⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
The Lonely God ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Manx Gold ⭐️⭐️.75
Within a Wall ⭐️⭐️.75
The Mystery of the Spanish Chest ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
The Harlequin Tea Set ⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a series of short stories. I really liked them all. They were stories that were published in magazines or newspapers. I loved that they explained when and where these stories were first written.

[Zanahoria · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I pick one of Agatha's short story collections, and there are some romantic ones inside, I always find some chilling gem. I had a good time with the whole book, but "Inside the white wall" was so perfectly disturbing.

[Toby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unread shelf project 2021: book 103.

My 300th book of 2021!! 🙌🏻

This was quite a surprisingly lovely set of short stories by Dame Agatha Christie. I’m a bit sad that it took me this long to pick them up!

Here’s my breakdown of the stories by star ratings:

1) The Edge: 3/5 — populated with unlikable characters, this was an interesting character study and psychological thriller-style tale.

2) The Actress: 4/5 — I love me a happy ending where the bad guys lose!

3) While the Light Lasts: 3/5 — such a tragic tale.

4) The House of Dreams: 2/5. Too mystical and weird for my taste.

5) The Lonely God: 5/5. Ugh I loved this story!

6) Manx Gold: 4.5/5. The tale of a treasure hunt between relatives — only complaint is that the riddles were never explained.

7) Within a Wall: 3.5/5. Really reminiscent of some of Louisa May Alcott’s gothic tales. Tragic but kind of unbelievable but still an enjoyable drama to read.

8) The Mystery of the Spanish Chest: 5/5. Poirot to the rescue!

9) The Harlequin Tea Set: 4/5. I’m not familiar with the character of Harley Quin so this one also felt a bit mystical and unbelievable but the drama and mystery was enjoyable!

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nine short stories: The Edge, The Actress, While the Light Lasts, The House of Dreams, The Lonely God, Manx Gold, Within a Wall, The Mystery of the Spanish Chest (Hercule Poirot), and The Harlequin Tea Set (Harley Quin). I enjoyed the mysteries in this collection the most but the stories such as While the Light Lasts, The House of Dreams and The Lonely God, and Within a Wall that deal with love, lost or unobtainable, and personal ambition were also enjoyable. The Edge grabbed me and pulled me into this collection right off the bat with it's story of secret knowledge leading to power and tragedy. Manx Gold was the weakest story, the treasure hunt and unknown relatives of dubious integrity didn't really keep me interested. Overall an entertaining and quickly readable collection of short stories.

[Amanda]

I really liked some of these stories, particularly "The House of Dreams". This story was really rather sad, not a mystery but a sort of unrequited tragic love story. John and Allegra have a connection, but Allegra is tormented by a "monster" - John recognizes this sleeping monster in her, but never stops to consider why he can recognize this Thing, and is continually haunted by his beautiful house of dreams. "The Lonely God" is a really sweet love story, I feel bad for the god though, I hope his worshippers went back to visit from time to time!

[ShanDizzy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Like others reviewers have said, the hype surrounding Agatha Christie is most certainly appropriate. She absolutely knew how to write a story. In this series of short stories, the one which blew me away and moved me to the core was The Lonely God. I teared up at this powerful and amazing story. She cut to the heart of the human condition of loneliness and painted a beautiful enduring love story.

[Jill H. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a compilation of short stories by the Queen of British mystery writers. Only two have Christie recurring characters......Poirot (Mystery of the Spanish Chest) and Harley Quin (the eponymous title story). Very short, well done, and enjoyable and one of the stories has a theme that is a little darker than most of Christie's tales. A quick satisfying book for a rainy afternoon.

[Vicki Cline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only one of the stories, The Mystery of the Spanish Chest, had Poirot in it. All but the last one were published in the late 20s and early 30s. The final story, The Harlequin Tea Set, was the very last one published, in 1971. It was quite interesting, with more than a hint of the supernatural.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Actress, The Lonely God, The Edge and The Harlequin Tea Set. I was surprised how much I enjoyed these.

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories boasts nine short story pieces. One is a Hercule Poirot and one a Mr. Harlequin, but the others are all standalones of a variety of genres.

The Edge is something of a psychological thriller when a spinster who was passed over for the younger flashier bride turns to blackmail to make the young bride's life misery.

The Actress, also involving a blackmailer, is a light caper with the actress making a plan to turn the tables on her blackmailer.

While the Light Lasts is a bittersweet story of a woman finding herself confronted with the choice of a real relationship or material possessions post-war South Africa.

The House of Dreams is a supernatural love story of a man who has dreams about a house and encounters a beautiful woman with mental issues in the family. Soon he learns she has the same mental instability, but also realizes there is a tie to his dream.

The Lonely God is a lighter piece of an idol helping along a young couple's romance.

Manx Gold is a treasure hunt all within a family as a man gives all four of his living relations a shot at the family treasure and hopes the young pair of cousins win over their unscrupulous cousin.

Within a Wall is another bittersweet tale of a talented artist and two women- one his wife who was the toast of her social season and his plainer friend who seems to annoying often, but trusts to give him the truth about his art. It takes him going through a loss to understand about the true character of both women.

The Mystery of the Spanish Chest is Hercule Poirot sleuthing out a murder mystery when a beautiful woman wishes him to save her friend from being tried for her husband's murder.

The Harlequin Tea Set is a later Mr. Harlequin story involving Mr. Sattherwaite when he journeys to visit and his old friend in the country and Mr. Harlequin must suss out the situation before its too late.

Agatha Christie's ability to stretch her writing beyond her murder mysteries has been a fascinating gift to me and it was very evident in this collection that ranged from the macabre to the light-hearted. Naturally, I was more keen on some than others. I always love Poirot and Harlequin with Sattherwaite, but the sad bittersweet While the Light Lasts and the lighter, The Actress and The Lonely God were my favorites in this collection told by three fabulous narrators: Hugh Fraser, Simon Vance, and Isla Blaire.

[Reese Alexander]

Agatha should’ve written more supernatural mysteries, she does it so beautifully

[Valerie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quirky collection of Agatha Christie short stories. Some were quite enjoyable, others didn’t quite hit the mark for me.

[Steve R · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first movement of Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata is played with ‘that expression of grief that is infinite and sorrow that is endless and vast as the ages, but in which from end to end breathes the spirit that will not accept defeat in the solemnity of undying woe, it moves in the rhythm of the conqueror to its final doom.’

This 1997 collection of nine stories was published some years after the death of their author. Married in 1914, Christie and her first husband divorced in 1927, an action resulting from an infidelity on the part of the latter. Not surprisingly, most of these stories, which are largely from the 1920s, deal with romantic triangles and their ensuing complications.

‘The Edge’ from 1927 deals with such a love triangle, the inevitable placing before one of an unavoidable temptation and a willingness to sacrifice all for one’s true love. Both selfishness and forbearance are featured in a very insightful examination of a real moral dilemma. The resulting self-imposed sentence is a strange twist considering Christie’s general inability to ever forgive murder, no matter what extenuating circumstances may have existed.

‘The Actress’ from 1923 allows the title character to demonstrate the true strength of her thespian skills in her response to an impending act of blackmail against her.

Although set in Africa, 1924’s ‘While the Twilight Lasts’ follows a similar path as ‘The Edge’. A love triangle, a refusal by a main character to follow through on an obvious path of action, a biblical injunction and an eventual ultimate act of self sacrifice make the twists of circumstance in both stories virtually identical.

‘The House of Dreams’ from 1926 is a poignant, sad, elusive tale of love, frustrated desire, the burdens of inheritance and, above all else, insanity. It also involves a romantic triangle, the difficulties of variant financial fortunes and the willingness to sacrifice oneself for love. The passage in which Christie describes the first movement of Beethoven’s Pathetique sonata is truly impressive.

‘The Lonely God’ is a beautifully crafted love story which deals quite realistically with loneliness and the challenge of achieving true love without deception. A glimmer of what Christie would use in the characterizations developed in her Westmacott novels was apparent here early on in her writing career.

1930’s ‘Manx Gold’ recounts in a rather uninspiring way a treasure hunt left for two young lovers to outwit their nefarious relatives. Very similar to the later ‘Strange Jest’ story.

‘Within a Wall’ from 1925 is yet another story in this collection to involve a love triangle. Her representations of artistic integrity, the influence of financial pressures, the roles available to one in society and the nature of true love are all very astutely done in this tragic story of the end of a true artist’s integrity. Excellent story.

‘The Mystery of the Spanish Chest’ from 1932 is the first story in this collection with a clear-cut crime of murder. Rather than a romantic triangle giving rise to its events, this time there is more a ‘romantic square’, with a true siren of a woman spurring rash feelings and actions on the part of three different men. Quite ingenious.

The final story in the collection was written in 1971 and involves the characters of Harley Quin and Mr. Sattlethwaite, both of whom I wish Christie had used more often. Although there is again a love triangle, the main thrust is to try to prevent a murder. The semi-spectral figure of Quin works through his perceptive liaison Sattlethwaite since, as the later surmises, death or love is the overriding issue. The spectral images of the closing paragraphs are beautifully done.

All in all, an impressive collection of human spirits relatively immune to the criminal motivations which so dominate her other writings but more poignant and moving for being so.

[Cindy Rollins · Rating 5 out of 5]

These were all quite good. Classic Christie and The House of Dreams is referred to several times by Lucy Worsley in her bio of Dame Agatha.