The Idol House of Astarte

Miss Marple #SS 2

by Agatha Christie

At the second meeting of the Tuesday Night Club, the clergyman Dr. Pender relates a case in which he participated many years ago. Within the estate of his friend Richard Haydon there was a very old forest full of archaeological treasures. It was said that bloody sacred rites had been performed in that place, right in front of a statue representing the goddess Astarte. During a meeting, Sir Richard's guests visit the site and a girl goes into a trance, while one of the men falls dead in front of everyone else. Will the members of the Club be able to solve a case that seems completely supernatural?

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

33 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1928

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

[Rosh (on a short break) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Shucks! Yet another bummer in this collection.

The Tuesday Night Club meets at Dr. Pender’s house this time. The clergyman narrates a spooky mystery about a supposedly paranormal element in a murder that took place within a mysterious grove of trees. Once again, of the five club members who attempt to solve it, it is Miss Marple who hits the nail on the head.
(I’m beginning to think I should stop writing this line; it is but obvious that every mystery in this anthology will be solved by Miss Marple! 😄)

It took me a while to get into this short Marple story. The middle built up to some chilling paranormal suspense. The ending was a DUD. It leaves too many things unexplained. Moreover, as the entire story comes through conversations alone, it becomes a bit tricky to follow the story-within-a-story.

Overall, I liked the proceedings better than the first story, as this had more of a mystery element, but the resolution was utterly disappointing. Plus, there was hardly anything for Miss Marple to do except to stay quiet throughout the story and suddenly pop in with the answer during the climax.

2 stars.

This story is part of the The Thirteen Problems collection.

PS: It’s a bit insulting about "oriental" looks, but letting it go because of the era it was written in.



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[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Miss Marple and her Tuesday Night Club friends listen to the clergyman of their group tell a story about the time he witnessed a man killed by seemingly supernatural forces.
The beautiful young socialite, Diana Ashley, convinces the other guests to play dress up and go out to the supposedly sacred grove of Astarte (on the property) that had a small temple/house there. It's all fun and games till the owner of the house, Sir Richard, falls over dead with a stab wound, and there's no knife to be found.
How did this toga party go so wrong?!



Spooky, spooky, right?
Of course not! Miss Marple isn't going to let a costume party fool her, and she correctly figures out who stabbed that young man so many years ago.

Originally published in 1928 in The Royal Magazine.
Read as part of the short story collections The Thirteen Problems & The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural.

[EveStar91 · Rating 3 out of 5]

“Astarte, or Ishtar, or Ashtoreth, or whatever you choose to call her. I prefer the Phoenician name of Astarte. There is, I believe, one known Grove of Astarte in this country – in the North on the Wall. I have no evidence, but I like to believe that we have a true and authentic Grove of Astarte here. Here, within this dense circle of trees, sacred rites were performed.”

Dr. Pender, the clergyman, shares his paranormal story worth a few shivers at the Tuesday Night Club in The Idol House of Astarte. The story and the narration had some spooky vibes, including a seeming possession. But Miss Marple is clear sighted enough to look past the fog at motive, means and opportunity.

🌟🌟🌟1/4
[3/4 star for the premise; 3/4 star for the characters; 3/4 star for the plot; Half a star for the world-building; Half a star for the writing - 3 1/4 stars in total.]

[Jack Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. An eerie tale which takes place in and around a house by the moors called Silent Grove. Dr. Pender tells the Tuesday Night Club of a "strange and tragic experience" he had as a young man. The 18-paged, Idol House of Astarte is one of 20 in Miss Marple: the Complete Short Stories. It first appeared in Royal Magazine in 1928. Sir Henry calls the the vicar's introduction "creepy." It takes off from there with superstition and atmosphere! The house had been purchased by Sir Richard Haydon and he invited Pender to a house warming. One of the guests was a young woman, Miss Diana Ashley, who seemed to favour different men at different times with her special allure. Near the house was a stone building in a grove of trees supposedly connected to the sacred rites of the Druids! It was called the Grove of Astarte. The name goes back to a goddess worshipped in the middle east in the bronze age. Everyone felt uneasy. Diana suggested a fancy dress party and she came as Priestess of Astarte. At the Idol House, Sir Richard suddenly died of a wound to his heart. "Why?" was Pender's question. Aunt Jane then spoke up. (Au2020/Ja2026)

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Agatha Christie adds a bit of creepiness to this short story of mysterious murder. The Idol House of Astarte was first published in The Royal Magazine in the UK in January 1928. US publication followed in Detective Story Magazine that June. In the US, the story was published as "The Solving Six and the Evil Hour.'' The tales of the Tuesday Night Club continue in this second Miss Marple short story. Six friends tell tales of mysterious unsolved crimes to see which one of them can ferret out the truth! This time it's the clergyman's turn to tell his story. How was a man seemingly stabbed to death....with several eye-witnesses....when nobody was near him?

I love reading Agatha Christie short stories while listening to them on audio, but when I went looking for an audio version of The Complete Short Stories or even just this short story by itself, I was unsuccessful. I did find the short story collection, The Thirteen Problems, in audio format, so listened to this story there. Narrated by Joan Hickson, the story is about 20 minutes long or so. Hickson does a very good job of narrating -- her voice is perfect for it (which is understandable since she played the character on the BBC television series Miss Marple from 1984-1992). The print book I am reading from is an old hardback copy (Putnam Press) from 1985, Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories. This book has been on my shelf since I found it stuffed among old cookbooks in a thriftshop years ago. It languished unread, yet much loved, with my Christie collection until this year. After collecting the books for years, I finally decided 2020 was the year to actually start reading every one of them.

I love this story! Christie adds in a touch of the supernatural, weaving the tale around a man's strange dark grove of trees he has dedicated to the goddess Astarte. The Clergyman tells his story with dark purpose, and everyone in the room is shocked when Miss Marple reveals what happened. So much fun to read! And definitely classic Christie!

These first Marple tales are short, but very well written and enjoyable. Smart marketing on Christie's part -- give fans a taste of a new character by printing several short tales in detective magazines....then follow up with novels. Smart! She did the same with Hercule Poirot. Almost 100 years later and mystery lovers still read her stories and love her characters! I wish I could get my hands on even just one of these old magazines to see the original formatting, artwork, advertisements, etc!!

On to the next Marple story -- Ingots of Gold!

[S.A. Krishnan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick Miss Marple mystery
With the garden of Astarte providing a proper background and Diana Ashley suddenly acting out of character, and a murder, Miss Marple solves a murder that had occurred in the past. Quick fast read.

[Verba Non Res · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agatha Christie usa en este cuento el clásico truco del prestidigitador: llamar nuestra atención sobre una parte de un suceso, para distraernos de lo verdaderamente importante. “The Idol House of Astarte” sigue la tradición, que nace junto con el mismo género policial, en la Rue Morgue, de presentarnos un misterio cuya primera solución aparente es de carácter sobrenatural, para después ofrecernos una explicación lógica. El cuento puede pecar de cierta inverosimilitud (tanto como el marco, ¿no? un grupo de amigos que se reúne a charlar, y resulta que cada uno de ellos fue testigo de un asesinato o algún otro crimen de importancia); la atmósfera, al menos, es bastante tétrica.

Cuento #2 de Los trece problemas

Anterior: “The Tuesday Night Club”

Siguiente: “Ingots of Gold”

[Agla]

Too short to rate. Nice, spooky mystery that Marple solves obviously 😉

[Madison Cohen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Again, predictable, but still good fun

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

The second mystery of The Tuesday Night Club. Dr. Pender tells a story with the same method of murder as in Ms. Christie’s Poirot novel, Appointment with Death. Richard is having a house party where the lovely Miss Diane is flirting with both Richard and his cousin, Elliot. During an evening trip to the woods to visit the site of an old ruin, possibly used for sacrifices in ancient times, Diane claims that she will kill anyone who approaches her. Richard starts toward her and trips and falls to his death. Elliot rushes to him and finds that he has been stabbed in the heart and the weapon is missing. Diane was not close enough to do it, so who killed him? Miss Marple figures out that Richard was not dead when he first tripped, only stunned. It was Elliot who stabbed him when he went to check on him and his motive was to win the affection of the lovely Diane. I do not love stories that involve the supernatural or other seemingly unexplained phenomena. While the murder itself was not supernatural, the setting in the creepy woods at the site of ancient sacrifices was not really my cup of tea.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I've been working my way through Christie's Miss Marple short stories and enjoying them, but this one just didn't compare well with the others. Christie tried adding an almost paranormal element to a story being told to Miss Marple, something based on paganism and the goddess Astarte, but it didn't really work-- probably because the person telling the story didn't believe it himself. Also, the solution was obvious. Miss Marple didn't even have to know any of the participants or check out the crime scene before she told everyone whodunit.

[Riju Ganguly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again Dame Christie simply stuns us with her characterisation and observations regarding human psyche. Obviously she does it through Miss Marple, the overlooked and easily forgotten spinster. While everybody (me included) gets bogged down by the gothic atmosphere and romance, she sees only the truth. Only, some of the contemporaneousness drags the story a little bit.
Only Christie could have written such a story. And now I think a complete re-read of her works is in order.
What about you?

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Agatha Christie can write very logical scenarios for a murder but some books and stories are peppered with the occult, séances and ghosts. It is the job of Poirot or Marple to point us away from them. Christie really liked the supernatural. I’m smiling because I see this as a perpetual fight between the author and her alter egos.

This short story is an example of Christie’s explanation of the unknown. Very well written and as always kept me guessing until the end.

[mairiachi · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. This was always a creepy short story to me. Most of Agatha Christie's shorts aren't very good, but this one has always made me shiver happily when I read it because it's just really good, the atmosphere is creepy, the murder is creepy, the time, place, whatever. It's all creepy. I gave it four stars because it's better than most of hers, but it's not GREAT. It's about 3.5 stars.

[PortCityDeDe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Expectantly good

It was a great read on my morning commute. The suspense was just enough to keep me engaged. And I figured it out before Miss. Marple.

[esa basic booktuber · Rating 4 out of 5]

I figured it out, I’m so happy

[Dennis Brock · Rating 4 out of 5]

This offering was much better than the first story in this collection. Miss Marple does it again!

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Miss Marple short story. Light and entertaining.

[NILTON TEIXEIRA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story was included in “Midsummer Mysteries: Tales from the Queen of Mystery”, a new compilation of the original short stories written by Agatha Christie

[Omar · Rating 3 out of 5]

القصة الثالثة التي قرأتها كانت “The Idol House of Astarte”، وقد تميّزت فوراً بأنها الأجمل والأكثر جذباً حتى الآن. منذ المشهد الأول تشعر بأنك تدخل عالماً تتلاشى فيه الحدود بين الواقع والأسطورة، وأن لحظة واحدة—مغموسة بضوء القمر—قادرة على قلب كل ما نعرفه عن المنطق والعقل رأساً على عقب.

ما يجعل هذه القصة مميزة ليس أجواؤها الغامضة فقط، بل قدرتها على اللعب بتوقعات القارئ. فالمكان وحده—منزل منعزل، طقوس غريبة، ومجموعة من الأصدقاء المحاصرين بين الخوف والارتباك—يصنع توتراً يتصاعد بسلاسة ومن غير أي مبالغات. هنا تترك أجاثا كريستي الباب موارباً أمام ما يبدو خارقاً للطبيعة، ثم تعود بحرفيّة لتكشف كيف يمكن للنفس البشرية، حين توضع تحت الضغط، أن تحاكي المستحيل وتجعله يبدو حقيقياً.

الإيقاع أكثر حدة، والبناء أكثر إحكاماً، والشعور بالخطر حاضر بقوة. وكل شخصية في القصة تصبح موضع شك، ليس لأنها تتصرف بشكل غريب، بل لأن الجو كله مشبع بالأسرار. وبرغم هذا الارتباك، تبقى القصة محكمة البنية، وتنتهي بخاتمة ذكية تعيد العقل إلى مكانه من دون أن تفقد الغموض جماله.

بالنسبة لي، هذه القصة تكشف جانباً متألقاً من أسلوب كريستي: مزيج من الأجواء الساحرة والمنطق الدقيق والتشويق المحكم. ولم يكن مفاجئاً أن تصبح المفضلة لدي بين القصص المبكرة من نادي الثلاثاء


The third story I read was “The Idol House of Astarte,” and it immediately stood out as the most captivating one so far. From the very first scene, there is a sense that we are stepping into a world where the boundaries between reality and myth begin to blur, and where a single moment—bathed in moonlight—can overturn every assumption we hold about logic and reason.

What makes this story exceptional is not just its mysterious atmosphere, but the way it toys with the reader’s expectations. The setting alone—an isolated estate, strange rituals, and a circle of friends frozen between fear and disbelief—creates a tension that grows naturally, without effort or exaggeration. Here, Christie allows the supernatural to knock on the door, only to reveal later how easily human psychology can imitate the impossible when placed under pressure.

The pacing is sharper, the buildup more deliberate, and the sense of danger more immediate. Every character becomes a possible suspect, not because they act suspiciously, but because the whole environment feels soaked in secrets. And amid all this confusion, the story manages to keep its structure tight, delivering a clever and satisfying conclusion that restores reason without killing the beauty of mystery.

For me, this story shows Christie at one of her finest moments: weaving atmosphere, logic, and suspense into a compact but rich narrative. It’s no surprise that it became my favorite among the early tales of The Tuesday Night Club.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy this one as much as its immediate predecessor, "The Tuesday Night Club." It's a little bit overwrought, I think, and I can't quite wrap my head around Miss Marple and sacred groves and suggested orgies in the service of ancient goddesses. Everyone's very worried about the creepy grove, but I can't help but think that all the histrionics around it have been devised, by Christie, to draw attention away from a relatively thin mystery plot. When it comes to Miss Marple, I much prefer the domestic setting, rather than the attempt at evoking a misdirected horror that is the case here.

[José Fernando]

RESUMEN:

En “La casa del ídolo de Astarté”, el doctor Pender cuenta al Club de los Martes una experiencia aterradora que vivió cuando era joven. Todo ocurrió en una finca llamada el Bosque Silencioso, un lugar antiguo y extraño, relacionado con rituales paganos dedicados a la diosa Astarté.

Un grupo de personas, entre ellas sir Richard Haydon, su primo Elliot y la misteriosa Diana Ashley, decide organizar una fiesta de disfraces. Durante la noche, Diana se disfraza de sacerdotisa de Astarté y representa una escena ritual en el bosque. En medio de la atmósfera oscura y tensa, sir Richard avanza hacia ella y cae muerto repentinamente, aparentemente apuñalado, aunque nadie vio ningún arma.

Más tarde, Elliot Haydon regresa al bosque para buscar explicaciones y también resulta herido por una daga. El caso queda sin resolver durante años, hasta que miss Marple analiza los hechos y concluye que Elliot asesinó a su primo por ambición y luego se hirió a sí mismo para despistar a todos. Años después, Elliot confiesa su crimen en una carta antes de morir.

ANALISIS:
El cuento pertenece al género policial, pero mezcla el misterio con elementos de suspenso psicológico y superstición. Durante gran parte del relato, el lector cree que el crimen puede tener un origen sobrenatural, debido a la atmósfera del bosque y al simbolismo de la diosa Astarté.
Sin embargo, Agatha Christie demuestra que detrás de lo que parece mágico o inexplicable siempre hay una explicación racional. El tema principal es cómo el miedo y la sugestión pueden engañar a las personas, haciéndoles creer cosas que no son reales.
Miss Marple resalta como el personaje más inteligente, ya que no se deja llevar por la atmósfera ni por las apariencias. Ella analiza los hechos con lógica y experiencia, demostrando que la maldad humana puede ser más peligrosa que cualquier fuerza sobrenatural.

MI COMENTARIO:
En mi opinión, La casa del ídolo de Astarté es un relato muy interesante porque mantiene el suspenso hasta el final y juega con el miedo del lector. Al principio, uno cree que el asesinato tiene algo que ver con rituales antiguos o fuerzas malignas, pero al final se descubre que todo fue causado por la ambición y la envidia.
Me gustó cómo Agatha Christie muestra que las personas pueden cometer crímenes terribles cuando desean poder o dinero. También me pareció importante el papel de miss Marple, porque demuestra que pensar con calma y observar bien los detalles puede aclarar incluso los casos más confusos.
Es un cuento que hace reflexionar sobre cómo el miedo puede nublar el juicio y cómo no todo lo misterioso es sobrenatural.

[Jeremy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tuesday Night Club, pt 2: The Parson's Story

This is a funny and wacky story about a young woman who seems to be possessed by the spirit of an ancient goddess.

Doesn't have the village charm of a Marple story, but it's an entertaining read nonetheless.

[As You Wish · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wonder if Agatha Christie believed in the supernatural or if she thought everything has a scientific explanation. This is yet another weird English house party gone awry, and a squabble over inheritance.

[Laura L. Van Dam · Rating 4 out of 5]

otro de los cuentos cortos de Miss Marple, en audiolibro para acompañarme mientras hago orden en casa, están en forma gratuita narrados en YouTube, los recomiendo!!!

[Lina · Rating 4 out of 5]

lo escuche dos veces..una mientras hacía... (¿?) y la otra mientras limpiaba la cocina.

[Bear Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesome Agatha short story with a twist that was leaves you thinking well of course!

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

The telling of a tale; a sinister story of ancient beliefs and seemingly supernatural events related by a parson remembering an evil atmosphere. He told the various people in the room, Miss Marple of a man struck down by an unknown force, and found to be dead, stabbed through the heart, but no weapon to be found.

Although the Police were called no practical explanation was found for death, no-one was charged and the implication left on those witnesses like the clergyman was that it was done by a non-human agency.

Without being there, and due to the narrator of this incredible death, you lean towards some other worldly presence.

Not so Miss Marple, drawing from real events in her social circles and local incidents she proposes a more rational explanation.

A quite chilling reconstruction that opens up the mind to believe the paranormal influences at work in an ancient religion. I was taken in completely and missed the obvious clues that point to an opportunist murder.

Miss Marple of cause as sharp as a pin, listened but kept her brain focused and provided a logical reason for what happened with opportunity, motive and means.

[Brookeness · Rating 3 out of 5]

a

[Sapphire Detective · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard this story one night as I was trying to sleep on a Youtube upload of the audiobook of The Thirteen Problems as read by Joan Hickson, so I did have familiarity with this story. However the familiarity only came back to me in the vaguest waves as I was reading, so for all intents and purposes it was like I was experiencing the story fresh. Unfortunately, the solution isn't too tricky to figure out--it's a well-executed trick but a classic--but the creepy atmosphere makes up for it.

My rating: 4/5
Would I own/re-read?: Maybe!
TW: Period-accurate feelings toward non-Christian beliefs (I'm also not sure how many pre-anglican people in Britain would've worshipped Astarte/Ishtar, so any "idol house" probably wouldn't be there anyways), Death
Does the animal die?: No animals are harmed in the Idol House.
How difficult is the mystery?: Addressed in the body.