The House of Lurking Death: A Short Story

Tommy & Tuppence #2.11

by Agatha Christie

Previously published in the print anthology Partners in Crime

Throwing on an almost convincing French accent, Tommy is determined to act the Great Detective Hanaud to his and Tuppence’s latest, lovely client. Miss Hargreaves has recently received a box of chocolates from nobody knows who, and, due to her dislike of chocolates, was the only one to not fall afoul of the arsenic-spiked treats. But, Miss Hargreaves is not the first recipient of such a gift; three other large country houses have received arsenic-laced chocolates. Miss Hargreaves is holding something back, and Tommy and Tuppence must take up residence at her house to discover the true culprit. But will they find out the truth in time?

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

Audio Cassette

First published December 1, 1995

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]

A proper mystery!
A lot of these Tommy & Tuppence shorts are kind of silly. I mean, one of the fun things about this collection is that it's just these two doing goofy stuff, flirt-fussing at each other, and still managing to solve a case or three.



However, this is a twisty poisoning case worthy of Poirot or Marple.
Or A.E.W. Mason's Inspector Hanaud? Because that's who the Beresfords attempt to copy this time around. Hanaud is played by Tommy, of course. And Tuppence acts as his assistant, Ricardo, who is (traditionally) left in the dark till the last minute.
In case you're wondering what I'm talking about, in most of their short stories Tommy and Tuppence take on a new persona as Agatha Christie gives a nod to other authors' detectives.



This was actually somewhat complex for a T&T short. A bit different, but a lot of fun.

Originally published 1924 in The Sketch magazine.
Read as part of the short story collection Partners in Crime.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Appointment for second COVID-19 jab- check. Location? Lovely horse park in sunny Florida. Listen to Hugh Fraser read a Tommy & Tuppence short story while waiting my turn in the car line? Delightful.

Some situations just call for an Agatha Christie story... poison and all.

[Catherine Vamianaki · Rating 4 out of 5]

an interesting short story by Agatha

[Tgordon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who who who? The ultimate who done it writer! See my other reviews of the few I’ve read by her and you will see! I have new addiction-like I needed another ha ha.

[Elisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great short story with murder and a lot of suspects.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fast paced. T&T are approached by a woman who has been poisoned snd suspects the package with chocolates mailed to her originated from her home. Of course money could be involved. T&T will go the next day to be her guests. Next day she is dead and so is the principal suspect. Things escalate quickly upon their arrival.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Too Short

Tommy and Tuppence have long been my favorite Christie sleuths, since I read N or M? so long ago. The only drawback to this story is that it was too short by a long shot. How often does that happen?

[Lauren Iozzi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard to rate to be honest because it was so short. The working out of the mystery was clever but it kind of feels like you cant fully experience the tension and the mysteriousness when it’s so short, you kinda start making your theories and then it’s all over on the next page, so there’s no shock factor because you haven’t had chance to convince yourself of one outcome before you get told the actual outcome. Still entertaining though because come on, it’s Agatha Christie 🤷‍♀️

[Tracy Challis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short little mystery. Fun who-done-it.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Christie excels in novels where she can properly hit her stride but this was fun.

[Bekah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well! That certainly sent shivers up my spine. Spooky little mystery with a smattering of sarcasm & snark. I really do adore Tommy & Tuppence. Definitely need to read some of the full length stories they star in.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was first published in Great Britain by Collins in the collection Partners in Crime, 1929. It contains seventeen stories so if you enjoy the adventures of two young protagonists, Tommy and Tuppence it is the most economical way to read of their exploits.

I found this story in another collection, Autumn Chills and it tempts me to read more about this detective duo.

From the home of Agatha Christie :-

https://www.agathachristie.com/en

Searching for The House of Lurking Death. we read:

“For this case the Beresfords adopt the methods of Inspector Gabriel Hanaud, the great detective of the French Surete. Hanaud, who first appeared in a book in 1910, is the creation of Alfred Edward Woodley Mason (1865-1948). Hanaud’s style tends toward straightforward police detection. Tuppence’s role is to be his sidekick. In Mason’s novels the sidekick is Ricardo who is characteristically left in the dark until the last moment as to the solution of a case.”

I was not an avid fan of these stories; although I enjoy the wide selection of Agatha Christie’s work, I do not normally gravitate to stories about Tommy and Tuppence. That might all change now as I really liked this one and the rapport between the pair, old fashioned as these tales are to a modern ear.

The premise here will be reminiscent of other cases you might have read. Of course the chemist in Christie is very much to the fore in this mystery where poison is used as a means to murder and inherit.

As the old adage goes: Where there is a will ‘your beneficiaries may conspire to kill you.’

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

That girl, that perfectly ripping girl, one can only regret her passing. Between the simple habit of doodling when she has a pen in her hand and the deep loyalty she feels for the people in her life, Christie sketches a sympathetic character with only a few lines.

The detectives are pretty good as well.

Christie is a master of the art, of course, but short stories can be tricky. This one is a country house mystery boiled down to bare essentials. By endearing the characters to us easily, Christie makes this one as compelling as any full length novel.

Except for Tommy. He's a beast.

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommy and Tuppence continue posing as Theodore Blunt and his assistant of the International Detective Agency. A woman hires them to determine who in her household is trying to poison her. She suspended cousin since he inherits her fortune once she dies but she isn’t sure. Before Tommy and Tuppence can investigate, she ends up dead and the cousin is also ill from the poison. Is he innocent after all? Yes, as it was the old lady of the house who would inherit when he died so she needed the girl to die first and then the cousin.

[Amy Lavigne · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever read a Tommy and Tuppence book before you will love this book. This story is a real mystery for the pair, who often deal with funny little coincidences and things of that nature. This one was an actual case!

The end was quite rushed and it didn't seem to fully answer all the questions left, but if you have read any Tommy and Tuppence books, you'd know this is typical of their stories. For that reason, I gave it a five. I think possibly it is the best Tommy and Tuppence book I have read so far. You definitely will not want to skip this one.

[Jerika · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Tommy & Tuppence story. Read it for the author + the title. I think my main issue with Agatha Christie short stories is that they always feel too short, like they could be extended to full books, I'm always left wanting more and it feels like too much detail is left. But I really like the mystery in this one, I think it's really interesting and a good concept. You'll just be left wanting more.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The House of Lurking Death: A Short Story by Agatha Christie is a delightful short story. Dame Agatha Christie demonstrates once again what a truly grand writer should be like. The story is interesting, the people seem real and the book leaves the reader guessing right up to the end. I just wish it was longer.

[Gidg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the 1st Agatha Christie book I've ever heard of the detective duo Tommy and Tuppence. So with no knowledge of the two characters I was bit of loss at the beginning. As the story moved along I was able to follow along.

It was a good short to the point mystery. No long drawn out storytelling but just some clever deduction be Tommy and Tuppence.

[Cassie Troja · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was not the best I've ever read, nor was it at all what I've come to expect from Agatha Christie. But it is a charming little story and a quick read. I will still seek out more of Tommy and Tuppence.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy & Tuppence 02 Partners in Crime

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Tori · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to keep checking to see if it was actually Christie who wrote this, as it lacked most of the feeling of her polished writing. I know it’s just a short story, but it felt so rushed and and painfully obvious in its steps and conclusion. He other short stories are significantly better.

[Brooke · Rating 2 out of 5]

Can you believe this is my first Agatha Christie story? Well maybe I should have started with one of her proper books (and I definitely still want to try one) but I was in the mood for something short. You win some, you lose some.

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tommy and Tuppence did it again. This was yet another great Agatha Christie short story. It is well written, succinct, and cleverly done. The plot is easily followed and the murderer revealed. I highly recommend this story.

[Ivan Jovanović · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evo jednog slucaja u kojem je bracni par Beresford dozivio neuspjeh na pocetku pa se Tommy nije vise zelio uzivljavati u ulogu odabranog detektiva. Prica je zanimljiva kao i njen rasplet, a ovoga puta je Tuppence bila ta koja ga je rijesila.

[Jan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting short story from the Tommy and Tuppence series

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. I’m spoiled by Hercule Poirot, but this was good too. Enjoyed the ending.

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 1/2 stars. Not one of my favorites of Tommy and Tuppence but still adequate.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tommy and Tuppence are hired to perform an investigation. It seems that someone sent strychnine-laced chocolates through the mail, someone local.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good short story. Many suspects and a country house.

[Emma Dargue · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting Tommy and Tuppence short story about inheritance, cousins and murder.