تحريات باركر باين

Parker Pyne #1-12

by Agatha Christie

Are you happy? If not, consult Mr Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond St

Retired after 35 years in UK London civil service statistics, large bald Pyne reassures clients that all unhappiness classifies under five main heads. He hires secretary Miss Lemon (next with Poirot), former gigolo Claude Lutrell, vamp Madeleine de Sara, and successful novelist Ariadne Oliver to write plots when match-making. 12 cases of romance, theft, danger, murder and mystery.
1 Middle-Aged Wife
2 Discontented Soldier
3 Distressed Lady
4 Discontented Husband
5 City Clerk
6 Rich Woman
7 Have You Got Everything You Want?
8 Gate of Baghdad
9 House at Shiraz
10 Pearl of Price
11 Death on the Nile
12 Oracle at Delphi

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

268 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1934

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]

Are you happy? If not consult Mr. Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street.
He's not as well-known as Poirot, but he'll still solve a few mysteries along the way.

The Case of the Middle-aged Wife
Parker Pyne helps a frumpy housewife get back at her husband for stepping out with a younger woman.



The Case of the Discontented Soldier
Ariadne Oliver's first appearance! But she only plays a small role in this short. However, without her, Pyne wouldn't have been able to give an old soldier an adventure that he didn't even know he wanted.



The Case of the Distressed Lady
A young wife with debts steals her friend's diamond and replaces it with paste.
She's come to Pyne asking if he can help her pull a switcheroo, replace it with the real thing, and lighten her conscience.
It doesn't work out in the way she hoped it would, but the diamond does end up in the right hands.



The Case of the Discontented Husband
This is the flip side of the first short story, in that Pyne helps a hangdog husband make his cheating wife jealous. Only this time around, he may have misjudged the power of his pretty young assistant.



The Case of the City Clerk
Mr. Roberts desperately wants an adventure to look back on in his old age. He loves his wife and children and has been a good provider for his family, but he wishes he could have just one MOMENT where he steps out of his predictable life and into some dangerous role.



Mr. Pyne manages to kill two birds with one stone in this story. Good stuff!

The Case of the Rich Woman
A poor woman becomes incredibly wealthy and finds out that her life has no meaning. She goes to Pyne to get help finding happiness and discovers just how unconventional his methods really are.



Have You Got Everything You Want?
A jewel theft on the Orient Express leads Pyne to find out about a husband who is the victim of the world's lamest blackmail.
Pyne's advice?
Be honest about the money, but you'll look a lot cooler if you let your wife think she's reformed a real rake.



The Gate of Baghdad
A crooked financial dude has escaped justice.
Shocking!
Parke Pyne is touring Jordan and makes a comment to the group he is traveling with that the con man might be anywhere by now. Even amongst them right at that moment!
Could that be a prophetic statement?



A bit of a convoluted murder mystery ensues.
This wasn't one of my favorites, but it was ok.

The House at Shiraz
Parker Pyne is in Teheran when a pilot tells him about his lost love.



He fell for a lady's maid but she was killed in an accident before he could tell her he loved her.
And in a strange turn of events, the English lady she worked for has been rumored to have gone completely batty and doesn't accept visitors.
Since Pyne knows the family, he decides to pay her a visit and ask her if she is happy before he moves on.

The Pearl of Price
While on a trip from Jordan to Petra, a millionaire's daughter loses her pearl earring worth a small fortune.



Lucky for her Parker Pyne is among the group of travelers. Can he clear the name of the man she loves?

Death on the Nile
The cantankerous Lady Grayle is upset she has to share the boat she and her family are traveling down the Nile on with a Mr. Parker Pyne. That is, until she decides to ask him for help.
She thinks someone is poisoning her. Does she hope it's her long-suffering husband?
And if so, why?



This is not to be confused with Christie's more famous full-length novel of the same name.

The Oracle at Delphi
This is one of if not the best Parker Pyne short out there!

A well-off woman is traveling with her bookish son when suddenly he goes missing, and in his place is a ransom note.
Parker Pyne is forced to come out of incognito mode to save a doting mother from a very clever criminal.



It's the twist at the end that really helped stick the landing. I wasn't expecting it and it took the story from a 4 to a 5.
Recommended for fans of Christie!

[Supratim · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read quite a few adventures of Poirot, a couple of books featuring Miss Marple and one Tommy and Tuppence novel. Only the exploits of Mr. Parker Pyne were remaining. With this book I have read most of Pyne’s adventures as well.

This book contains twelve stories featuring our eponymous hero. Mind you, Pyne does not consider himself to be a typical detective, rather he introduces himself as a “heart specialist” and can inspire reassurance in people. He places an ad in The Times offering his services to people who are unhappy.

Pyne, a retired civil servant from the department of records, banks on the knowledge of statistics and a small but very diverse team of employees to provide unconventional solutions to his clients. At times he makes a neat profit, and if the case is worth it – he is willing to make a loss as well.
The first six stories are set in the UK where clients would seek his help with a range of issues such as marital discord, boredom with life, a yearning for adventure and romance. The next six stories are conventional detective stories where Pyne would go around helping people and solving crimes – theft, murder, scams, during his visit to the Middle East and finally in Greece.

The stories are decent and can be read very quickly. But, we need to remember that the book was published in 1934. A lot has changed since then. You might find a few things prejudicial in the light of the current values and conventions. Some readers might find the stories a bit dated as well.

If you are a staunch Agatha Christie fan, then you might want to check out this character. I learnt that there are other stories featuring Pyne which were not included in this collection. I would like to check out those as well.

[Jason Koivu · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fantasy Island for the mystery set! Wish fulfillment for the rich!

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Playful

This one was such an unexpected delight. I went in skeptical—short stories often leave me cold—but I was pleasantly surprised by how warm, human, and fun these were. While it’s not life-changing literature, it’s the kind of book that cleanses your reading palate with lighthearted charm and a sprinkle of human psychology.

The premise is unique: Parker Pyne fixes people’s problems without causing harm to either side, and often in ways that feel as satisfying as they are clever. I loved his character—warm-hearted, willing to lose money if he feels the person truly needs help, and even humble enough to admit when he’s made mistakes. Though often working in the background, his presence adds a delightful, reassuring touch to each story.

What really stood out was Christie’s courage in trying something different. The book explores subtle themes—like the boredom of the wealthy and the quiet struggles of the middle class—reminding us that humans, regardless of social standing, crave adventure. There’s a sense that we’re all drawn to flirt with the thin line between life and death just to feel alive.

While the concept worked beautifully in most stories, the travel-themed ones were less engaging than the ones set in his office. They weren’t bad, just missing the spark of the earlier cases. Still, the originality, warmth, and sheer entertainment value make this a standout in Christie’s short works.

[Georgia Scott · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first six stories were a delight. The premise linking them is simple. A personal ad is put in the newspaper. It reads: Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street.

One by one people come to Parker Pyne. He works out why they're unhappy and makes them happy. The magic of these stories is that each one surprises. Parker Pyne is part Sherlock Holmes and Houdini. He observes his clients and knows what to make of the details before him. He also leads each client to an escape from their unhappiness. After reading six of these "cases" I was eager to read six more. Unfortunately, Christie gives up on this excellent premise. Did she run out of ideas?

I was ready to rave about the first six stories. They reminded me of Melville's The Confidence Man and of Bernard Malamud's The Magic Barrel. Then, I read on to the next six stories and had to make myself finish them. This was hard when I got to an insult about Armenians lacking "nerve." Ten years after the near total genocide of the Armenian population in Smyrna by the Turks, this slur is inexcusable. Unlike W. Somerset Maugham who might include an insulting remark to expose the flaw of a character, Christie does not put this insult to any textual use. She just lets it lie as if it were true. Shame on her.

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’d already come across Parker Pyne in The Regatta Mystery short story collection (those two stories are also included in this edition).
As I’m trying to read every Christie book, I wasn’t exactly keen to start read a whole collection of just this character.

But I was pleasantly surprised on how much I enjoyed the first few stories. Advertising himself as a person who can make people happy again, the stories set in England has a certain ‘221b Baker Street’ vibe about them.
Various members of the public respond to he’s newspaper ad and he uses logic to find a way to improve their lives.

The rest of the stories focus on he’s travels aboard, these were more typically the mysteries you’d expect. Thought I wasn’t massively keen on these ones.

Overall it was quite enjoyable, maybe one for the completists.

[Masoud Irannejad · Rating 3 out of 5]

کتاب اصلی اسمش ماجراهای پارکر پاین است، یک مجموعه داستان کوتاه شامل دوازده داستان، که خانه ای در شیراز یکی از این هاست

داستان های ابتدایی کتاب خیلی جذاب و سرگرم کننده هستند ولی رفته رفته ، هرچه جلو تر می رویم و داستان بعدی رو می خونیم از جذابیت داستان ها به شدت کاسته میشه ،به نظرم حتی شخصیت و اخلاق پارکر پاین هم عوض میشه و به پوآرو نزدیک میشه که این اصلا خوب نیست
ی جورایی انگار آگاتا علاقه اش رو نسبت به پارکر پاین از دست داده و فقط میخواد چندتا داستان بنویسه کتاب پر بشه بره برای چاپ، شاید هم ایده ی داستان جذاب برای پوآرو به ذهنش اومده و سریع خواسته پارکر رو تموم کنه بره سراغ پوآرو

داستان خانه ای در شیراز هم متاسفانه جزو داستان های ضعیف کتاب به شمار میاد ؛ ولی همین که آگاتا کریستی تو این کتاب درباره ایران نوشته برای خواننده ایرانی لذت خاصی داره
من که ذوق کردم :)

[Rojita Rojîta · Rating 2 out of 5]

آخه این چی بود نوشته بودی زن! نمیگی ما ازت توقع داریم🥲

[Nandakishore Mridula · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parker Pyne is a different specimen from the Christie universe. He is not your conventional detective, but a person who provides "happiness"; his ad in the paper says: "Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne." Having worked in the Statistical Bureau his whole life, Mr. Pyne knows that unhappiness can be classified under six heads - no more, no less.

That said, apart from the first six stories, the others are all conventional stories of detection. I think Dame Agatha ran out of ideas for unhappy clients and returned to what she was good at.

I loved most of the stories in this collection. My favourite is "The House at Shiraz".

[Rodrigo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sinopsis: El libro presenta 12 historias cortas. La mayor parte de los casos son resueltos por el personaje Parker Pyne, que, más que un detective, es un profesional en la búsqueda de la felicidad de quienes responden a su anuncio. El anuncio dice cosas como: “¿Usted es feliz? Si la respuesta es no, acuda al Sr. Parker Pyne, etc. etc.”.
Parker Pyne soluciona los más variados problemas: amor, traición, tedio, engaño, robo... Y resulta interesante cómo establece el precio de sus servicios de una forma completamente subjetiva: según las posibilidades y la motivación del cliente.
No pensaba que eran relatos cortos pero me han sorprendido en general, lo que pasa que eran algunos tan cortos que me he quedado con ganas de mas o de un mayor desarrollo.
Mis valoraciones:
-El caso de la esposa de mediana edad 5/10
-El caso del soldado descontento 6/10
-El caso de la dama acongojada 6/10
-El caso del esposo descontento 6,5/10
-El caso del empleado de la City 6.5/10
-El caso de la mujer Rica 7/10
-¿Tiene usted todo lo que desea? 5/10
-La puerta de Bagdad 6/10
-La casa de Shiraz 5/10
-La Perla de valor 5/10
-Muerte en el Nilo 6/10
-El oráculo de Delfos 6/10.
Valoración: 5.8/10

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another easy read from Christie, this time a selection of short stories featuring the intriguing Parker Pyne. This gentleman is not an investigator per se, but rather a student of human behaviour and psyche, a bit like Miss Marple but with more statistics. With his acquired knowledge, he sets out to sell ‘happiness’ to people, in a rather smart and surprising way.

I rather enjoyed these, trying to fathom what Pyne had planned for his ‘clients’. As soon as you believe you know the ‘formula’, Christie changes the narration, first with some nice turnarounds, and then by having her protagonists go on a holiday abroad, or rather trying to since people keep accosting him to solve their problems :O)

[Alan (the Lone Librarian) Teder · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Happiness Agent
A review of the William Morrow eBook (February 10, 2010) containing the 10 stories of the William Collins & Sons hardcover original (November 1934) with the addition of 2 later stories (1935 & 1936)

There was something reassuring about Mr. Pyne. He was large, not to say fat; he had a bald head of noble proportions, strong glasses and little twinkling eyes. And he had an aura—an aura of dependability.

I started my current 2025 Agatha Christie re-read binge due to my recent discovery of a hoard of archival paperbacks from a storage locker clear-out. I started out chronologically with the first Hercule Poirots, but then discovered that there were many books from the 1920s & 1930s that I had either not read previously or had misplaced. I substituted with some economical public domain eBooks.


The cover of the 1953 Penguin paperback. Image sourced from Penguin First Editions (see No. 932).

I did have a nicely preserved copy of the 1955 Penguin paperback 2nd printing edition of Parker Pyne Investigates, but then discovered that it only contained the original 10 stories from 1934. Again. a current eBook with the complete 12 stories was required.

I'll confess that I started this book with the same impression as that of Christie's The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930). The initial 6 stories are set in the world of Parker Pyne's Agency where clients come in response to his regular ad in The Times:

[For readers on mobile devices, the above mock newspaper image reads "Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond St."]
What Pyne does is arrange to stage events which will induce "happiness" in his clients who have come to him with their marital problems or ennui about life in general. He has a set cast of actors for this purpose. Delightfully, his office staff also includes secretary Miss Lemon and novelist Ariadne Oliver (the latter helps to plot the staged scenarios) both of whom make later appearances in the Hercule Poirot books.

The problem here is that the stories are too similar to be dramatically interesting. You know that, however apparently dangerous the situation, it is actually staged and that all will be well in the end regardless. I didn't feel inspired to make my usual story-by-story synopses and ratings for that reason. But...

The later 6 stories have Parker Pyne on vacation and travelling the world. In each story he ends up in the middle of a situation, often a crime - sometimes murder, where his observational skills of human nature gained from his professional agency are useful in solving the mystery. These stories were much more intriguing and dramatic. So it is a 2-star for the first half and a 4-star for the second half, balancing out to a 3-star rating overall.

Trivia and Links
If you do want synopses and details of the first 10 stories (spoilers obviously) you can read them at the Wikipedia entry for Parker Pyne Investigates here. The entry also provides details of the first appearances of the stories in magazines from 1932 and 1933 before they were collected in a 1934 book.


A photograph of my archival Agatha Christie paperbacks. My copy of the 1955 Penguin paperback edition of Parker Pyne Investigates is towards the upper right corner.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars -- There are some very charming stories in this one. I tended to enjoy the ones where the stakes were lower than the typical Christie story (e.g. not murdery), and there were some very "of its time" elements that jarred me out of the stories. Still, overall, these were a fun example of what Christie excels at

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5. A dozen short stories where a middle aged retired civil servant called Parker Pyne investigates and resolves people’s unhappiness. He advertises in newspapers ‘’Are you happy? If not, consult me Parker Pyne. ‘’

The stories are a mixture of fantasy, crime and psychology is used to resolve their unhappiness. The stories are initially set in England. The later ones are set in Syria, Egypt, Iraq and Iran where Parker Pyne while on holiday keeps finding new clients. Some of the stories are amusing and I liked the one when someone impersonated him as well as the dull man looking for excitement. The trip to Switzerland and train trip back was a great cliche espionage story.

[Grisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

In the past, I did read at least one Parker Pyne short story (viz. Problem at Pollensa Bay) but somehow never the whole collection of his short stories. That is now a done thing. And overall, it was a pretty solid collection of short stories by Agatha Christie. I had a fun time recalling from which non-Pyne short story/novel AC recycled plot elements for each short story.

While I have not warmed completely to the character set up of Parker Pyne (that his past job in the Records office would give him all these useful statistics does stretch my belief), AC succeded to spin some very nice tales as only she knows how. The beginning stories were a bit heavy on the gaslighting side (not very believable sometimes) and also had very 'pulpy' undertones. I was then surprised that the second half of the stories had Pyne doing a Poirot-like tour in the Middle East. These stories were sometimes a bit wobbly around the edges despite the exotic locations. The end stories were the strongest in my opinion.


My stars breakdown for the collection - 

📰 The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife: 4⭐

📰 The Case of the Discontented Soldier: 3.5⭐

📰 The Case of the Distressed Lady: 4⭐

📰 The Case of the Discontented Husband: 3.75⭐

📰 The Case of the City Clerk: 3⭐

📰 The Case of the Rich Woman: 3.5⭐

📰 Have You Got Everything You Want?: 3⭐

📰 The Gate of Baghdad: 3⭐

📰 The House of Shiraz: 3.5⭐

📰 The Pearl of Price: 3.75⭐

📰 Death on the Nile: 3.5⭐ (note - not the same plot/characters as the novel)

📰 The Oracle at Delphi: 4⭐

📰 Problem at Pollensa Bay: 4.5⭐ My favourite in this collection💃!

📰 The Regatta Mystery: 4⭐


#readchristie2026 - May, Best Short Story Collection*


* Yes, I am behind schedule 🙈!

[Elham · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parker Pyne is not a detective, he is, as he describes himself, a heart specialist. He has an advertisement in newspaper: “Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne.”

In this book Agatha Christi changes her story writing a little: first, this is a collection of 12 short stories and second Agatha tries to challenge the psychological aspects of the characters. But after the first seven story, we see that she again comes back to her conventional writing story and makes a detective from Parker Pyne also.

The psychological stories can be divided into following categories:

1- A middle-aged woman who is not satisfied with her marital life; her husband betrays her and he thinks his wife is jealous of him,
2- A man whose wife does not like him anymore and she wants to get married with another man,
3- A man whose life’s become boring and he doesn’t feel any excitement,
4- A wealthy widow whose rich life does not attracts her anymore and life becomes monotonous for her.

I found the approaches that Agatha suggests to the characters in the form of Parker Pyne, natural and reasonable. Agatha’s understanding was good for women as well as men:
Each person at any age has his/her own unique charms and she/he should be proud of them and work on them to make them better. There are some behaviors like contentment for instance which although they are good in general, they can be harmful sometimes over the time and may lose their meaning in relationships. Sometimes musts should be put aside to make life happier. There are some specifications which can be said they have become intrinsic, there are some activities that people are interested in them or not. There is no reason that a person should underestimate her/his interests. Too much humility is not good and does not work. Excitement and variety can be made in life by small things. Sometimes by changing some habitual habits to positive way can be exciting. One other message of Agatha is that wealth without love cannot bring happiness (specially for a woman).

The other six stories are criminal and they are attractive in their own way. The stories are happening in different countries (especially Eastern countries), such as: Iraq, Iran, Oman and Greece. My favorite criminal story was “The House at Shiraz”:

JUST AFTER NOON the following day, Mr. Parker Pyne had his first view of Shiraz. They had flown over mountain ranges with narrow, desolate valleys between, and all arid, parched, dry wilderness. Then suddenly Shiraz came into view—an emerald-green jewel in the heart of the wilderness.

[zahra haji · Rating 2 out of 5]

هل باتت حياتك مملة ورتيبة .. لا جديد يحدث فيها ؟
هل تعاني من مشاكل مع زوجتك وتخشى الانفصال ؟
هل تمتلك كل ما يحلم به الآخرون ولكن تفتقد المعنى الحقيقي للسعادة ؟

" أي كان ما تفتقده فللسيد باركر باين دوما الحل " هل أنت سعيد إن لم تكن سعيدا فاستشر السيد باركر باين

مجموعة قصصية بطلها السيد باركر والذي يحل مشاكل الناس العاطفية والنفسية في سبيل تحقيق
السعادة التي ينشدونها .. وإن كان هناك خداع من أحدهم فباركر حتما سيعرف الأمر وسيكون
حل المشكلة مغايرا لما توقعه الشخص .. بعض القصص بوليسية ورغم عدم اندراجها ضمن
اختصاص مكتبه إلا أنه دائما ما يعرف حل القضية

مجموعة مختلفة عن ما قرأته سابقا لأجاثا

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light read. Agatha Christie created the character Parker Pyne for twelve short stories published between 1932 to 1933. These were then compiled in a single edition Parker Pyne investigates and published in 1934. However this edition published in 2005 includes two more stories that were originally published in Strand with Hercule Poirot as ace investigator. The fourteen stories in this stories are a delight to read. My personal favourite is The Oracle at Delhi for its interesting twist at the very last line of the story. In the foreword written for special edition published by Penguin in 1953 Agatha Christie had picked Case of the discontented husband and Case of the rich woman as her personal favourite

[Zai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho este libro en el cual Parker Pyne ayuda a la gente a ser "feliz"a lo largo de 12 relatos muy interesantes y diferentes.

[Keyhan Mosavar · Rating 2 out of 5]

کتاب پارکر‌ پاین کتابیست که شامل ۶ فصل می‌شود که هر فصل شامل حل کردن پرونده‌ای از سوی آقای پارکرپاین است.
آقای پارکر پاین یک کارگاه نیست در واقع آدم شناس قهاریست که به بقیه کمک می‌کند چگونه خوشبخت شوند و از این طریق شهرتی عظیمی رسیده ...
اگر این کتاب رو صوتی گوش نمیدادم محال بود تا انتها بخونمش.

[cinnamon girl ୨୧ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Veoma zanimljivi slučajevi.

[Farhan · Rating 4 out of 5]

এরকুল পোয়ারো আর মিস মার্পল ছাড়া আগাথা ক্রিস্টির আর কিছু পড়া হয়নি। পার্কার পাইন-এর নামই শুনিনি কোনদিন। লাইব্রেরিতে বই ঘাঁটছিলাম, মেয়ে তার নিজের জন্য একটা ন্যাশনাল জিওগ্রাফিক কিডসের পুরানো কপি বাগিয়ে (না, সে বই পড়তে পারে না, ঐ কপিটার প্রচ্ছদে একটা বেলুগা তিমির ছবি আছে, সেটা তার খুব পছন্দ) আরেক হাতে একটা পেপারব্যাক এনে বলল--ফর বাবা। যেহেতু হিজিবিজি লেখা, সে নিজের বুদ্ধিতে বুঝে নিয়েছে যে, এরকম বিরক্তিকর কিছু বাবা-ই পড়বে। হাতে নিয়ে দেখি ক্রিস্টি'র 'পার্কার পাইন ইনভেস্টিগেটস'। ফ্ল্যাপে লেখা, পার্কার পাইন কোন গোয়েন্দা নন, সরকারি দপ্তরে পরিসংখ্যান বিভাগে চাকরি করতেন, সেখান থেকে তার অভিজ্ঞতাবলে ধারণা হয়েছে, জগতের সকল মানুষের সুখের অভাবকে স্বভাবচরিত্র অনুযায়ী পাঁচটি মূল ধারায় ভাগ করা চলে। আর একবার ঠিক জায়গায় ক্লাসিফাই করে ফেলতে পারলেই তার অ-সুখের সমাধান করা সম্ভব। তিনি অপরাধের নয়, বরং হৃদয়ের সমস্যার কারবারি। দ্য টাইমস-এ তার এই বিজ্ঞাপন দেখেই লোকজন তার সাথে যোগাযোগ করে, এবং যৌক্তিক সম্মানীর বিনিময়ে তিনি সেসব সমস্যার সমাধান করে দেন। কৌতুহল আমারও হলো, কাজেই নিয়ে নিলাম। ঠকিনি। পার্কার পাইন যেমন অসুখী স্বামী বা স্ত্রী'র হৃদয়ের সমস্যার সমাধান করেন, তেমনি কোন অপরাধের কারণে কেউ মনোকষ্টের শিকার হলে সেই অপরাধের সমাধানও করেন, অর্থাৎ অনিচ্ছাসত্ত্বেও এরকুল পোয়ারো হয়ে যান। চরিত্র এবং আচরণে তার সাথে পোয়ারোর মিল আছে বলা যায়। দেখতে তিনি সাধারণ, তবে তার সহজ কিন্তু দৃঢ় আচরণে সবার মাঝে ভরসা আসে। সহজেই মিশতে পারেন, ওদিকে দারুণ ঠাণ্ডা হিসেবি মাথা, দূরদ্রষ্টা তো বটেই। আত্মবিশ্বাসও প্রবল। সব মিলিয়ে, পোয়ারোর ভয়াবহ খুনখারাপীর মাঝে পার্কার পাইন খানিকটা মুক্ত হাওয়া বলা যায়। সত্যজিতের ফেলুদা আর শঙ্কুর মাঝে যেমন তারিণীখুড়োর কথা প্রায়ই কারো মনে থাকে না, পার্কার পাইনের ভাগ্যেও তা-ই জুটেছে মনে হয়। আমার রেটিং একটু উদারভাবে চার। ক্লাসিক কোজি ক্রাইম (অথবা এক্ষেত্রে অনেক জায়গাতে ক্রাইম সেভাবে নেই, রহস্য আছে) বা মিস্ট্রি ছোটগল্প যারা পছন্দ করেন, কোন এক শীতের রাতে লেপমুড়ি দিয়ে পড়ার জন্য উপযুক্ত বই।

[Dr. Laurel Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parker Pyne is the most emotional of Christie's detectives, preferring matters of the heart to pure puzzles. However, he can be just as sharp in his deductions as Poirot or Miss Marple when the need arises. As it happens, I prefer the stories in this collection that *are* mysteries. There are also some lighthearted cases of people wanting more romance or adventure in their lives, which Mr. Pyne supplies. I couldn't help feeling, at first, that it's a bit condescending to suggest that most people's problems are easily solved with a bit of play-acting--a handsome man/woman to make your wife/husband jealous, a faked bit of espionage to bring you more drama, etc. I found myself thinking, "what about all the people with real problems, Agatha?" However, she published this collection in 1934, which gives some insight into the fantasy at work here: most likely her mid-Depression readers simply wanted to *imagine* having such easy problems and tidy solutions.

Even so, I like the stories that do involve murder and crime, as Christie proves herself quite adept at packing her famous twists into even a few pages. I prefer novel-length Christie, but she approximates it here with an overarching narrative, in which Pyne travels abroad, including the first "Death on the Nile"--which is quite different from the later novel of that name. In this way we get to know the main characters (Pyne and his employees, most notably the exotic Miss de Sara). There is even an early cameo from Miss Oliver! All of which makes this a necessary inclusion for any Christie collection.

[Fatemeh · Rating 2 out of 5]

اسم اصلی کتاب فکر کنم پرونده‌های پارکر پاین باشه که برای خوشامد خواننده ایرانی به خانه ای در شیراز تغییر داده شده و البته که خود من هم به خاطر اسم کتاب جذبش شدم ،و گولشو خوردم .

کتاب شامل چندین پرونده مختلف و کوتاهه و میتونم بگم هیچکدومشون منو سورپرایز نکرد و خواسته منو از یه رمان کارگاهی ارضا نکرد.

خود پرونده خانه‌ای در شیراز به دلیل توصیفاتش از ایران برام بانمک و جذاب بود اما همه پرونده‌ها‌ لوس و مسخره بودند.انگار یکی که تازه با این ژانر آشنا شده این کتاب رو نوشته و نمی‌خوام قبول کنم که این کتاب رو آگاتا کریستی ،قهرمان نوجوانی های من نوشته .

[Lata · Rating 4 out of 5]

A series of light problems and mysteries brought by dissatisfied or unhappy spouses, bored or desperate individuals to Mr. Parker Pyne, a detective of sorts, who applies psychology, cleverness, and the occasional actor, to solve them. I can’t say that I remember the details of any of the short stories, but I did enjoy this book.
Actually, that’s not entirely true; I was chuffed to encounter the wonderful Ariadne Oliver, and her ever-present bag of apples, crafting narratives for Pyne.

[Arezoo Gholizadeh · Rating 2 out of 5]

کتاب حول محور مردی دنیادیده به نام «پارکر پاین» می‌چرخه که بعد از سال‌ها کار در اداره‌ی آمار، ادعا می‌کنه با مشکلات آدم‌ها آشنایی داره و می‌تونه حلشون کنه. پارکر پاین توی روزنامه آگهی چاپ می‌کنه و می‌گه «اگه خوشحال نیستین، بیاین سراغ من تا کمکتون کنم.» کتاب از چندتا داستان کوتاه تشکیل شده و اوایل ماجراها توی غرب اتفاق می‌افته، اما کم‌کم به سمت شرق می‌آد و یک بار هم در ایران رخ می‌ده.
این کتاب رو از بقیه‌ی کتاب‌های آگاتا کم‌تر دوست داشتم، هم داستان‌های شل‌وولی داشت و هم تاریخ مصرفشون گذشته بود، اما مسئله این‌جاست که برای هدفی که من داشتم کاملاً مناسب بود. من نمی‌خواستم دچار اسمش‌رونبر بشم و وقت خوندن کتاب‌های سنگین رو نداشتم و باز یه بار دیگه آگاتا کریستی کمکم کرد.

[Simona B · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[erigibbi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Siete felici?
Se la risposta è no, consultate Mr Parker Pyne,
17 Richmond Street.
⠀
Ecco l’annuncio che ogni mattina compare sui maggiori quotidiani inglesi a stuzzicare la curiosità dei lettori (infelici).
⠀
12 racconti in cui il signor Parker Pyne dà il meglio di sé per portare un po’ di felicità nelle persone che chiedono il suo aiuto.
⠀
Il signor Pyne è quasi infallibile, quasi, esatto. E il fatto che sia imperfetto me l’ha fatto apprezzare di più perché l’ha reso più realistico. E a renderlo ancora più credibile sono le sue uscite sessiste che potrebbe risparmiarsi. Certo, tutto va collocato nell’epoca in cui Agatha Christie ha scritto questi racconti e ideato questo personaggio, non possiamo fargliene una colpa, né a lei (che si è calata bene nella mentalità dell’epoca), né a Parker Pyne (che è servito alla famosa scrittrice di gialli anche per questo scopo).
⠀
Parker Pyne indaga, letto per la #readchristie2021 con l’invito di @libriamociblog che ringrazio per l’opportunità, è un libro che ho apprezzato e che mi sento di consigliare.
⠀
Ho letto un racconto al giorno, e non posso negare che sono stata intrattenuta dalla lettura. Mi ha pure sorpreso il cambio repentino della location: nei primi racconti Parker Pyne se ne sta bellamente seduto nel suo ufficio a risolvere i casi più disparati assieme all’aiuto di fidati collaboratori, negli ultimi invece li risolve in vacanza in giro per il mondo, usando solo le sue capacità logiche e deduttive.
⠀
Certo, non è uno dei migliori libri di Agatha Christie, così come Parker Pyne non è uno dei migliori detective inventati dalla maestra del giallo, ma è stata una lettura che mi ha permesso di scoprire una Christie diversa, inedita, e la cosa mi ha fatto solo che piacere.

[Kirsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a delightful set of short stories. They start light hearted and then work their way up to murder.

Parker Pyne is a former civil servant who thinks he has figured out life. He believes that all problems come in four types and he thinks he can fix anything. By the end of the third story, you really believe he can. The first half is just him solving problems and making people happy - there are no real crimes. The last half there are crimes. The last half PP also seems to be travelling. (Oh, the days when you travel by train in luxury across Europe and into the exotic lands of the Middle East.)

I really loved this and the audiobook is narrated by the actor who played Captain Hastings in Poirot.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun listen! I love the whole concept of Parker Pyne and his experience and statistics that give him a Poirot-like ability to solve problems and unravel mysteries. The first half of the short stories are all based in England and I especially enjoyed Pyne’s employees who pop in and out. The second half are short stories set abroad—mostly in the Middle East—and some of these are miniature murder mysteries and quite clever. The last story—The Oracle at Delphi—was particularly clever and a great way to end the collection. I can see why Parker Pyne gets overshadowed by Christie’s other creations but he is definitely worth spending some time with.