Lingotes de oro

Miss Marple #SS 3

by Agatha Christie

Este relato es uno de los misterios abordados en el club de los martes al que acude Miss Marple. Raymond West conoció a un entusiasta hombre que buscaba un antiguo tesoro en la costa de Cornualles. Poco después el buscador desaparece misteriosamente y se encuentran huellas de neumáticos como única pista.

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

10 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 · Rating 2 out of 5]

This time, it’s the turn of Miss Marple’s nephew, Raymond West, to narrate an unsolved mystery.

Story Synopsis:
Gold missing. One person supposedly guilty. As expected, the guilty isn't guilty.

I went in with lower and better expectations this time around. I reminded myself not to look for fast thrills or detective work, to expect Miss Marple to pop in with the right solution only at the very end, not to look for a perfect resolution of the entire mystery but be happy with a “who did it” and a little of “how he did it”, and finally, to expect conversation to dominate over action. Despite all this prep, I still land up on 2.5 stars as my rating because the cue that helps Miss Marple ‘crack the case” is so silly, it borders on the ridiculous!

I've always known that cozy mysteries aren't for me, and this anthology is confirming it with every subsequent story.

Not giving up though – don’t want yet another DNF this year. If only I could bring myself to follow my original reading plan of a story every other day or so. I've to push myself to open the book. Sigh.

2.5 stars.

This story is part of the The Thirteen Problems collection.



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[EveStar91 · Rating 3 out of 5]

‘I do not know that the story that I am going to tell you is a fair one,’ said Raymond West, ‘because I can’t give you the solution of it. Yet the facts were so interesting and so curious that I should like to propound it to you as a problem. And perhaps between us we may arrive at some logical conclusion.’

Raymond's (Miss Marple's nephew) tale of Ingots of Gold is quite like Raymond himself, a bit pretentious but overlooks things. This short story is not one of the better Marple ones. However, the setting is piratey, a kidnapping is solved and the story still fun.

🌟🌟🌟
[3/4 star for the premise; 1/2 star for the characters; 3/4 star for the plot; Half a star for the world-building; Half a star for the writing - 3 stars in total.]

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Once again, the Tuesday Night Club meets up, and this time it's Miss Marple's own nephew, writer Raymond West, who tells a story. He hopes that the group (well, actually Miss Marple) can figure out what happened when his friend, John Newman, was kidnapped while his salvage ship was robbed of its treasure.



There's a nefarious-sounding innkeeper that Raymond is sure got away with literal highway robbery, but Miss Marple knows better. And thanks to some prior knowledge of the case by Sir Henry, the Scotland Yard inspector in the group, Miss Marple's theory is proved to be true.
Because of course it is!

Originally published in 1928 in The Royal Magazine.
Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems .

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. Another Tuesday Night Club mystery. The third. Agatha Christie had such a fertile mind - short stories all connected by a group of people gathering once a week to challenge the others to solve a problem. This one came out in Royal Magazine in 1928 and then in book form, The Thirteen Problems in 1932. I read it in Miss Marple: the Complete Short Stories. It's Raymond West's turn to pose a problem; he's Jane Marple's nephew and the founder of the club. For the first time, the member outlining the problem didn't know the solution. A few years ago, West was invited to Cornwall and the town of Polperran by a new friend, John Newman who had traced the route of the Spanish Armada and the failed invasion in 1588. He had bought the rights, owned by a bankrupt salvage company, to one of the sunken ships known to contain gold and treasure. It had foundered off Cornwall's Serpent Rock (which really exists!). West meets Inspector Badgworth who tells him the ship was the Juan Fernandez. Soon after arriving, Newman was kidnapped by locals. What's going on in this coastal village, asks West. You just know that Miss M got it right. (Au2020/Ja2026)

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ingots of Gold is the third Miss Marple short story written by Agatha Christie. The story continues the tales shared among six friends -- The Tuesday Night Club. Miss Marple, her nephew Raymond and four others. Each Tuesday night a member of the group shares a story about a unsolved or mysterious crime and the others try to figure out the truth. The third tale, told by Miss Marple's nephew, involves gold bullion that disappeared off a wrecked ship.

Ingots of Gold was first published in The Royal Magazine in the UK in February 1928. US publication followed later that same year in Detective Magazine. The US title for the story was The Solving Six and the Golden Grave. The story is short -- only 14 pages in the hardback copy I'm reading (Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories - Putnam 1985). The short length of these stories means there is no detailed characterization or place development....these are mystery shorts, not full-blown stories. The stage is set -- the tale is told -- the characters voice their opinions....and then Miss Marple offers her wisdom, usually backed up by another member of the group who has knowledge of the case. I firmly believe these short tales (she wrote more of the same sort of formula detective magazine stories to introduce Hercule Poirot) were an ingenious marketing idea (which authors still use today). Christie wrote short tales to introduce readers to her writing and her characters....get the buzz going....then publish longer novels featuring those characters. Bestsellers. Ca-ching. So.....when reading these initial short stories readers should not expect the long drawn out detailed plots from Christie's novels. No matter how skilled the author, you can't condense intricate plots down to 14-20 pages. These tales were printed in magazines that most likely limited space or word count -- she filled her space.....and introduced the detective loving public to her now classic characters. Genius!

I do have to admit to an occasional bad attitude. Not about these stories....but about reviewers and readers who complain that these stories have simple, fast plots and no detailed development like Christie used in her novels. Hello! (bad attitude sarcastic tone).....the stories are 20 pages or less. These are "one minute mystery'' style stories published in detective magazines.....a quick showcase meant to introduce characters and help sell later novels. It is a different sort of writing than creating plot, place, character, and action for an entire novel. I get protective of my favorite author! :) But....I do also recognize that every reader is entitled to their own opinion, despite my bad attitude and snarkiness. :) I will continue loving these stories for what they are and researching little nuances from each one.....and others can like or dislike them as they choose. I will vent my bad attitude to my Chihuahua, who politely listens for the price of a dog treat.

Now...back to my review. As these stories are nearly 100 years old, I find myself having to look up some terms, sayings, and history at times. In this story, Christie mentions a holiday I was unfamiliar with: Whitsuntide. I happily googled it.... I grew up Catholic, but I had no idea that Pentecost was also called Whitsun, and the week after it was called Whitsuntide in the UK and Ireland. I learned through further reading that the term really isn't used anymore and has morphed into the spring bank holiday in the UK. I always learn something interesting when reading old stories!

Usually I listen to these stories in audio format while also reading along in the book. I just enjoy them better that way...a real English accent, proper pronunciation of any names, places or French words, etc. But this time I just read the text in my old copy of Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories. The old audio book recording I found seems to be missing a disc, and this story and the next one were left out.

On to the next story -- The Bloodstained Pavement!

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I read the mystery recounted by West I was thrilled but the resolution of the story was (in my opinion) insipid and dull. As always with Christie the description of the location and the very well developed characters are the things I like the most out of her stories, both short and novels.

[mairiachi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as The Blood-stained Pavement, but still good.

The only thing I didn't like about this short story was, as usual, Miss Marple.

(to Aunt Jane:) "What is your opinion?"
"You wouldn't like my opinion, dear. Young people never do, I notice. It is better to say nothing."
"Nonsense, Aunt Jane; out with it."

oh well NOW that he presses her, and since she was planning on telling them this whole time ANYWAY, she's like

because she can't bear to NOT be the center of attention and also right about everything.

It reminds me of that sWooZie video where he's like don't ask me to rat on my friends and the guy's like no I won't ask you to-- and he says OK FINE IT WAS AIDEN AND SARAH.

Miss Marple in a nutshell lol but other than that, solid story.

[José Fernando]

RESUMEN:

En “Lingotes de oro”, Raymond West cuenta al Club de los Martes una historia misteriosa ocurrida en Cornualles, cuando fue invitado por un hombre llamado John Newman a pasar unos días en su casa, Pol House. Newman estaba obsesionado con la idea de rescatar un galeón español hundido que, según las leyendas, transportaba un gran tesoro de oro.

Durante el viaje, Raymond se encuentra casualmente con el inspector Badgworth, quien investiga la desaparición de unos lingotes de oro que iban en un barco hundido recientemente. Al llegar al pueblo, se percibe un ambiente sospechoso, especialmente por la actitud amenazante del posadero Kelvin, antiguo buzo y con antecedentes criminales.

Una noche, Newman desaparece y luego es hallado atado y abandonado en una zanja. Él afirma haber sorprendido a unos contrabandistas trasladando algo pesado desde la costa. Las pruebas parecen señalar a Kelvin, sobre todo por la huella de un neumático de su camioneta, pero su coartada y el testimonio de una enfermera impiden acusarlo.

Cuando todos creen que el caso quedó sin resolver, miss Marple revela la verdad: Newman era en realidad un delincuente que había robado oro de un banco y lo había enterrado en su propia finca. Toda la historia del galeón y la acusación contra Kelvin eran parte de un plan para despistar a la policía. El pequeño detalle que permitió descubrirlo fue que el supuesto jardinero trabajaba en un día festivo, algo que un verdadero jardinero no haría.

ANALISIS:

Este relato pertenece al género policial, y uno de sus temas principales es el engaño y la apariencia. Agatha Christie muestra cómo una historia bien contada y aparentemente lógica puede hacer que personas inteligentes crean una mentira.
El cuento también resalta el contraste entre la imaginación y la experiencia. Raymond West, como escritor, se deja llevar por lo romántico de la historia del galeón y el oro, mientras que miss Marple, gracias a su conocimiento de la vida cotidiana, logra descubrir la verdad fijándose en detalles simples.
La autora demuestra que el crimen no siempre se oculta con planes complicados, sino que muchas veces falla por pequeños errores. Miss Marple vuelve a destacar como un personaje que observa lo que los demás consideran insignificante.

MI COMENTARIO:

En mi opinión, Lingotes de oro es un relato muy interesante porque mantiene la intriga hasta el final y sorprende al lector con una solución inesperada. Me gustó cómo Agatha Christie juega con la idea del “oro español”, ya que es algo que suena creíble y despierta curiosidad.
También me pareció importante la enseñanza del cuento: no hay que creer todo lo que parece emocionante o romántico, porque muchas veces la realidad es muy distinta. Miss Marple demuestra que la inteligencia no siempre está en los estudios o en la profesión, sino en la experiencia y la observación.
Considero que es uno de los relatos más ingeniosos del libro, ya que la solución depende de un detalle muy cotidiano que casi nadie nota.

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is Raymond’s turn to tell of an unsolved mystery at The Tuesday Night Club. He recants the story of visiting his new friend, Newman, as he searched the sea for a shipwreck from the Spanish Armada. On the train, Raymond sees Inspector Badgworth, who he knows from a series of articles he wrote on a disappearance case. The Inspector tells Raymond that he is also in search of a shipwreck but one much more recent, a British ship that went down with a load of gold bullion. The ship was found but the gold is missing. Raymond joins Newman at the house he is renting and sees the gardener planting rose bushes. That night, Newman goes missing and is found tied up in a ditch. He claims that he went out for an evening stroll and came upon strange men moving things into a cave. He went to investigate and was hit on the head. The Inspector is called, suspects that the cave was being used to hide the gold bullion but now the cave is empty. He finds tire tracks with distinct markings and tracks them to a truck owned by a tavern owner in the village who was recently in jail. They arrest him but neighbors give him an alibi, saying that his truck never was out that night. Miss Marple figures out that Newman was in the gang that stole the gold bullion and was using Raymond and the story of searching as an old shipwreck as a cover story to hide his true reason for being there. He framed the tavern owner by switching his tire with one on the truck they were driving to hide the gold. The gold was found hidden beneath the rose bushes. As Miss Marple says, no gardener ever does any work on a Monday so it was obvious that he wasn’t a real gardener but rather a member of the gang. A clever story.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun story following on as a part of “The Tuesday Night Club”. This story looks into stolen treasure off the Cornish Coast. What is rather nice about this story is that it not only involves Miss Marple’s Nephew, Raymond more, but, we also learn a bit more about Miss Marple’s thinking and life with the few lines she says.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Miss Marple: the Complete Short Stories

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

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

This series is not doing it for me. The whole premise of storytelling at a meeting and the revealing all at the end is weak. The part about Spanish galleon gold and recent gold was interesting but within the constraints of this storytelling approach suffered.

[Sandra Hernandez · Rating 5 out of 5]

An easy solve and miss Marple was funny in this book

[Jessica · Rating 3 out of 5]

My first Agatha Christie! Miss Marple hardly features in this story at all, but her humour is endearing and the mystery is simple and charming.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great mystery that involves a sip and hog and Miss Marple comes through for us.

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

I couldn’t keep my eyes on the page, it wasn’t holding my interest.

I did finish it, and even suspected the ending.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A Miss Marple short story. Light and entertaining.

[itchy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such is the impact of even so small a detail on the hands of the master.

Read as part of the collection The Thirteen Problems.

[Leya · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was able to figure out where the gold was hidden.

[Omar · Rating 3 out of 5]

القصة الثانية التي قرأتها كانت “Ingots of Gold”، ومعها بدأت أشعر أن سلسلة نادي ليلة الثلاثاء تأخذ شكلها الحقيقي شيئاً فشيئاً. فبعد أن قدّمت القصة الأولى الشخصيات وعرّفتنا على طبيعة هذا النادي الغريب، تأتي هذه الحكاية لتمنحنا أول نَفَسٍ فعلي لمغامراتهم وتلك الألغاز التي تُروى حول المائدة وكأنها قصص عابرة، لكنها تخفي دائماً ما هو أعمق.

في هذه القصة، يأخذنا راويها إلى عالم الذهب المفقود والسفن الغارقة، حيث يصبح الماضي ثِقلاً لا يمكن تجاوزه بسهولة. ما يميّز القصة هو ذلك المزج بين الغموض البحري والأجواء الهادئة للحوار، لكن رغم جمال الفكرة وشعور التشويق الذي يبنى تدريجياً، فإن السرد أحياناً يشعر بالبطء، وكأن التفاصيل الكثيرة تحاول السيطرة على النبض العام للحكاية.

ومع ذلك، يبقى حضور التحليل العقلي وذكاء الشخصيات—خصوصاً حين تقدّم كل واحدة منهم تفسيراً مختلفاً—هو العنصر الذي يمنح القصة نكهتها الخاصة. ربما ليست من القصص الأقوى في السلسلة، لكنها خطوة ثانية ضرورية تفتح أمام القارئ بوابة هذا العالم وتجعله يرى كيف يمكن لقصة بسيطة عن سبائك ذهب أن تتحول إلى مساحة للتأمل في الطمع، الخداع، والصدف التي تغيّر اتجاه الحقيقة.

The second story I read was “Ingots of Gold,” and with it I began to feel that The Tuesday Night Club series is slowly taking on its full shape. After the first story introduced the characters and set the tone for this unusual gathering, this tale offers the first real breath of their adventures—those mysteries casually narrated around the table, always hiding something deeper beneath their quiet surface.

In this story, the narrator leads us into a world of lost gold and sunken ships, where the past becomes a weight that cannot be easily shrugged off. What stands out is the blend of maritime mystery with the calm rhythm of conversation. Yet, despite the appeal of the premise and the gradual build-up of suspense, the pacing can feel slow at times, as though the abundance of details tries to take control of the story’s pulse.

Even so, the presence of careful reasoning and the intelligence of the characters—each offering a different interpretation—remains the element that gives the story its distinctive flavor. It may not be one of the strongest tales in the series, but it is a necessary second step, opening the door wider to this world and showing how a seemingly simple story about gold ingots can become a space to reflect on greed, deception, and the coincidences that can redirect the path of truth.

[Verba Non Res · Rating 2 out of 5]

Al menos para los estándares de la colección, este cuento me resultó un tanto previsible. En particular, hay cierto detalle de importancia que llama la atención enseguida y anticipa la resolución del caso.

Cuento #3 de Los trece problemas

Anterior: “The Idol House of Astarte”

Siguiente: “The Blood-Stained Pavement”

[Ashley Cael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read in The Complete Short Stories

[pennyg · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another meeting of the Tuesday night club. The
mystery seems a bit weak and circumstantial. Not my favorite.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raymond West, Miss Marple’s nephew, introduces a story to the group. Of course, Marple can solve it. I’m not a fan of West.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a bit of a cheat as how many readers knew of Whit Mondays and gardeners proclivities then?

[Lisette · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very entertaining short story.

[Cathy Cole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another meeting of the Tuesday Night Club in St. Mary Mead in which Raymond the novelist has a Cornish tale to tell (that he just couldn't solve) involving shipwrecks and lost treasure, both modern and back in the days of the Spanish Armada. Everything was neat and tidy, just the way Miss Marple likes it, but I didn't find "Ingots of Gold" as satisfying as I've found others of Christie's short stories to be. Why? There was a strong smell of smugness about this one, the smell that I've only gotten in one of Christie's full-length novels before. Oh well, I suppose it was only a matter of time before it crept into one of these stories. I know the woman was clever; I just don't appreciate her rubbing my nose in it-- which is why I switched to her short stories!

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short story featuring Miss Marple, my favorite character that Agatha Christie wrote. So of course, I was predisposed to enjoy this little story.

Miss Marple's nephew, Raymond, tells a mystery that he was involved in a couple of years back. He does not know who was guilty for a fact. By the end of his tale, his aunt has the solution. she is reluctant to share it because she thinks it will embarrass him or her will not take her seriously.

I knew I had certain parts of the mystery right but as always, I can never get all the details worked out. That is why I love Agatha Christie--she makes her mysteries seem so impossible to solve and than gives the solution that should have been obvious along the way. I will read anything she writes as soon as I Ccan get my hands on it.

[bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Continuing on with the Miss Marple short stories, the next one is Ingots of Gold. For this one I have switched over to the audiobooks. Each of these stories are about 30-40 minutes long and perfect for a walk and listen.

This story involves Raymond West, Miss Marple's nephew, telling a story about lost treasure. Buried ships, bullion and the men that try to find it. I quite enjoyed the mystery. There is no murder, but there is the allure of diving for buried treasure, in this case galleons and bullions. It was fun to try to figure it out. Naturally the Tuesday Night Club have to rely on Miss Marple's detective skills to untangle the story.

Ingots of Gold is a perfect example of Miss Marple's detective skills and if you enjoy her stories you'll definitely enjoy this one.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another tale from the group that gather as The Tuesday Night Club.

It is Raymond West’s turn to share a problem, an unsolved mystery for the others to mull over and try to resolve.

A wonderful story of Spanish Galleons, lost treasure and shipwrecks.

I enjoyed the romantic elements that turned West into a little boy once more and suspended his ability to reason.

In complete contrast to Miss Marple who despite doing her knitting throughout doesn’t miss a clue.

Firstly the gardener strikes a discordant note alerting “Aunt Jane” to the true suspect and finding time to admonish her relation with love and a sense of fun in her voice.

A great idea to present ‘unexplained mysteries’ and highlight the intelligence, common sense and the acumen of a life well lived.