Hercule Poirot Month! The Market Basing Mystery

[Nicole]

Our first Hercule Poirot story for August is The Market Basing Mystery. Inspector Japp suggests that Poirot and Hastings accompany him to the little country town of Market Basing for the weekend. Their plans to remain incognito go awry when Japp is recognized by a constable with whom he’d previously interacted. When a local man is found dead, Constable Pollard interrupts their leisurely breakfast and requests their help. Walter Protheroe (I love how AC recycles names – can anyone recall the other story in which a Protheroe is a victim of foul play? Hint: SMM) is found shot through the head, and it looks like suicide, but the attending doctor states that it can’t possibly be so. Who did it and why? The unpleasant Parkers? The housekeeper who’d been in his employ for years? A stranger? Did you guess?

[LovesMysteries]

The story where a Protheroe is a victim of foul play is of course "The Murder At The Vicarage" :)

[Nicole]

C’est vrais, LovesMysteries! 🕵🏻‍♀️😀📚

[Tina]

Done. Will the short stories be broken into two threads: one for discussion, one for reveal or will all of a story be under one thread? Sorry if I missed an earlier breakdown.

I really didn't venture a guess to ID of perp. And before I knew it, story ended.

[Nicole]

I think we’ll stick to one post like Mark did last month. :-)

[Mark Pghfan]

The stories are really short, and probably will be read in one sitting. I did think about Christie's other Protheroe victim! Without messing up another story, the is another short story of Christie's, and even a Poirot, where the solution of the confusion about a suicide verses murder question turns out to be the same sort of thing! If you don't know the story, I'll wait until further in the discussion to let you know what it is.

Meanwhile, it is easy to see that this is a very early Poirot. And being short, it is really just about the puzzle and not so much about the characters.

[Tina]

I liked the country feel at story's start and Japp getting to hang with HP and Hastings. Would liked more of that throughout the canon but as the stories had to be told, new characters had to be introduced and so on.

One that came to mind was scene in Poirot's Christmas episode where HP rescues Japp and they motor off in the snow and then the investigation at the estate. Add to that the pub scenes with suspect. LOL Those were the days!!

[Nicole]

Agatha Christie's stories are always so comfortable and familiar, she really had a way with settings. It's funny though because so many of her works have similarities. The beginning of this particular story really reminded me of The Tragedy at Marsdon Manor, the name of the victim was the same as one in a Miss Marple story, and the end result reminded me of another Poirot short story - Murder in the Mews. Just my thoughts!

[Nicole]

Mark Pghfan wrote: "The stories are really short, and probably will be read in one sitting. I did think about Christie's other Protheroe victim! Without messing up another story, the is another short story of Christie..."

Oops, I didn't see your post! I mentioned the same story, Mark, lol! Great minds!

[Mark Pghfan]

Yep, Nicole. Mews is the story I was thinking of.

[Nicole]

That’s what I thought, Mark - I’m zipping my lips from now on, sorry, lol! ;-)

[Tina]

Nicole wrote: "Agatha Christie's stories are always so comfortable and familiar, she really had a way with settings. It's funny though because so many of her works have similarities. The beginning of this particu..."

I liked the Marsdan book over the film adaptation. MItM was another good mystery. Had paperback for the longest time. Of course, now that I wouldn't mind revisiting it, I recall that I give it away. :-/

[Nicole]

Tina wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Agatha Christie's stories are always so comfortable and familiar, she really had a way with settings. It's funny though because so many of her works have similarities. The beginning ..."

That sounds like something I would do, lol!

[PugMom]

There are 31 days in August do we should have picked 31 stories lololol

[Tina]

Nicole wrote: "Tina wrote: "Nicole wrote: "Agatha Christie's stories are always so comfortable and familiar, she really had a way with settings. It's funny though because so many of her works have similarities. T..."

:-)

[Tina]

NicoleG wrote: "There are 31 days in August do we should have picked 31 stories lololol"

Yes, we should've, NG. lol

[Nicole]

Tina wrote: "NicoleG wrote: "There are 31 days in August do we should have picked 31 stories lololol"

Yes, we should've, NG. lol"

There are over 50 stories in the book!

[Tina]

Nicole wrote: "Tina wrote: "NicoleG wrote: "There are 31 days in August do we should have picked 31 stories lololol"

Yes, we should've, NG. lol"

There are over 50 stories in the book!"

Yeah!! lol

[PugMom]

This was a good one. I definitely didn’t see that ending coming !

[Nicole]

NicoleG wrote: "This was a good one. I definitely didn’t see that ending coming !"

I liked it, too!

Is everyone ready for the second story tomorrow? :-)

[Tina]

Nicole wrote: "NicoleG wrote: "This was a good one. I definitely didn’t see that ending coming !"

I liked it, too!

Is everyone ready for the second story tomorrow? :-)"<

Ready. Thanks, Nicole.

[PugMom]

I'm ready!
I was listening to an audiobook today and they mentioned "Occam's razor". This made me think of this story!