Before most people spent their evenings transfixed on a slew of so-called 'reality' television shows, friends were more likely to gather in each other's homes and amuse themselves by telling stories or playing parlor games. The art of conversation in this wonderful collection of Christie mysteries is more inventive and intriguing than any setup romance of bachelors and bachelorettes or wannabe actors, aka 'survivors', set loose on a deserted isle.
Miss Marple and her friends form a loose association dubbed the Tuesday Night Club. They gather once a week and each one, in turn, attempts to stump the others with a true life mystery. The rules are simple. The facts must be from a true case and the narrator knows the solution to 'whodunit'. The rest of the guests must use their wit to solve the puzzle before the night is over.
Of course, our favorite elderly sleuth (and St. Mary Mead's leading busybody), Miss Marple, is on hand to use her uncanny knowledge of human nature to divine the answer to each week's mystery. The other Tuesday Club members include Dolly and Col. Bantry; the local clergyman, Dr. Pender; Jane Helier, a beautiful actress; Sir Henry Clithering, retired from Scotland Yard; Joyce Lampiere, an artist; and noted writer, Raymond West, who is also Miss Marple's doting nephew.
These stories are all gems...best savored one at a time as you wile away a rainy afternoon by the fireside with a cup of Earl Gray tea. From the exotic tale of the "Idol House of Astarte" to the Cornish coastline in "Ingots of Gold", these short stories offer adventure, thrills and a few laughs, as well. This book is a wonderful introduction to Miss Marple and the stories are inventive and original enough that you'll enjoy reading them again and again.
Read our biography of Agatha Christie.
