Reviews

The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie

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kathydavie's review against another edition

5.0

It's an omnibus of nine short stories in the Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Parker Pyne vintage mystery series.

The Series
"The Regatta Mystery" (Parker Pyne SS*-??; pub: 1936)
"The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest" (Hercule Poirot EX-03; pub: 1932)
"How Does Your Garden Grow?" (Hercule Poirot SS-31; pub: 1935)
"Problem at Pollensa Bay" (Parker Pyne SS-??; pub: 1935)
"Yellow Iris" (Hercule Poirot SS-37; pub: 1937)
"Miss Marple Tells a Story" (Miss Marple SS-??; pub: ??)
"The Dream" (Hercule Poirot SS-38; pub: 1937)
"In a Glass Darkly" (pub: 1934)
"Problem at Sea" (Hercule Poirot SS-33; pub: 1936)

* SS = Short Story

The Stories

"The Regatta Mystery"

Also found in Hercule Poirot: Complete Short Stories, it was first published in 1936. It's also known as "Poirot and the Regatta Mystery". Lord knows why, as Poirot doesn't even appear in this. It's all Parker Pyne.

It's a yachting party and Isaac Pointz, a diamond merchant, loves making his guests happy. Even when they want to examine his mascot, the Morning Star. It's when a bet goes wrong that Parker Pyne's skills are required.

It's a third person protagonist point-of-view from Pointz' perspective as he assesses truths and pasts of his guests. I don't like Parker Pyne's emphasis on racial types and classifications, but it was considered a science at the time and too many people today still believe in it. He is good at those observational details.

"The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest"

Also found in While the Light Lasts and The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Entrées, it was first published in 1932 and has been known as "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest".

Poirot's ego is brought up. I do so enjoy his rationale for enjoying the adulation his intelligence brings him. And it's true. One should be honest with oneself. It is interesting that Marguerite appears to be unaware of her appeal . . . what with duels being fought and men dying around her.

The frame job was well thought, but the execution, ahem, was not. Good thing for the Major!

Some of the Characters
Captain Hastings appears in this one. Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard.

"How Does Your Garden Grow?"

First published in 1935, suspicion rears its ugly head and Poirot brings his observational skills to the fore. It's amazing what clues and knowledge of a culture can do.

The whole idea of that cachet was mind-boggling. I find I prefer our pharmaceuticals.

Some of the Characters
The OCD Miss Lemon is Poirot's confidential secretary, and it's quite interesting to read Christie's description of her, lol. Inspector Sims is a local man. Hastings is NOT in this one, and I can't tell if he simply moved on or if he died.

"Problem at Pollensa Bay"

A.k.a. "Siren Business", it can also be found in Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories and Thirteen for Luck! It was first published in 1935.

Ah, the problems of fame. Poor Parker Pyne knows that when people are abroad and bored, they tend to read their home newspapers more thoroughly. So they know all about his skills! And, he is on vacation, dang it.

It's all about prejudice, anger, and frustration with a wayward son who isn't blindly following Mama's rules. Mama's problems are the same ones every generation's mothers experience — those modern girls!

I was taken aback (and appreciated) Parker's observations on how Mrs Chester was wasting her life and overly controlling her son's, and he's quite the sneak in how he helps her with the problem of her son, lol.

Dolores Ramona is quite the femme fatale.

"Yellow Iris"

First published in 1937, it's a re-enactment of a past event, one motivated by greed.

"Miss Marple Tells a Story"

It's a tale of a woman who cried wolf, which played so easily into making her husband look guilty.

If only one took notice of staff . . .

Some of the Other Characters
Raymond, a writer, is Miss Marple's nephew; Joan, an artist, is Raymond's wife. Gwen had been Miss Marple's red-haired maid. Mr Petherick had been her family lawyer.

"The Dream"

First published in 1937, the wealthy recluse sounds like Howard Hughes. It is a clever set-up.

"In a Glass Darkly"

First aired in 1934 when Christie read the story on the radio, it's a spooky tale with an unreasonably jealous man who tells the story from first person protagonist point-of-view. It's odd that he's so chivalrous at the start but such a jerk towards the end. Then there's the understanding of what he first saw in 1914.

It was funny that Neil's family wasn't well-off enough to have a servant to unpack one's luggage or valet one. Hmph, lol.

"Problem at Sea"

First published in 1936, it was also known as "Poirot and the Crime in Cabin 66".

Yep, they are passengers on a ship in the Mediterranean all right. But it could be any place where people gossip. And that's all they do, is gossip, plot, and sneak about. That Adeline Clapperton is something else. I know I couldn't have lived with her! Not even for this short time aboard ship. An insecure woman who has to brag about how fabulous she is and how wonderfully she copes despite all her ills.

The two young ladies in this cracked me up with all the "rescuing" they did. Quite the charitable activity, lol.

The Cover and Title
The top (angled) half of the cover is a chalky blue sky while the bottom (angled half) is the white bulk of a ship with a red band between sky and ship with red boat bumpers strung along white rope. At the very top is an epigraph in white with the author's name in black script above the ship. Right-justified on the boat itself is the title. The first three words are in red while the remaining three words are in black. An info blurb relates the series info, also in black.

The title relates the first story, The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories that follow.