The Listerdale Mystery and Eleven Other Stories [Audiobook, CD, Unabridged] [Audio CD]

Agatha Christie (Author), Hugh Fraser (Narrator)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 11, 2006

First published in 1934, this collection of Agatha Christie short stories features 12 ingenious tales involving mystery and adventure, from a stolen rajah’s emerald to a necklace discovered in a basket of cherries to a mystery writer’s bizarre near-arrest for murder. Among the stories in this enjoyable early collection are "The Girl on the Train," "Jane in Search of a Job," and "Philomel Cottage," which was made into the film Love from a Stranger.

Editorial Reviews

From AudioFile

This satisfying collection of short stories emphasizes romance and humor as Hugh Fraser transports listeners into genteel British society. Christie makes each story a perfect gem. What makes Agatha Christie such a perennial favorite is her ability to make each character a fully developed individual. When a young man finds an emerald in his pocket after taking the wrong trousers in a beach changing room, Christie makes listeners feel his confusion and fear; at the same time she keeps a deft hand with the light love stories woven in among the murders. Each tale is a tiny self-contained adventure, and, delivered by the talented Fraser, makes for fine entertainment. D.G. © AudioFile 2006, Portland, Maine-- Copyright © AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Product Details

• Audio CD
• Publisher: BBC Audiobooks America; Unabridged edition (January 11, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1572704977
• ISBN-13: 978-1572704978
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #742,823 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #50 in Books > Books on CD > Authors, A-Z > ( C ) > Christie, Agatha

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Agatha Christie read by Hugh Fraser - wonderful!, April 29, 2009

By 

J. Lesley "(Judy)" (Midsouth, United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Listerdale Mystery and Eleven Other Stories (Audio CD)

Even the least likeable of the Agatha Christie mysteries is still a darn good reading experience. Always assuming, of course, that you enjoy the older mystery classics. This set of stories is no exception to quality but there are probably some surprises in store for anyone not completely familiar with Christie's work. She often utilized her short stories to deal with adventure and moralistic dilemmas instead of murder most foul.

This set of 12 stories is told on 6 CD's. This formatting has two stories per disc which makes it very easy to keep track of where you left off if you need to turn the story off for a while. The stories are:

Disc #1 - The Listerdale Mystery, The Rajah's Emerald
Disc #2 - The Golden Ball, Mr. Eastwood's Adventure
Disc #3 - Philomel Cottage, A Fruitful Sunday
Disc #4 - Jane in Search of a Job, Swan Song
Disc #5 - The Girl in the Train, Sing a Song of Sixpence
Disc #6 - The Manhood of Edward Robinson, Accident

Most of the stories concern young people who are bored or dissatisfied with their daily lives who long for some adventure. Once they get that adventure they usually face the question of whether or not to stick to the law or chose an alternative. Some of the stories are presented in other volumns of Christie short stories, Philomel Cottage for example, but personally I love to listen to them over and over anyway so that is not a problem for me.

The making of this collection is the reading by Hugh Fraser. Because of his acting in the BBC Agatha Christie series as Captain Hastings I look on Fraser as an old friend. His voice is familiar and soothing. His acting ability translates well to his reading of the stories. All in all, an extremely pleasant way to get my "Christie fix".

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Love the twists. Not typical Christie, August 17, 2007

By 

Wendy A. Lutz (upstate NY) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Listerdale Mystery and Eleven Other Stories (Audio CD)

If you're looking for some great, "feel good" atypical mysteries go for it. If you're a classic Christie fan... you may want to give this a pass, but once you get the hang of the general direction, the stories are beautiful, most are well-crafted, some are a little contrived but still enjoyable. Good driving listening.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twelve very different mysteries come to life, April 19, 2006

By 

D. Donovan, Editor/Sr. Reviewer "California B... (California, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Listerdale Mystery and Eleven Other Stories (Audio CD)

Agatha Christie's mystery THE LISTERDALE MYSTERY AND ELEVEN OTHER STORIES once again enjoys veteran Hugh Fraser's long-time audio experience bringing Christie's many mysteries to life. Here twelve very different mysteries range from a cottage murder to a missing emerald, with all Christie's patented talent for high drama packed into the short mystery format.