Customer Reviews

Parker Pyne Investigates

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I enjoyed reading the Parker Pyne stories because they focus on both the human angle as well as detective puzzles. The stories start out by being more about love and romance but gradually take on a more serious appearance with Parker Pyne solving complex murders. The most amusing aspect is that Pyne has worked his whole life in a government office compiling statistics, yet is able to apply his knowledge to solving all kinds of puzzles. I definitely liked the Middle Eastern setting in some of the later stories. Christie had traveled extensively in the region with her archaeologist husband Sir Max Mallowan and you can see her love for the region in the stories. A nice alternative to the usual Poirot and Marple fare!

Just a simple advertisement in the personals column that directs people to Parker Pyne's office. Those that answer the ad are greeted by the efficient Miss Lemon (later to become Poirot's secretary) lead into Mr. Pyne's office and then reveal their troubles - boredom, spousal infidelities, theft or just general discontent for Mr. Pyne and staff to sort out.

THE CASE OF THE MIDDLE-AGED WIFE - A woman's husband has become fascinated with a younger woman and then is made to realize what a fascinating woman his wife is.
THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED SOLDIER - A soldier returns to England only to long for the excitement of the frontier.
THE CASE OF THE DISTRESSED LADY - A young woman regrets an indiscretion.
THE CASE OF THE DISCONTENTED HUSBAND - A woman finds her husband boring until another woman doesn't.
THE CASE OF THE CITY CLERK - A civil servant wants out of his rut.
THE CASE OF THE RICH WOMAN - A wealthy woman finds she wants something more, but she just doesn't know what.
HAVE YOU GOT EVERYTHING YOU WANT? - A recently wedded woman has come to find her husband just a bit dull, until Parker Pyne shows her otherwise.
THE GATE OF BAGDAD - Mr. Pyne goes on vacation to the mideast and solves a murder.
THE HOUSE AT SHIRAZ - While on vacation Mr. Pyne solves a case of mistaken identity.
THE PEARL OF PRICE - A jewel disappears - who took it and why?
DEATH ON THE NILE - Awealthy woman dies under mysterious cicumstnaces, was it suicide or did her husband kill her?
THE ORACLE AT DELPHI - While vacationing in Greece Mr. Pyne stumbles upon another case of mistaken identity.

The series of stories is a bit of a departure from Christie's usual detective story. Many of the plots are more like the romances she wrote under the name of Mary Westmacont. On a whole the Parker Pyne stories are rather a forerunner of the FANTASY ISLAND tv series.

Parker Pyne isn't an investigator; he's a retired bureaucrat, who has gleaned much insight into human character from working with statistics. His agency advertises "Are you happy? If not, consult me." As he says to one client, "I am a specialist in every kind of human trouble...Human troubles can be classified under a few main heads. There is ill health. There is boredom. There are wives who are in trouble over their husbands. There are husbands who are in trouble over their wives."

And sometimes, he uses the old principle that if you have enough problems, you can make them start solving each other. :) If you like these, particularly the earlier stories, I recommend that you try Chesterton's collection, _The Club of Queer Trades_.

"The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife" - Maria Packington is suffering through what would now be called her husband's mid-life crisis: he's taken up with a pretty young typist at work. (Not an actual affair, but he takes her out to restaurants, gives up golf to take her on the river). Remember, Parker works to cure unhappiness, not to investigate people, so his treatment starts in a novel way: a beauty specialist, a dressmaker, and handsome young Claude Luttrell to introduce Mrs. Packington to London night-life.

"The Case of the Discontented Soldier" - "I can assure you, Major Wilbraham, that 96% of retired empire builders are unhappy. They exchange an active life, a life full of responsibility, a life of possible danger - for what?" After lunching with Madeleine de Sara, the major is pretty well taped by Pyne's staff, and they find a problem suited to his skills.

"The Case of the Distressed Lady" - Daphne St. John, having run up gambling debts, gave in to temptation: she had a paste replica made of an expensive ring, belonging to a friend, and exchanged it with the original. Now she just wants someone to replace the original before Mrs. Dortheimer sends the ring to the jeweler for resetting.

"The Case of the Discontented Husband" - Reginald Wade's wife wants to divorce him and marry a long-haired artistic type (he himself diffidently disclaims any knowledge of that sort of thing; golf and tennis are his line). Parker Pyne rebukes him for taking an overly humble attitude, and sends in the glamorous Madeleine de Sara to help turn the tables.

"The Case of the City Clerk" - Mr. Roberts' life has been a ceaseless struggle to survive; all he asks for is one adventure, to give him something to remember in his daily round afterwards. An old friend of Parker's who's still in government service needs to have some papers carried secretly to Geneva, and the logical choice in his own department is highly suspect. Voila...

"The Case of the Rich Woman" - Mrs. Rymer's late husband was a working man in a factory, until his inventions began making money. Being rich was fun at first - but her new 'friends' look down on her, her old friends avoid her, and she's tried everything she can think of to get some fun out of her money. Pyne comes up with something more than his usual treatments for boredom this time.

"Have You Got Everything You Want?" - Elsie Jeffries, a rich young woman on the train to Istanbul, will meet her husband there - a straitlaced, good looking young man, almost dull. But she comes to Pyne, a fellow passenger on holiday, because she found part of a note in his handwriting - something about 'my wife' and 'before Venice would be the best time.'

"The Gate of Baghdad" - The opening poem later appears in the novel _Postern of Fate_. Pyne signs on for the 36-hour road trip from Damascus to Baghdad, but murder interrupts his journey across the desert.

"The House at Shiraz" - Pyne has left Baghdad for Persia; the German pilot who brought him helps him explain to customs about the bug powder he carries. Having struck up an acquaintance, the pilot reminisces about two Englishwomen he carried out there: Lady Esther Carr and her maid. The flowerlike beauty of Muriel King was what touched his heart, but she died in a tragic fall from a balcony. Pyne begins poking into Lady Esther's history, remembering a rumour of insanity in her father's family...

"The Pearl of Price" - Pyne is part of a tourist party at Petra, along with an American magnate, accompanied by his daughter Carol and his secretary, an archaeologist, a French colonel on leave, and a worn-out M.P. All respectable people, above suspicion - until Carol's pearls disappear.

"Death on the Nile" - No, not *that* case. Pyne is still trying to get on with his holiday, when yet another woman calls him in for consultation. Lady Grayle has enjoyed poor health for years - but now she's not enjoying it at all. In fact, she suspects that her husband is poisoning her. But does she want him proved innocent - or guilty?

"The Oracle at Delphi" - Mrs. Peters has accompanied her artistic 18-year-old son to Delphi (even though she'd rather be at a luxurious hotel in Paris or the Riviera). Then he disappears - and she receives a ransom note. Enter Mr. Parker Pyne...

I am not a great fan of short stories. However, this one collection i have read many many times over. Parker Payne is a brilliant character. Clever, amusing, great to read about. the way he solves problems and crimes is excellent, and rivals even Poirot and Marple. Indeed, the concept of a detective who solves "problems" (i.e. such as being unhappy) is so astoudingly original in itself.

I absolutely adore this collection. It is not only my favourite collection of short stories ever, it is one of my all time favourite Agatha Christie novels. It ranks, in my opinion, alongside the greats such as "Towards Zero" "Murder Is Easy" and "Death Comes as the End". The stories are so interesting and so incredibly enjoyable. I loved every word of them. Anyone who likes psychology will be fascinated by this excellent collection of stories.

I think my very favourite story is "The Case of the Discontended Husband" which, as well as being my favourite in this collection, is also my favourite short story ever.

These are hugely interesting and wonderfully entertaining. If you are looking for a diverting read and are interesting in human nature, this is definitely the book for you. (Also, watch out for the stories set in foreign parts. Christie excells when she sets her stories abroad.)

It is very unusual that i will give any short story collection any more than a three star rating (at best) as i am not a fan of their form or style, but this is possibly the only exception. It is nothing short of first class.

Fine, simple story telling is Parker P's only appearance in an Agatha collection, outside of the Regatta Mystery. This one has some nice little gems, including the brief, original version of Death on the Nile. Personal favorite: the Case of the Middle Aged Wife. No blood. No murder. No blunt objects. Just a sweet, old fashioned fable with sweet, old fashioned characters. Agatha always did do well writing in different genres. Quite an easy book to polish off, in a matter of hours, or to savor them all, 3 days tops...

It is always intriguing to read an Agatha Christie that does not feature either of her two principal sleuths, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. "Parker Pyne Investigates" is a series of short stories featuring the retired Parker Pyne, a man who advertises in the newspaper that he can make people happy and sometimes has to go to extraordinary measures to do so. The stories in "Parker Pyne Investigates" are enjoyable and fast paced even if it is not one of the best of Christie's works.

Some of the standout stories in the collection are "The Case of the Rich Woman" in which a wealthy widow wants advice on how to spend her fortune and wakes up to find herself hypnotized and living on a farm with everyone calling her a different name; and "The Gate of Baghdad" in which Parker Pyne must prove that an apparent accidental death was actually murder. The first half of the collection contains stories in which Parker Pyne helps his clients find happiness, whether they are a wife who needs a little romance because her husband is beginning to stray or a poor city clerk who yearns for some small adventure just once in his life. While Parker Pyne claims not to be a detective, the second half of the collection certainly reads more like mysteries to be solved than not, as Pyne encounters kidnapping, poisoning and a case of mistaken identity.

"Parker Pyne Investigates" is an interesting collection of stories. Many are easy to solve for they do not feature the trademark Christie twist. Nevertheless, the stories are unique and flawlessly plotted and Parker Pyne's confidence makes him an easy character to like.

The world this book paints is long gone... there was a gentle charm about the inter-war years in Britain. The notion that a retired government officer could solve crimes, in an ametuer sleuth way, is the exact opposite of someone like Ed McBain and his gritty 82nd Precinct novels. I like both, but it's interesting to note that both really stem from the original detective, Sherlock Holmes.

I HAVE COLLECTED AGATHA CHRISTIE BOOKS FOR MANY YEARS AND I WAS THRILLED TO FIND THIS BOOK WITH AGATH'S PICTURE ON THE COVER!!! IT IS IS QUITE GOOD CONDITION AND A WONDERFUL ADDITION TO MY COLLECTION

"Parker Pyne Investigates" is the same book/set of short stories as "Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective" (the former being a slightly more accurate description of Mr. Pyne) As other reviewers have pointed out, these are SHORT stories, and include murder and other mysteries, but that is secondary to the theme of addressing unhappiness.

The title is a misnomer. Parker Pyne isn't a detective, he's more of a 'Mission: Impossible' guru. People come to him when they're unhappy, he gives them adventures. Unlike the previous reviewer, I liked the first 6 stories better than the last, when he does become a mere detective!