The Mysterious Mr. Quin [Mass Market Paperback]

Agatha Christie (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Review

"A rare treat for discriminating readers."--The New York Times

"The Mysterious Mr. Quin will give you man problems to solve and a chuckle over Christie's entertaining and subtle humor."--Saturday Review of Literature

Product Description

Agatha Christie is more than the most popular mystery writer of all time. In a career that spans over half a century, her name is synonymous with brilliant deception, ingenious puzzles, and the surprise denouement. By virtually inventing the modern mystery novel she has earned her title as the Queen of Crime. Curious? Then you're invited to read...THE MYSTERIOUS MR. QUINA conjurer of skill with an instinct for detection, Mr. Harley Quin has an almost magical flair for appearing at the scene of the most remarkable crimes. But is it just a trick of light that haunts his shadow with a ghostly apparition? Is it fate that invites him to a New Year's Eve murder? And what forces are at work when his car breaks down outside Royston Hall, an isolated estate with a deadly history? With fantastic intrigue, uncanny procedure, and Agatha Christie's most charismatic creation, these dazzling stories remain personal favorites for the queen of crime.AUTHORBIO: AGATHA CHRISTIE is the world's best known mystery writer. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in 44 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her writing career spanned more than half a century, during which she wrote 80 novels and short story collections, as well as 14 plays, one of which, The Mousetrap, is the longest-running play in history. Two of the characters she created, the brilliant little Belgian Hercule Poirot and the irrepressible and relentless Miss Marple, went on to become world-famous detectives. Both have been widely dramatized in feature films and made-for-TV movies.Agatha Christie also wrote under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. As well, she wrote four non-fiction books including an autobiography and an entertaining account of the many expeditions she shared with her archaeologist husband, Sir Max Mallowan. Agatha Christie died in 1976.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Minotaur Books (March 15, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312981600
• ISBN-13: 978-0312981600
• Product Dimensions: 6.7 x 4.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #148,851 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book dedicated to Harlequin, the Invisible, March 7, 2002

By	Michele L. Worley (Kingdom of the Mouse, United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

This review is from: The Mysterious Mr. Quin (Mass Market Paperback)

This book contains most, but not all, of the adventures of Mr. Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin. (See my listmania list for a complete list). Mr. Satterthwaite is an elderly bachelor whom life has passed by - a spectator in other people's lives - but like Miss Marple, he's grown very perceptive.

Mr. Quin - Mr. Harley Quin - is a vaguely supernatural figure, associated with the immortal Harlequin, whose appearance in Satterthwaite's life presages adventure. Generally he appears as an advocate for the dead, and always as a catalyst: Satterthwaite does most of the reasoning, prompted by Quin. His theory is that one is more likely to solve a mystery after enough time has elapsed to put events in perspective. His gift for inspiring Satterthwaite lies in guiding him to ask the right questions.

"The Coming of Mr. Quin" - Mr. Quin appears after midnight on New Year's Eve, speaking of a breakdown that his chauffeur will shortly put right; Satterthwaite is among the guests of the house party who have stayed up. Quin guides the conversation to the mysterious suicide of Derek Capel, which happened 10 years ago in the same house. He contradicts the theory that nobody will ever know why Capel did it.

"The Shadow on the Glass" - If Satterthwaite consents to stay in a new-money household (he's a snob), it's a sign that the cooking is very good, or that something interesting will happen. He's currently staying with the Unkertons, who have bought a house with a romantic ghost story - a haunted window - and who have a genius for inviting trouble. In this case, they've invited a group of empire-builder-type hunters: Iris Staverton, Richard Scott and his new bride, and Scott's best-friend, who's been second fiddle all his life. Tactless, since Iris and Richard once had a very public relationship.

"At the Bells and Motley" - When the 3rd flat tire of the day strands Satterthwaite and his chauffeur 40 miles from their destination, the chauffeur soothes his employer's ruffled temper by suggesting that he go to the nearby inn - the Bells and Motley - to telephone his host, get something to eat, and maybe stay the night. Satterthwaite cheers up considerably to find Quin as a fellow-guest, and to be reminded that this little town was recently the scene of a nine-days wonder: a newlywed man, with a rich, lovely young wife, who mysteriously vanished.

"The Sign in the Sky" - Satterthwaite, having just seen young Martin Wylde convicted of the murder of Vivien Barnaby (a married woman he was leaving upon his engagement), and suspecting that he's innocent, seeks out a favourite restaurant, catering to jaded gourmets: the Arlecchino. Where, of course, he joins Mr. Quin at table to discuss the case.

"The Soul of the Croupier" - Satterthwaite, on his annual trip to Monte Carlo, notes that few of the glamourous nobility attend anymore - except the Countess Czarnova, and even she is seen less with great men these days than the nouveau riche.

"The World's End" - Satterthwaite's snobbery works against him here: the Duchess of Leith (one of those wealthy people who still clip coupons), complaining about her hotel bill, persuades him to accompany her to Corsica rather than the comforts of the Riviera.

"The Voice in the Dark" - Lady Stranleigh represents the triumph of Art over Nature - she's been married four times, has a grown daughter, and is a contemporary of Satterthwaite's, but maintains the illusion of a youthful appearance. Her daughter Margery is almost a cuckoo's egg - very practical and conventional. Then Lady Stranleigh seems to show signs of occasional bouts of 'food poisoning'...who is acting a part for whom?

"The Face of Helen" - Satterthwaite encounters a woman with the calamitous magic of the great beauties of history - but the outlook of a respectable middle-class girl. (Christie has employed variations on this kind of character several times: Elsie Holland in _The Moving Finger_ and Mrs. Liedner in _Murder in Mesopotamia_, to name two extremes.)

"The Dead Harlequin" - Satterthwaite sees a beautiful painting at an exhibition of a young artist's work, in which a dead Harlequin lies on the floor of the Terrace at Charnley, which Satterthwaite knows well, and a living one looks in at the window. He buys it and invites the painter to dinner - and not only does the talk turn to a mysterious suicide that occurred at Charnley years ago, but two women ring up, asking to buy the painting from Satterthwaite.

"The Bird with the Broken Wing" - One of Satterthwaite's fellow guests at the house party at Laidell is Mabelle Annesley - who was born a Clydesley, noted as being a family that disaster has struck again and again: one sibling committed suicide, another drowned, and still another died in an earthquake. Is someone trying to make a clean sweep?

"The Man from the Sea" - Satterthwaite, visiting a new place rather than the Riviera, meets a man who seems young, to him: Anthony Cosdon, approaching 50, a bachelor who has lived a careless but contented life - and whose doctor has delivered his death sentence. But Satterthwaite and Quin aren't inclined to let him take his own life, because, of course, there's something Cosdon hasn't thought of...

"Harlequin's Lane" - Satterthwaite stays with the Denmans every now and again, even though they seem to be very dull Philistines, because nevertheless something about them puzzles him very much. Then Satterthwaite finds that Quin is a fellow guest...

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Unusual Christie Work, December 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mysterious Mr. Quin (Paperback)) (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) (Paperback)

I would recommend this book to both Christie fans as well as those readers picking up her work for the first time. The stories are all unique but have one common theme - a supernatural element running through them that is somehow connected with the mysterious appearances and disappearances of that enigmatic creature, Mr. Harley Quin. Unlike the character of Mr. Satterthwaite whose thoughts and reactions are transparent to the reader, Mr. Quin remains shrouded in darkness (a little like Holmes and Watson). We are always excited by his appearance because that is the indication that a mystery is about to appear on the horizon. Unlike Sherlock Holmes however, Mr. Quin does not play any active role in solving the puzzles; rather he throws out hints and suggestions to Mr. Satterthwaite who is usually quick-witted enough to pick up the thread of thought and so stumble upon the truth. Yet Mr. Quin is not a selfish being; in fact his appearance is frequently just in time to prevent a tragedy or a miscarriage of justice that may result in the wrong person being accused. Rather, he is content to stay out of the spotlight and maintain his anonymity; we observe in the stories that while he seems to know a lot of people, none of the characters have ever actually met him. Yet everyone accepts his presence and word unquestioningly. The stories are tinged with a romantic streak yet remain absorbing mysteries and studies of human nature. Highly recommended!

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars a very unique read!, August 19, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: The Mysterious Mr. Quin (Paperback)) (Hercule Poirot Mysteries) (Paperback)

While reading this book, I kept forgetting that the same mind that created lovably conceited Poirot and lovably fussy Jane Marple also created the mysterious Quin. These stories are fun and deep all at the same time. However, the last story, "Harlequin's Lane" is really disturbing and I found myself,like Mr. Satterthwaite, scared of Mr. Quin, and wondering about his motives in all his other stories, because his behavior in this one was so out of character for him. I was very upset that this is how his relationship with Mr. Satterthwaite was going to end. But then I found out about the publication of the final Quin story, "The Harlequin Tea Set" in the book of the same name. In that story, everything seems back to normal, with the two men even talking lightly of the incidents in "Harleqin's Lane". So, if you can get past the utter weirdness and uneasy feeling that story gives, the other Quin stories are very good.