The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories (Hercule Poirot) (Paperback)

by Agatha Christie (Author) "CLARE Halliwell walked down the short path that led from her cottage door to the gate..." (more)
Key Phrases: lonely lady, blue cup, red cup, Major Rich, Miss Lemon, Tom Addison (more...)

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal
YA. These nine short stories, never before published in the U.S., offer a variety of mysterious doings, intriguing characters, and odd circumstances. Christie's complex plots, her historical and moral perspectives, and her strong interest in human psychology are the major factors setting the tone of these selections. "The Harlequin Tea Set" weaves psychological drama with a ghost story, creating a surreal atmosphere and an extraordinary ending. Several of the stories, while interesting, are familiar in plot and character and offer no real surprises. "The Lonely God" is a love story typical of the sentimental writing of the period. "Manx Gold" is a grand adventure with several murders spicing up the plot. Christie captures cultural and period details in a way that readers can easily assimilate, making these stories time-capsule views of life during the first third of this century. This collection continues to substantiate the author's ability to create imaginative plots and characters, proving that really good writing remains readable for countless years.?Pam Johnson, Fairfax County Public Library, VA
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal
This welcome collection contains nine stories, most of which were published only in British newspapers and magazines during the 1920s. Hercule Poirot and Harley Quin make appearances, as do more "normal" people dealing with murder.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Berkley (April 2, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0425165159
• ISBN-13: 978-0425165157
• Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #472,036 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 9 stories, 8 of which are rare, November 30, 2002

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

Most of the stories herein have not appeared in previous collections after their original magazine publications; apart from the "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" and the title story, none feature any of Christie's stable of recurring characters.

Jack Leavitt makes the mistake of trying to blackmail "The Actress" (1923, Novel). 'Olga Stormer' - formerly Nancy Taylor - is *very* quick-witted, and came up through a tough school. She remembers Leavitt - and intends to turn the tables on the lever of his cowardice.

"While the Light Lasts" (1923, Novel) (The use of language at the beginning of the story is unintentionally funny - the phrase 'boy lover', for instance.) George Crozier has never properly understood that Deirdre broke their engagement to marry Tim Nugent for love, but married *him* for the material comforts he offered her, after Tim died in WWI. During their visit to one of George's business interests in Rhodesia, Deirdre notes a text on her dowdy hostess' wall that, of course, doesn't apply to her: 'What shall it profit a man if he gain the whole world and lose his own soul?'

Alan Everard's little daughter asks him a riddle: '"Within a Wall" (1925, Royal) as white as milk, within a curtain soft as silk, bathed in a sea of crystal clear, a golden apple doth appear.' He absently answers 'your mother' - Isobel, the penniless society beauty who married him, a genius painter, rather than a wealthy man. But she has a taste for the good life, and a certain cold calculation...(The 'correct' answer is 'an egg', incidentally.)

"The Lonely God" (1926, Royal) really *is* a god - a small, forgotten idol, head in his hands, on a shelf in the British museum, without even a plaque bespeaking his name or country of origin. Then the unlikeliest chance befalls him: Frank Oliver, lonely after spending his life in the farthest reaches of the Empire, notices him, and feels a kinship to another stranger in a strange land.

"The House of Dreams" (1926, Sovereign) Fantasy more than mystery. John Segrave comes of a socially prominent family fallen on hard times - he makes an adequate living as a clerk, but isn't a likely candidate for promotion. There's more to him than meets the eye, but he isn't interested in forming relationships. Then the boss' daughter takes a fancy to him - but John falls for her 'court jester' Allegra rather than for her. But something's wrong behind Allegra's lovely facade, just as there's something ominous about the lovely white house haunting John's dreams.

"The Edge" (1927, Pearson's) Claire Hailiwell always expected her childhood friendship with Gerald Lee to end in marriage - but Gerald married Vivien Harper after a whirlwind courtship, and was thick enough to expect them to be friends afterward. The relationships don't quite play out as the reader might expect. :)

"Manx Gold" (1930, The Daily Dispatch) This was written to support a _Masquerade_-style treasure hunt on the Isle of Man, which in turn was part of a scheme to boost tourism. The story itself is a missing legacy story - i.e., uncle hid the majority of his assets and our heroes must unravel the puzzle he set them in his will. The narrator and his first cousin Fenella have an intermittent engagement (depending on their finances), and uncle Myles pepped up matters by 1) *also* notifying 2 other relatives, both unscrupulous, but 2) giving the lovebirds 24 hours' start. The 4 'treasures' in the real life contest were hidden where the treasures in the story were found, so the story is at first rather obscure about exactly where our heroes located the snuffbox treasure chests.

"The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" (a.k.a. "The Mystery of the Bagdad Chest") is a Poirot story that appears in other collections, such as _The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories_.

"The Harlequin Tea Set" (1971) is one of the few Satterthwaite and Quin stories not collected in _The Mysterious Mr. Quin_, mainly because it takes place in the early 1970s - forty years after their last meeting in 'Harlequin's Lane' - so it's not surprising that while the sight of a Harlequin tea set in a shop window reminds Satterthwaite of something, it takes him a little thought to recall exactly what.

10 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Choice Christie, April 21, 2003

By	sweetmolly (RICHMOND, VA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)

If you are the type of Agatha Christie fan who collects everything she ever wrote, "The Harlequin Tea Set" will be a cause for celebration. Six of the nine stories originally appeared in magazines and have never been collected before. I would say Dame Agatha made a wise decision to let these little critters languish between magazine covers.

Most of the stories were written very early in her career and have a girlishly romantic flavor with almost no mystery. The one Hercule Poirot tale "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" is a fair puzzle, but she enlarged on the theme more successfully in the full-length "Baghdad Chest." The will-o'-the wisp, Mr. Harley Quin, one of my least favorite Christie characters, appears in the title piece with a very elderly Mr. Satterhwaite.

To savor Dame Agatha's really fine abilities as a short story writer, may I suggest the excellent "The Thirteen Problems." Give this one a pass.
-sweetmolly-Amazon Reviewer

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Nice Reads, But Not What I Was Looking For, August 3, 2005

By	Muse From Afar - See all my reviews

If good ol' Agatha Christie murder mysteries are what you after, this isn't the collection for you. Without a doubt, each of them are intriguing, and thrilling at times, but they were lacking in what I've come to expect from the "Queen of Crime." Harlequin Tea Set is an anthology of rare Christie short stories, perfect for an avid collector. Not so good for me, I think.

Not to say that I truly disliked any of the stories. But when you're a die-hard murder mystery addict like I am, stories of love, betrayal,and the like aren't what you want coming from Christie. My favorite was the only true murder mystery, with none other than Hercule Poirot: The Mystery of the Spanish Chest.

Enough of my ranting. By no means am I trying to dissuade whichever poor soul may read my review--I only want to prepare you for what lies behind the colorful cover of Harlequin Tea Set (and Other Stories).