Problem at Pollensa Bay. Agatha Christie

While the Poirot and Parker Pyne stories are good, the highlights of this collection are a couple of stories that don't fit the mold of the typical murder mystery generally associated with Christie's name: "The Harlequin Tea Set"--I can't say much about the plot without giving away the ending (which has an almost surreal quality to it), but this is a brilliant and beautifully crafted tale with a strong emphasis on visual description and color which both enables (almost forces!) the reader to envision the scene in vivid detail and plays an important role in the story; and "Next to a Dog"--it's obvious from this heartbreaking but ultimately hopeful story of love, loss and redemption that Christie was a pet lover who deeply felt the loss of her own beloved furry friends, and she communicates that exquisitely, as well as (and perhaps better than) any other writer ever has, and though it's a story focused on a dog, it is perhaps her most human story. Worth the price for these two gems alone, but the other stories nicely round out the set with the kind of fun, intriguing mysteries one expects from Christie.

This Christie is a surprising treat for loyal fans. It comprises of eight short stories. Two of which are from the familiar egg headed detective Poirot, "The second gong" and "Yellow Iris" The later of the two involves Poirot being mysteriously called to a restaurant by an unknown lady caller in danger. Poirot has to discover who the caller is and the looming danger. Both these stories like the majority in this collection originally appeared in the Strand magazine. Mr Parker Pyne "The one and only original wizard", appears in two delightful tales which focus on the dapper English gent, solving a problem of the heart In "Problem at Pollensa Bay" and the mysterious disappearance of a diamond in "The Regatta mystery". The first of the two stories was my particular favourite as Christie explores the mystery of relationships in quite a comical almost Wodehousian style. This story shows us what a good sense of humour and keen wit Christie had. The Mr Satterthwaite and Harley Quin double act is really different. Mr Satterthwaite is helped by the supernatural presence of Mr Harley Quin, in "The Harlequin tea set" and "the love detectives". Mr Quin aids Mr Satterthwaite in solving puzzles by slowly revealing and suggesting things to both Mr Satterthwaite and the reader. The most surprising stories are the last two, "Next to a dog" and "Magnolia Blossom." Neither follow Christies usual tale of murder, however they are both morbid and serious. The stories explore the sombre side of life and are perhaps showing what the author thought about relationships she had experienced.. I enjoyed this selection of short stories because it is such an eclectic mixture of tales, illustrating the versatile talent of Christies writing. I would recommend this book both to newcomers to her writing and an unexpected welcome to those familiar with her work.