The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories

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).

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

Any Christie fan that needs a quick fix, but doesn't have time to read a complete novel, will enjoy this anthology. The short stories in this anthology have been discovered more than twenty years after Dame Christie's passing. I enjoyed each one of them, but I did find a couple darker than usually, The House of Dreams being one. Manx Gold was too detailed for me; I just couldn't stay with it. Mystery of the Spanish Chest has Poirot examining the motives of a killer. The Edge, another slightly dark one, has a woman deciding whether to follow her heart or her conscience. In the last story, The Harlequin Tea Set, a gentleman runs in to Mr. Harley Quin, who helps him save a family from harm.I carried this one around for a long time. It kept me company when I found myself stuck somewhere with nothing to do. In essence, I feel I discovered something new in Ms. Christie's work and was thrilled to have the opportunity. I recommend to her fans.

Each story, if read one after the other, provides further clues, it seems, into the final one. The Harlequin Tea Set is truly a colorful experience; one which can mesmerize and provide insight as intensly as any psychological thriller. Deep British humor somehow intertwined with Agatha Christie's wonderful perceptive writing, has you reading ongoing. I would read the stories again, and not so much for finding out 'who did it' but more for the in-depth analyzations of human beings and their concepts of living and dying - masterfully presented with a twist of lime to make an afternoon Tea Time graciously different.

This is a special collection of short stories by the great Agatha Christie, written during her early years. The stories were predominantly sold to the British pulp magazines and have been "forgotten" about for over a half of century because they were overwhelmed by Ms. Christie's later work. The tales range from pure mysteries to gothics and romantic suspense, demonstrating the vast range and depth of one of the great legends of English literature. ..... Eight of the nine tales have not been published in the United States, while the ninth, "The Mystery of the Spanish Chest" was released in 1939. For fans of Ms. Christie this is a great book that must read. Some of her more famous detectives, Hercule Poirot and Harley Quin appear as well as some of her lesser known sleuths. This reviewer's personal favorite is "The Edge" in which Clare Halliwell has to decide between her secret love for Sir Gerald Lee, a married man, and the incriminating evidence that proves his wife is cuckolding him. All the stories are actually fun to read for Ms. Christie's fans and anyone who enjoys a short story mystery collection. .....Harriet Klausner