Masterpieces in Miniature: Stories: The Detectives; Parker Pyne; Harley Quin, Hercule Poirot, and Miss Marple

By Agatha Christie

Book Overview

Agatha Christie is the world's most popular writer in modern times and her books have only been outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare. Best remembered for such classic crime novels as "Murder on the Orient Express," "And Then There Were None," and "Death on the Nile," her works have been cherished by generations of readers. Christie, however, was also a master of the shorter crime story and this volume collects some of her finest short stories. Each of these thirty-nine stories features one of Christie's famous detectives - Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Parker Pyne, and Harley Quin - in some of their most baffling and intriguing cases, as these ingenious Christie tales show how satisfying and compelling the crime short story can be.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0312349386
• ISBN13: 9780312349387
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: St. Martin's Press
• Length: 740 Pages
• Weight: 1.32 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 1.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Alot of bang for the buck!

This was a great collection of my favorite authors writings; I enjoyed reading it immensely. I daresay, next year, I will enjoy the rereading of it as much.

Cozy Mysteries

The book was delivered quickly and in excellent condition. The stories are perfect for a cozy evening read.

Fantastic Tales by The Best Mystery Author Ever

I keep looking all the time for stories by Christie that I havent read; a very hard thing to do. Sometimes I go back to some of the older tales having forgotten the ending. You won't be able to put this book down. There,s Miss Marple,the ever lovable little Belgian(not French!) detective who uses his little gray cells to solve most mysteries. Also Parker Pyne who puts ads in the newspaper how he can help you solve your problems-are you lonely?, do you have so much money you dont know what to do with it? Is your life dull and you seek excitement? Parker Pyne can do it and at very reasonable costs. Then there's Mr. Satterthwaite who travels the world helping he meets on the way to solve their problems but not without the help of Mr. Harley Quin, a man very hard to describe. He just seems to pop up out of thin air when Mr. Satterthwaite needs him. In the tale on World's End, at the end they are standing viewing the ocean and Mr. Quin literally disappeared perhpas into another world. My favorite tale in this book, one I had never read before was Greenshaw's Folly, a horible looking very old house Mr. Greenshaw had built leaving to his daughter. This is one story you actually dont know if you,re coming or going. Absolutely one of Christie,s best.

great Agatha Christie collection

Though three decades have passed since the great Agatha Christie past away, she remains one of the most beloved mystery writers of all time, second to none just about in popularity. Her novels and even her plays have been made into movies and TV shows that are usually well received. However, apparently Ms. Christie also wrote a ton of short stories all containing her fine twists, but not seen in one package before this superb anthology. The Detectives focuses on some of writer's better known sleuths ((Poirot (8 inquiries), Marple (6 tales), Pyne (12 cases) and Quin (13 investigations)) as each works in their unique style. Also included are Ms.Christie's introductions to Pyne and Quin. The tales show that besides novels and plays, Ms. Christie crafted miniature masterpieces. Fans of the author and anyone who enjoys cleverly written shorts will want to read this fine compilation. Perhaps a second collection can follow with some of her lesser known sleuths. Harriet Klausner