Are You Happy?: Parker Pyne Investigates | 1934

"Are you happy? If not, consult Mr. Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street." - Mr. Parker Pyne's newspaper advertisement

The Sum of It:

Our most faithful readers are by now well aware of my disinclination towards short stories, so I was kind of bummed when I realized this book was yet another short story set. HOWEVER, once again due to my brief period of book-ordering-and-shipping-mixups-on-Amazon, I didn't have a hard copy of this one and listened to #DARLINGHUGHFRASER read it instead. I promise I'll be reading actual book versions of the next several books. But that said, I really enjoyed this one! 

For the first several stories, I was thinking "this book really should be called Parker Pyne Solves Problems," because the deal is Mr. Parker Pyne, a former government worker with some kind of expertise in statistics and psychology, places a regular advertisement in the newspaper that tells people if they're unhappy, they should consult him. He does far more deducting and setting of things in motion than investigating for more than half of the book. The first several cases in the book are of a domestic nature. Wives who think their husbands are enjoying an affair with a younger woman and are afraid he will leave them, husbands whose wives have asked for a divorce so they can marry a younger man, a girl who kind of accidentally stole her friend's diamond to pay off some debts and then bought said diamond back but can't figure out how to return it to her friend without the friend finding out, a working man who loves his family and doesn't make much money who just wants a little taste of adventure and a glamorous life while his wife and kids are on vacay, a rich lady who used to be poor and is bored to death, etc. etc. Parker Pyne analyzes their psychology and because he understands humans so well, he knows exactly what these people need to do in order to fix their problem. Here's the best part: LIKE 95 PERCENT OF THE TIME HE USES GIGOLOS TO DO IT. 

YOU READ THAT RIGHT. I was like whaaaaaat!!! Parker Pyne is basically a pimp. He employs all these fabulous young people who he deploys in different capacities to help his clients. Wife whose husband has a wandering eye and has been stepping out with his secretary? One of Mr. Parker Pyne's associates will start taking her to dinner and dances and eventually said husband gets jealous and realizes what he's throwing away: problem solved. Man who needs adventure? Parker Pyne will connect him with a manufacturing friend who's got some military secrets that need inconspicuous transport to another country, and sets up a scenario where a "Russian countess" must be saved from an evil villain on a train. Now he is a smuggler who rescues damsels in distress! It's all pretty charming and clever, especially because Parker Pyne arranges these things so discreetly that most of the time the clients have no clue that the situations they find themselves in have been orchestrated and are kind of like "oh bummer I paid that guy to fix my problem and he didn't do anything but OH WELL I'm happy now anyways." 

The last several stories in the book, though, take place while Mr. Parker Pyne is traveling throughout the Middle East and Mediterranean on a much needed vacation. But alas, like all of Agatha's detectives, there's no rest for the wicked! These stories were really where he started doing some investigating, rather than problem solving. There are murders and kidnappings and accidental-death-by-balcony, and Mr. Parker Pyne calmly and cooly solves them all. 

The YOA Treatment:

So as previously stated, even though I don't normally like short stories, I enjoyed the cleverness of Mr. Parker Pyne, and even though the stories were short, Agatha's excellent character and plot development skillz which are sometimes a bit less utilized in the short stories were on full display in most of these tales. Parker Pyne's use of psychology to figure out just how to manipulate people into solving their problems was really neat, and gave us a glimpse of why Agatha is perhaps such an addictive writer to read, because she understands what makes people tick. 

As we've noted before, it's always great when Agatha draws on her own love of travel and understanding of other countries for her books. She describes the scenery and travel experiences so beautifully and lovingly, from the cool and colorful courtyard of a Middle Eastern house to the trickiness of Pullman transport across the desert from the Gates of Baghdad. Her frustration at the modernization of many places in the Middle East is on display here, as Mr. Parker Pyne is totes disappointed in many of the cities he visits because they're not nearly so foreign and quaint feeling as he was hoping #projecting. 

One more fun fact: Those of you who have enjoyed the televised Poirots featuring David Suchet will be familiar with his secretary Miss Lemon, who (at least so far) hasn't been a character in the Poirot books. But guess where she turns up? In Mr. Parker Pyne's office!! He has a very efficient secretary named Miss Lemon who helps him with the little logistical details of all his gigolos and international military secrets and such. Always fun to bump into a familiar character in an unexpected place :).

So anyhow I, hater of short stories, give this book of short stories two thumbs up! If you're looking for a quick read or perhaps an Agatha to carry around in your work bag for when you have a minute that needs passing,  this would be a great option. 

-E.

100 Years of Poirot!

(image from agathachristie.com)

Happy Thursday, readers!

Did you know that the world's favorite Belgian detective (#HerculePoirot) is turning 100 this year!? Neither did we! Thank goodness the good people at Agatha Christie Limited are on top of things and have a fantastic collection of information on this beloved #DameAgatha character on their website. Of particular note is Hercule Poirot's Autobiography which is a for real thing that is absolute magic! Be sure to check out their website to read all the goodness.

For the two of us, Hercule Poirot means the terrific actor David Suchet.

Audrey says: I remember being very small, getting to stay up late and watch Poirot on Masterpiece Theater and falling in love with Agatha Christie's stories because David Suchet brought them completely to life. Even now Suchet's adorably fussy, but at the same time cunning and kind portrayal of Poirot holds a very special place in my heart.

Emily says: Suchet IS Poirot. He himself feels so personally attached to the character, it's incredible to watch some of the behind the scenes conversations with him and listen to him talk about Poirot like a best friend. I've tried to appreciate other Poirots (so sorry, Peter Ustinov) but they just don't get it quite right. The voice, the walk, the facial expressions, the accent; Suchet is the  master, for sure. Though I had read some Christie books as a teenager, I didn't start watching Suchet's Poirot until my mid-twenties, when dear Audrey realized my lack of awareness and insisted on correcting it (thank goodness for #mindtwins!) Suchet brings the stories to life in such a wonderful way, he is the perfect Belgian detective.

Poirot is one of Agatha's most famous characters, and has been portrayed on stage and screen many times. Though we're clearly biased to Suchet, do you have a case to make for a different Poirot? Or share our attachment to dear David? Let's also not forget precious Hastings, who shares this anniversary, and a place in our hearts, as does Hugh Fraser, our favorite Hastings of all)!

Psycho Killer, qu'est-ce que c'est: Lord Edgware Dies | 1933

(Image from original UK cover)

“One cannot be interested in crime without being interested in psychology. It is not the mere act of killing, it is what lies behind it that appeals to the expert.”  - Hercule Poirot, Lord Edgware Dies

The Sum of It:

Audrey and I are both reading books this week written after 1932, and both of us have agreed that Agatha has really hit her stride by this point. This book is a Poirot mystery, published in the US as Thirteen at Dinner, and at this point Agatha seems to have abandoned the idea of Poirot as a retiree and just gone ahead letting him solve mysteries. There's also not much mention at all of Hastings' wife, although at some point he mentions a trip back to the Argentine (where their ranch is located). 

As always there are a number of characters, the first of whom we meet in the book's introductory scene, an American comic actress named Carlotta Adams, whose "mobile features" and talent for mimicry lead her to impersonate another famous American actress, Miss Jane Wilkinson/Lady Edgware, as a part of her stage act. Hastings and Poirot happen to attend a Carlotta Adams show at the same time as said Miss Wilkinson, and chat with her, a fellow American film star with dashing good looks, Bryan Martin, Miss Adams, and her drunken and broke friend, Ronald Marsh (Miss Wilkinson's stepson and heir to Lord Edgware), at dinner. During this chat, the beautiful and seemingly dim Miss Wilkinson (bit of a Marilyn Monroe type) insists she must talk to Poirot about how she simply MUST get ride of her evil old husband, Lord Edgware, on account of wanting to marry a different and younger lord. She asks Poirot to go reason with evil Lord Edgware about granting her a divorce, which he and Hastings do with a surprising result, only to find out that later that same day Lord Edgware has been #MURDERED with a sharp stab to the medula oblongata shortly after the house staff claim a woman matching Lady Edgware/Miss Wilkinson's description marched proudly into the house! 

Suddenly, poor broke Ronald Marsh is the new Lord Edgware #reversaloffortune, Lord Edgware's nervous, pale daughter Geraldine is free of her tormentor, Jane Wilkinson is free to marry again, and people who dislike Jane (aka her future mother-in-law who doesn't want this dim bulb marrying her scholarly only son, aggrieved lovers, and lovers of aggrieved lovers) rejoice in seeing her as suspect numero uno. BUT WHO ACTUALLY DUNNIT?? And who commits the subsequent other murders?? In this glorious example of Agatha's cleverness, one (once again #brokenrecord) never knows til quite the very end. We'll just say that the solution to the mysteries has to do with Paris (the Greek, not the French capital/city of love) and Paris (the French capital/city of love, not the Greek) #OOOHLALA! 

The YOA Treatment:

Due to a momentary weakness of Amazon ordering skills, my copy of this book has not yet arrived at my house (let this be a warning to us all: always make sure you're shipping PRIME). This has resulted in somewhat unconventional digesting of this story on my part, which was actually kind of delightful. I read the first 20 or so chapters on some shady website online where every esteemed word of Lady Agatha was contrasted with dubious ads for magical age-erasing potions (#meaculpa, I justified this by telling myself that I did in fact pay for a copy of the book). However the last 11 or so chapters were not available from said shady website, so I used a free trial from #audible to listen to those as narrated by #DARLINGHUGHFRASER and BOY was that great. For reals, I definitely recommend the audiobooks of Agatha, especially as long as they are narrated by Hugh Fraser (aka TV's Hastings) who in addition to being the Hastings we all know and love the most is truly terrific at doing all the voices, from Scottish lads to Poirot to the indignant Inspector Japp (back again!). 

Anyhow, that said, I think my enjoyment of this book was enhanced by listening to at least part of it as an audiobook, which I can never decide is cheating or not when it comes to reading. However, this is an excellent Agatha specimen. I'm keeping a mental list of Agathas that I plan to recommend to friends who are interested in getting started (Secret of Chimneys, Secret Adversary, Seven Dials, Man in the Brown Suit, voila no longer a mental list) and I am totes adding this one to it. The pacing is quick, the characters clear, as are the various potential motives, and the plot trips along compellingly as narrated by Hastings. Some of the others, despite being well done of course, are a bit slower, and I find its the fast-paced ones I enjoy most. 

The final chapter of the book (NO SKIPPING AHEAD!) is a confession in the killer's own words, in the interest of having their cleverness preserved for posterity (including a stated disappointment that hangings are no longer public #goodlord). The killer is revealed to be a person in possession of cunning and vanity, and completely lacking in remorse or conscience. Poirot always works out his cases with the use of order and method, and searches for the rhyme and reason behind each crime. In this one he is repeatedly frustrated with himself for picking up a couple wrong rhymes before he lands on the right one, at which point he is startled by the psychosis of the murderer, quite the cool customer with purely selfish motives. As a case that even had the brilliant Poirot stumped most of the time, this book is as good as it gets. 

-E.