A Mixed Bag!. Review on The Harlequin Tea Set - Agatha Christie

The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories

Some characters are charming and the others are mean,

Let’s unfold this precious treasure from the mystery queen.

Here’s a mixed bag with doses of benevolence and spleen,

This is food for the lover of dark humor and for any mind that’s keen.

Agatha Christie: This writer of intricate, complex plots needs no introduction. Her stories are published in 14 different languages and the level of fame for these books is next just to the Bible.

Here’s a summary of the 9 short stories from this collection:

1.The Edge: Life has taken a steep turn for the worse for Clare Halliwell. Her longtime fiancé Gerald has suddenly married a very gorgeous lady Vivian Lee, plunging Clare into despair. However, she stumbles upon a deplorable secret about Vivian. Clare maliciously starts blackmailing her. Will she be able to get back her love if she pushes Vivian far enough(Over The Edge)?

Stars: 3/5

2.The Actress: The best story in the book, this is about a talented actress who had once changed her name and lifestyle to get away from a shameful past. However, a professional blackmailer from her old life tries to take advantage of the situation. He seems to have forgotten that she is an ace actress on screen as well as off-screen!

Stars: 5/5

3.While the Light Lasts:

This tale revolves around the married couple of 6 months- Deirdre and George Crozier. George is a tycoon who loves his wife dearly and has the capacity to fulfill her smallest whim or desire. Dierdre, on the other hand, is happy with her life but still misses her late husband – a poor worker Tim Nugel. What will happen when she finds out that Tim, who was supposedly dead, is still alive and close-by?

Stars:2 /5

4.The House of Dreams: John Segrave, a simple man from an ambitious family has just one recurring dream. It is a beautiful white house which seems to be inhabited by someone. His meeting a fascinating woman Alegra Kerr makes him confident that she is the one residing in his dream house. What happens when he realizes that she comes from a family that has a history of insanity?

Stars: 2/5

5.The Lonely God:

A Lonely little God is on the lookout for devotees and worshippers. However, due to the small size of the deity, no one seems to be paying him any attention. This goes on till Frank Oliver decides to pay respects to this forlorn deity. Will his prayers be answered?

Stars: 2/5

6.Manx Gold: This tale is about a treasure that has been hidden on a little island named Isle of Man. 4 people have been pitted against each other to get clues that will lead to a treasure left by an eccentric deceased relative! Agatha Christie herself made a lot of research by living there for months understanding the geography and traditions of the island so that she could write this fictional tale as close to reality as possible. This story was a request from the Tourism board of this less known island.

Stars: 2/5

7.Within a Wall: This story is about a talented artist Alan Everard who struggles financially. His spendthrift and glamor crazy wife isn’t helping matters much. Alan is awed by the fact that the lady chose him to marry. However, he is fascinated with the simplicity and innocence of a neighboring lady friend. Will he ever be able to paint a portrait that will please his inner self?

Stars: 3/5

8.The Mystery of the Spanish Chest: While I had made up my mind to give 2 stars to this book, in came the famous sleuth, Hercule Poirot, to liven things up a little. This very interesting story has also been adapted on television. The role of Poirot is played by the immaculate David Suchet.

The man with the ridiculous mustaches but the brilliant brain i.e. M. Poirot is called in to acquit Mr. Rich who has been arrested for murder. In a shocking incident, the body of a family friend Mr. Clayton was found in an antique Spanish chest at the house of Major Rich. But why would a man with strong social standing murder a guest and leave the body in his own living room for the police to find?

Stars: 5/5

9.The Harlequin Tea Set: When Mr. Satterthwaite is waiting for his car to be back from the repair shop, he pauses for tea at a Harlequin Tea shop. That is when his old friend Harley Quin enters bringing intrigue and mystery to the story. He utters a word ‘Daltonism’ as a sort of cryptic clue. Will Mr. Satterthwaite be able to solve the mystery behind the clue?

Stars: 2/5

My Opinion:

After a long break from paperbacks, I plunged into this short story collection. Who better than a trusted author to reignite a lost interest in books? Although audio books are entertaining enough, the mind tends to remember just the key aspects of the story. Writing a review from those aspects isn’t always possible. In paperbacks, we can go back and revise the parts which got groggy in memory. After all, as Bern Williams has said, “Books had instant replay long before televised sports.”