Problem at Pollensa Bay by Agatha Christie

49. Problem at Pollensa Bay
by Agatha Christie
mystery, 1991
library book twelve
Nook book 18
finished 9/11/12


This is a perfect book for someone who hasn't read Agatha Christie, and only knows of her as the creator of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. It contains eight short stories which show the range of this great writer. There isn't a Jane Marple story, but Hercule Poirot makes two appearances. We also meet those fellows I've only recently become acquainted with: Mr. Satterthwaite, and Parker Pyne; and the mysterious Harley Quin. There are a couple without any specific detective. Some stories are dark, while others are light. I didn't even know it existed until I saw it available as a downloadable book for my Nook from the state library. I had read a couple of these stories before but most of them were brand new to me.

One of the stories quite surprised me because it had a supernatural feeling to it. This was The Harlequin Tea Set. I had to look up the word 'harlequin.' The only usage I knew it from was the Peter Wimsey mystery Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers.

a mute character in traditional pantomime, typically masked and dressed in a diamond-patterned costume

But in the case of this Agatha Christie story it means

in varied colors

A bit like my Fiestaware dishes, perhaps.


A sharp eye will see that one of Agatha's characters is Mr. Harley Quin, and he is indeed a mysterious character, not mute but nearly so sometimes. His presence alone seems to move a case along. According to the Agatha Christie site:

Harley Quin is a mystery. He appears and disappears unexpectedly and by strange tricks of light and reflections; making his clothes seem brightly multicoloured like the theatrical Harlequin.

The stories in Problem at Pollensa Bay are, in addition to the title one, The Second Gong, Yellow Iris, The Harlequin Tea Set, The Regatta Mystery, The Love Detectives, Next to a Dog, and Magnolia Blossom. Each one has a different feel to it. And because some of you may wonder, the dog does die in the dog story, but he is old, and his death allows a woman to live a better life. This one and Magnolia Blossom were the least appealing to me, but they are still worth reading. A most enjoyable collection.

If you don't know about the Agatha Christie Reading Challenge, please visit Kerrie here. It is a fun way to connect with other fans, and see monthly blog postings about Agatha's books and stories.