It doesn't matter that Christie says nothing new about human character here that she hasn't said in countless other mysteries -- between Mr. Pyne and Mr. Satterthwaite, she has beautifully bookended her views on love and happiness. While Mr. Satterthwaite's stories in The Mysterious Mr. Quin are filled with grandeur and heartbreak, Parker Pyne's investigations are filled with humor. He is an excellently realized character (particularly since he isn't ever described by any other characters, Christie's usual method of illuminating her detectives), his methods are highly original (and extremely effective), and he gets in quite a few excellent lines. My favorite story is the same as Christie's, "The Case of the Rich Woman" and the final story has a wonderful twist. A strong collection.

(A further note: longtime readers will be pleased to find the first appearances of Miss Lemon, Poirot's efficient secretary, and Ariadne Oliver, the mystery writer, in two of the early Parker Pyne stories.)

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