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Mr. Harley Quin #13
The Love Detectives: A Harley Quin Short Story
A short story by Agatha Christie featuring the duo of Mr. Satterthwaite and the mysterious Mr. Quin.
Confusion reigns when Sir James Dwighton is murdered, and illicit love results in too many confessions. Luckily, his broken clock tells the tale--or does it? It all starts as Mr. Satterthwaite and Colonel Melrose are enjoying an evening in the latter's study and the phone rings. Inspector Curtis is calling Chief Constable Melrose to ask him to come to Alderway immediately. It's murder. Melrose asks Satterthwaite to come along and, after a little fender-bender, Mr. S suggests asking Harley Quin too. Can the trio work it out?
Librarian's note: this entry is for the story, "The Love Detectives." The story can be found in the collection: "Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories." Also in "Three Blind Mice and Other Stories." All 14 Mr. Quin stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: 'a Harley Quin Short Story'.
Confusion reigns when Sir James Dwighton is murdered, and illicit love results in too many confessions. Luckily, his broken clock tells the tale--or does it? It all starts as Mr. Satterthwaite and Colonel Melrose are enjoying an evening in the latter's study and the phone rings. Inspector Curtis is calling Chief Constable Melrose to ask him to come to Alderway immediately. It's murder. Melrose asks Satterthwaite to come along and, after a little fender-bender, Mr. S suggests asking Harley Quin too. Can the trio work it out?
Librarian's note: this entry is for the story, "The Love Detectives." The story can be found in the collection: "Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories." Also in "Three Blind Mice and Other Stories." All 14 Mr. Quin stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: 'a Harley Quin Short Story'.
Audiobook
First published January 1, 1926
About the author
Agatha Christie
4,621 books68.7k followersAgatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
February 5, 2023
Sir James Dwighton is found dead, the victim of a vicious murder.
His wife and her lover should be the obvious suspects but after they both clumsily confess to the murder in what looks like an effort of each to protect the other, the police begin to think that there may be someone else running around with a motive to kill.
As you all know, things are never what they seem.
Mr. Satterwaite is visiting his friend, Colonel Melrose, and the two of them tag along with the authorities to the site of the murder. <--as you used to be able to do, apparently.
Luckily for True Love, Mr. Quin shows up in time to push Mr. Satterthwaite, & the police in the right direction.
This short was first published in magazines in 1926 and showed up in 1950 as part of the short story collection Three Blind Mice and Other Stories.
Mr. Satterthwaite can also be found in The Mysterious Mr. Quin, Three Act Tragedy, and the Hercule Poirot short story Dead Man's Mirror.
Colonel Melrose shows up in The Secret of Chimneys & The Seven Dials Mystery.
His wife and her lover should be the obvious suspects but after they both clumsily confess to the murder in what looks like an effort of each to protect the other, the police begin to think that there may be someone else running around with a motive to kill.
As you all know, things are never what they seem.
Mr. Satterwaite is visiting his friend, Colonel Melrose, and the two of them tag along with the authorities to the site of the murder. <--as you used to be able to do, apparently.
Luckily for True Love, Mr. Quin shows up in time to push Mr. Satterthwaite, & the police in the right direction.
This short was first published in magazines in 1926 and showed up in 1950 as part of the short story collection Three Blind Mice and Other Stories.
Mr. Satterthwaite can also be found in The Mysterious Mr. Quin, Three Act Tragedy, and the Hercule Poirot short story Dead Man's Mirror.
Colonel Melrose shows up in The Secret of Chimneys & The Seven Dials Mystery.
November 15, 2024
4 Stars. In trying to complete my readings and reviews of Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot novels and short stories, a task in itself, I keep bumping into Agatha Christie's lesser characters, Parker Pyne and Harley Quin. This story first appeared in 1926 as 'At the Crossroads' in 'Flynn's Weekly' in the US. I read it under it's final name in the 2011 William Morrow edition of 'Three Blind Mice and Other Stories' released in 1950. Quin is somewhat mysterious. He's an acquaintance of Mr. Satterthwaite. Chief Constable Colonel Melrose and Satterthwaite were enjoying a quiet evening when they were interrupted by a call reporting a gruesome murder; together they rush to Alderway to determine who bashed Sir James Dwighton over the head. In their haste they had a small fender-bender with Quin, and asked him to come along. The crime may be a love triangle. You know the usual, an older man, a beautiful, younger wife, and her secret suitor. But it gets complicated as the exact timing becomes more and more confusing. And then everyone confesses! Too many guilty parties and not enough evidence. Oh there was one clue. Did you catch it? A good read. (Mar2021/No2024)
March 28, 2023
4⭐️
A man is found murdered…but both his wife and his friend claim to be the murderer…
A man is found murdered…but both his wife and his friend claim to be the murderer…
May 5, 2021
If Mr Satterthwaite was on the quiz show ‘Mastermind’ he would be introduced as someone who is an onlooker at life with the specialist subject of observing human nature.
Spending a quiet evening with Colonel Melrose a phone call has them dashing to the home of a social friend Sir James Dwighton who has been found dead by his butler.
An accidental bumping into Mr Quin adds a third person to those seeking to make sense of the crime scene.
Mr Satterthwaite is the key to solving the mystery where Harley Quin is the means by his probing questions and turn of phrase.
I really enjoy the interaction between these two characters who Christie uses to bring light to another murder mystery where potentially the killer can avoid justice and the wrong person is sentenced to death by hanging.
Beautifully collated and plotted despite being just a short story. The denouement never disappoints and the author always seems to reveal a clue in plain sight we humble readers invariably missed.
Spending a quiet evening with Colonel Melrose a phone call has them dashing to the home of a social friend Sir James Dwighton who has been found dead by his butler.
An accidental bumping into Mr Quin adds a third person to those seeking to make sense of the crime scene.
Mr Satterthwaite is the key to solving the mystery where Harley Quin is the means by his probing questions and turn of phrase.
I really enjoy the interaction between these two characters who Christie uses to bring light to another murder mystery where potentially the killer can avoid justice and the wrong person is sentenced to death by hanging.
Beautifully collated and plotted despite being just a short story. The denouement never disappoints and the author always seems to reveal a clue in plain sight we humble readers invariably missed.
October 19, 2024
Entertaining mystery listening 🏠😉📯😮✨
This kindle e-book novella is from Amazon for $0.99
Two gentlemen are having an evening when a phone call sends them to a murder. There is a lot of misdirection leading to the conclusion.
I would recommend this novella and author to fans of Agatha Christie novels 😎😃 2024 😆
This kindle e-book novella is from Amazon for $0.99
Two gentlemen are having an evening when a phone call sends them to a murder. There is a lot of misdirection leading to the conclusion.
I would recommend this novella and author to fans of Agatha Christie novels 😎😃 2024 😆
November 13, 2016
So very clever, and with a great pace. I figured it out before it was revealed, but that didn't take away from the experience because it was fun to watch the cogs screech as the rest of them all tried to put the pieces together. It might have been predictable, but it was highly entertaining in the telling.
November 16, 2013
Short but funny. I liked this one.
December 5, 2022
4.5 Stars - Ah! The twist in this one was marvelous! I did not see it coming at all. I am loving these short stories!
July 23, 2023
3.5 stars
August 10, 2012
This was one of those Kindle downloads that turned out to be more of a short story than a novel. But it was good entertainment.
March 16, 2014
Good quick story
December 2, 2015
I didn't care for this story very much. The plot was identical to Murder at the Vicarage, just with different characters.
August 4, 2021
Not all that great. Christie's stories shine in her novels, and even more so in David Suchet's television movie productions. Just wasn't that impressed.
April 7, 2023
i don't fancy cheating trope but people do make mistakes. the wife's consciousness at the end that said that she owed her husband loyalty even when she didn't love him really hit me.
July 27, 2021
Cute little story with a fun twist.
November 19, 2021
This is a Harley Quin short story by the late great Dame Agatha Christie. I quite enjoyed it. A man murdered in his Library 2 people confess to the killing...Neither are believed can you figure out how it could have been done?? Read this story and find out :)
July 14, 2020
Another delightful Quin/Satterthwaite short story. Mr. Quin's subtlety and powers of suggestion are quite clever. Christie shines in this format, including such rich detail that characters and setting come alive. I suspected how this English manor house mystery would resolve, but the journey was so much fun!
September 18, 2017
This audiobook is narrated by Hugh Fraser.
May 7, 2020
Ok story. Hugh Fraser's narration made it much better.
July 8, 2020
Short story. Entertaining.
June 23, 2020
This one was short and amusing
June 1, 2021
3.5 Stars
rounded up to 4 Stars.
October 14, 2024
There isn’t much to say about this one since it’s a short story, but I did really enjoy this one. Like many of the other Harley Quin mysteries, I didn’t figure this one out. But then again, I’m not usually trying to figure out the mystery in short stories because there just isn’t enough time to gather all the information and figure it out before the characters do. It is a really good story though and I enjoyed the final reveal.
Content:
• Sexual Content –
• Violence – a man is killed by having his head crushed in with a statue (results seen on page, not the attack)
Content:
• Sexual Content –
• Violence – a man is killed by having his head crushed in with a statue (results seen on page, not the attack)
June 2, 2024
This one was decent. I liked that the two tried to take the blame for the other. Saying he was killed by being shot and then he was killed by being stabbed. When in reality it was neither. Them discovering who really did it by looking at the watch was impressive. It just didn’t catch my attention like I was hoping.
March 18, 2021
Decent little short mystery.
June 27, 2021
Read for the second time
February 4, 2023
Decent mystery, but Mr. Harley Quin is such a weird character.
October 26, 2019
Finished this book---short story really. I could guess who the murderers were but I suppose it's because I have read how Christie used the idea before.
March 29, 2020
Read as the short story, not the audio 2020
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews