The Mary Westmacott Collection: Volume One: Giant's Bread / Unfinished Portrait / Absent in the Spring

by Mary Westmacott (Pseudonym), Agatha Christie

The first three of six psychological romance novels, love stories with a jagged edge, by the Queen of Crime, writing under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. It was her sharp observations of the ambitions that drive people, their relationships and the conflicts that erupt between them, that added life and sparkle to her ingenious detective novels. When she turned this understanding of human nature away from the crime genre, writing anonymously as Mary Westmacott to prove that her writing could sell on its merit rather than her fame alone, she created bittersweet novels, love stories with a jagged edge, as compelling and memorable as the best of her work. This omnibus gathers together the first three Mary Westmacott Giant's When a gifted composer returns home after being reported killed in the war, he finds his wife has already remarried! Unfinished A female novelist attempts suicide after a marriage break up! Absent in the A middle-aged woman tries to come to terms with her husband's love for another woman!

Genres: Agatha Christie, Romance, Fiction

755 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1994

About the author

Pseudonym used by Agatha Christie to write her dramatic novels about relationships.

Associated Names:
Мэри Вестмакотт (Russian)
Мері Вестмакотт (Ukrainian)

Reviews

[Maria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this collection you can recognise different characteristics of Christie's main oeuvre, and indeed whole sections of recollections from her own life, particularly when reading Unfinished Portrait. I am currently reading Christie's autobiography and kept thinking "I have read this before!". However, a quick flick through a couple of her books reassured me I had not read her autobiography before and then just completely forgotten it!! They are all quite melancholic stories, no one seems to get a particularly happy ending. A great deal on the pain that love brings, rather than the joy.

[Sue · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christie's work as Westmacott is a delightful surprise.

[Pompski · Rating 4 out of 5]

In die erste Geschichte musste ich mich ziemlich lange reinlesen. Die war mir ein bisschen langatmig. Die anderen beiden haben mir allerdings sehr gut gefallen.

[Fiona · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this to be a bit dated. The story itself was about a rather naive girl and her journey to womanhood. Her eventual marriage to a cold, emotionless, selfish and manipulative man. Losing her grandmother then her mother left her rudderless and lonely. Then her husband wants a divorce which she eventually consents to. Tries to commit suicide and finally becomes free once her daughter marries. A strange ending rather unsatisfactory.