The Coming of Mr. Quin: A Short Story

Harley Quin #1

by Agatha Christie, Hugh Fraser (Reading)

On a dark evening, Mr. Harley Quin appears at the door of Royston Hall under the premise that his car has broken down. Once inside, he embarks upon the tragic tale of Royston Hall's former occupants, leading to a dramatic change in the perceptions of the current inhabitants – but has Mr. Quin's revelation come too late?

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Short Stories, Fiction, Audiobook, Classics, Crime

Audiobook

First published March 1, 1923

About the author

Agatha 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)

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first story with the mysterious Mr. Quin and the adorable Mr. Satterthwaite.
On New Year's Eve, a group of friends is gathered in the home of Tom & Laura Evesham when a passing car breaks down and a stranger knocks on the door.
Mr. Satterthwaite feels something is going to happen. And it does. They are all drawn into a conversation about their friend's suicide in the home years ago, and Mr. Quin challenges them to solve the mystery.
Why did a seemingly happy man walk upstairs and kill himself?



As with a lot of Agatha Christie's stories, Mr. Quin wants to help the innocent, who will remain under suspicion until the mystery is solved.
It's not the best Quinn/Satterthwaite story, but it sets the scene for all the other ones that come after it.

Originally published in Grand Magazine as The Passing of Mr. Quinn in 1924.

This story can be found in the collection The Mysterious Mr. Quin & Midwinter Murders.

[Cherie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick little murder mystery, the audio book was 40 minutes in length. If you do not pay close attention, the ending will go right over your head and confuse you. I had to listen to the ending three times to figure it out.

[Bobby Underwood · Rating 5 out of 5]

On New Year’s Eve, Satterthwaite finds himself among a group that includes Alex Portal and his wife, Eleanor. Satterthwaite finds Eleanor somehow strange — a blonde who has died her hair black — it’s so often the reverse. Eleanor Portal also appears to possess a hold of some nature which frightens her husband.

Mention of a New Year’s Eve superstition, and a tale of suicide by a man whom they all knew brings about the entrance of Mr. Quin. Our mysterious Mr. Quin is supposedly stranded. But is he really?

When Mr. Quin draws out those present into recalling events surrounding the aforementioned person’s suicide, an entirely different picture begins to emerge. Whether it will be a condemning one, or give a second chance for happiness to two people isn’t clear until the final moments of this splendid Satterthwaite and Mr. Quin story.

[Noura Khalid (theperksofbeingnoura) · Rating 2 out of 5]

A shorter way of solving a crime and one that’s still fascinating. It’s amazing how even her short stories are interesting!

[Shaelyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love anything with Mr. Quin or Parker Pyne - I wish there were more of both xharacters. I'm always on the lookout for books that have a similar feel to Mr. Quin's as well as Parker Pyne's investigations- (someone suggested Dirk Gently- I liked it but it didn't feel at all like those characters) anyways Mr.Quin is a great character that seems to get the other characters to solve their mysteries, while being a somewhat dark, enigma himself. Always love the stories that include him they're even more intriguing then Christie's other short stories.

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. It was New Year's Eve. If Agatha Christie can start the first Mr. Quin short story in that fashion, why can't I do it for my review? Cold and blustery with snow covering the land. A small party gathered at Royston Hall, the home of the Eveshams, to celebrate the passing of the old year and anticipation of the new. Among them is a 62 year-old man, Mr. Satterthwaite, one of Christie's favourite characters, an observer of people in their many variations and the human heart in its many meanderings. This is the first entry in The Mysterious Mr. Quin collection, published by Harper Collins in 2003. The story saw the light of day in Grand magazine in 1924. Back to the puzzle. The group is startled when the door bell rings. A tall, slender man dramatically appears; his car has broken down. It's Harley Quin. He soon enters into a discussion about a suicide which occurred several years earlier in the same house - which again startles the group. Quin knew Derek Capel and, we find, knows a great deal about the circumstances. The story is written as if you and I are attendees at the party as Quin leads us all to the answer. It's a fine one. (Au2021/Se2025)

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a fan of Agatha Christie, I picked this e-book up from my local library. It was part of a set of twelve novellas Midwinter Murder: Fireside Tales from the Queen of Mystery. I found each individual story entertaining with a great mystery. I would recommond to readers of Agatha Christie. 2023

[Lesley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Can't go wrong with a good ol Agatha mystery!

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

A mistake in my reading of Agatha Christie has been to ignore her short stories unless they contained H Poirot or Miss Maple. Having recently read a short story in ebook about Mr Quin I realised what I may have been missing out in her wider collection of stories.

I believe this tale has previously been included in a set of Mr Quin’s stories - “The Mysterious Mr Quin” - not sure if this is in publication at the moment. Alternatively there is a collection of over 50 short stories focusing on the ‘Detectives and young adventures.’ Part of the Masterpieces in miniature set. I think the majority of Mr Quin short stories have been published as ebooks in this series for 99p each.

So very accessible and worth reading. The author wrote “Mr Quin, I consider, is an epicure’s taste.” Well I leave you to find out for yourself. Agatha Christie went on to say “Of the Mr Quin stories, my favourites are: World’s End, The Man from the Sea and Harlequin’s Lane.

I am beginning this literary journey of discovery.

Here Mr Quin turns up early on New Year’s morning to prompt the men still up, from seeing the New Year in, to reflect and recall the previous owner of the house who committed suicide. Under Mr Quin’s directing and questioning, a fresh insight is given to those tragic events and with a wider degree of understanding. Insight which might in turn help save a life.

Charmingly Christie, explaining a problem through the character of Mr Quin and the observations of Mr Satterthwaite.

A puzzle all tied up within a memorable short story that in other less productive minds could have been a novel in itself. But that would have been a waste. This is what Mr Quin brings to this genre. Dropping in, popping up and supplying clarity where confusion abounds.

Short and sweet, a starter rather than a main course but just as fulfilling.

[Lovely Day · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

Meh. Too short, kind of boring 🤷🏼‍♀️

[Carole Jarvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

"And suddenly all the events of the night seemed to fall into pattern - Mr. Quin's arrival, no fortuitous chance, but the appearance of an actor when his cue was given."

This first Mr. Quin short story introduces a fascinating character, who I've heard was a favorite of Agatha Christie. I've read several of these stories and enjoy him more and more. He knows all, but uses his knowledge to encourage others to look deeper.

This story takes place one evening at a manor house and delves into a 10-year-old suicide. The characters are easy to follow, the surprising twist unexpected. Mr. Quin knocks at the door, apparently experiencing car trouble, and we quickly see his manipulative skills... "It was he who was staging the play - was giving the actors their cues."

The Coming of Mr. Quin is among my favorites in this collection.

[Melli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anything by Ms Agatha Christie is 5 stars for me

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my first Harley Quin story and I enjoyed it. The story has the usual twists and turns we expect from a Christie story. Looking forward to more stories with Mr. Quin.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mr Satterwaite seems to precede Harley Quin's appearance in the story. Here he is again at a get together on New Year's Eve at a home in the country where a friend of those gathered had killed himself ten years ago. The ladies retire. The men are drinking and chatting. There's a knock on the door. It's Harley Quin. Car trouble. He's welcomed and precedes to ingratiate himself with the host and guests by mentioning he too knew the deceased. What ensues is a new explanation of what really happened ten years ago that involves those assembled and that lost me and had me asking more questions that were left unanswered before abruptly ending.

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

As my first introduction to Mr. Quin, I quite enjoyed meeting him. I liked the quirky little mystery, of a ten-year old suicide, and how enigmatic and mysterious Mr. Quin is.

I also can't help but wonder if the creator of Joker's pal was acquainted with this Harley Quin. I don't see much resemblance, but perhaps they heard the name and thought it sounded cool.

[Emily G · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have not come across Mr Harley Quin before, but I would like to read more stories with him in it.

It is New Year’s Eve and a party gathered to celebrate are ruminating on what could have caused the previous owner of the house to kill himself. Two of the part were present at the time of the shooting. In steps, Mr Harley Quin to help them puzzle it out. 4 stars

[Cadiva · Rating 5 out of 5]

In which we are first introduced to the mysterious Mr Harley Quinn.

[Hunter · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was the first Agatha Christie piece of writing that I didn’t care for. It just didn’t live up to the rest of her writing.

[Deborah Hann · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read a lot of Christie, but hadn't ever encountered the Harley Quin stories. Looking forward to finding more!

[Madeline · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars

Not one of her better stories.

[Shawna ~ The Wonderer Shawna Monroe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Harley Quin is a fascinating character. And I truly enjoyed this short story.

[itchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such convoluted mystery for so short a story.

*

1July2023

I just realized that this is included in the short story collection The Mysterious Mr. Quin.

[Darinda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short story featuring Harley Quin. Light and entertaining.

[Tina · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.25 out of 5 Stars

Wow - so simple but clever - this was wonderful! I need to read the rest of the series pronto!

[William Vaudin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This had a unique premise to what I’m use to in Detective Stories. It was done more like a play from the Theatre of the Absurd or an episode of Inside on.9 with it all taking place in one room (well, most of it at least). And the mystery is solved, not through clue finding or interrogation, but rather through a long conversation by the fireplace. But unfortunately, the mystery that was happening was way too complicated for “this” type of mystery, or any other mystery for that matter.
I had to look at the Wikipedia entry on this story to try and understand what had happened and I still can’t tell you want happened. When the mystery started, I was intrigued and was looking over all the possibilities. But then it turns out that most of them were kind of pointless in the end as not all of the clues related to the ending. Plus, the story introduces a random character near the very end that wasn’t mentioned before this point and only brought up right as the solution is made clear. There were just too many random details to follow in just 23 pages, and it took me out of the story in the end.
As for the characters, all I could think of when thinking of Mr Satterthwaite was how queer he seemed. I think a perfect actor to play him would be Christipher Plumer. And as for Mr Quin himself, he isn’t really much to go on, he’s just a random person and that’s it. As for all the other characters, I don’t understand why they were givin so much detail if they didn’t have anything to do with the mystery. None of them were murderers so why did we need to know them so well.
Overall, I’m glad that this only took me three sittings to finish the whole thing, but I felt disappointed with the final outcome, and I was lost through out the last six pages with all the extraneous details. I hope that when and if they make a series of these short stories, they expand more on this story and cut out a lot of the pointless details, making this feel more like a real mystery story.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ It’s definitely hard to love such a short story because there isn’t time to get to know characters or locations. That being said, I’m rating this on quality of mystery. And, it was very cleverly done!

[Susana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I listen to it, and It was like I was playing CLUE with my friends😂, the thing is that if you stop paying attention YOU’LL GET LOST! Hahaha 😝

[Emma Gallacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written, dark spooky atmosphere, I can picture it televised on stage like the dr who’s of the seventies all dark and velvety interior, good use of 30 minutes of my time indeed

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is NYE and Mr. Satterthwaite is at a house party where the former owner of the house, Derek Capel, committed suicide several years earlier at a similar house party gathering. The current owner, Tom Evesham, was there at the time and has always been troubled by it. Suddenly Mr. Quinn arrives and immediately sets to resetting the scene from that night. Upon reconstruction, they remember that Capel had just collected the post before killing himself and that the paper that day had said that a man named Appleton, who had died under suspicious circumstances, was to be exhumed. His wife was suspected of poisoning him but Mr. Quinn reveals that it was really Capel who poisoned him and this was why he killed himself. A nice introduction to both Mr. Satterthwaite and Mr. Quinn

[Amanda Sexton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Audiobook.

In high school, I was lucky enough that my school library had the entirety of Ms Christie’s body of work. I discovered Mr Quin towards the end of reading through her different series, and immediately he became my favorite Christie character (Miss Marple was a close second). In rereading, And Then There Were None, for my book club, I decided to see if my library carried any of the short stories about this mysterious man. Unfortunately, this one is the only one available…..but I spent a lovely 40 minutes listening to his introductory story and remembering how much of a favorite he had been!