The Affair at the Bungalow: a Miss Marple Short Story

Miss Marple #SS 12

by Agatha Christie

A beautiful actress recounts a mysterious tale about a strange meeting in a bungalow somewhere out of London with a playwriter who was hoping to have his new play performed. She mentions a later jewel robbery at the bungalow too. Something in the story doesn't ring true for Miss Marple. Did you catch it?

Librarian's note: this entry relates to the short story, The Affair at the Bungalow. Collections and the other stories by the author are located elsewhere on Goodreads. The Miss Marple series includes twelve novels and 20 short stories. Entries for the short stories can be found by searching Goodreads for: a Miss Marple Short Story.

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

21 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1930

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 last mystery told by a member of the Tuesday Night Club, and this time, it's the ditzy but beautiful actress Jane Helier who offers a crime for the group to solve.
It seems as though a local bungalow was burgled and the man in custody for the robbery has a crazy story to tell...



He has a letter (supposedly from Jane) asking him to come to her bungalow and discuss a play he had written. When he gets there, he is offered a drink and wakes up to find himself on the side of the road surrounded by the police. Of course, Jane has no idea what he's talking about, and once he sees her, he tells the police that she is not the woman who met with him.
What?



So what was the point of this whole ruse?
Well, Miss Marple (once again) asks the pertinent questions. As in, what was the result of this whole debacle, and finds out that the man who owned the bungalow had a cheating wife who was meeting his lover there, and with all the publicity that affair was brought to light.
Oh my.
This was the one time that Miss Marple didn't give her opinion on who was responsible for the robbery and gave her reasoning as we women should stick together. No one else could figure out the answer, and then Ms. Helier tells them that she never found out either. She just wanted to see if maybe one of them could tell her what had happened. The other guests weren't too happy with her, but they all knew she was a bit of an airhead, so they just let it go.
Again. What?



We find out later that Jane Marple had a few words with Jane Helier and advised her that it was never a good idea to put yourself into the power of another woman.
WHAT?
Ok, so...This story hadn't actually happened yet. Jane, ever the actress, was just putting on a dress rehearsal. She wanted to expose an ex-lover's cheating wife and had planned to carry this scheme out sometime in the near future. However, Miss Marple recognized that she would be using her understudy to help her out as the "fake Jane" and warned her against giving someone else the power to expose her like that. Jane Helier realizes that maybe her plan isn't as foolproof as she thought and decides against it.
It was a good story to end the Club on, and it was fun seeing both Janes in their top form.

Originally published in 1930 in The Story-Teller magazine.
Read as part of the short story collection The Thirteen Problems .

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Affair at the Bungalow is the 12th story of 13 tales told by the Tuesday Night Club. Half of the stories were told by the group at their Tuesday night meetings and the rest related around the table at a dinner party. Each member of the group relates a strange or mysterious occurance, and the rest of the group has to guess the truth behind the matter.

The stories are short, quick mysteries. Nothing fancy or elaborate. Christie published these stories in magazines in 1930, and then they were collected in one volume, The 13 Problems, in 1932.

The Affair at the Bungalow is the final story told by the group at the dinner party. This time, the tale is told by the actress in the group. She relates a story about a playwright, a jewelry robbery, and mistaken identity. This story had a little bit of a different twist to it. Fun! Very entertaining!

I read the story in my copy of Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories while listening to an audio version with Joan Hickson narrating. Hickson played the elderly sleuth in the Miss Marple television series. She does such a great job reading the short stories! Hearing her voice again makes me want to rewatch the series!

Only one more Tuesday Night Club story to go! The final story is called: Death by Drowning. Can't wait!

[Dina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mi primero de Miss Marple y como de costumbre con la buena de Agatha no hubiera adivinado el final ni en un millón de años...Muy entretenido.

[Jack Heath · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars. A good one. Not even a murder! Yet it stumps the gathering at Gossington Hall including Miss Marple. Or does it? Jane Helier is the originator of this story which takes place at a bungalow not far from a theatre in the provinces (not the Canadian provinces like Manitoba but places like Manchester and Leeds!) where an actress was appearing in a Somerset Maugham play. Was her story about a friend or Jane herself? The 19-page story first saw the light in Story-Teller in 1930. My copy is from Miss Marple: the Complete Short Stories of 2011. Eventually Miss Helier admits it is a personal story. One day she was called to the local police station; a young man, a putative author named Leslie Faulkener, had been found wandering near a bungalow where some jewels have been reported stolen. He claims he had been meeting there with Jane about a play he had written. He goes on to say that she was interested in performing. "True?" ask the police. Neither recognize the other; it couldn't have been Helier. Miss Marple concludes the evening with "I think Miss Helier's story wins the prize." And then one Jane whispers privately to the other. Loved it. (No2020/De2025)

[Meg · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was tough to follow. The last story at the dinner party is told by the actress, Jane. She comes off as a ditz who pretends to tell a story about “a friend” who everyone suspects is really her, who gets called to the police station because some man, accused of burglary, claims that she invited him to the bungalow and drugged him and left him in a ditch. The bungalow was torn apart and the lady who stays at the bungalow had her jewelry stolen. This story was very difficult to follow as there were fake names, fake relationships, affairs and lies. When everyone tries to guess at the outcome, Jane claims that she does not know! This effectively breaks up the party and everyone goes home but Miss Marple whispers to Jane before leaving that she should think twice about her plan. It turns out that not only was the story about Jane herself, she is the culprit because her understudy stole her husband and Jane wanted her to be shown for what she is BUT she hasn’t actually gone through with the plan yet - she was just testing out the idea on everyone to see if it would work. I’m still confused.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am a bit torn about the rating of this story. On the one hand, the story was kind of confusing the way it was narrated. However, that was actually kind of brilliant writing because the actress Jane Hellier who told the story was supposedly not a very intelligent person. Furthermore it turns out at the end that the story has actually not really happened but is just a plan from Jane to take revenge on the woman who stole her first husband. By telling the story, she is trying to find out if someone would see through her plan. Not surprisingly, Miss Marple does, and she advises her not to follow through because Jane would put herself too much in her understudy's power, since Jane would need the help of her understudy.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent short story.

When I got to the twist at the end, I immediately re-read the entire short story again.

Very well executed and delivered.

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cracking fun

Why ever would someone stage a burglary and pin it on an innocent young man, even if he is a ginger? But Miss Marple can see right through the ruse. Naturally.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

The dinner party at the Bantry’s has gone on long after midnight. Five mysterious tales have been shared around the six guests. There is just the actress Jane Helier to fashion her own story, eventually she manages to get into her flow about an actress who not surprisingly turns out to be her, rather than “ her friend” she said at the start.

It is an incomplete account which no-one, not even Miss Marple can solve or give a credible outcome to the burglary. The reason for this becomes clear as this short stories proceeds. While this frustrates most of the guests and perhaps the reader at that point, Miss Marple remains supportive and whispers in the actress’s ear as she leaves.

This both surprises and shocks Miss Helier wondering to Dolly Bantry if there are many old ladies like Miss Marple.

Here in, lies the twist, and makes for a wonderful contrast to the previous mysteries shared in this series (1-11), originally published in order in “The Thirteen Problems”.

It shows the magic and charm of Miss Marple in a new way and sets up the final story in the collection that brings us the character we love and can’t get enough of in novels and short stories written by Agatha Christie.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another mystery to be solved regarding a robbery at a bungalow. What is nice about this story is that we have the same characters from The Tuesday Night Club, sitting round telling a yarn or mystery for people to solve. As each story goes on, it feels like you are getting to know the characters and their habits just a little bit more 🙂

[Amina (ⴰⵎⵉⵏⴰ) · Rating 4 out of 5]

wohoho! U won't see it coming believe me! unless your name is Jane Marple!

[mairiachi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought the ending was particularly good - and the whole waiting for her to start saying "I" instead of "my friend" bahaha ik so many people like that

for sure a reread.

[Bmalnovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but good story

I really enjoy Miss Marple. She’s funny and clever. How great it would be to have someone in this world to solve crimes for us now!

[Jeanine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful story.

[esa basic booktuber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Definitely a reread, for a short story I liked it a lot, great ending.

[Barbara Nutting · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read 2020

[Darinda · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Miss Marple short story. Light and entertaining.

[Les Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

A. C. Is never a disappointment. Well worth a read even though quite short.

[Octavia Cade · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't often think of these Miss Marple stories as "fun" - they're entertaining, certainly, but often the circumstances they're relating are pretty grim. This particular mystery, however, is almost entirely hypothetical, and it's being told by Jane Helier. She's one of the Tuesday Club members, so she's used to hearing about other people's mysteries, but this time it's her turn to tell one. And, to put it mildly, Jane's as thick as a brick. That's not just me saying so... I think every single character, at one point, laments her lack of intelligence, but they only do it in the privacy of their own thoughts and never let on, because that would be unkind. But she's profoundly stupid, if still sympathetic, and the way that Miss Marple covers for her here is endearing.

[˜”*°•.˜”*°• Sheri •°*”˜.•°*”˜ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good short story with a surprise ending.

[Mike Lisanke · Rating 3 out of 5]

To me, the story was a bit confusing but the murder whodunit was prosaic that in itself is interesting to/for me. Maybe I'm just getting tired again.

I confused this title with the romance and jewel in pocket story earlier in the book. On rereading this story (with rest) it's actually interesting. As children we use to attempt subterfuge with 20 questions which a good competitor can still beat you at given the quality of answers. Each Q narrows the range of allowable future solution.

As such, a mystery constructed ad hoc could still be solved by deduction and too narrow answers.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actress Jane Helier tells a complex story. Leave it to Miss Marple to solve.

[Joop · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wat verwarrend verhaal maar zoals gewoonlijk weet MM het raadsel weer op te lossen.

[Bob · Rating 4 out of 5]

Summary: Actress Jane Helier tells a story of a mysterious burglary at a bungalow in the town where she is acting in a play, involving a woman impersonating her and an unfortunate young playwright. Miss Marple, professing to be baffled, privately hints at a different story.

Most readers are familiar with Agatha Christie's full-length mysteries. This is a delightful short story originally part of an anthology titled Thirteen Problems first published in 1932, and now available in e-book form as a stand-alone short story.

Jane Helier, an actress, is with a party of friends including Miss Marple, and turns the conversation to a mysterious event that happened to a "friend" of hers, who is quickly found out to be Jane herself. She was in a town by a river ("Riverbury") as part of a play company when called upon by the police to confront a young man arrested for burglary. The story gets more interesting when the young man, a playwright, claims he was summoned to a bungalow, the site of the burglary, by Miss Helier. Of course, when he sees Miss Helier, he realizes the other woman was not her. He had called at the bungalow, was introduced by the maid to "Miss Helier," had a drink, and woke by the side of the road, only to be arrested for burglary. It seems that a case of jewels owned by the mistress of a wealthy city man has been stolen while the house was empty. The mistress was an actress, herself married.

By then it is obvious that the young playwright, Leslie Faulkener, was innocent of the crime. But who stole the jewels? The actress, the maid? The party weights all the angles of the story, and at the end, even Miss Marple professes to be mystified as to the solution, and their ire is further aroused when Jane Helier herself offers no resolution.

As the party is breaking up Miss Marple whispers in Jane's ear, leaving her startled. Did Miss Marple know more than she let on, that not all was as it seemed? And what did she mean when she said, "What I do realize is that women must stick together--one should, in an emergency, stand by one's own sex. I think that's the moral of the story Miss Helier has told us"? What did Miss Marple whisper in her ear?

The one question, which mystifies Miss Helier herself, also mystified me and that is how did Miss Marple know? The resolution of the mystery hinges on information Miss Helier had not told anyone, including Miss Marple, introducing new characters not known to us. How did she know? Was it the vagueness at points in the story? The fact that Miss Helier herself does not know the ending?

In this case, one has only to read twenty-one pages to discover what is going on. But the story demonstrates Christie's art--to draw one into a crime puzzle--in this case one without a murder, and finish it with a surprise

[A.M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Helier, the beautiful but empty headed actress, tries her hand at a mystery story, the star of which is clearly her. A young playwright is accused of theft and arrested but later swears that he met an imposter for the famous actress.
A woman’s jewels have been stolen; a gift from her married lover.

Or – here’s a very good idea – and not so much done in books – she pretends they are stolen, gets in an awful state and he gives her a fresh lot. So she gets two lots instead of one. That kind of woman, I am sure, is most frightfully artful.’

Damn, Dolly, I like that kind of thinking… lol
I wonder who Jane is based on as it is quite clear that Christie hates her. Check this:

‘Well,’ said Mrs Bantry. ‘Come on, Jane. What is the solution?’
‘The solution?’
‘Yes. What really happened?’
Jane stared at her. ‘I haven’t the least idea.’
‘What?’
‘I’ve always wondered. I thought you were all so clever one of you would be able to tell me.’
Everybody harboured feelings of annoyance. It was all very well for Jane to be so beautiful – but at this moment everyone felt that stupidity could be carried too far.

Winces.
4 stars

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first story of Agatha Christie's that I've read. I liked it and it's enjoyable. I gave it four stars not because I didn't like it, I kind of felt like I was walking in the room in the middle of the conversation; like maybe this isn't the first in the Miss Marple series and I should've found the first one to read first. I'm glad that I gave Agatha Christie a chance, she was an excellent storyteller and I will definitely read more of her work.

[Laurie Roberts · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very nice short story.

The usual Agatha Christie formula is used with Miss Marple drawing on her keen insight into human behaviour to help solve the puzzle. While very skilfully written, in a short story it is not possible to provide as much background to the characters and that makes it harder for the reader to speculate on the solution to the puzzle (not that I think I’ve ever successfully solved an Agatha Christie puzzle in advance!)

[Stephen Kibler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, I suppose it wasn't bad.

Miss Marple is sometimes such a difficult detective to get behind. There's a certain busybodiness to her that I think today's culture finds a bit more repulsive maybe. But there's also something to be said against the physically-weak hero archetype in general. Plus, she reminds me of less-than-marvellous relatives.

[Lori satterly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Certainly was suprising.

The blurb about the short story was what put me on the trail of reading this story. The ending of this story was certainly unexpected and surprised me to no end. The solution caught me by suprise. This story kept me entertained from beginning to end.

[Bill Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting little story featuring a story told over a dinner party. The story is a mystery and the teller is a bit thick leading Miss Marple to a whispered conclusion to the story. Clever and full of red herrings.