S.O.S.: an Agatha Christie Short Story

by Agatha Christie

Broken down in the middle of nowhere Mortimer Cleveland, a psychic researcher, seeks shelter in an isolated home. From the moment he steps foot into the house he is struck by a sense of tension. Finding "SOS" scratched into the dust of a table he wonders who wrote it and is compelled to answer the call for help.

Librarian's note: this classic Agatha Christie short story is available individually as an eBook.

Librarian's note #2: it was previously published in the print anthologies The Hound of Death and Other Stories, and Witness for The Prosecution and Other Stories.

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

18 pages, Unknown Binding

First published February 1, 1926

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

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man’s car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, so he goes to the only nearby house. While there, he senses something suspicious going on with the family that lives there and he determines to find out just what that might be. This short story was an enjoyable enough read, but it had a really confusing ending that took me forever to figure out.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mortimer Cleveland is a paranormal researcher.
When his car breaks down, he stops and knocks on the door of a nearby house that belongs to the Dinsmeads. It doesn't take him long to sense that something is wrong, but he can't put his finger on what exactly it is.
Is there something supernaturally sinister about this home or is the evil a little more human in nature?
Can it possibly be a little bit of both?
Sure. Why not.



This one didn't really seem super spooky to me but Agatha left it up to the reader to decide where they thought the murderous intent came from. I don't know. You always see those paranormal researchers on tv and their reactions are just so over the top to every little squeaky floorboard. I didn't trust this narrator's opinion much more than I do theirs.
I think they were just money hungry. You don't need to live in a ghost house to want to steal someone else's fortune.
Recommended for fans of Christie.

Originally published in 1926 in The Grand Magazine.
Read as part of the short story collection The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural.

[Julie · Rating 3 out of 5]

In my opinion, this is one of the weaker Christie short stories. First published in 1933 in The Hound of Death (UK), this story was not published in the US until 1948 (The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories).

A man is stranded in the middle of nowhere and meets a family at a nearby secluded house. It seems fate brought him to the home by chance to stop a crime. Interesting premise, but the plot just seemed a bit too contrived. I still enjoyed it....but the plot just seemed weak. Out of the many short stories that Agatha Christie wrote, there are bound to be a few that just aren't for me....even though she is my favorite author. I didn't really care for this one.

I found no adaptations for this story for radio or television.

I listened to an audio version of this story (Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories. HarperAudio). It was narrated by Christopher Lee. I love Lee's readings of Christie's supernatural/strange tales from The Hound of Death. His voice just works so well for creepy/strange tales!

On to the next!

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was first published in 1926. On a rainy winter night in the Wiltshire downs, Mortimer Cleveland finds himself with two punctured tyres, considering a night spent without shelter, when he spies a light in the distance. It is the home of Mr Dinsmead - a gregarious, jolly man, who lives with his meek wife and their three children in a remote cottage. Mortimer Cleveland is a member of the Psychical Research Society and a student of the occult and, from the moment he approaches the cottage, he feels a certain atmosphere about the home.

Despite his misgivings, Cleveland is given a warm welcome. He is intrigued by the family and, in particular, the two, beautiful daughters. However, later, when they show him to a bedroom, he discovers the letters S.O.S. drawn in the dust… Who is crying for help and can he discover why there is such unease among the members of the family? This is not the best Christie story I have read, but it has good atmosphere and interesting characters.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

First published in 1926 S.O.S. Is another example of Christie’s fascination with the occult. The ending was flat and rushed like the author wanted to end a very good short story right then and there…on that page. Really, I felt like I was in a car watching a beautiful scenery, with enchanting company and food to die for but just when it was getting interesting the driver who was describing so well what I saw said “sorry miss end of the road, leave the car”.

The story felt incomplete.…..

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

SOS is a tale of the right person in the right place at the right moment to avert a crime of cold planning.

[Shreyas · Rating 2 out of 5]

An utterly confusing plot with the ending a tad bit more baffling than the story itself. Is it just me? But why would the father kill the adopted child before receiving the inheritance? And why not just divide the inheritance even if he receives it. I get that she was not their "own" child but why take such a big risk to be left with no money in a 8ft*8ft cell? Granted, logic is never granted a spot in the matters of the green paper but if the father really was scared of losing the money he could've just killed her after receiving the money and waited a few days after the stranger left. Why rush into it? And why does the stranger leave her at the mercy of the parents? And the inclusion of an eerie atmosphere to lend to the nature of the crime felt unnecessary. As an admirer of AC's writing, the style is what one would expect, but the plot beats me.

[A.M. · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Dinsmeads sit down to supper with their two daughters and their son. Charlotte comments that the house is so isolated they never get visitors, and it’s also haunted. As the storm worsens, a man knocks at their door. ‘A miracle’, says Magdalen.
Mortimer Cleveland is an occult investigator whose car has broken down. When he asks for a cup of tea…

Mr Dinsmead hesitated a minute, then he picked up the five cups, one after another, from the table and emptied them into a slop bowl. ‘This tea’s cold,’ he said brusquely. ‘Make us some more will you, Mother?’

Mortimer has to stay overnight and when he steps back into the room after leaving his wet clothes he sees SOS written in the dust of the bedside table.
888
This one confuses me. I get they want to kill one daughter so that the other can inherit, but leaving the girls with them isn’t going to save them… not if the parents try again, you know?
And I don’t get why it is imperative to kill Charlotte. Because she looks like her mother ? When it is Magdalen that inherits. Is it the ‘natural’ child thing?
Colour me confused 2 stars

[Jack Heath · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 Stars. I found this short story, 19 pages, in an Agatha Christie collection under the title, The Last Séance, Tales of the Supernatural. I am not usually a fan of ghost stories and the macabre but, having read a few of hers, I find them to be lower tension on the horror spectrum. More to my liking. The movie, The Exorcist from 1973, came out before she passed away - I wonder if she saw it. For sure, she never wrote anything like that! We meet the Dinsmead family. Mr. D. is loud and dominant especially when it comes to Mrs. D. But he doesn't seem more threatening than that. She sews fast and even faster when he's pontificating! They have two lovely daughters, Charlotte and Magdalen, perhaps in their late teens. And a 14-year-old son who likes chemistry. The family has recently moved to the Wiltshire Downs in the middle of nowhere. Some say the house is haunted. Had someone been murdered there? Out of the blue a young man who investigates psychic activities, Mortimer Cleveland, knocks on the door. His car developed not one but two flat tires! Can he stay the night? Then one of the above occupants writes SOS on his dresser. (Au2025/De2025)

[Agla]

not a fan of this one. A man's car broke down, he stops for the night in a house that has an eerie feeling and manages to stop a murder. The motive was clear but the resolution was not to me. oh well, they can't all be winners

[Forked Radish · Rating 2 out of 5]

S.O.S.: Short On Suspense.

[Joop · Rating 3 out of 5]

En weer een goed kort standalone verhaal.

[TAJ ALGADDAFI | تاج القذافي · Rating 4 out of 5]

مرحبا يا اصدقاء💗✨️
استغاثة قصة قصيرة من كتابة اجاثا كريستي.

تدور القصة حول رجل يجد نفسه مضطرًا لقضاء ليلة في منزل غريب بسبب تعطل سيارته في الليل، يلاحظ أن إحدى فتيات العائلة تكتب كلمة "S.O.S" على الطاولة المغبره، فيشعر أن هناك خطرًا غامضًا يخيّم على هذا المكان.

مع الوقت، يكتشف أن الأسرة التي استضافته تخفي أسرارًا كبيرة، ويبدأ بتتبّع التوترات بين أفرادها، خصوصًا الشقيقتين: شارلوت وماجدالين...

قصة خفيفة لطيفة ومشوقة فعلا ، من زمان على اجاثا والله بس كانت قصة تتحق

[Abeer Albossany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nice addition to this collection. It has good thrill and average mystery.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story of a family living in a possible haunted house, a strangers car breaks down and £60,000 inheritance.

[Ruchika Pahwa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found it to be an interesting short story for my break time. Do check out.

[Emily G · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked the premise of the atmosphere of the house influencing the inhabitants in this short story, but I really didn’t understand the motivation for poisoning. A very peculiar tale. 2 stars

[Sherri · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this one confusing.

[Momo · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is the worst agatha christie book i have read i think
i really thought that one of them could be a ghost by very much knowing that agatha never writes unreal things
but the ending was not that great according to me
it could be far better as i know this author's creativity is super great with best storyline u ever read
somehow the emotions were weird like way too many small details which aren't important
i think i shouldn't have read this book it wasn't too lengthy but no from me 😕

[As You Wish · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another odd one. I think I missed something in the telling. Why is he killing one girl and not the other??? Also why move all the way out to nowhere to do it if it's going to be a "household accident"?

[Socrate · Rating 3 out of 5]

— Aşa! exclamă, în semn de apreciere, domnul Dinsmead.
Se dădu câţiva paşi înapoi şi aruncă o privire asupra mesei rotunde. Sfeşnicul stătea aprins pe faţa de masă albă, dintr-un material ieftin. Ea era o femeie micuţă, trecută, palidă, cu părul rărit, pieptănat pe spate şi, din fire, mereu agitată.
— Totu-i gata, rosti soţul pe deplin satisfăcut. Era înalt, adus de spate, cu o faţă mare, roşie.
Avea ochii mici ce sclipeau de sub sprâncene stufoase şi un craniu mare, chel.
— Citronadă? sugeră, în şoaptă, doamna Dinsmead. Soţul respinse ideea.
— Ceai. În orice caz, e mult mai bine. Uite ce vreme e, plouă şi tună. O ceaşcă bună de ceai fierbinte e cel mai nimerit lucru pentru cină, într-o seară ca asta.
Clipi cu subînţeles şi examină, încă o dată, masa.
— O farfurie cu ouă, carne de vită rece, brânză şi pâine. Asta vreau la masă. Haide, du-te şi le pregăteşte, mamă! Charlotte e în bucătărie, aşteaptă să te ajute.
Doamna Dinsmead se ridică, înfăşurând cu grijă ghemul de la lucrul ei de mână.
— S-a făcut o fată foarte drăguţă, murmură ea. Tare dulce!
— Imaginea vie a mamei ei! glumi domnul Dinsmead. Mai bine du-te şi nu mai pierde timpul!
Se plimbă prin cameră, murmurând ceva, ca pentru sine. Se apropie de fereastră şi se uită afară.
— Urâtă vreme! Se pare că nu prea o să avem musafiri în seara asta.
Părăsi şi el încăperea.
După vreo zece minute, doamna Dinsmead reapăru cu o farfurie cu ouă. Cele două fiice o urmau cu restul. Domnul Dinsmead şi fiul său Johnnie încheiau procesiunea. Stăpânul casei se aşeză în capul mesei.
— Şi ne izbăveşte etc, începu el plin de umor. Şi binecuvântat fie cel ce s-a gândit, prima oară, la conserve. Aş vrea să ştiu ce ne-am fi făcut noi, aflaţi la mile depărtare, dacă n-am fi avut acum o conservă şi ar fi trebuit să depindem de un măcelar care să uite de comanda săptămânală?
Începu să taie cu dexteritate carnea în saramură.
— Eu mă întreb cine a avut ideea să construiască o asemenea casă la mile depărtare de orice suflet, întrebă amărâtă fata lui, Magdalen. Nu vedem niciodată pe nimeni.

[Richard · Rating 3 out of 5]

Loved the atmosphere and growing tension which builds in this short story.

It has no association with ABBA and like that tune, this short story isn’t the best of the rest. Indeed reading other reviews there is a general feeling that the ending doesn’t work or can be understood in relation to what has gone before.

Having read Wireless just before S.O.S I was thinking more about Tony Hancock and The Radio Ham “Mayday” “Mayday”.

But I digress. S.O.S. is quite a disturbing story where the dynamics of a family seem to be unravelling. One wonders if the isolated supposedly “haunted” house chose them or if their hope to live off grid was conceal the deceit associated with their play for a large inheritance.

For whatever reason the whole scheme is thrown into question when a stranger knocks on their door.

I thoroughly enjoyed the supernatural elements which were interspersed with human malevolence. Whose finger wrote the message for help? A trapped soul or an intuitive child at a loss to what has been happening in the family home?

Fortunately the stranger is a member of “Psychical Research Society and a student of the occult in so far as it affected his own conclusions and line of research”. He is therefore able to save the situation. However, it is his reading of crime and deduction of human nature that provides him with the clues and evidence to save a life.

[Serena · Rating 3 out of 5]

the Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[sal · Rating 5 out of 5]

The build of the environment and set up for the atmosphere is brilliant and outstanding. I could vehemently see the scenarios and situations as uncomfortable as they were. While reading this story you really get the odd feeling of something being wrong, but can't really tell if it's something supernatural or not.

[Berit Lundqvist · Rating 3 out of 5]

One stormy night, the car of a psychic researcher breaks down in the middle of nowhere. The researcher seeks shelter in a nearby house, occupied by a weird family. The next morning, he finds the letters SOS written in the dust on his bedside table. Someone is in need of his help.

This is more of an ordinary mystery story than a supernatural tale. I liked that, hence the three stars.

[Reggie Cashman · Rating 3 out of 5]

If this had been a proper Agatha Christie mystery I feel I may have given it 4 stars. It had all the great trademarks of her novels with a good plot but for me it didn't work as a short story as well as her others.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story felt the most like a classic Agatha Christie's book so far. I liked the characters, how little we got to know about them, and I liked the conclusion. Even though the murder was prevented, or because of it, it was a very interesting story.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short story has a tinge of the psychic talents in it. A “sensitive” person comes upon a family in an out of the way cabin after getting two flat tires on his car. He senses something amiss and ferrets out what it is that is off. Recommended

[Audrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brevity is the soul of the wit. For a short story, this pack quite a punch. My first short story. Love Agatha Christie mystery!

[Ekaterine Kav · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit too fast.