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The Wife of the Kenite By Agatha Christie
Is there such a thing as chance? Coincidence? Luck or bad luck? Or does God dictate all things, or even the important ones? Herr Schaefer and Mrs. Henshel unexpectedly find themselves searching for answers on these matters in this horror story by Agatha Christie set in South Africa just after the Great War.
29 pages, Paperback
First published September 1, 1922
142 people are currently reading
197 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,734 books75.6k 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)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
March 30, 2025
Yikes, Agatha!
Ok, so most of Christie's short stories have been reprinted in multiple collections, and I've read my fair share.
BUT.
I've only run across this story once.
It's dark.
Spoilers below.
This is the story of Herr Schaefer, a man who is fleeing the country because of his politics. He has made his way to a safe house but can't shake the feeling that something is off. The woman of the house is everything he thinks a woman should be, and his biggest concern is whether or not she's a good cook. Unfortunately for him, the man who runs the safe house is her second husband, and once he leaves the house to make arrangements for him to leave the country, she drugs Schaefer.
See, Herr Schaefer was a German soldier in Belgium. And this woman used to have a little boy.
You can imagine where this is going, I'm sure.
It ends with the unnamed mother pulling out a hammer and some nails, and Herr Schaefer screaming as she reenacts the 4th chapter of Judges as Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite.
I gotta say, I liked it. It was off-brand for Christie, but I liked it.
Originally published in 1922 the Australian magazine The Home, and is believed to be the 1st Christie short ever published.
Read as part of the short story collection The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural.
Ok, so most of Christie's short stories have been reprinted in multiple collections, and I've read my fair share.
BUT.
I've only run across this story once.
It's dark.
Spoilers below.
This is the story of Herr Schaefer, a man who is fleeing the country because of his politics. He has made his way to a safe house but can't shake the feeling that something is off. The woman of the house is everything he thinks a woman should be, and his biggest concern is whether or not she's a good cook. Unfortunately for him, the man who runs the safe house is her second husband, and once he leaves the house to make arrangements for him to leave the country, she drugs Schaefer.
See, Herr Schaefer was a German soldier in Belgium. And this woman used to have a little boy.
You can imagine where this is going, I'm sure.
It ends with the unnamed mother pulling out a hammer and some nails, and Herr Schaefer screaming as she reenacts the 4th chapter of Judges as Jael, the wife of Heber the Kenite.
I gotta say, I liked it. It was off-brand for Christie, but I liked it.
Originally published in 1922 the Australian magazine The Home, and is believed to be the 1st Christie short ever published.
Read as part of the short story collection The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural.
January 8, 2026
4 Stars. Agatha Christie crafts a horror story of unimaginable proportions based on Judges in the Bible. The incident she alludes to took place during the war between Israel and Canaan. From The King James Bible, Judges 4:18: "Jael went out to meet Sisera, and said unto him, Turn in, my lord, turn in to me; fear not. And when he had turned in unto her into the tent, she covered him with a mantle. 4:19 - And he said unto her, Give me, I pray thee, a little water to drink; for I am thirsty. And she opened a bottle of milk, and gave him drink, and covered him. 4:20 - Again he said unto her, Stand in the door of the tent, and it shall be, when any man doth come and enquire of thee, and say, Is there any man here? that thou shalt say, No. 4:21 - Then Jael, Heber's wife took a nail of the tent, and took a hammer in her hand, and went softly unto him, and smote the nail into his temples, and fastened it into the ground: for he was fast asleep and weary. So he died." Here we find two people on an isolated farm in South Africa; both have ghastly memories of WW1. Read it and imagine the horror. Why not a 5? Their meeting is just too coincidental. (Au2022/Ja2026)
June 4, 2022
A short story by Agatha Christie, dark and a quick read. You can read it here https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/The_...
August 21, 2021
The one star rating is not for Dame Agatha's writing, but for the quality of this book.
To provide some background, The Wife of Kennite is a short story that Agatha Christie wrote in the early 20s and which was translated and published in an obscure Italian magazine. The original English text was subsequently lost, so when the Italian version was uncovered last year, it was re-translated back into English.
The problem is that the translation is absolutely abysmal.
For example, in one place the English text reads "They sat down together and began to man-engage." Man-engage? WTH is that? Did Agatha Christie write gay porn? I looked at the Italian original, and it read "Si sedettero assieme ed iniziarono a man-giare." So, apparently the translation was undertaken by the one person in the known universe who doesn't know that "mangiare" means to eat. (Further research suggests that the hyphen is there because man- was at the end of the line in the original text, and they didn't even bother to remove any of the dashes that were no longer at the end of lines with the new margins.)
Another example: "His wife is a good cook. He is lucky." when of course it should be "YOUR wife is a good cook. YOU ARE lucky." The original Italian uses "Sua" and "Lei", the formal forms of address (like Su and Usted in Spanish).
I can only guess that the book was Google translated by somebody who has command of neither Italian nor English.
Ultimately, I read the story in Italian rather than English. I don't actually read Italian, but because of its similarity to Spanish, I could actually manage that better than the ridiculously mangled English text.
Totally not worth your time. The story itself is one of Agatha Christie's mediocre ones, of the type that might have been part of the "Hound of Death" collection, not a mystery. But the story deserves better than the slipshod criminally unprofessional job that they did on it.
To provide some background, The Wife of Kennite is a short story that Agatha Christie wrote in the early 20s and which was translated and published in an obscure Italian magazine. The original English text was subsequently lost, so when the Italian version was uncovered last year, it was re-translated back into English.
The problem is that the translation is absolutely abysmal.
For example, in one place the English text reads "They sat down together and began to man-engage." Man-engage? WTH is that? Did Agatha Christie write gay porn? I looked at the Italian original, and it read "Si sedettero assieme ed iniziarono a man-giare." So, apparently the translation was undertaken by the one person in the known universe who doesn't know that "mangiare" means to eat. (Further research suggests that the hyphen is there because man- was at the end of the line in the original text, and they didn't even bother to remove any of the dashes that were no longer at the end of lines with the new margins.)
Another example: "His wife is a good cook. He is lucky." when of course it should be "YOUR wife is a good cook. YOU ARE lucky." The original Italian uses "Sua" and "Lei", the formal forms of address (like Su and Usted in Spanish).
I can only guess that the book was Google translated by somebody who has command of neither Italian nor English.
Ultimately, I read the story in Italian rather than English. I don't actually read Italian, but because of its similarity to Spanish, I could actually manage that better than the ridiculously mangled English text.
Totally not worth your time. The story itself is one of Agatha Christie's mediocre ones, of the type that might have been part of the "Hound of Death" collection, not a mystery. But the story deserves better than the slipshod criminally unprofessional job that they did on it.
February 17, 2024
Wow that’s a dark little story!
June 8, 2022
The Wife of Kenite was published in Australia’s The Home magazine September 1st, 1922 (volume 3, number 3). It was her only short story published in 1922 anywhere in the world, and the first known appearance of a Christie short story in a magazine. This story is set in South Africa on the Veldt likely in the era of the Great War. It focuses on the plight of a German soldier seeking a sympathetic Boer family to help him flee the Johannesburg area. The short story was likely written in South Africa when Archibald and Agatha visited in 1922 as part of the tour before the British Empire Exhibition. This story is unlike many of Christie’s short stories as it portrays insight into the victim’s experience of being poisoned and how he reacts to knowing he will die a violent death by having a nail hammered into his forehead. Christie rarely shared the emotion and fear of death from a victim’s perspective. One can hypothesize that since this is one of the first short stories she wrote it may well have been feedback from those around her that influenced a change in her style of storytelling. Also unusual for Christie is the story’s significant religious undertones and use of divine intervention. The plot connects closely with a biblical story from the Book of Judges, from which the short story takes its title.
March 27, 2020
Dang, Agatha—that was dark! I knew exactly who the Wife of the Kenite was, so that part didn’t surprise me, but the reason for it was difficult to read.
June 30, 2021
Strange story - not at all like usual Agatha Christie stories.
July 29, 2022
Not quite sure what I think of this.
Did I enjoy it? Generally yes, it is well written, the tension builds nicely with a lot of foreboding, and there are some nice touches of description and characterization.
But there's not much to the story really.
So the main interest in reading this is that it was one of the first short stories Agatha Christie published.
SPOILERS:
Overall it's OK, but if it wasn't written by Agatha Christie this story would have long since been forgotten.
Did I enjoy it? Generally yes, it is well written, the tension builds nicely with a lot of foreboding, and there are some nice touches of description and characterization.
But there's not much to the story really.
So the main interest in reading this is that it was one of the first short stories Agatha Christie published.
SPOILERS:
Overall it's OK, but if it wasn't written by Agatha Christie this story would have long since been forgotten.
March 12, 2025
Wow, Agatha Christie packed quite a wallop in such a short story! First published in 1922, this is a totally different story from her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, which was published in 1920 and introduced Hercule Poirot, and her second novel, The Secret Adversary, featuring Tommy and Tuppence Beresford.
For one thing, it is not a mystery at all. It is a story with only two characters, a German soldier Schaefer, and a farm wife who he hopes will help him flee the Johannesburg of South Africa. In just a few pages, this story unfolds fully formed with believable, realistic characters and with a twist that is clever and devious.
This tale, written while Agatha and her husband, Archibald, while visiting South African as party of a tour before the British Empire Exhibition, takes its name from a biblical story and is top notch from the get go. It is powerful and carries a definite punch. A great entry into the world of short stories for the woman who became the queen in a totally different genre.
For one thing, it is not a mystery at all. It is a story with only two characters, a German soldier Schaefer, and a farm wife who he hopes will help him flee the Johannesburg of South Africa. In just a few pages, this story unfolds fully formed with believable, realistic characters and with a twist that is clever and devious.
This tale, written while Agatha and her husband, Archibald, while visiting South African as party of a tour before the British Empire Exhibition, takes its name from a biblical story and is top notch from the get go. It is powerful and carries a definite punch. A great entry into the world of short stories for the woman who became the queen in a totally different genre.
August 26, 2020
the Last Séance: Tales of the Supernatural
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.
February 6, 2023
Bizarre story
A story or retribution. A seven page short story that is savage in its intensity. A soldier looking for a safe house thinks he has found shelter. His instincts lead him to believe something is not right. He does not realize that in another place and time he has met the wife. And he is about to pay............
A story or retribution. A seven page short story that is savage in its intensity. A soldier looking for a safe house thinks he has found shelter. His instincts lead him to believe something is not right. He does not realize that in another place and time he has met the wife. And he is about to pay............
April 10, 2023
The crux of this short story is are people brought together by coincidence or a higher power? The two people concerned both tend toward the latter. The character in the title of this tale is reunited with someone who has done her a grave injury. Despite being years later and on a different continent, the time has come for revenge.
A very sort, dark tale, I liked it. 3.5 stars
A very sort, dark tale, I liked it. 3.5 stars
March 19, 2020
A little different
I was excited to find an Agatha Christie story that I had never heard of before. I was a little surprised by this one since it has more of horror/suspense feel than her usual mystery. Very nice!
I was excited to find an Agatha Christie story that I had never heard of before. I was a little surprised by this one since it has more of horror/suspense feel than her usual mystery. Very nice!
June 17, 2021
It was dark...
It was different than any other Agatha christie story, I think That I would've loved it if it was a little bit longer with more details to give literal chills
But all in all an ending like this one deserves to be on my top ten list of short stories.
It was different than any other Agatha christie story, I think That I would've loved it if it was a little bit longer with more details to give literal chills
But all in all an ending like this one deserves to be on my top ten list of short stories.
December 26, 2022
Written/published about a 100 years ago, possibly Christie's first ever published short story. Set in South Africa, published in an Australian magazine, not a murder mystery at all. Quite grisly, a little slow. Short short. Very unlike characters. Hopefully she has not written more of these.
April 27, 2023
Vengence
Seems this is a story of Karma and how your own actions dictate what will happen to you in the future. The rabble rouser got what was coming to him and it was well deserved. I definitely recommend this story.
Seems this is a story of Karma and how your own actions dictate what will happen to you in the future. The rabble rouser got what was coming to him and it was well deserved. I definitely recommend this story.
August 9, 2019
2 1/2 stars.
June 13, 2020
Unusual
Not Dame Agatha's usual fare, interesting but very short. Well written as always. Just a little unexpected find. One I had not read before.
Not Dame Agatha's usual fare, interesting but very short. Well written as always. Just a little unexpected find. One I had not read before.
September 13, 2020
Brilliant!
Dame Christie is not only a mystery genius... She is a powerful storyteller by any measure and this short story proves that!
Dame Christie is not only a mystery genius... She is a powerful storyteller by any measure and this short story proves that!
December 2, 2020
Great Read
This is an excellent book. Thrilling and colorful characters. Agatha at her best. This is a page turner. Cannot lose...
This is an excellent book. Thrilling and colorful characters. Agatha at her best. This is a page turner. Cannot lose...
December 31, 2020
Dark, I agree but, satisfying.
June 7, 2021
"His requirements of women were primitive and simple."
This was just an okay Christie short story to me.
This was just an okay Christie short story to me.
August 20, 2022
This is obviously a ripoff of Maupassant's, 1884, La Mère Sauvage (Mother Savage), which explains why it was only published in Australia where no one would notice.
November 3, 2021
Wow 🤩
Agatha Christie takes the Biblical story from Judges and creates her own unique story. She never ceases to amaze me.
Agatha Christie takes the Biblical story from Judges and creates her own unique story. She never ceases to amaze me.
May 31, 2022
An unsatisfying read
I like Agatha Christie, did not care for this story. I didn't have the last page so I can only imagine the ending. It's like a story by Poe.
I like Agatha Christie, did not care for this story. I didn't have the last page so I can only imagine the ending. It's like a story by Poe.
November 16, 2023
Wow
Short and horrific. This story is quite different from what I usually see Agatha Christie write. I’m wondering if she wrote anything else from this perspective.
Short and horrific. This story is quite different from what I usually see Agatha Christie write. I’m wondering if she wrote anything else from this perspective.
March 15, 2024
Whoa, that was dark. 😶
June 29, 2024
i have a few friends named yael. lol.
January 15, 2025
Here’s one for folk who think of Christie as ‘cosy’!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews