Mission Marple Book Club discussion

I remember quite liking this one on my first read and so far I'm enjoying the reread! It feels very Christie, if that makes any sense

Well, I have to say I loved rereading this one. I think this has been one of my most enjoyable rereads after The Murder at the Vicarage actually.

There was an interview with Sophie Hannah I think it was, on the All About Agatha podcast where she spoke about books you read where you can just feel Christie was enjoying herself while writing them, and I really got the feeling during the reread that this was one of them. There are so many little details and quite comedic scenes too which I had completely forgotten. The opening scene is an example, as Rex Fortescue is dying and all the secretaries are running around trying to work out whether to get a doctor or an ambulance and which doctor would be best, etc. Blackly comic, but I did enjoy that. Also nice little character touches that aren't overdone, like how Crump is thought to be an alcoholic; when Adele Fortescue "faints", he's like: "she needs brandy" and then we see him later enter the room with brandy and two glasses, heh.

And we are finally at the point where Miss Marple becomes more like the Miss Marple of the adaptations! From Chapter 13:

"Crump saw a tall, elderly lady wearing an old-fashioned tweed coat and skirt, a couple of scarves and a small felt hat with a bird's wing. The old lady carried a capacious handbag and an aged but good quality suitcase reposed by her feet."

I guess travelling while wrapped up in lace would get kinda awkward!

I did think of you, Mara, with the nursery rhyme framing device haha. Though I have to say this is probably the best use of a nursery rhyme since And Then There Were None.

I'm waiting for this one from my library, and I'm getting impatient to read it again! I could download an audio book, but I did that for the last 2 Marples, and I really want to read a physical Christie book ( preferably an old paperback - nostalgia) this time. Come on, whoever has it on loan, you borrowed it three weeks ago and it's a short book! Sigh.

I finally have my hands on it! And I agree, Eamon, the first scene is funny and sets the tone so well. Poor Miss Somers with her "mild worried face like a sheep" :)
I'm loving this re-re-re-read so far.

This was such a satisfying read, all the way through. I love the setting, the characters and the solution. For me, it's right up there with The Murder at the Vicarage. And the last few pages and especially the last sentence, are so satisfying.

Yes that last chapter and last sentence, as you say Lyn, are so satisfying. I was really glad they kept it in the newer Marple adaptation (as someone on record as not a fan of the newer Marples, I will say this is probably one of the best of them). When I was younger I just remember thinking it a poignant scene but of course in addition to that it's Gladys having delivered the evidence about who murdered her after her death. Awesome!

I was interested from a social history point of view too with what seems to be more freedom for those who would've been in service. Gladys decides to leave service and go into waitressing. Then when she goes back into service she gives her reasons for why and you can see she is able to have somewhat more control of her working life going forward, if that makes sense? Small steps, but it is a change from the 30s. Also Mary Dove's role is quite interesting, because these big houses are now desperate for staff, and so the staff can somewhat more dictate their own terms. This particular issue (view spoiler)[will be addressed even more so in 4.50 from Paddington (hide spoiler)].

Bit late on this one. I did enjoy it. Not sure why but I am always surprised when the murders pile up in these books, she never seems happy with just one!

Yes, I've found the same thing. When you haven't read Christie for a while, it can be a shock how bloodthirsty her books are! Cosy? I don't think so :)

A Pocketful of Rye by Agatha Christie

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


Rex Fortescue, successful and brilliant business magnate dies suddenly at his office after drinking the cup of tea his secretary has just handed him. His last words accuse his secretary, but on investigation, it is shown that Mr Fortescue must have been killed by a much slower acting poison. It is also discovered that one of his coat pockets is full of grain, which is identified as rye. The examining professor of medicine recognises the symptoms of taxine poisoning, an alkaloid extracted from the berries or leaves of the yew, which leads Detective Inspector Neele straight to the family home to pursue his investigations. Yewtree Lodge is home to Rex's second wife, his son and daughter in law, his sister in law from his first marriage, his daughter and of course his staff: notably the housekeeper, cook, butler and maid.

In the course of his life, Rex Fortescue has often strayed on the windy side of honesty in many of his business practices and has treated his own family with rash and brusque unconcern. With the plethora of persons happy to hear the new of the head of the family's demise, the difficult the police face is in narrowing themselves down to one suspect. The police are puzzled by their inability to link the subsequent multiple murders to any particular character. Although they are well aware that every suspect in their sights has a very creditable motive, every single one has an airtight alibi for at least one or two of the three murders.

I know that there are many who do not agree with me, but I adore the whimsy that inspires books and plots based on childhood stories, such as nursery rhymes or fairy stories, that are then twisted by the author to give a very mature themed narrative. In some ways, they pay homage to the origins of such tales, which are often very political, adult and dark. This Agatha Christie mystery is certainly no book for a child. Despite the apparently crazy modus operandi of the killer, there is a very poignant, frightening and psychologically chilling feel within the intimate drama played out on its pages. With the advent of Miss Marple on the scene, outraged and determined to seek justice for a young girl who is caught up in the tragedy, she points out the importance of Blackbirds, and the police receive their first real clue, a possible key to unlocking the whole confusing story.


"Sing a song of sixpence, a pocketful of rye,
Four and twenty blackbirds baked in a pie,
When the pie was opened the birds began to sing,
Wasn't that a dainty dish to set before the king?

The king was in his counting house, counting out his money,
The queen was in the parlour eating bread and honey,
The maid was in the garden hanging out the clothes
When there came a little dicky bird and nipped off her nose."


This is one of my favourite Miss Marple, and indeed Agatha Christie mysteries. The plot is complex and confusing, but once the right string is discovered it unravels beautifully and with great logic. There is a strong sense of moral uprightness in Mrs Marple's pursuit of the killer, who takes on the role of Themis, determined to see justice done. There is also a touch of realism that we don't often encounter in an Agatha Christie mystery, where we see that such acts against mankind such as murder, can truly rip apart the lives of those who know and love the persons involved, through grief, betrayal and loss. The quirkiness of this deeper poignancy I felt for the characters, combined with the lighthearted motif of the plot, is just such a paradoxical flavour that I most enjoy.



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