Mysterious Mr. Quin »

Agatha Christie is nearly synonymous with upper-class British mysteries, for good reason. She set the standard for the genre in over 60 novels and dozens of short stories, also creating two classic detectives: the fastidious Belgian, Hercule Poirot, and English spinster Jane Marple. No one could match Christie's knack for weaving clues into her stories, then turning the whole thing inside out -- shocking her readers every time.

All twelve stories in this collection feature a most unusual mystery-solving team. The mercurial Mr. Quin uses carefully worded questions and observations to provide Mr. Satterthwaite — a bachelor in his sixties — with the insight needed to solve the case.

Michael Adams - Library Journal

These early Christie tales are slight but offer modest charms for her many fans. Despite the title, Mr. Quin is not the star of these stories published in 1930. Our protagonist is Mr. Satterthwaite, a wealthy elderly man who seems to know everyone worth knowing. He drifts from one European pleasure spot to another while encountering murder, suicide, and other odd occurrences. Present at each incident is our eponymous character, who helps Satterthwaite solve the mysteries. Is Quin human or a supernatural manifestation? Even Satterthwaite is uncertain. All but one story are fairly riveting, with several resembling Christie novels in miniature. Reader Hugh Fraser provides his usual expert interpretation of the author; recommended for popular collections.