Written by Agatha Christie
SUMMARY:
Initially printed in 1948 by a different publisher, this 230-page Berkley Books paperback reprint was released in 1984. Concluding with an obscure Hercule Poirot tale (it’s a thinly veiled precursor to the better-known Dead Man’s Mirror), these eleven British crime capers date as far back as 1924.
Specifically, they are:
- “The Witness for the Prosecution:”: A defense attorney senses a grim fate for his client, Leonard Vole, after he is accused of an elderly woman’s brutal homicide. Could Vole’s own wife effectively seal his death sentence?
- “The Red Signal”: Dermot West secretly loves his best friend’s wife. After a séance, West is subsequently incriminated as the prime suspect in his skeptical uncle’s murder.
- “The Fourth Man:” Aboard a late-night commuter train, four strangers gossip over a tragic high-profile case re: a dead woman, who evidently suffered from a dual personality complex.
- “S.O.S:” Stranded commuter Mortimer Cleveland senses a desperate plea for help by someone residing at the secluded home that has taken him in for the night.
- “Where There’s a Will:” An elderly woman believes her late husband’s ghost is summoning her through a newfangled radio purchased by her doting nephew.
- “The Mystery of the Blue Jar:” Amateur golfer Jack Hartington hears a mysterious cry for help while getting in some early morning practice before work. As this eerie cry persists in haunting him, Jack seeks insight from a knowledgeable new friend.
- “Sing a Song of Sixpence:” Retired criminal defense attorney Sir Edward Palliser is called upon to honor a long-forgotten promise stemming from a brief sexual tryst years before. Hence, his courtroom experience may unravel a robbery-homicide impacting his pro bono client’s family.
- “The Mystery of the Spanish Shawl:” Mystery author Anthony Eastwood is drawn by mistaken identity into real-life turmoil, or is his wild predicament all what it seems?
- “Philomel Cottage:” A possible love triangle complicates newlywed Alix Martin’s dark suspicions of her new husband, Gerald. Worse yet, what might Gerald do should his enigmatic past ever come to light?
- “Accident:” A retired cop suspects his neighbor’s wife is a ‘black widow’ serial killer.
- “The Second Gong:” Belgian private detective Hercule Poirot steps in to decipher an eccentric millionaire’s apparent suicide prior to hosting his nightly dinner party.
Notes: Highlighted in red are those stories with known film and/or television adaptations (i.e. TV’s “The Agatha Christie Hour” in the early 1980’s). Re: “The Second Gong,” David Suchet’s Poirot TV series incorporates some of that story’s elements into its production of “Dead Man’s Mirror.”
REVIEW:
Considering that Agatha Christie pioneered so many of the mystery genre’s best twists nearly a century ago, these eleven tales were innovative for their time. Yet, it’s no wonder why this collection is déjà vu by 21st Century expectations. While the title story is synonymous with Christie’s best-known works, one may wonder if its notoriety rests solely with a shock value ending. Despite an ingenious premise, “The Witness for the Prosecution,” otherwise, is a middling read. Thematically, deception mixed with murder and/or attempted theft also permeate the other humorless stories.
“Sing a Song of Sixpence” is a prime example. This forgettable trifle is hampered by weak plot contrivances, including an ultra-convenient last-minute clue. More so, the sexist dismissal of an icky past fling won’t likely endear a dignified 70-year-old Edward Palliser (it’s easy to visualize either Ian Richardson or Christopher Plummer playing the role) to contemporary readers.
Unlike the weakly predictable “Red Signal,” at least “The Mystery of the Blue Jar” and “The Mystery of the Spanish Shawl” embellish their meandering plots with some well-played twists. The same might have applied to “The Fourth Man,” had its morose storyline not been practically unreadable. Exploring these grim tales, there isn’t any glimpse of Christie’s reliable wit for welcome comedic relief.
Still, “S.O.S.” and “Accident” are solid under-the-radar reads, as is “Philomel Cottage.” Due to its down-to-earth subject matter, “Philomel Cottage” probably ages best for this sinister collection. All three stories probably deserve film adaptations, along with the eerily familiar “Where There’s a Will.” “Will” is an instance where imitators have siphoned off its sci-fi premise, but Christie does it best with an appropriately ironic finale. This ghost story, suffice to say, is worthy of The Outer Limits or The Twilight Zone. The Alfred Hitchcock Hour would be ideal, too.
Readers will regrettably find that “The Second Gong” isn’t a long-lost Poirot gem. In reality, it’s an inferior earlier draft of “Dead Man’s Mirror.” For instance, Poirot’s suspects merely describe the deceased’s quirky personality vs. readers actually witnessing a pompous Herbert Lytcham Roche in action first. As compared to “Dead Man’s Mirror” and another similar Poirot tale, “The Dream,” it’s apparent that “Second Gong” is inferior to them.
Aside from contriving Poirot on to the crime scene, “Gong” would have benefitted from the spice of enabling a savvy household guest (say, the millionaire’s female ward?) to play amateur sleuth — thus removing Poirot altogether. In a merely adequate read, Poirot’s ‘little grey cells’ resolve the locked room “Gong” almost too easily.
Note: An example of Christie removing Poirot from a story and then successfully recycling it would be how Poirot’s “Yellow Iris” transforms into the novel Sparkling Cyanide.
Among her short story collections, The Witness for The Prosecution and Other Stories is a middle-of-the-road proposition. What helps alleviate this book’s unremarkable aura is revisiting it once every several years. That way, these lesser-known mysteries will seem fresher than they really are.
ADDITIONAL FEATURES:
None.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 6 Stars
