Written by Agatha Christie
SUMMARY:
Originally published in 1951, this 280-page St. Martin’s paperback reprint was released in 2002. Early amidst The Cold War, Baghdad will be hosting an historic international conference. Several lives will intersect there, as some are pursuing possibly nefarious agendas.
Targeted for death is young spy Henry Carmichael (possible casting could be Daniel Radcliffe), who must deliver vital details to British intelligence of a covert radical conspiracy seeking to inflame the world’s great powers into total anarchy.
Another enigma is Anna Scheele, ostensibly a wealthy American banker’s secretary, as she vanishes shortly after her arrival in England. Then, there is the world-famous British traveler, Sir Rupert Crofton Lee, who seeks his own intended rendezvous in Baghdad. He shares the same flight as a scatter-brained ex-secretary from London, Victoria Jones (think Reese Witherspoon or Billie Piper). Victoria impulsively scams her way to the Middle East in search of her hunky new acquaintance, Edward.
Rendering aid in her hotel room to a homicide victim, Victoria invariably finds herself an unlikely new recruit for British Intelligence. Trying to impress Edward while working undercover at a local charity, Victoria is in far more peril than she realizes. Later posing as a new assistant for a British archaeological dig, the spirited rookie spy senses that suspicious eyes are closely following her.
As shadowy enemies swarm in, Victoria’s improvisations may be the only hope of helping avert a worldwide political catastrophe.
REVIEW:
Much of Christie’s obscure Cold War espionage novel is a fine read, particularly as a ditzy Victoria matures into a somewhat competent spy. Her scenes with a world-weary Dakin; the excessively jovial Marcus; and a skeptical Richard Baker prove well-played. In spite of bland options for Victoria’s possible love interests, a romantic undercurrent nicely slow- cooks. Better yet, Christie ensures that Victoria’s naiveté foolishly causes her some heartbreak before harsh reality brings the perky heroine to her senses.
Recovering from some lethargic stretches, the book’s suspenseful climax is worth waiting for, as some pertinent details are wisely left to the reader’s conjecture. Christie, however, makes a serious misjudgment by inserting a contrived late revelation that several twists were engineered by an ominous figure from the outset. Though the mastermind’s scheme clarifies why Victoria is an expendable pawn, it isn’t plausible how her wonky itinerary could have been so accurately anticipated.
In that sense, Christie fails her heroine, as Victoria’s endearing charm stems from her misadventures being ignited by some hilariously improvised lies. Despite this inexplicable letdown, They Came to Baghdad is an obscure romantic spy adventure worthy of re-discovery. A first-ever film adaptation would make an intriguing proposition, too.
BRIAN’S ODD MOON RATING: 7 Stars
