A Pocket Full of Rye

A Pocket Full of Rye (1953) Agatha Christie

Rex Fortescue dies in his office, immediately after drinking his morning tea. Besides the strange poison used to kill me, police are confused by the fact he coat is full of cereal–rye.

Miss Marple doesn’t make her appearance until almost halfway through the story, but Inspector Neele is good enough on his own that waiting for her is a pleasant anticipation.

As always, there are the little bits that amuse me so much about Agatha Christie stories. Bits that sound like real people, and hardly seem dated at all.

“I gather you don’t think it was a natural death,” he said dryly. “Not a dog’s chance of it,” said Dr. Bernsdorff robustly. “I’m speaking unofficially, of course,” he added with belated caution.

Aside from “not a dog’s chance of it” that passage wouldn’t feel out of date in a modern mystery.

And there’s this bit that’s a foretelling of later stories:

Inspector Neele gave a sudden, rather unexpected smile. He was thinking to himself that Miss Marple was very unlike the popular idea of an avenging fury And yet, he thought that was perhaps exactly what she was.

Nemesis. :)

A lovely reread, as always.
Rating: 7/10

Published by William Morrow Paperbacks

 
 

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