REVIEW: A Christmas Tragedy

 A Christmas Tragedy
Author: Agatha Christie

A Christmas Tragedy is a Miss Marple short story first published in 1930. The story was originally titled The Hat and the Alibi when it first appeared in the Story-Teller Magazine. In 1932, A Christmas Tragedy was published as part of The 13 Problems, a short story collection featuring all the stories told by members of the Tuesday Night Club. The Tuesday Night Club is a group of friends, including Miss Marple, that met on Tuesday nights to share mysterious or unusual stories. One member would share a story and the others would try to figure out the truth behind it. Or, rather, Miss Marple would figure it out....

These stories are very short. They focus only on the bare details and the reveal. There is very little character or setting development. But -- and this is important -- there isn't meant to be any. The purpose of these short stories is to introduce a mystery or unusual circumstance....then quickly get to the reveal. Agatha Christie published many of these short tales in detective and fiction magazines. Smart marketing move on her part! The short stories got people interesting in her characters, which helped her sell more novels. These tales were never meant to be fleshed out short stories....just short snippets to showcase Miss Marple. A hook for the book, so to speak. Both casual readers and Christie fans will have a much better time reading these in that light. Don't expect anything more than a quick one-minute mystery from these early short mysteries (both the ones featuring Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple). These 13 stories featuring the Tuesday Night Club were later woven together into a story collection, The 13 Problems. Christie just added in a bit of segue here and there, then published the stories in book form for her readers who hadn't read them in the magazines. 

I wish I could see a copy of even one edition of these old detective magazines that ran her stories! I have seen an illustration here and there, but never a full copy. It would be so much fun to see what else ran in these issues, the advertisements, the other writers who were included, the page layouts, etc. :) 

A Christmas Tragedy is the 10th story featuring the Tuesday Night Club. The group is gathered at a dinner party, sharing tales of crimes and other unusual happenings. Miss Marple tells a story this time about a tragedy she witnessed at a spa. 

For me, this is another fun story showcasing Miss Marple's keen insights into human nature! I read along while listening to an audio book version narrated by Jean Hickson who played the elderly sleuth in the Miss Marple television series. Very entertaining! 

It does make me wonder though if Christie pulled any of these little stories out of her own experience? Maybe she knew a gossipy tale or two of murders, disappearances or robberies....made a change or two....and let her fictitious detectives have a go at the solution?? :) 

Moving on to the next short story -- The Affair at the Bungalow!

Agatha Christie has been my favorite author since I was 9 years old and bought a box set of Hercule Poirot novels at a garage sale. After that summer spent reading those 5 novels, I have had a love for her classic mysteries. I always wanted to read everything she wrote, but back in the day living in a very small town in the middle of nowhere (too small to even have a book shop!), it wasn't easy to get ahold of some of the books. I couldn't even get an exhaustive list! Now with my kids raised, book shops within easy reach and the internet, I'm on a mission -- Agatha Christie's works...all of them....in publication order. Having so much fun!! :) I'm taking my time....going down rabbit holes to research little tangents when I want....and backtracking when I make a mistake in book order....just having a great time!