REVIEW: Jane in Search of a Job

 Jane in Search of a Job
Author: Agatha Christie

Jane in Search of a Job is a short story by Agatha Christie. The story was first published in The Grand Magazine in August 1924. It later appeared in the UK as part of the story collection The Listerdale Mystery. It was not published in the US until 1971 when it was included in The Golden Ball and Other Stories. 

Jane Cleveland needs a job. She's a bit down on her luck and living in a less than desirable boarding house. One day she sees an ad in the personal column in the newspaper. The ad offers a job to a woman with a slim build, light hair, a straight nose and who can speak French. Jane jumps at the chance for a job....and ends up getting much more than she bargained for!

This story is a light and cute short mystery, but certainly not very realistic. But then again, I'm not reading Christie for realism! Very enjoyable read. I listened to this story in audio format. I couldn't find a copy of The Listerdale Mystery, so listened to it as part of The Golden Ball and Other Stories (HarperAudio), narrated by Hugh Fraser. Fraser (who played Hastings in the Poirot television series) is an excellent narrator and brings the story to life. 

This story was adapted for the television show The Agatha Christie Hour in 1982 (episode 9). The story was changed just a bit, but the changes are minor. For the most part, it follows the original quite closely. Fun to watch! I'm glad they went back and dramatized some of these short stories. Wish someone would do the rest of them! 

On to the next story!