REVIEW: Double Sin and Other Stories

Double Sin & Other Stories
Author: Agatha Christie

I've been on a journey through all of Agatha Christie's mysteries in publication order since 2019. It's been a very meandering and slow trip so far. I've been taking my time and enjoying each story and book. I've been wanting to read all of these tales since I was 9 years old and read my first Hercule Poirot mystery, so enjoying myself as much as possible now that I can actually accomplish this dream! 

The hardest part of attempting to read her writing in publication order has been the short stories. She started marketing stories to magazines in the 1920's and over time re-wrote some of them, publishing the new version under a different title. Others were re-published multiple times. Some were published in the UK and US, and some were just released in one or the other. It takes me a bit of extra time to sort out the short story collections, but for this bibliophile it makes the journey through her writing so much fun! A bit of amateur sleuthing, eh? :) 

This short story collection features 8 stories. Double Sin and Other Stories was published only in the US, but the stories in it were published in the UK in other collections. This book released in 1961 by Dodd, Mead and Company.

At one time, I owned a copy of this book.....but somewhere over the years, it disappeared. Not surprised! I've been collecting these books since I was 9 years old and there are multiple moves and life changes in all those decades! 

The cover art I remember having for this book is similar to the 1980s cover I had for Three Blind Mice & Other Stories. The silhouette front cover art mixing Poirot's and Marple's images is just awesome!  

I'm reviewing this book slightly out of publication order because the stories it contains were first published before 1961. :) Sort of a cheat -- but I'm ok with it. :)  I like the short stories, but I really want to get past these story collections where I've already read most of the stories already, so I can focus on the novels. 

Stories in this collection:

Double Sin
Wasp's Nest
The Theft of the Royal Ruby (AKA The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding)
The Dressmaker's Doll
Greenshaw's Folly
The Double Clue
The Last Seance
Sanctuary 

Most of the stories in this collection I have read and reviewed earlier in my Agatha Christie reading journey.  Only two were new to me -- The Dressmaker's Doll and Sanctuary. I'm keeping to my rule that if a collection has at least one story I haven't read yet, I have to review it.  :)  

Double Sin: 

This Poirot short story was first published in a UK magazine in 1928, and in the US in 1929. It did not appear in book format until this US collection in 1961. It wasn't included in a book in the UK until Poirot's Early Cases in 1974.

The Basics: Poirot takes a bus trip to relax, but gets pulled into investigating a theft. 

Adaptations:

The television show Poirot adapted this story in 1990 [Season 2, episode 6]. The episode keeps the basic bones of the story, but changes and pads the setting and plot to stretch it to episode length. A very enjoyable episode!  Watching these episodes as I read the stories is so enjoyable. So interesting to see how they changed each one just a little bit to re-make the tales for television. 

I had to smile while I read this story. Can Poirot ever take a trip or vacation without being pulled into a mystery of some sort?  

Wasp's Nest:

This story was first published in the UK in 1928 and US publication followed in 1929. It didn't appear in book format until this collection in 1961 and later, Poirot's Early Cases in 1974. 

The basics: Poirot visits a friend who states he is investigating a murder.....that hasn't happened yet. 

Adaptations: 

Agatha Christie adapted this story for television in 1937. Unfortunately the actual broadcast is lost media, and was only broadcast to the London area. This is the first instance of Agatha Christie's work being shown on television - and the script was written by the author herself.  I wish this wasn't lost media!!! But -- on a positive note -- the script is available still and can be performed as a stage play. I was unable to find a copy of the script to read, but did find out that this story can be licensed along with several other adaptations of Christie short stories for theater groups to perform.  

The television series Poirot adapted this story (they did them all!) in 1991 [Season 3, episode 5]. The original story is written as a sort of flash-back. The television show removed the flash-back elements but kept the basic feel of the story. The plot is padded to reach episode length, but it still kept to Christie's original rather well.    

Theft of the Royal Ruby (The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding): (from previous review)

This tale was first published as Christmas Adventure in Sketch Magazine on December 12, 1923. It also appeared under the title The Theft of the Royal Ruby in a US Magazine in 1960.  It was later re-published in an expanded short novella form in 1960 as The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (UK). The later version expands the plot, changes character names, etc. I wanted to read the original version of the story before delving into the longer 1960's version....but it seems the original story has only been re-published in one UK anthology, While the Light Lasts and Other Stories. I don't have that particular book yet -- but it's on my list of books I have to acquire! 

The basics: Poirot isn't too keen on spending Christmas at an English country house. But after the promise of modern conveniences (such as radiators and central heating), good food, and a mystery to solve, he travels to Kings Lacey for an old fashioned English holiday......and a stolen ruby in the plum pudding.

I enjoyed this holiday tale immensely (despite its not being the original story). Poirot did some sleuthing, enjoyed the festivities, and in the end, he decided it was quite the enjoyable holiday. Cute story! Interesting mystery! :)

Adaptations:

This re-vamped story was adapted for the television series Agatha Christie's Poirot (Season 3, Episode 8). The episode is titled "The Theft of the Royal Ruby.'' While the story is still delightful, I think the adaptation changed some of the best parts of the story and some characters were expanded that may have been better left as side notes. Still an enjoyable episode, but just not quite the same as the original story.

I'm still very curious about the shorter, original version of this story....  I will read and review it as soon as I have chased down a copy. :) I really must buy While The Light Lasts and Other Stories just to read the original basis for this tale! 

The Dressmaker's Doll:

This is a story I had not previously read!  

Dressmaker's Doll was first published in Canada in 1958. It did not appear in book format until this collection. In the UK, it was first included in Miss Marple's Final Cases and Two Other Stories in 1979. 

This story is one of the "Two other stories" as Miss Marple isn't in it.  

Although I don't have a copy of Double Sin, I do have this story. It was included in a 2019 Agatha Christie story collection - The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural. So glad I have this book on my shelves!  

The basics: A creepy doll shows up in a dressmaker's shop, but the dressmaker has no idea where the doll came from. And, it's beady eyes appear to watching.....

Adaptations: 

Audio drama: BBC radio 4 adapted this story as a radio drama in 2003. The audio play runs about 30 minutes and is full cast. I found this on Youtube. And, it is also included in the audio book, Agatha Christie - 12 Radio mysteries. I bought my copy of the audio book on Audible. The audio modernizes the story by making it about a group of theatrical costume designers, but the basic plot is still there. I enjoyed the full cast performance and sound effects! Very well done!  

Dolls have always totally creeped me out, even as a child. Those blank stares.....ugh.  So, I can totally understand why Christie wrote this deliciously creepy little tale. 

Moral of the story -- if a doll randomly appears in your shop or home -- direct to the dumpster with it is the best choice!! I know that is what I would do. Straight to the garbage!! Creepy!! 

Enjoyable little story....but it left me wishing I knew what happened after!!  Read it -- and you'll know what I mean.  

Greenshaw's Folly: (from previous review)

Because I don't own a copy of this story collection, I had to go hunting digital resources through my local library. They had an ebook version of Greenshaw's Folly. (HarperCollins, 2013, 34 pages).

This short story was written in 1956 as a fundraiser to purchase a new stained glass window for a church. Originally Agatha wrote a Poirot story for the fundraiser (Greenshore Folly), but she had problems selling it. The story was too short to market as a novel but too long to sell to magazines. So, she wrote another story. Glad she did -- I loved reading this one! 

The basics -- Old Miss Greenshaw lives in her family home, a very odd place built by her grandfather. The house is a huge monstrosity, featuring odd combinations of architecture styles. Just days after making a new will, the old woman is killed. Her manner of death is just as odd as the house. Miss Marple is on the case! 

Adaptations:

The television series Agatha Christie's Marple has an episode based on this story (Season 6, Episode 2) starring Julia McKenzie. The episode changes some elements of the story and mixes in plot points from another story, The Thumb Mark of Saint Peter. I'm sure they combined stories because Greenshaw's Folly is only a few pages long. The plot would have required a lot of padding to stretch it to episode length! 

This story is entertaining, but very short. Miss Marple has the who, what and why figured out incredibly fast. Fun story!   

The Double Clue: (from previous review)

The Double Clue is a Hercule Poirot short story first published in the UK (Sketch Magazine) on December 5, 1923. Publication in the US followed in Blue Book Magazine in 1925.

The Basics: When valuable rubies and an emerald necklace are stolen during a tea party, Poirot is brought in to help investigate the case. The owner is perplexed. Everyone at his little party were friends and he has no clue which one of them might have helped themselves to his valuables. Poirot must discreetly use his little grey cells to solve the mystery.

Adaptations: 

The Double Clue was adapted for television by the long-running show Agatha Christie's Poirot (Season 3, Episode 6). Some significant changes were made to the story. The bare bones of the original story are there....but major changes in plot were made to incorporate a bit of romance for Poirot. The barest thread is present in the original story....but it's admiration and respect, not romance. His feelings for a woman are encapsulated in 2 sentences in the original story. But in adapting it for television, they made it a major plot point and wove the story arc around it. Yuck. I feel like this little plot nuance goes against the character Christie created. 

Another great short Poirot mystery! I am enjoying all these early Poirot short stories. The plots are varied and the characters interesting, even if the short length of the stories prevents detailed character development. 

The Last Seance: (from previous review)

This story was first published in Ghost Stories Magazine in 1924 under the title The Woman Who Stole a Ghost. It also appeared in The Sovereign Magazine in 1927 as The Stolen Ghost. It was published in another story collection, Hound of Death, in 1933, and then this collection in 1961.  

The basics: A medium who is retiring decides to do one last séance with disastrous results.  

Adaptations:  

This story was adapted and modernized by BBC Radio 4. The audio is included in Agatha Christie: 12 Radio Mysteries. 

These early short stories are light, but I'm loving the differences between these stories and Christie's novels or murder mystery short stories. Several of these stories, including this one, are supernatural in nature and just completely entertaining! Spiritualism, mediums, table rapping and the like  were a big thing in the 1920s when these tales were written. I love the fact that Christie cashed in on the fads of the time! 

I listened to an audio version of this story read by Christopher Lee (Double Sin and Other Stories, Harper Audio). Lee reads the story perfectly -- his voice just caters to the supernatural/creepy sort of tale.  

I also have this story on my bookshelves. It was included in a 2019 story collection, The Last Seance: Tales of the Supernatural, featuring 20 Christie short stories with a supernatural theme. 

Sanctuary: 

This is another short story I read for the first time!  

Sanctuary first appeared in magazine format under the title "The Murder at the Vicarage" - not to be confused with the Christie novel of the same title - in 1954. It wasn't included in a story collection until this one in 1961. 

I found a copy of this Miss Marple story on my bookshelves! It was included in a 1985 story collection, "Miss Marple: The Complete Short Stories."   

The basics: After gathering flowers for the church, Miss Marple's niece, Bunch, who is a Vicar's wife, comes across a dying man in the church. He's in a bad way, but whispers "Sanctuary......"   Bunch soon pulls Miss Marple into a mystery regarding the man's death and why he was at the church. 

Adaptations:

BBC radio adapted this story in 2015 as part of a 3-part series celebrating Agatha Christie's 125th birthday. The audio runs about 28 minutes. June Whitfield played Miss Marple. I found the audio on Youtube. Whitfield had the perfect voice for Miss Marple! The audio drama made a few changes to the story, bringing Miss Marple in from the beginning and padding it just a bit to make the tale longer. 

What an interesting story! But.....a bit far-fetched. I still enjoyed reading it, but the plot was just a bit much. :) 

Lovely collection of stories. And, now that I've read them all ---- on to the next!!