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A review by thaurisil
A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie
4.0
While I read through Agatha Christie's novels with the Appointments with Agatha group, I'm putting a templated synopsis of each novel in my review. It has spoilers!
Book: 44 of Christie's novels, 7 of Miss Marple novels
Setting: Yewtree Lodge
Detective and Companions: Miss Marple, Inspector Neele, Sergeant Hay
Crime: The businessman Rex Fortescue is poisoned, and rye is found in his pocket. Shortly after, his wife Adele and maid Gladys are killed.
Suspects:
- Percival Fortescue, Rex's elder son who helps his father's business and is money-loving
- Jennifer Fortescue, Percival's wife, a former nurse
- Lancelot Fortescue, Rex's younger son who returns from Africa as a prodigal son
- Pat Fortescue, Lance's wife who lost two previous husbands
- Elaine Fortescue, Rex's daughter who is in love with Gerald Wright, whom Rex disapproved of
- Vivian Dubois, Adele's lover
- Mary Dove, a young and capable housekeeper at Yewtree Lodge
- Mr Crump, a mediocre butler at Yewtree Lodge
- Mrs Crump, an excellent, irascible cook at Yewtree Lodge
- Mrs MacKenzie, widow of Mr MacKenzie, whom Rex left to die in Africa over Blackbird Mine, which Rex claimed was worthless; her daughter Ruby is assumed to be seeking revenge against Rex
Twists and Turns:
- Everyone is puzzled that Rex's pocket contains rye when he dies. It turns out that this is part of the murderer's mischief, wanting to fit the murder into the rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence".
- In the rhyme, Rex is the king, Adele is the queen, and Gladys is the housemaid who are killed. The rhyme also speaks of blackbirds in a pie, and blackbirds were indeed left in a pie several months before the murders. It is thought that the blackbirds were put in by Ruby MacKenzie, who turns out to be Jennifer. But actually, Lance used the incident of the blackbirds to weave murders around the rhyme.
- Lance was in Africa during the time of Rex's death, giving him an alibi. But he killed Rex by giving Gladys what he told her was a truth drug and telling her to feed it to Rex.
- Gladys has a lover named Albert that nobody has met. Albert turns out to be Lance.
Agatha Christie cleverly weaves the rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence" into this story. It's not just a coincidence that the murders follow the rhyme. It is a reflection of the murderer's slightly twisted mindset, and that in itself is a clue to who the murderer is. The characters in the story are mostly unlikeable with the exception of Lance and Pat, and it is regretful that Pat is left with the fate of having had three husbands who were all bad. Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable story with a fairly lighthearted and occasionally humorous tone.
Book: 44 of Christie's novels, 7 of Miss Marple novels
Setting: Yewtree Lodge
Detective and Companions: Miss Marple, Inspector Neele, Sergeant Hay
Crime: The businessman Rex Fortescue is poisoned, and rye is found in his pocket. Shortly after, his wife Adele and maid Gladys are killed.
Suspects:
- Percival Fortescue, Rex's elder son who helps his father's business and is money-loving
- Jennifer Fortescue, Percival's wife, a former nurse
- Lancelot Fortescue, Rex's younger son who returns from Africa as a prodigal son
- Pat Fortescue, Lance's wife who lost two previous husbands
- Elaine Fortescue, Rex's daughter who is in love with Gerald Wright, whom Rex disapproved of
- Vivian Dubois, Adele's lover
- Mary Dove, a young and capable housekeeper at Yewtree Lodge
- Mr Crump, a mediocre butler at Yewtree Lodge
- Mrs Crump, an excellent, irascible cook at Yewtree Lodge
- Mrs MacKenzie, widow of Mr MacKenzie, whom Rex left to die in Africa over Blackbird Mine, which Rex claimed was worthless; her daughter Ruby is assumed to be seeking revenge against Rex
Twists and Turns:
- Everyone is puzzled that Rex's pocket contains rye when he dies. It turns out that this is part of the murderer's mischief, wanting to fit the murder into the rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence".
- In the rhyme, Rex is the king, Adele is the queen, and Gladys is the housemaid who are killed. The rhyme also speaks of blackbirds in a pie, and blackbirds were indeed left in a pie several months before the murders. It is thought that the blackbirds were put in by Ruby MacKenzie, who turns out to be Jennifer. But actually, Lance used the incident of the blackbirds to weave murders around the rhyme.
- Lance was in Africa during the time of Rex's death, giving him an alibi. But he killed Rex by giving Gladys what he told her was a truth drug and telling her to feed it to Rex.
- Gladys has a lover named Albert that nobody has met. Albert turns out to be Lance.
Agatha Christie cleverly weaves the rhyme "Sing a Song of Sixpence" into this story. It's not just a coincidence that the murders follow the rhyme. It is a reflection of the murderer's slightly twisted mindset, and that in itself is a clue to who the murderer is. The characters in the story are mostly unlikeable with the exception of Lance and Pat, and it is regretful that Pat is left with the fate of having had three husbands who were all bad. Nonetheless, it is an enjoyable story with a fairly lighthearted and occasionally humorous tone.