The Man in the Brown Suit

Rating:
Summary: A Valentine
Review: "The Man in the Brown Suit" is a drab title for Ms. Christie's most romantic novel. It is interesting to see what type of girl (Ann Beddelfield) is Dame Agatha's ideal: well born, raised by her academic father but not devoted to him, beautiful and aware of it, uses her many charms to get her way, intelligent but wildly impractical, idealistic, adventurous and believes in that knight in shining armor will come and carry her away.

Ann is deeply afraid she will end up in a rut forever as an underpaid secretary only to marry a ho-hum businessman and while away her life. Her father's meager inheritance, 87 pounds, even in 1924 money, will not see her far. She impulsively buys a ticket to South Africa that costs exactly 87 pounds, hoping for adventure. The subsequent story exceeds her wildest dreams with mysterious deaths, kidnapping, diamonds and Russian ballet dancers.

Miss Christie has some excellent descriptive scenes of South Africa. It is clear the author is in love with the landscape, the mystery and the vivid life of the area. I never quite got in the spirit of the "adventure," as I worried incessantly (seeing as Ann would not) over what she was going to use for money once she stepped off the boat. The book does not contain a master sleuth, so it is not a case of one grand mystery, but a series of small mysteries solved as you go. There were so many subplots, I lost all sight of the main purpose, but was agreeable if confused.

"The Man in the Brown Suit" is a departure for Christie, one I'm glad she did not make too often. However, it is a good natured, high-spirited romp, and I am sure she had a grand time writing it. 3-1/2 stars.
-sweetmolly- Amazon Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: A Valentine
Review: "The Man in the Brown Suit" is a drab title for Ms. Christie's most romantic novel. It is interesting to see what type of girl (Ann Beddelfield) is Dame Agatha's ideal: well born, raised by her academic father but not devoted to him, beautiful and aware of it, uses her many charms to get her way, intelligent but wildly impractical, idealistic, adventurous and believes in that knight in shining armor will come and carry her away.

Ann is deeply afraid she will end up in a rut forever as an underpaid secretary only to marry a ho-hum businessman and while away her life. Her father's meager inheritance, 87 pounds, even in 1924 money, will not see her far. She impulsively buys a ticket to South Africa that costs exactly 87 pounds, hoping for adventure. The subsequent story exceeds her wildest dreams with mysterious deaths, kidnapping, diamonds and Russian ballet dancers.

Miss Christie has some excellent descriptive scenes of South Africa. It is clear the author is in love with the landscape, the mystery and the vivid life of the area. I never quite got in the spirit of the "adventure," as I worried incessantly (seeing as Ann would not) over what she was going to use for money once she stepped off the boat. The book does not contain a master sleuth, so it is not a case of one grand mystery, but a series of small mysteries solved as you go. There were so many subplots, I lost all sight of the main purpose, but was agreeable if confused.

"The Man in the Brown Suit" is a departure for Christie, one I'm glad she did not make too often. However, it is a good natured, high-spirited romp, and I am sure she had a grand time writing it. 3-1/2 stars.
-sweetmolly- Amazon Reviewer

Rating:
Summary: Fantastic.
Review: A sharp and sophisticated read that gives you much more than a mystery. How could you not fall in love with Anne and the world she actively persues?

Rating:
Summary: Mystery or Romance?
Review: Agatha Christie was a very prolific writer and, at her best, I've always regarded her as second only to Conan Doyle as a mystery writer. In addition, as noted in the editorial section above, she wrote romantic novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. After reading THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT, I'm inclined to the opinion that she also wrote romances under her own name.

The back cover of this book notes that the name Agatha Christie "is synonymous with brilliant deception, ingenious puzzles, and the surprise denoument". Well, to be fair, there is a mystery here and, if it was tightened up some, it wouldn't be a bad one. As it is, though, it meanders, it isn't all that deceptive, and it just isn't very compelling (especially in the later part of the story). What you get instead is a "coming of age" story about a naive and foolish young woman who blows her last penny on a one-way ticket to South Africa in pursuit of a seemingly dangerous killer, a "bad guy" who is both fairly obvious and, in the end, much too likeable, and an ending that is too pat and too easy.

THE MAN IN THE BROWN SUIT isn't a really bad story. The characters are amusing and things move along briskly. It's worth remembering that it was written in the 1920's and the world was a much different place in those days. I found it disappointing as a whodunit, though, and a good whodunit is what I was looking for. As the book proceeds, it becomes less about the mystery and more about the improbable romantic adventures of the heroine. Romance fans may like it, but if you're looking for an engaging mystery, I suggest you look elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: A ripping yarn
Review: Anne Beddingfield has lived all her life in a small village with her father, an anthropologist who is interested only in Paeleolithic Man. Anne longs for romance and adventure, and rather envies their maid, who has 'walked out' with a variety of young men. Then Anne's father dies suddenly, and she gets a chance at adventure when she witnesses the accidental death of a man at a London tube station. She has reason to beleive that this death is connected to the murder of a woman at a house in Marlow, but the police aren't interested in her theories, so she persuades a newspaper proprietor to take an interest. Anne takes passage on a ship bound for South Africa, believeing the answer to the mystery is to be found on the ship. There are a number of interesting people on board, charming Mrs Blair, enigmatic Colonel Race, the creepy clergyman Chichester, and eccentric and delightful Sir Eustace Pedler. Some or all of them may be up to no good. A lot of exciting things happen to Anne on the voyage, not the least exciting is when a handsome wounded stranger takes refuge in her cabin. Her adventures continue when they get to South Africa, and she finds herself with more excitement than she had ever dreamt of. Anne is a delightful heroine, adventurous and resourceful and humorous (and despite what a previous reviwer says, not in the least like tiresome, pompous Amelia Peabody). This book has an exciting plot, interesting characters, adventure, romance and humour, what more could you want? ( Actually, again disagreeing with a previous reviewer, I thought the film of this story, allowing for the fact that it was updated by sixty years, stuck reasonably closely to the original story).

Rating:
Summary: A ripping yarn
Review: Anne Beddingfield has lived all her life in a small village with her father, an anthropologist who is interested only in Paeleolithic Man. Anne longs for romance and adventure, and rather envies their maid, who has 'walked out' with a variety of young men. Then Anne's father dies suddenly, and she gets a chance at adventure when she witnesses the accidental death of a man at a London tube station. She has reason to beleive that this death is connected to the murder of a woman at a house in Marlow, but the police aren't interested in her theories, so she persuades a newspaper proprietor to take an interest. Anne takes passage on a ship bound for South Africa, believeing the answer to the mystery is to be found on the ship. There are a number of interesting people on board, charming Mrs Blair, enigmatic Colonel Race, the creepy clergyman Chichester, and eccentric and delightful Sir Eustace Pedler. Some or all of them may be up to no good. A lot of exciting things happen to Anne on the voyage, not the least exciting is when a handsome wounded stranger takes refuge in her cabin. Her adventures continue when they get to South Africa, and she finds herself with more excitement than she had ever dreamt of. Anne is a delightful heroine, adventurous and resourceful and humorous (and despite what a previous reviwer says, not in the least like tiresome, pompous Amelia Peabody). This book has an exciting plot, interesting characters, adventure, romance and humour, what more could you want? ( Actually, again disagreeing with a previous reviewer, I thought the film of this story, allowing for the fact that it was updated by sixty years, stuck reasonably closely to the original story).

Rating:
Summary: An adventure mystery with a hint of romance
Review: Anne Beddingfield, daughter of the late Professor Beddingfield, expert of Pal??olithic man, is left alone in the World with no family and just ??87 and a few shillings to her name. Whilst waiting for an underground train to arrive at Hyde Park Corner tube station, Anne watches as a man, in a heavy overcoat, steps back from the platform, with a look of panic on his face and falls onto the tracks. She turns to leave the station and picks up a scrap of paper, dropped by the doctor who examined the dead man. It reads 1 7.122 Kilmorden Castle. The following day the ???Daily Budget??? headline reads ???Extraordinary Sequel to Tube Accident, Woman Found Stabbed in Lonely House???. Anne who has always yearned for adventure and romance decides to investigate the two incidents, which leads her half way around the world to Cape Town in South Africa.

Miss Christie???s love of travel is often reflected in her novels and in this case the reader is taken on an adventure through the wild scenery and rough landscape of South Africa and Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe). There are as many twists and turns in the novel as there are introductions of new characters. Anne makes a superb heroine, a rather ordinary girl who gets to live the life of adventure for a change. The fine, upstanding and gallant Colonel Race makes an appearance for the first time in an Agatha Christie mystery. The plot is intricately spun and the suspense as thick as the darkness of a moonless night. A pleasant surprise is the element of romance, which is rare in an Agatha Christie mystery. A classic, which I would rate as highly as the better known novels such ???Death on the Nile??? or ???Murder on the Orient Express???.

Lealing

Rating:
Summary: An adventure mystery with a hint of romance
Review: Anne Beddingfield, daughter of the late Professor Beddingfield, expert of Palæolithic man, is left alone in the World with no family and just £87 and a few shillings to her name. Whilst waiting for an underground train to arrive at Hyde Park Corner tube station, Anne watches as a man, in a heavy overcoat, steps back from the platform, with a look of panic on his face and falls onto the tracks. She turns to leave the station and picks up a scrap of paper, dropped by the doctor who examined the dead man. It reads 1 7.122 Kilmorden Castle. The following day the 'Daily Budget' headline reads 'Extraordinary Sequel to Tube Accident, Woman Found Stabbed in Lonely House'. Anne who has always yearned for adventure and romance decides to investigate the two incidents, which leads her half way around the world to Cape Town in South Africa.

Miss Christie's love of travel is often reflected in her novels and in this case the reader is taken on an adventure through the wild scenery and rough landscape of South Africa and Rhodesia (now known as Zimbabwe). There are as many twists and turns in the novel as there are introductions of new characters. Anne makes a superb heroine, a rather ordinary girl who gets to live the life of adventure for a change. The fine, upstanding and gallant Colonel Race makes an appearance for the first time in an Agatha Christie mystery. The plot is intricately spun and the suspense as thick as the darkness of a moonless night. A pleasant surprise is the element of romance, which is rare in an Agatha Christie mystery. A classic, which I would rate as highly as the better known novels such 'Death on the Nile' or 'Murder on the Orient Express'.

Lealing

Rating:
Summary: Great!
Review: Fabulous plot, with a love story that will remain etched on the reader's mind. A bit tame for Chrisite, perhaps-the murderer is not so much of a surprise, but the way she develops her characters is marvellous, and the story is filled with exciting romance and mystery.

Rating:
Summary: this is very cool
Review: hey people i am a student from usa.i didn't read this book but i have to get a sumery of it so i came here to get a summery but there isn't any. so wish me luck...goodbye and this is a cool book. come to visit my homepage http://www.expage.com/page/iamrivcon