The man in the brown suit

Story is absorbing and characters show a sense of ironic humor. More fun to read

Anne Beddingfeld has always longed for adventure. But as the only daughter of an eccentric professor more content to dwell on the peculiar charms of the Paleolithic period than modern times, she feared her dreams of adventure and romance would always remain just out of reach. When her father unexpectedly passes away, leaving her with a small inheritance, Anne -- equal parts practical and romantic -- seizes the chance to leave her small-town life behind forever and go in search of her own adventure. Traveling to London, she witnesses a man fall to his death on the tracks at a tube station, an incident the police are willing to attribute to a tragic accident -- but the look of terror on the man's face, coupled with the mysterious presence of a man in a brown suit who vanished after examining the victim, leaving behind a scrap of paper with a cryptic appointment written on it, leave Anne convinced of foul play. Determined to discover the truth of the matter, Anne launches an unofficial investigation, linking the man in the brown suit and his apparent tube station victim to the murder of a mystery woman whose body is found in a house for let, the unfortunate rental property the only apparent commonality between the eclectic trio.When the scrap of paper points to a liner preparing to voyage to South Africa, Anne impulsively books passage, determined to uncover the mystery of the man in the brown suit. There she befriends the charming Mrs. Blair and her handsome, enigmatic companion Colonel Race (who allegedly works for the Foreign Office), an eccentric clergyman, and the humorous Sir Eustace Pedler, owner of the unfortunate rental property, who seems to live in a constant state of befuddled harassment at the hands of his all-too-officious secretary Pagett. The deeper Anne investigates the man in the brown suit, a dangerous web of intrigue is revealed, involving stolen diamonds and a mysterious Colonel, a criminal mastermind whose influence soon threatens Anne's life and that of the man she's fallen in love with -- a man whose own secret past points to his identity as the very brown-suited murder suspect she's chased across continents. Anne is about to discover that real-life adventures are never so neatly wrapped up as the serials she's loved all her life, and if she's not careful this first excursion into sleuthing could be her last.In browsing iTunes a few weeks ago I stumbled across an audiobook recording of The Man in the Brown Suit, a Christie novel I'd never heard of much less read. Having predominantly read several of her "series" novels -- i.e., those featuring Poirot and Marple, I'm nevertheless always interested in her standalone mysteries as they provide such interesting, oft-times experimental, departures from her norm. On that score, The Man in the Brown Suit delivers in spades. One of Christie's early efforts (only her fourth novel, first published in 1924), this novel showcases Christie's penchant for "bright young things" seeking adventure in exotic locales, besting traditional investigators with a combination of sheer nerve and intelligence. Anne is a winning character, very reminiscent of the serial film heroines to whom Christie seems to be paying homage here -- i.e., The Perils of Pauline and the like -- spunky, well-intentioned romantics.Christie splits her narrative between Anne's reminiscences and Sir Eustace's journal entries, the latter of which are frankly some of the funniest narrative I've ever encountered in a Christie novel. People, he is HILARIOUS. The dual narrative works well here, particularly considering how fast and furiously Christie throws red herrings and misdirection at the reader along Anne's journey. I do think this novel lacked some of the finesse that would manifest itself in Christie's later work -- the plot was a bit too convoluted for even me as an avid aficionado of her mysteries -- but as an early example of her genius the humor and energy in this storyline is not to be missed. Featuring exotic locales, whip-lash fast plot twists, and a dash of romance (which develops out of thin air, basically, but WHO CARES because Anne is LIVING THE DREAM), The Man in the Brown Suit is an early Christie gem.

This is Agatha Christie's first novel. It's good but not as tightly written as her later novels. There is more romance here.So Anne's father dies leaving her with just enough money to settle his debts. She moves to London where she hopes she will find adventure. With very little money, she decides she wants to go to Africa where her father had done some digs. While on the ship, she meets some interesting characters. She is almost murdered but rescued by the man in the brown suit. Who tried to kill her? Why? Who is the Man in the Brown Suit?I enjoyed this. Anne makes friends on her cruise. At least, she has someone to worry about her when the attempts are made on her life. She also has a friend in Suzanne who she can confide in. Suzanne ends up as involved in the mystery as Anne. They have to figure out who murdered the woman back in England, whether the person is on the ship, and how to expose the person. I have to admit I would never have figured it out without the explanation at the end. I was hoping it was not who it turned out to be. But I am glad that the Man in the Brown Suit turned out to be good for Anne.I always forget how good Agatha Christie's writing is until I get lost in one of her stories.

I love Agatha Christie stories but this is not what I am used to. I like the books that include Hercule Poirot and this was not the case.I liked the characters in this book but it was just not what I expected. It did have a happy ending.

This has always been one of my favorite Christie novels. I still have a very tattered paperback version that I bought over 30 years ago for about two dollars. The state of that book is what persuaded me to purchase a copy for my Kindle. I reread it in one sitting.For Christie fans, it is important to know that this is not a Poirot or Marple book. Although Colonel Race does make his first appearance and plays a big role in this novel, it is more in line with a Tommy and Tuppence novel than a straight detective book. This is an early Christie novel with mystery and adventure. Anne, the plucky heroine, is bolder than many of Christie's subsequent heroines. She audaciously goes on her adventure with no thought of consequence. Harry, the hero, is a man with an imperfect past and a shadowy future. The rest of the characters are all in the Christie style of charm, idiosyncrasies and humor. If you're a Agatha Christie fan, you'll love this book.For non-Christie fans, this is a fun read full of action, adventure, mystery and romance. It starts in England and proceeds to Africa. There are some dated ideas and descriptions in the novel, however that does not detract from the overall enjoyment. The views on race and gender roles are from the time when the novel was written, thus they are not in line with current reality. However, they do not permeate the story too much. This is a Christie book where the mystery almost takes a backseat to the adventure. It is simply a very enjoyable novel. Even if you're not a Christie fan, you'll love this book.

This was a thoroughly enjoyable old fashioned mystery. It has lots of twist and turns and interesting characters. A smart heroine who nevertheless is quite naive. But all ends well

I would interested to know when Mrs. Christie wrote this story. Was it before or after certain situations that happened in her life? I really enjoyed reading the book again. I noticed things I didn't remember before and I enjoyed being on the boat with Anne and Suzanne and then being in South Africa to view the Falls. Recommend reading.

Nice hard copy edition. I’ve just gotten interested in Agatha Christie books and enjoying them.

There really is no beating an Agatha Christie novel and this is a thoroughly engaging tale with many twists and turns, well worth a revisit.

Really enjoyable keeps you thinking til the end. Bit outdsted now maybe but still a good read. I enjoyed it.

The media could not be loaded. Loved it!

Not on a par with Hercule, but well worth reading, like all the Christie books.

O que gostei: compro, pago e tudo chega, em minutos.O livro: não é dos melhores de Agatha Crhistie, a meu ver.O que não gostei: desse questionário