Book Club

Short Stories

Agatha Christie wrote nearly 160 short stories. This includes the recently discovered and published The Capture of Cerberus and The Incident of the Dog's Ball.   She used many of the plots in later novels and plays. Here you can discuss each one.

We're pretty sure they're all here but if you notice any ommissions just let us know!

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

The Plymouth Express

Jemma 07 Sep 09 at 9:26 a.m. GMT

Agatha Christie used the plot of this short story when she wrote the novel The Mystery of the Blue Train. Christie described the novel as her least favourite. Does the short story lend itself to being expanded to a novel?

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Puffinjill 18 Oct 09 at 2:28 p.m. GMT

Do you know, I never knew that AC considered this as her least favourite novel. Frankly, I'm amazed at that! I personally think the storyline works extremely well as a full length book. It paints a wonderfully atmospheric picture and she has peopled the book with fantastic characters. Katherine Grey, with her quiet self composure, caught up in events beyond her usual sphere has long been a favourite of mine. Plus I was genuinely surprised at the culprit on first reading!

Its got all the great elements - jewels, handsome rogues, rich Americans, suspicious (and dubious) Counts, the Rivera and steam trains. I think it DEFINATELY deserved to be written as a full length novel rather than remain an overlooked short story.