Agatha Christie/Bibliography: Difference between revisions

** ''Jane in Search of a Job''. First published in August, 1924. The protagonist is Jane Cleveland. She is a 26-year-old woman, "intelligent and good-looking and well-educated". But currently unemployed and broke. Searching for a job, she finds one ad seeking a girl which matches her description: "a young lady of twenty-five to thirty years of age, [[Blue Eyes|eyes dark blue]], [[Hair of Gold|very fair hair]], black lashes and brows, straight nose, slim figure, height five feet seven inches, good mimic and able to speak French". Jane is only five feet six inches, but applies to the add. And gets the job. She has to play the decoy for her look-alike Grand Duchess Pauline of Ostrova. An exiled aristocrat who is obligated to make public appearances, but fears being the target of assassins and kidnappers. Jane got herself a dangerous job, and the plot soon thickens. The scene seems set up for a [[Decoy Getaway]], but Pauline has a couple of secrets. {{spoiler|While there is an actual Grand Duchess Pauline, the woman Jane works for is actually an "American Girl Bandit" impersonating her to perform crimes. She intends to have Jane framed for said crimes. }}

** ''A Fruitful Sunday''. First published in August, 1928. The protagonists are Dorothy Jane Pratt and her boyfriend Edward Palgrove, respectively a parlourmaid and a clerk. During a Sunday date, the two buy a basket of cherries. The man who is selling them promises them "you've got more than your money's worth in that basket of cherries." Some time later, the young couple reads the newspaper while eating the cherries. They first learn that a ruby necklace worth 50,000 pounds has gone missing. Then they find what seems to be a ruby necklace at the bottom of their basket. Time for a [[Moral Dilemma]]. Dorothy is tempted to either keep the necklace or sell it to a fence. "It's come to us and it's probably the only chance we'll ever have of getting all the things we want." Edward has his doubts as "It sounds to me more like the kind of story where the hero goes to Dartmoor unjustly accused for fourteen years."But their positions in this argument will change several times before the matter is settled. {{spoiler|Its not the real necklace but an imitation, part of an advertising stunt. }}

** ''The Golden Ball''. First published in August, 1929. Slightly revised in book form. The opening has distinct similarities to ''The Girl in the Train'', though the story soon takes a different direction. The protagonists are George Dundas and Mary Montresor. George is the nephew, and employee of businessman Ephraim Leadbetter. He had a habit of taking the day off without even notifying his boss. As a result, uncle Ephraim fires him at the very opening of the story. And delivers a lecture on failing to grasp the golden ball of opportunity. Mary Montresor is a "[[Socialite|beautiful and popular society girl]]", whose name often appears in the press. They have never met before. A depressed George is walking down the street, when Mary drives by. She simply invites George to join her. He simply accepts. She playfully asks "How would you like to marry me?" Mary soon drags him to a house-hunting expedition at the English countryside. Which in turn leads to a confrontation with an armed couple. George might not know what is going on. But his first instinct is to fight back. Which might lead to a happy ending for him. {{spoiler|The couple are employees of Mary and she has orchestrated the dangers of their journey. Her reasons are having certain standards in picking a husband. "The most important thing to a girl is how a man will behave in an emergency - has he got presence of mind - courage - quick-wittedness? That's the kind of thing you can hardly ever know - until it's too late. An emergency mightn't arise until you'd been married for years. All you do know about a man is how he dances and if he's good at getting taxis on a wet night." George has just passed her test with flying colors, the first guy to ever to do so.}}

** ''The Rajah's Emerald''. First published in July, 1926. The story contains another case of [[Name's the Same/Literature|Name's The Same]]. The protagonist is called James Bond, but has no apparent relation to the [[James Bond]] character by [[Ian Fleming]]. This James Bond is an underpaid clerk, frustrated with his life. There is no promotion or raise in sight for him. His longtime girlfriend Grace currently earns more money than him, clearly looks down on him, and ignores him in favor of new friends. Particularly the well-dressed Claud Sopworth. There are signs that Grace is about to dump James. Even their shared vacation at the Kimpton-on-Sea. a fashionable holiday resort, has turned out to be a humiliating experience for Mr. Bond. Grace and her friends rented rooms at a luxury hotel. While James has rented a room in an "obscure boarding house". But his luck is about to change. James accidentally gets possession of a famous emerald, owned by the Raja of Maraputna. The emerald has just been stolen and James stumbled on the thief's hiding spot for it. Now James has his chance of becoming of hero. If he manages to escape the persistent Detective-Inspector Merrilees of the Scotland Yard, and the real thief. {{spoiler|"Merrilees" turns out to be an alias for Jones, the real thief. James Bond catches on to this quite early. When he asks to see the Inspector's badge, Merrilees allows him a glance at a badge. Bond realizes that this is actually the small silver badge used by members of the "Merton Park Super Cycling Club", not officers of the Scotland Yard. He plays along until finding a way to catch the thief. }}