The Harlequin Tea Set cover art

The Harlequin Tea Set

An Agatha Christie Short Story

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The Harlequin Tea Set

By: Agatha Christie
Narrated by: Hugh Fraser
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About this listen

 A classic Agatha Christie short story, available individually for the first time on audio.

It’s been many years since Mr. Satterthwaite has seen Mr. Harley Quin, so when Satterthwaite, awaiting his broken down car, goes to a tea shop called the Harlequin café, he begins to think of his friend.

A self-described snob, Satterthwaite orders coffee and examines the coloured china when a bolt of sunlight comes in and the very same Mr. Quin walks through the door. Enigmatic as ever Mr. Quin and his diligent dog Hermes stay for a Turkish coffee with the excitable Satterthwaite whilst the car is fixed, and Satterthwaite cannot help but bore Mr. Quin with the very long history of the family he is off to visit.

Their conversation is interrupted by the abrupt entrance of the member of that very same family intent upon replacing her harlequin cups. Satterthwaite desperately persuades Quin to accompany him, but, all the bereft Satterthwaite is left with is one word, ‘Daltonism.’ What is the importance of Quin turning up at the tea shop on that day and what does that word have to do with anything?

©1997 Agatha Christie Limited (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers Limited Amateur Sleuths Anthologies & Short Stories Crime Fiction Detective Fiction Mystery Short Stories Traditional Detectives Crime

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Critic reviews

"The plots are so good that one marvels...most of them would have made a full length thriller." (Daily Mirror)
All stars
Most relevant  
You know when the fey Mr Quinn and the posh Mr Slatterwaite meet up something unusual will happen. Events will unfold and cases solved with exquisite subtlety. A lovely, intriguing short story read with perfection by Hugh Fraser

Just lovely

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This short story is taken from a collection and is mildly entertaining. However, the plot is ridiculous and not one of Christie's better stories.

Not one of Christie's best.

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I love Agatha Christie stories as a rule, and am always intrigued by the slightly quirk Harley Quinn tales.
But as a stand alone story, this one was overly padded and not especially engaging.
Hugh Fraser’s narration was excellent, as always, though.

Disappointing

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