Book Report Agatha Christie; The Man in the Brown Suit Page: 1 of 1
By Florian Katzinger

B O O K R E P O R T

B y F l o r i a n K a t z i n g e r

AGATHA

CHRISTIE

The Man in the

Brown Suit

Perg, 3

rd

of April 1997

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By Florian Katzinger

A g a t h a

C h r i s t i

e

is known throughout the world as Queen of Crime. Her books have sold

over a billion copies in the English language with another billion in 44 foreign
languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any
language, outsold by only the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 79
crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays and 6 novels written under the
name of Mary Westmacott.

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay. Her first novel, The Mysterious

Affair at Styles, was written toward the end of the First World War, in which
she served as a VAD. In it she created Hercule Poirot, the little Belgian detective
who was destined to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since
Sherlock Holmes. It was eventually published by The Bodley Head in 1920.

In 1926, after averaging a book a year, Agatha Christie wrote her

masterpiece. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was the first of her books to be
published by Collins and marked the beginning of an author-publisher
relationship which lasted for fifty years and well over seventy books. The
Murder of Roger Ackroyd was also the first of Agatha Christie’s books to be
dramatised – under the name Alibi – and to have successful run in the West
End. The mousetrap, her most famous play of all, is the longest-running play in
history.

Agatha Christie was made a Dame in 1971. Her last two books to be

published were Curtain: Poirot´s Last Case in 1975, and Sleeping Murder,
featuring the deceptively mild Miss Marple, in 1976. Both were best-sellers.

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By Florian Katzinger

Agatha Christie also wrote four non-fiction works including an autobiography
and the delightful Come, Tell Me How You Life, which celebrates the many
expeditions she shared with her archaeologist husband Sir Max Mallowan.

M a i n
C h a r a c t

e r s

Anne Beddingfield (A beautiful, young adventurer. She is the main Narrator.

Always searching for new novels, by investigating the Man in the Brown Suit)

Sir Eustace Pedler (Member of the Houses of Common, responsible for South-
African affairs. A genteel older gentleman. But also doubtless the most smartest
character of this novel. In fact he is ”The Colonel”. Some parts of the book are

out of his diary.)

Nadina (A famous Russian dancer, who has taken Paris by storm. She is married
with Carton. She fools everybody until she was killed by ”The Colonel” at the

Mill-House, owned by Sir Eustace Pedler)

”The Colonel” (His profession is jewel-robbery and he is a great brain. ”If you
want a thing done safely, do not do it yourself!” The most mysterious figure in
this novel.)

Colonel Race (A Secret Service agent. He wants to convict ”The Colonel”. Anne

is afraid of him and loves him at the same time. His aim is to conquer Anne’s
heart)

Suzanne Blair (A good friend of Anne. They have become acquainted with at the
Kilmorden Castle. Suzanne helps Anne unselfish, even she is longing for her

husband Clarence.)

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By Florian Katzinger

Guy Pagett (Sir Eustace Pedler’s secretary. He has a ”guilty secret”: He is
married to a woman and has four children, although he is Pedler’s secretary. He

is employed by him for six years and did nothing wrong.)

P l o t

S y n o p s i

s

The whole story is about pretty, young Anne Beddingfield, who came to

London for adventure. She found it immediately on the platform of Hyde Park
Corner tube station, where a thin man, reeking of mothballs, lost his balance
and was electrocuted on the rails. Anne was eyewitness and felt that somebody
was behind her before the man fell. As she turned round a man in a brown suit
came and declared as a doctor, examined the body, resulted that the man is
dead and disappeared as fast as he came. Young Anne needed some air and
followed the him. Suddenly he throw a piece of paper with the inscription 17.1
22 Kilmorden Castle away. It smelt horribly of mothballs.

Although Scotland Yard’s verdict was accidental death. Anne decided to

investigate the case and her first clue was the headline of the Daily Budget:

EXTRAORDINARY SEQUEK TO TUBE ACCIDENT
WOMAN FOUND STRANGLED IN LONELY HOUSE

At the Mill House in Marlow, which is property of Sir Eustace Pedler, the

body of a beautiful young woman was found. The house is to be let unfurnished
and Mr. Pedler is wintering on the Rivera. An order to view the property of

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By Florian Katzinger

Mr. Pedler was found in a pocket of the man who was found in the tube
station.

Now Anne got assured that there was more than a accidental death and

she finds out some hints point by point. She found a roll of films at the Mill
House, but they still had been developed. The Kilmorden Castle was a ship to
South Africa, from where the victim was. She bought a ticket and went on board.

There she experienced some adventures but to describe them all would go

beyond the scope of a book report. On the ship different characters appear.
Anne gets acquainted with Suzanne Blair, a woman, who helps Anne unselfish
in her investigations. Anne also finds out that Sir Eustace Pedler and his
secretary Guy Pagett join the Kilmorden. There is also a second secretary with
Pedler, Mr. Harry Rayburn and another human being Anne meets, Rev. Edward
Chichester. Colonel Race, an alleged Secret Service Agent, tells a story about a
diamonds robbery. Anne asked to get cabin 17, because of the clue on the scarp
of paper and one night somebody wants to get in. Now Anne and Suzanne think
about and finally find diamonds in one of the film-rolls. Anne took them with
her just by chance. Anne gave them to Suzanne, she should care about them. On
the last night of the journey Anne is nearly thrown overboard by an strong man,
but Mr. Rayburn saves her life. On the next morning he tells her a secret. He is
the Man in the Brown Suit and that she should better stop investigating in this
case. Her life might be in great danger.

After arriving in South Africa Anne walks into her enemies trap. She visits

the supposed house of an old friend of her father. Fortunately she can escape
and hears a conversation of Edward Chichester and another man. Now the story
gets so tangled that I only want to sum it up. Anne, Suzanne, Colonel Race and
Mrs. Pettigrew, a new secretary of Mr. Pedler, travel with Mr. Pedler in his
private wagon to Rhodesia. There Anne got a message that Mr. Rayburn will
wait for her in the night and our young heroine of course follows this hint. The
only thing she remembers that she was hit and awakes in Mr. Rayburns house
on a small island. Rayburn has saved her life.

There she is told the truth by Harry Rayburn. He travelled to London

because he has been told that Carton, who works at De Beers’, a diamonds-
agency, is going to sell diamonds, which he and a friend of him have been
suspected to have stolen from his friend’s father. (That is the story Colonel Race
told at the Kilmorden) . When Carton saw Rayburn at the tube-station, he was
so frightened that he had lost balance and felt on the rails. (Carton has seen
Rayburn’s face in the newspapers.) Rayburn said that he is a doctor and checked
Carter. He found some film-rolls and a paper with 1.17.Kilmorden. He lost the
paper somewhere and also the film-rolls. (Anne found it both during her
investigation) But there was still another figure. Anita Grünberg, or Nadia. She
was married to Carton and was also involved in the robbery. She had been killed
at the Mill-House. But Rayburn says that he has nothing to do with that.

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By Florian Katzinger

In the end of the book Anita discovers that ”The Colonel” Sir Eustace

Pedler and he killed Nadia at his house in Marlow. He sent Pagett on holiday
and so he could easy travel from the Rivera to London and kill Nadia in his own
house.

Finally Anne and Harry Rayburn, who is in fact John Harold Eardsley, the

son of a diamond-mine owner, marry and have a son together.

P e r s o n

a l

C o m m e n t

This is a typical Agatha Christie –book.

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By Florian Katzinger