Thursday, April 10, 2014

Problem Solved at Pollensa Bay

copyright – DLovering

“Is this this seat vacant,” asked the large, balding man in his sixties.

She gestured him to sit, brows furrowed absently looking at the unfolding scene.   The street was decked with flags and streamers, the band striking up a tune as people partied.

Cómo estás?  You look a little distracted madam.”  

“Murders” she sighed, “Sometimes they can be tiresome, though poison has a certain appeal.”

“Really?  I am more interested in the affairs of the heart.  I am, if you like to put it that way, a heart specialist”.

She looked interested.

“You are?”

“Mr Parker Pyne at your service”.


**



Written for Friday Fictioneers. Word Count : 100

I'll use this week's Friday Fictioneer as my tribute to the Queen of Crime - Agatha Christie, who in 1932 holidayed in Mallorca.   This would inspire her story Problem at Pollensa Bay in which we meet Mr Parker Pyne.

37 comments :

  1. Anonymous5:10 am

    Thank you for the link, I've only read a few Agatha Christie books and none with him. This is a great tribute.

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    1. Thank you David, glad you liked it. Parker Pyne was featured in a number of short stories and probably did not receive the same attention as her other creations notably Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple.

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  2. Anonymous5:28 am

    Looks like I have missed Mr Parker Pyne. I've met M. Poirot and Miss Marple.
    How would you rate him vis a vis his peers ?

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    1. Parker Pyne introduces himself as a "detective of the heart" while the genre for M. Poirot and Miss Marple would be Crime Fiction. He doesn't investigate murders or similar crimes, but is shown to help his clients to regain happiness. It's a different genre but still nice to read.

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  3. Anonymous5:44 am

    You make Mr Parker Pyne sound like an interesting gentleman. I'll have to look him up too. Thanks for the tip.

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    1. She did create these other characters who had their own series like Tommy and Tuppence. Mr Pyne is quite different from her other detectives. Thanks for reading Karen.

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  4. Nicely done... linking to another author. I like it.

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    1. Thank you Ruth, glad you liked it.

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  5. Ah - that explains it. I was in Puerto de la Cruz in Tenerife last year and was amused to discover an Agatha Christie Festival happening!

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    1. That's sounds like the best kind of festival. Thanks for reading Lizy.

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  6. I must look out for Mr Pyne. Was this Agatha meeting one of her characters and if so, what a conversation you are required to pen for us.

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    1. Agatha Christie, stayed in the Hotel Illa d’Or, where she wrote a selection of short stories entitled Problems in Pollença Bay (hence the title of my story). Inspired by her stay there she set Mr Pyne's lodgings to the fictional "Hotel Pino d'Oro". I have her thinking about writing something other than murder mysteries.

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  7. Thanks for the introduction to Mr Parker Pyne. I'll investigate further. Nice piece.

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    1. "Parker Pyne Investigates" is a good start :-)
      Thanks for reading Sandra.

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  8. Anonymous3:42 am

    Well, not too bad an introduction at that. I have always enjoyed a good Agatha Christie, I guess Parker Pyne is next. Very well-done.

    Technical note: there is no need for an accent mark on the word "como." If the word-stress is on the second to last syllable and ends with a consonant except for an "n" or an "s" THEN you place an accent on it.

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    1. Thanks for reading Kent and your comments. Not being a Spanish speaker myself (No hablo español), I googled up Spanish phrases and used this one. (http://www.wikihow.com/Say-How-Are-You-in-Spanish). Which I now see should be Cómo estás? Will fix that. Thanks for the feedback.

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  9. Anonymous9:02 am

    thank you for the link. i've read one agatha christie book when i was a child. i think it was good. :)

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    1. Thank you Kz, she was the Queen of Crime.

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  10. Anonymous10:01 am

    I love Dame Agatha and PP sounds vaguely familiar now that you mentioned him. I feel as if your lady is the author in the Poirot books whose always writing about murder. Nicely done.

    janet

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    1. Thanks Janet, she is indeed and Hercule Poirot remains one of my favourite fictional characters.

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  11. Dear Subroto,

    Not having much knowledge of Agatha Christie I think much of this was lost on me. Well written though. And I agree...murders can become tiresome. ;)

    shalom,

    Rochelle

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    1. Thanks for reading and liking it Rochelle. Being an Agatha Christie fan I couldn't pass up this opportunity to use her quote especially with the recent debate on murder as a writing device :-)

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  12. Anonymous4:37 am

    Lovely character portraits here. I like her interest in poison, can just see her head leaning to one side as she says it.

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    1. Thank you for reading and commenting Sarah, she really was the Queen of Crime.

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  13. I have never read these books by Agatha Christie, but the quotation is excellent.. I have heard somewhere that wolfsbane can masked as horseradish ;-)

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    1. Thanks Björn. Agatha Christie's books are excellent too. Wolfsbane's like horseradish? I guess I should be wary of strangers offering me wasabi then :-)

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  14. That was a great tribute to Agatha Christie. I'm a fan of her books, especially the Miss Marple mysteries. I think I've read the Parker Pyne stories, but it's been a while ago.Well written.

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    1. Ah another fan! Thank you Patricia, I am glad you liked it. I like Miss Marple too.

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  15. Interesting read ....the quotation is too good :)

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  16. Thanks for dropping by my blog :)

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  17. What a delightful convo Subroto,loved it!I am a huge AC fan and have many of her books in my personal collection-I do remember PP and I think I have at least one book with him doing his thing-will have to check-memory is not what it used to be :P

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    1. Thanks Atreyee I am glad the Agatha Christie in you fan can relate to the story :-)

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  18. Anonymous1:06 pm

    Inspector Poirot? Sherlock Holmes? Love these types of thrillers...

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    1. Those are indeed two of the best. Thanks for reading and commenting.

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  19. I had missed this one, Subroto. It is quite the gem.

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    1. Thanks Umashankar I couldn't resist this opportunity.

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