"Brings together nine rare ... tales of murder and detection that span nearly half a century of [Christie's] storytelling [abilities]"--Back cover.

Previously published in the print anthology The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories. Alan Everard, a successful modernist painter, is married to the beautiful society girl Isobel Loring, who eagerly promotes her husband's work. At one of her tea parties, to which she invites the London art critics, she unveils her husband's latest masterpiece—a portrait of herself. But Alan realizes the picture is lifeless. However, a sketch he has done of his daughter's godmother, Jane Haworth, is full of life and honesty. Alan soon discovers that the real contribution Jane has made to his life is not just her artistic judgment.

A beautiful heiress has been found dead on a train. A playboy has been stabbed through the heart during a costume ball. An elderly woman suspects that she is being slowly poisoned to death. A prince fears for his reputation when his fiancÉe is embroiled in another man's murder. A forgotten recluse makes headlines after he is shot in the head. Who but Agatha Christie could concoct such canny crimes? Who but Belgian detective Hercule Poirot could possibly solve them? It's a challenge to be met—in a triumph of detection.

Agatha Christie demonstrates her unparalleled mastery with Three Blind Mice and Other Stories—a classic compendium of mystery and suspense, crime and detection, whose title novella served as the basis for The Mousetrap, the longest running stage play in the history of the London theater. A blinding snowstorm—and a homicidal maniac—traps a small party of friends in an isolated estate. Out of this deceptively simple setup, Agatha Christie fashioned one of her most ingenious puzzlers, which in turn would provide the basis for The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in history. From this classic title novella to the deliciously clever gems on its tail (solved to perfection by Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple), this rare collection of murder most foul showcases Christie at her inventive best, proving her reputation as "the champion deceiver of our time" (New York Times).

Previously published in the print anthology The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories. Frank Oliver returns to England after years of overseas service only to realize he no longer knows anyone there. On visiting the British Museum, he encounters the “lonely god,” who seems to be experiencing the same sense of isolation he is. Will this strange deity help relieve him of his loneliness?

Despite the title, the stories collected here recount cases from the middle of Miss Marple's career. They are: 'Sanctuary'; 'Strange Jest'; 'Tape-Measure Murder'; 'The Case of the Caretaker'; 'The Case of the Perfect Maid'; 'Miss Marple Tells a Story'; 'The Dressmaker's Doll'; 'In a Glass Darkly'; 'Greenshaw's Folly.'

Previously published in the print anthology The Harlequin Tea Set and Other Stories. Two cousins, Fenella Mylecharane and Juan Faraker, are engaged. When their eccentric uncle dies, they eagerly return to the Isle of Man for the reading of the will. Having grown up hearing tales of buried treasure on the island, they are excited when the will reveals that their uncle found it. But where?