At the 'Bells and Motley'

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  • Harley Quin
  • Short Story
  • 1925

A man disappeared from a house in the village of Kirklington Mallet, leaving his wife and all their possessions. Satterthwaite and Quin talk through the details of the mystery and finally see it for what it was... From The Mysterious Mr Quin.

More about this story

Mr Satterthwaite knows that when he encounters the character of Harley Quin there is something to be discussed. Quin asks the questions, always leading Satterthwaite to the correct conclusion, this time involving the disappearance of a newlywed man from his cottage in a small village.

Based on the character of Harlequin from the Italian Commedia dell'arte, Agatha Christie indulges in her fascination with the supernatural as well as her love of theatre and performance.

The story was first published as A Man of Magic in The Grand Magazine in 1925. It later appeared in book form in the collection The Mysterious Mr Quin, published by Collins in 1930. The collection was dedicated to its eponymous hero and is the only book of Agatha Christie's to be dedicated to a fictional character. The story was then abridged and broadcast in 2009 as part of BBC Radio 4's series of Afternoon Readings, performed by Martin Jarvis.

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