I had listed to 3 of this collection of short stories before, in different anthologies. But they hold up well to a second reading.
They are an interesting collection as they don't usually involve a detective of any kind. In some of them you can see where this is going, in others it is a complete surprise. I enjoyed listening to this, the neatness of the short story form working well in this selection where they are tightly plotted and sharply written. ( )

La curiosa desaparición de lord Listerdale; una recién casada que teme a su ex novio; un extraño encuentro en un tren; una investigación de asesinato casera; el repentino cambio de personalidad de un hombre apacible; un inspector jubilado a la caza de una asesina; la mujer joven que se hace pasar por duquesa; un collar escondido en una cesta de cerezas; la detención por asesinato de un escritor de novelas de misterio; una sorprendente petición de mano; una soprano que detesta a un barítono, y el caso de la esmeralda del rajá: doce intrigantes relatos con un punto en común, el genio indiscutible de la dama del crimen. Matar es fácil: Era tal la mala suerte de Luke Fitzwilliam que le tocó sentarse al lado de la anciana señorita Fullerton en el tren, aunque finalmente se entretuvo escuchando sus historias sobre asesinatos perfectos en el extraño pueblo de Wychwood. Pero cuando al día siguiente lee en el periódico sobre el sorprendente accidente que mató a la anciana, empieza a sospechar. Una visita a la localidad confirma sus sospechas. Wychwood parece ser una ciudad dividida en dos: por un lado, aquellos que comparten un terrible secreto; por el otro, aquellos que no vivirán lo suficiente para compartirlo..

The book is a collection of a number of short crime and detective or puzzling kind of stories one of which is the Listerdale Mystery.The stories are kind of okay and fun and different too.

Its not a must pick or anything i would suggest to anyone. ( )

Golden Age mystery stories, most if not all featuring everyday people in unusual situations, without a detective or inspector focusing the plot.

Interestingly, Christie mentions (mock disparagingly) "crime novels" in a great many of these tales, as commentary on her characters by other characters. (And good-natured ribbing of herself and her fans.)

Along with the mystery puzzle an abiding theme of characters coming good: the mother of Listerdale ("genteel poverty" after husband speculates wealth away), and the middle-class milquetoast of "Raja's Emerald". "Girl On The Train" also has an aristocrat (or at least, uppercrust middle class) having to make good -- but then marrying into wealth again. Class is certainly featured in the varied settings, whether resort town or country manor, city townhome or suburban apartment.

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Audio edition loaned from my local for a road trip, and liked the stories well enough to finish after returning home. ( )

Great collection of well written short stories ( )