The Sittaford Mystery

infobox Book |
name = The Sittaford Mystery
title_orig =
translator =


image_caption = Dust-jacket illustration of the US (true first) edition. See "Publication history" (below) for UK first edition jacket image.
author = Agatha Christie
cover_artist =
country = United States
language = English
series =
genre = Crime novel
publisher = Dodd, Mead and Company
release_date = 1931
media_type = Print (Hardcover & Paperback)
pages = 308 pp (first edition, hardcover)
isbn = NA
preceded_by = The Murder at the Vicarage
followed_by = Peril at End House

"The Sittaford Mystery" is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1931 under the title of "The Murder at Hazlemoor" [John Cooper and B.A. Pyke. "Detective Fiction - the collector's guide": Second Edition (Pages 82 and 86) Scholar Press. 1994. ISBN 0-85967-991-8] [http://home.insightbb.com/~jsmarcum/agatha30.htm American Tribute to Agatha Christie] ] and in UK by the Collins Crime Club on September 7 of the same year under Christie's original title ["The Observer" September 6, 1931 (Page 6)] . It is the first Christie novel to be given a different title for the US market.

The US edition retailed at $2.00 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6) [Vanessa Wagstaff and Stephen Poole: "Agatha Christie: A Readers Companion" (Page 71). Aurum Press Ltd, 2004. ISBN 1-84513-015-4] .

Plot summary

In a remote house in the middle of Dartmoor, six shadowy figures huddle around a small round table for a seance. Tension rises as the spirits spell out a chilling message: 'Captain Trevelyan...dead...murder'. Is this black magic or simply a macabre joke? The only way to be certain is to locate Captain Trevelyan. Unfortunately, his home is six miles away and, with snow drifts blocking the roads, someone will have to make the journey on foot.

The novel is the first in which the author incorporates the supernatural into one of her long works.

Literary significance and reception

"The Sittaford Mystery" was the first Christie book not to be reviewed by the "Times Literary Supplement".

"The New York Times Book Review"'s issue of August 16, 1931 said of the novel, "Mrs. Agatha Christie's latest is up to her usual high standard and compares favourably with "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd", one of the best she ever did.." They went on to comment that, "Miss Trefusis is one of the sharpest and most likeable detectives of recent moons." Finally they summarised, "An excellent book to take away for week-end reading." ["The New York Times Book Review" August 16, 1931 (Page 17)]

In a short review of October 23, 1931, the "Daily Mirror" said that, "A pair of snow shoes and a prize competition offer clues to the villain, who is well concealed." ["Daily Mirror" October 23, 1931 (Page 20)]

Robert Barnard: "Mayham Parva, sharpened by Dartmoor setting and snow. Many of the usual elements are here, but also escaped convict (out of "Baskervilles"), séances, newspaper competitions and amateur investigator – young woman torn (as in "Blue Train") between handsome weakling and hardworking, upright, born-to-success type. Highly entertaining, with adroit clueing." [Barnard, Robert. "A Talent to Deceive – an appreciation of Agatha Christie" - Revised edition (Page 205). Fontana Books, 1990. ISBN 0006374743]

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

The novel was produced by Granada Television as a Miss Marple mystery featuring Geraldine McEwan as Marple and guest-starring Timothy Dalton as Trevelyan; Laurence Fox as Jim Pearson; Zoe Telford as Emily Trefusis; Mel Smith as John Enderby; Rita Tushingham as Elizabeth Percehouse; and Robert Hardy as Winston Churchill. Filming began in 2006, with major changes made to the plot (Trevelyan being present at the seance, for example) — especially in order to incorporate Marple into the story. It is the second film in the series in which the killer's identity is different from the one in the novel. It aired in the UK on April 30, 2006, in ITV1's 9:00 p.m. slot.

Publication history

* 1931, Dodd Mead and Company (New York), 1931, Hardcover, 308 pp
* 1931, Collins Crime Club (London), September 7, 1931, Hardcover, 256 pp
* 1948, Penguin Books, Paperback, (Penguin number 690), 255 pp
* 1950, Dell Books (New York), Paperback, (Dell number 391 [mapback] ), 224 pp
* 1961, Fontana Books (Imprint of HarperCollins), Paperback, 190 pp
* 1973, Ulverscroft Large-print Edition, Hardcover, 387 pp, ISBN 0-85-456203-6

In the US the novel was serialised in "Good Housekeeping" magazine in six instalments from March (Volume XCII, Number 3) to August 1931 (Volume XCIII, Number 2) under the title "The Murder at Hazelmoor" with illustrations by W. Smithson Broadhead.

Book dedication

The dedication of the book reads:
"To M.E.M. With whom I discussed the plot of this book to the alarm of those around us."

The subject of this dedication is Christie's second husband, Max Mallowan (1904-1978) and is one of four books dedicated to him, either singly or jointly, the others being "Murder on the Orient Express" (1934), "Come Tell Me How You Live (1946)" and Christie's final written work, "Postern of Fate" (1973).

In 1928 Christie had been planning a holiday to the West Indies when a chance conversation at a dinner party with a Commander Howe of the Royal Navy and his wife, who had just returned from his being stationed in the Persian Gulf, awakened an interest in her in visiting Baghdad, especially when the Howe’s pointed out that a part of the journey could be made by the famed Orient Express. They also mentioned that not far from Baghdad was the archaeological expedition uncovering the remains of the ancient city of Ur about which Christie had read in the Illustrated London News. Entranced by the thought of such a journey, she changed her tickets at Thomas Cook’s and set off for the orient. [Christie, Agatha. "An Autobiography". (Page 361). Collins, 1977. ISBN 0-00-216012-9]

On the journey, she found herself in the company of a tedious Englishwoman who was determined to take Christie “under her wing”, although that was the last thing she wanted, and desperate for escape she made her way to Ur and made the acquaintance of the expedition leader, Leonard Woolley (1880-1960) and his wife, Katharine (1888-1945). Visitors to the dig were usually discouraged but Katharine was a great admirer of "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" and, as she was an imperious and difficult woman who always got her way in things large and small (Gertrude Bell described her as “dangerous”), Christie was treated as an honoured guest. [Morgan, Janet. "Agatha Christie, A Biography". (Pages 172-173) Collins, 1984 ISBN 0-00-216330-6.] In 1929, she lent the Woolleys the use of her house in Cresswell Place in London and they, in turn, invited her back to the dig at the end of the season. [Morgan. (Page 178)]

Arriving back there in February 1930, she met Max who had been missing previously due to illness with appendicitis. Katharine ordered him to take Christie on a tour of the local sights. They visited Nippur, Diwaniyah, Nejeif, Ukhaidir and Kerbela and on a journey back to Baghdad, their car got stuck in the sand and Mallowan was impressed with the way in which Christie, rather than panic, just lay down in its shadow to sleep while a Bedouin went off for help. After being reunited with the Woolleys, most of the party made its way by stages to Greece where Christie received telegrams informing her that her daughter Rosalind (who was in the care of her sister at Abney Hall), was seriously ill with pneumonia. Christie set off for home by a four-day train journey with Max accompanying her [Morgan. (Pages 178-180)] . Getting to know her on the journey, he made up his mind to propose marriage and, after a few more meetings, that is what he did to Christie’s great shock [Morgan. (Page 185)] .

Christie accepted and in doing so was warned to be cautious by her brother-in-law James Watts (1878?-1957) and vehemently opposed in her plans by his wife (and Christie’s sister) Madge (1879-1950) [Morgan. (Page 185)] . Their son, Jack Watts (1903-1961) who had been at New College, Oxford with Max was also opposed, supposedly due to mistrust of his new ‘uncle’ [Thompson, Laura. "Agatha Christie, An English Mystery". (Page 295) Headline, 2007 ISBN 978-0-7553-1487-4.] . As "The Sittaford Mystery" was written during this period, it is probable that this opposition is what the dedication refers to.

Dustjacket blurb

The blurb on the inside flap of the dustjacket of the first edition (which is also repeated opposite the title page) reads:

It was a typical Dickens Christmas; deep snow everywhere, and down in the little village of Sittaford on the fringe of Dartmoor, probably deeper than anywhere. Mrs Willett, the winter tenant in Captain Trevelyan’s country house, was, with her daughter Violet, giving a party. Finally they decided to do a little table rapping and after the usual number of inconsequential messages from the ‘other side’, suddenly the table announced that Captain Trevelyan was dead. His oldest friend, Captain Burnaby, was disturbed. He quickly left the house and tramped ten miles of snowy roads to Exhampton. There was no sign of life in Trevelyan’s house. A back window was broken in and the light was burning – and there, on the floor, was the body of Trevelyan. Inspector Narracott took the case in hand, and after wandering through a maze of false clues and suspects, he ultimately discovered the murderer of Captain Trevelyan. Mrs. Christie has never formulated a more ingenious or enthralling plot and her characterisation is of the vivid type which marked "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" and "The Murder at the Vicarage".

References

External links

* [http://uk.agathachristie.com/site/find_a_story/stories/The_Sittaford_Mystery.php "The Sittaford Mystery"] at the official Agatha Christie website
*imdb title|id=0491050|title=Marple: The Sittaford Mystery (2006)
* [http://www.fathom.com/course/21701725/session1.html "British Museum"] webpage on Christie's first trip to the Middle East leading to her first meeting with Max Mallowan