The Mysterious Mr Quinn

Agatha Christie wrote a series of short stories about the mysterious character Mr Quinn – appearing alongside the ever observant Mr Satterthwaite, the stories have a supernatural element to them but are generally typical murder mysteries to be solved. Mr Satterthwaite is an older man, an people watcher who often finds himself involved in some strange mystery, often is doesn’t recognise there is a mystery to be solved until he appearance of ‘Mr Quinn’ who then points him in the right direction to solving the case. Mr Quinn is a mysterious character who pops up unexpectedly and Christie often describes him as appearing in multicoloured forms – whether dappled in light from a stained-glass window for example earning him his name from a Harley Quinn. 

Aside from the elements of super-natural appearances from Mr Quinn, this collection of short stories is a good read and the mysteries are entertaining. Below is the full character list from each of the short stories contained in ‘The Mysterious Mr Quinn’. 

First published in 1930, the same year as the first Miss Marple novel, ‘The Murder at the Vicarage’. This book is a collection of short stories each involving Mr Satterthwait and ‘the Mysterious Mr Quin’ who appears each time to assist with the solving of a puzzle/crime. Mr Satterthwait also appears in the novel ‘Three Act Tragedy’ published five years later in 1935 (more information on this novel can be found here).

Agatha Christie wrote two further short stories featuring Harley Quin that appeared in later collections of works with various of her detectives. The additional stories are: The Harlequinn Tea Set and The Love Detectives’.

The Mysterious Mr Quinn - Character List for Every Short Story

StoryCharacterDescription

The Coming of Mr Quin

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Tom EveshamHost of the New Years party at his home called Royston
Lady Laura Evesham Tom Eversham’s wife, the party hostess
Sir Richard ConwayA friend of Tom Evesham and a guest at his party
Alex Portal Guest at Royston
Eleanor PortalAlex’s Australian wife
Mr Harley QuinStranger who turns up at the party after his car breaks down
Derek CapelPrevious owner of Royston who committed suicide
Marjorie DilkeLady whom Derek Capel had been seeing
Mr Appleton Man who used to mistreat his wife and who was murdered 

The Shadow on the Glass

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Mr UnkertonHost of a party held at his huse Greenway’s House
Mrs UnkertonMr Unkerton’s wife and the hostess
Mr Richard ScottBig game hunter and guest at the party, newly married to Moira and best friends with Major John Porter
Mrs Moira ScottNew wife of Richard Scott, she met and married him in Egypt
Major John PorterBest friend of Richard Scott also a big game hunter
Mrs Iris StavertonGuest at the party who is supposed to have been in a relationship previously with Richard Scott when in Africa
Lady Cynthia DrageYoung society lady also at the house patry
Captain Jimmy AllensonYoung man liked by all, met Cynthia Drage when in Egypt

At The ‘Bells and Motley’

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
William JonesLandload of the Bells and Motley
Captain Richard HarwellVisisted the villiage where Ashley Grange is and where he met and later married Eleanor Le Couteau
Eleanor Le CouteauYoung rich French-Canadian who bought Ashley Grange
John MathiasA gardner
Cyrus BradburnWeathly American millionair who buys Ashley Grange
Stephen GrantSuspected to be involved in the disappearance of Captain Harwell after he was dismissed by him

The Sign in the Sky

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Lady Vivien BarnabyYounger wife of Sir George Barnaby having an affair with local farmer Martin Wylde
Sir George BarnabyOlder husband of Vivien Barnaby whom he lives with at their home Deering Hill
Martin WyldeLocal farmer having relationships with both Lady Vivien Barnaby and Sylvia Dale
Sylvia DaleYoung lady in the villiage seeing Martin Wylde, she is the daughter of the local doctor 
Henry ThompsonPrivate secretary to Sir George Barnaby
Louise BullardHousemaid at Deering Hill

The Soul of the Croupier

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Countess CzarnovaRegular visitor to Monte Carlo, a much admired woman and currently seeing Franklin Rudge
Franklin RudgeAmerican man and compaion to Countess Czarnova whom is is enamoured with 
Elizabeth MartinMember of Rudge’s party, a sensible and straitforward lady
Pierre VaucherCroupier working in the casino 

The Man from the Sea

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Anthony CosdenTerminally ill man 
 Suicidal woman staying at the villa on the cliffe

The Voice in the Dark

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Lady Barbara StranleighOld friend of Mr Satterthwaite who is also staying in Cannes, sister of Beatrice and mother of Margery
Beatrice BarronElder sister of Barbara who died when the ship she was on, The Uralia, sank off the coast of New Zealand
MargeryDaughter of Lady Barbara from one of her previous marriages who is living in the family home Abbots Mede in Wiltshire and is reportedly hearing voices. 
Marcia KeaneOld friend of Margery’s staying with her
Roley VavasourCousin of Margery also staying at Abotts Mede
Mrs CassonA spiritualist Roley has brought in
Mrs LloydA medium Roley has brought in
Alice ClaytonEldery maid to Margery’s mother

The Face of Helen

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Gillian WestBeautiful young woman Mr Satterthwaite spots at the opera
Philip EastneyYoung man in love with Gillian and who fights with Charlie Burns
Mr Charlie BurnsYoung man who becomes engaged to Gillian West

The Dead Harlequin

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Frank BristowUp and coming young artist
Lord CharnleyOwner of the house Carnley depicted in a painting by Frank Bristow, he committed suicide 14 years ago
Colonel MonktonGuest at the house when Charnley killed himself 
Hugo Next in line to the title, a relative of Lord Charnley
Alix CharnleyWidowed wife of Lord Charnley and mother of Hugo
Aspasia GlenA celebrated dramatist requesting to buy the painting from Mr Satterthwait

The Bird with the Broken Wing

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Madge KeeleyYoung lady who invites Mr Satterthwaite to Laidell for their house party
David KeeleyMadge’s father and owner of the family home in Laidell, he is a brilliant mathematician  
Roger GrahamEngaged to Madge Keeley
Mrs GrahamRoger’s mother staying with the Keeley’s for their houseparty
Mabelle AnnesleyFragile appearing young lady staying in Laidell, she is the youngest of the ill fated Clydesley family
Gerard AnnesleyMabelle’s husband 
Inspector Winkfield Investigating officer

The World’s End

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
Duchess of LeithAristocrat on holiday in Corsica
Naomi Carlton SmithArtist and distant cousin of the Duchess also in Corsica 
Mr TomlinsonAnother guest staying at the same hotle in Corsica
VyseA theatricall producer from England
Rosina NunnA famous actress married to Mr Judd also on holilday from England
Mr JuddHusband of the actress Rosina Nunn
Alec GerardYoung playwright accused of stealing jewellery

Harlequin’s Lane

Mr SatterthwaiteRecurring character – a genreal observer of life
Harley QuinRecurring character – mysterious figure who assists Mr Satterthwaite
John DenhamMiddleaged man who invites Mr Satterthwait to stay
Anna DenhamRussian wife of John, she was a refugee in the revolution
Molly StanwellYoung girl also staying with the Denhams
Kharsanova Ballerina murdered by the Bolsheviks early on in the Russian revolution
Prince Sergius Oranoff Another Russian man who arrives at the Denham’s house

Poirot Short Stories

If you enjoy Agatha Christie's Mr Quin short stories why not read the Poirot short stroy collections (although I'm sure many of you will already have done so!)