A Pocket Full of Rye
by Agatha Christie is available to buy here.
SYNoPSIS
When successful business man Rex Fortescue is killed in his 'counting house' and grain is found in his pocket - it is only Miss Marple who sees that, when his wife is also poisoned with her afternoon tea 'eating bread and honey' - that there is a very clear rhyme and reason to the killings...
MARPLE
The 6th Novel by Agatha Christie to feature Miss Jane Marple.The next novel in the Marple series is '4.50 from Paddington'.
when to read
This is a great novel to read at any time of the year - perhaps whilst enjoying some bread and honey?
murder mystery
Classic country house murder mystery with a high body count to keep you entertained from cover to cover.
england
Another country house murder mystery to enjoy.
Publishing info
This novel was published in 1953, the previous Marple novel was 'They Do It With Mirrors' the year before.
overall rating
On Screen
Watching Agatha Christie
A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie was filmed as part of the ITV feature length episodes and is Season 4 episode 1 starring Julia Mckenzie as Miss Marple. A Joan Hickson version was also filmed in 1985 and in 1983 Ita Evar played Marple in a Russian film adaptation.
A Pocket Full of Rye Character List
| Adele Fortescue | Rex’s wife |
| Albert Evans | Gladys’ boyfriend |
| Aunt Effie | Rex Fortescue’s sister-in-law |
| Detective Constable Waite | Policeman working on the case |
| Donald MacKenzie | Son of Mr and Mrs MacKenzie who died in the war |
| Dr Crosbie | Head doctor at the Pinewood Private Sanatorium where Helen MacKenzie is a resident |
| Dr Edwin Sandeman | Rex Fortescue’s doctor |
| Dr Isaacs | A doctor from Bethnal Green who attends Rex Fortescue with his doctor Edwin, when Rex falls ill |
| Elaine Fortescue | Youngest daughter of Rex in love with Gerald Wright |
| Ellen Curtis | Housemaid at Yewtree Lodge |
| Elvira Fortescue | Rex’s first wife, mother of Lance, Percival and Elaine |
| Fred | Fishmonger at St Mary Mead |
| Gerald Wright | School master in love with Elaine |
| Gladys Martin | Parlour-maid at Yewtree Lodge and former maid to Miss Marple |
| Helen MacKenzie | Mr MacKenzi’s widowed wife living at the Pinewood sanatorium |
| Inspector Neele | Investigating officer |
| Jennifer Fortescue | Percival’s wife |
| Kitty | Miss Marple’s current maid in this novel |
| Lancelot Fortescue | Rex’s son who is recently returned from Kenya |
| Lord Frederick Anstice | Deceased second husband of Pat who committed suicide |
| Marion Bates | Acquaintance of Miss Marple – daughter of a wealthy iron monger |
| Mary Dove | Housekeeper at Yewtree Lodge, employed by Rex Rortescue |
| Miss Bell | Typist at Rex Fortescue firm, Consolidated Investments Trust. |
| Miss Chase | Typist at Rex Fortescue firm, Consolidated Investments Trust. |
| Miss Griffith | Head typist at the offices of Rex Fortescue. |
| Miss Irene Grosvenor | Personal secretary to Rex Fortescue |
| Miss Ramsbottom | Rex’s sister-in-law |
| Miss Somers | Newest secretary in the office of Rex Fortescue |
| Mr Ansell | Solicitor from ‘Ansell & Worrall’ who wrote up Adele’s will |
| Mr Bates | Man who married Marion Bates initially for her money |
| Mr Billingsley | Solicitor for the Fortescue family from the London firm ‘Billingsley, Horsethorpe & Walters’ |
| Mr Crump | Butler at Yewtree Lodge |
| Mr Emmett | The bank manager at St Mary Mead |
| Mr MacKenzie | Originally discovered the Black Bird Mine, left for dead by Rex Fortescue |
| Mrs Crump | Cook at Yewtree Lodge |
| Mrs Emmett | Wife of the bank manager at St Mary Mead who didn’t feel she fit in with her husbands social standing |
| Mrs Hardcastle | Personal secretary to Percival Fortescue |
| Mrs Latimer | Resident o St Mary Mead who ran the girl guides |
| Mrs Sparrow | A lady Miss Marple knew who’s son married the nurse who tended to him while he has pneumonia |
| Mrs Trefusis James | Lady to which Jennifer Fortescue worked as a nurse |
| Pat Fortescue | Lancelot’s wife travelling with him, he is her third husband |
| Percival Fortescue | Rex Fortescue’s eldest son, married to Jennifer |
| Professor Bernsdorff | Doctor at St Jude’s hospital who confirms Rex’s cause of death |
| Rex Fortescue | Wealthy businessman and victim, owner of Yewtree Lodge |
| Ruby MacKenzie | Daughter of Mr and Mrs MacKenzie |
| Sergeant Hay | Policeman on the case |
| Vivian Dubois | Golf instructor |
SPOILERS BELOW!
Rex Fortescue
Gladys Martin
Adele Fortescue
Lancelot Fortescue
Lancelot discovered that the Black Bird Mine was actually very valuable and wants to inherit it. He dupes Gladys into administering the poison to Rex acting as her boyfriend and calling himself Alfred by telling her the poison is a truth serum. He then kills her to keep her quiet and Adele to ensure the he receives his inheritance.
Rex is Poisoned with Taxine
Adele is poisoned with cyanide
Gladys is strangled
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