The Case of the City Clerk - a Parker Pyne Short Story

Parker Pyne #3

by Agatha Christie

Mr. Roberts has had no adventure in his life. He's a 48 year old clerk at a well known firm in London and married with two children, but it's been dull. Parker Pyne sums up his unhappiness, and his desire in one sentence, "You want to live gloriously for ten minutes." Mr. Pyne arranges for the mild-mannered clerk with a passion for suspense novels to do some real-life spy work. But fact can sometimes be stranger than fiction.

Librarian's note: this entry relates to the short story, The Case of the City Clerk. Collections and the other stories by the author are located elsewhere on Goodreads. The Parker Pyne series includes 14 short stories. Entries for the stories can be found by searching GR for: "a Parker Pyne Short Story."

Librarian's note #2: the story was published in the print anthologies, Parker Pyne Investigates and Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective but it first appeared in Cosmopolitan and in Strand Magazine in 1932.

Librarian's note #3: this is #5 of the 14 stories.

Genres: Agatha Christie, Short Stories, Mystery, Audiobook, Crime, Mystery Thriller, 20th Century

21 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 1, 1932

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mr. Roberts, a wholesome family man with a good (but predictable) life, is looking for an adventure while his wife and children are on holiday.
Just one!
And he's in luck because Mr. Bonnington, an old associate of Pyne's, has just contacted him with a problem. A nefarious ring of spies is after secret documents and might have infiltrated his agency. Bonnington needs someone he can trust to deliver them to Geneva, and Parker thinks this dull little clerk will do nicely.



Pyne dresses it up with a bit of added pizazz and sparkle to make sure he gives the client his money's worth, and Mr. Roberts gets to go back to his life with memories that will last a lifetime.
This one had a cute ending that made me smile.

This was read as part of the short story collection Parker Pyne Investigates.

[Jack Heath · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars. These Parker Pyne stories can be confusing. They are fictional as created by Agatha Christie. The characters and the plot are fiction, but some locations and actions are real. The city clerk is Mr. Roberts, Mr. Parker Pyne's client, he's fictional, taking the sleeper train from Boulogne to Geneva. Real train, real cities. Roberts comes to Pyne because he's unhappy with his life. He needs a little excitement. He's a clerk in a large firm. As an aside, the words city clerk in Canada today means the head clerk for a large municipal government - not the meaning here. Pyne decides that a short adventure as a spy will be perfect for Roberts, and arranges with Lucas Bonnington, an actual spy but fictional, for a secret package to be carried to Geneva. Accomplished with little fanfare, Roberts is then asked to take a sleeper to Paris. Things heat up. He meets a glamorous foreigner who uses the right passwords. She is pursued by a Russian named Vassilievitch with murder on his mind. Is this a Pyne fiction within a Christie fiction? Whatever, it's delightful. If you can fathom exactly what fits where, you are better than me! Enjoy. (Jul2021/No2025)

[Meg · Rating 4 out of 5]

A man is bored while his family is on vacation so he visits Mr. Pyne in search of adventure. Mr. Pyne obliges by sending him abroad with secret papers that must be delivered safely. All goes according to plan, which was the idea in choosing an unassuming city clerk to make the delivery, so Mr. Pyne makes his trip home an adventure involving a fake Russian princess and her Crown Jewels, both in need of protection from ruthless thieves. The man performs admirably and is rewarded with a check for his efforts.

[mairiachi · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - the ending is what is expected, but it was still fun to read and even more fun to find out who Madeleine de Sara actually is :P

[itchy · Rating 5 out of 5]

eponymous-ey sentence:
p15: "There was no Englishman on the train except a little clerk...."

Spies are born, not made.

Read as part of the collection Parker Pyne Investigates.

[Joop · Rating 4 out of 5]

PP reeks levert ook mooie verhaaltjes op.

[Kayla Lodge · Rating 3 out of 5]

Edit: I just learned that he’s not actually a detective so that makes more sense now as to why he never solves cases.

I find these short stories odd considering Mr. Parker is supposed to be a detective but yet he never does any detective work. But regardless of that it was still an enjoyable read

[Kristen Bouma · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok

[bella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Parker Pyne has a new client - a Mr Roberts. Mr Roberts life is quite pleasant. He has a loving family, a good job, but he craves adventure. Pyne does his best to create a little adventure in his life, when he entrusts him to deliver a dangerous package.

This short story reminded me a little of The Case of the Discontented Soldier. Pyne clearly has lots of contacts and can easily set the scene to provide Roberts with adventure. It's interesting to see the lengths Pyne goes to, to make his clients happy.

A fun short story.

[Serena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Parker Pyne Investigates

My Rating System:
* couldn't finish, ** wouldn't recommend, *** would recommend, **** would read again, ***** have read again.

[Abeer Albossany · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another no surprise element story. Perhubs I am starting to be TOO accustomed to Parker style now, also I found it a bit repeated. However, there were some excitement at some point.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an utter delight.

[Vin Vineeta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bored clerk with no money wants adventure and danger + people with money want someone to do a risky job = Parker Pyne setting up a spy thriller.

[Rubaiyat Mimi · Rating 2 out of 5]

The plot was vague.

[Akemi G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A male variation of The Case of the Middle-Aged Wife - a Parker Pyne Short Story, mixed with The Case of the Discontented Soldier - a Parker Pyne Short Story. A bit predictable

[Larry · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is absolutely astounding what words can accomplish in the mind. The city clerk approached Parker Pyne, saying he would love to be a courier of something important. At Pyne's request, he went on an adventure only a very few could dream about, plus he made fifty pounds as well. It's always amazing to me how an author can tell a story, a good one in so short a time. I highly recommend this short story.

[James · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderfully nice and sweet story this is. A gentleman’s wife is on holiday, he has a good job, a happy marriage and nice life. All he wants for one brief moment in time is to experience a moment of excitement, a thrill and this is exactly what he got.

[Rolf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another entry of this interesting new series of Christie’s, with Parker Pyne as the scientific student of human nature who creates situations to try to solve his clients’ problems. This is a fun mistaken-identity spy caper that reminded me of “The Man Who Knew Too Little.”

[Bruce · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun read!

[Jina · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was really fun. Enjoyed listening to audio book read by Hugh Fraser.

[Alif · Rating 4 out of 5]

this was adventurous! i liked everything except for the kiss because of his being married!

[Christine Goodnough · Rating 5 out of 5]

Delightful short tale, read in an hour. Realistic, yet partly fantasy, as part of the journey has been staged for Robert, the City clerk, so he can have his adventure. Not such a big mystery, more a fun read, and another interesting display of Mr Parker Pyne's clever and compassionate nature.