The Man in the Brown Suit by Agatha Christie

If you are looking for a mystery with a brave young woman who is seeking excitement and adventure, who does not fear dangerous people and situations, and who will find a bit of romance along the way, then this is the book for you. Anne Beddingfeld was the daughter of an absent minded professor whom she took care of. After his death, Anne sought something more interesting in life and she found it in a subway. As she was waiting for the train, a man near her looked past her, got a look of great fear on his face, and, in his panic, stepped back and went down of the electrified third rail. A man at the station said that he was a doctor and after a short examination pronounced the man dead. As he rushed from the station, the doctor dropped a piece of paper with the writing 17 , 122 Kilmorden Castle on it. Anne picked it up and kept it.

At the inquest on the man's death in the Subway, Anne learned that he had a permit to view the Mill House for rental purposes in his pocket. She learned from the newspaper that a woman had been found murdered at the Mill House which was owned by Sir Eustace Pedlar. Anne could not resist getting permission to view the Mill House and learned that a man in a brown suit had also come to view the property that day shortly after the murdered woman entered the house.

Anne also learned that the Kilmorden Castle was not a building, but a ship which was sailing for South Africa. She spent all of her savings on a ticket. On this ship she found many interesting people, one of whom might be the man in the brown suit. Sir Eustace Pedlar was there along with his two secretaries. There was a clergyman, the reverend Edward Chichester who did not seem at all like a man of the cloth. There was Colonel Race, a strong, silent type who was suspected of being in the secret service. On her voyage, Anne becomes more involved in the mystery, is almost murdered, and meets a handsome man.

Anne's pursuit of the man in the brown suit will take her to South Africa and Rhodesia, and she will witness Jan Smuts revolution. More excitement, thrills and crocodiles will come her way before all is solved. This is an enjoyable read although it is more of a thriller than a detective novel.

This was Agatha Christie's 4th novel and it was published in 1924. Agatha and Archie Christie had traveled in South Africa in the year 1922. For more information about this trip, see the website https://lisawallerrogers.com/tag/agatha-christie-in-south-africa/.