A POCKET FULL OF RYE

'''A Pocket Full of Rye''' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on November 9 1953 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. It features her detective Miss Marple.

Contents

Explanation of the novel's title

Plot Summary

Characters in ''A Pocket Full of Rye''

Setting

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

External links

Explanation of the novel's title

Like many of Christie's novels, the title and substantial parts of the plot reference a nursery rhyme, in this case ''Sing a Song of Sixpence''.

Plot Summary

When wealthy Rex Fortescue dies while having tea, the police are baffled. Mr. Fortescue died during his morning tea in the office and the diagnosis was that a poison, taxine - a poison found as an alkaloid in berries of the yew tree, had killed him. His wife was the main suspect in the murder, until she also was murdered, after she as well drank the tea. Her lover, Mr. Dubois, was the suspect next. Just about everyone that knew the family was a suspect. Going on the only clue, a pocket full of rye found on the victim, Miss Marple begins investigating. Marple realized the murders are arranged according to the pattern of her childhood nursery rhyme 'Sing a Song of Sixpence'. Murder though, is anything but child's play. She worked together with Inspector Neele. Even though they had completely different thought patterns about what had happened.

Characters in ''A Pocket Full of Rye''

★ 'Rex Fortescue' - Businessman who is the first to die. He is in his second marriage and has two sons and a daughter. His business is an investment firm.

★ 'Adele Fortescue' - Second wife of Rex Fortescue which has had no children with him. She is the second to die. She also had a boyfriend named Vivian Dubois.

★ 'Percival Fortescue' (a.k.a. Percy, Val) - One of Rex's three children. He was the "favorite" child and his mother, Rex's first wife, died when he was 12 years old. He also was co-owner of Rex's business.

★ 'Jennifer Fortescue' - Percival's wife.

★ 'Lancelot Fortescue' - Also one of Rex's three children. Just like Percival, his mother died when he was 12 years old. He was not like by Rex and lived in Africa for seven years before Rex finally made him a business deal. He flew into London just two days before Rex died for the deal to be finalized but it never was.

★ 'Pat Fortescue' - Lancelot's wife.

★ 'Elaine Fortescue' - The last of Rex's three children. She is the only one that showed sorrow for Rex's death.

★ 'Gerald Wright' - Elaine's boyfriend. Rex opposed their engagement and threatened to disinherit Elaine which caused Gerald to suddenly depart.

★ 'Miss Ramsbottom' (a.k.a. Aunt Eiffe) - Rex's sister-in-law from his first marriage. She is in her eighties.

★ 'Mary Dove' - Head maid in the Fortescue household.

★ 'Gladys Martin' - Maid in the Fortescue household. She is the third to die.

★ 'Ellen' - Another of the Fortescue's maids.

★ 'Mr. Crump' - Fortescue family butler.

★ 'Mrs. Crump' - Fortescue family cook/maid. She is also Mr. Crump's wife.

★ 'Vivian Edward Dubois' - Adele's boyfriend whom she is having an affair with.

★ 'Inspector Neele' - Inspector assigned to the murder of Rex Fortescue

★ 'Miss Marple' - Amateur detective assisting Inspector Neele.

★ 'Miss Grosvenor' - Rex's Secretary

★ 'Miss Sommers' - One of Rex's workers. She is very dimwitted.

★ 'Miss Griffith' - One of Rex's workers. She is a perfectionist.

★ 'Mr. Ansell' - Solicitor that dealt with Adele's will.

Setting

★ 'The Office' - Rex Fortescue's businessplace. Characters working here include Rex Fortescue, Miss Grosvenor, Miss Sommers, and Miss Griffith.

★ 'Yewtree Lodge' (Main Setting) - Home of the Fortescues. Residing here are Adele Fortescue, Rex Fortescue, Elise Fortescue, Miss Ramsbottom, Mary Dove, Gladys, Mr. and Mrs. Crump, and temporarily Miss Marple by invitation of Miss Ramsbottom.

★ 'Golf Hotel' - The hotel where some of the book's characters stay. This includes Vivian Dubois, Pat Fortescue, and Gerald Wright.

Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Adapted into a Russian film in 1983 (using the Russian edition's translated title, ''The Secret of the Blackbirds'') with an Estonian actress Ita Ever as Miss Marple and then by BBC on March 7, 1985 with Joan Hickson in the lead.

External links

★ Book's Webpage on Publisher's Site