''Surprise! Surprise! A Collection of Mystery Stories with Unexpected Endings'' is a collection of twelve
short stories
A short story is a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting and focuses on a self-contained incident or series of linked incidents, with the intent of evoking a single effect or mood. The short story is one of the oldest t ...
written by
Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, (; 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictiona ...
published by
Dodd, Mead and Company
Dodd, Mead and Company was one of the pioneer publishing houses of the United States, based in New York City. Under several names, the firm operated from 1839 until 1990.
History Origins
In 1839, Moses Woodruff Dodd (1813–1899) and John S. Ta ...
in 1965.S. Rowland (2001), From Agatha Christie to Ruth Rendell: British Women Writers in Detective and Crime Fiction (Page 184) All of the stories in the collection have appeared in other short story collections. An updated version released in 1982 by
Dell Publishing
Dell Publishing Company, Inc. is an American publisher of books, magazines and comic books, that was founded in 1921 by George T. Delacorte Jr. with $10,000 (approx. $145,000 in 2021), two employees and one magazine title, ''I Confess'', and ...
included thirteen short stories with the addition of "The Plymouth Express", from ''The Under Dog and Other Stories''.
Story list
* "Double Sin" – From ''
Double Sin and Other Stories
''Double Sin and Other Stories'' is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1961 and retailed for $3.50. The collection contains eight short stories and was not published in ...
''
* "The Arcadian Deer" – From ''
The Labours of Hercules
''The Labours of Hercules'' is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1947 and in the UK by Collins Crime Club in September of the same year.Chris Peers, Ralph Spurrier an ...
''
* "The Adventure of Johnnie Waverly" - From ''
Three Blind Mice and Other Stories
''Three Blind Mice and Other Stories'' is a collection of short stories written by Agatha Christie, first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1950. The first edition retailed at $2.50.
Stories from the collection later appeared in ...
''
* "Where There’s A Will" – From ''
The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories
''The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories'' is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1948. The first edition retailed at $2.50. The story "The Second Gong" feat ...
''
* "Greenshaw’s Folly" – From ''Double Sin and Other Stories''
* "The Case of the Perfect Maid" – From ''Three Blind Mice and Other Stories''
* "At the Bells and Motley" – From ''
The Mysterious Mr Quin
''The Mysterious Mr Quin'' is a short story collection by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in the UK by William Collins & Sons on 14 April 1930 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year.Mr. Parker Pyne, Detective''
* "The Third Floor Flat" – From ''Three Blind Mice and Other Stories''
* "The Mystery of the Spanish Shawl" – From ''The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories''
* "The Cornish Mystery" – From '' The Under Dog and Other Stories''
* "The Witness for the Prosecution" – From ''The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories''