Hello crime readers and food lovers! Today on Dining with the Dame I am looking at the food found in the fourth novel by Dame Agatha Christie, The Man in The Brown Suit, published in 1924. Like The Murder on the Links there was not much mention of food – at one point I seriously thought that this post might have to be on “dry toast and ginger-ale” which is mentioned as a meal taken by the very seasick heroine. Happily for me, later in the book she buys not one, but two, coffee ice cream sodas to soothe her jagged nerves following one of her adventures.
The Man in the Brown Suit – The Plot
Our heroine, Anne Beddingfield leads a quiet life but is ever so ready for adventures. After the death of her father she decides she wants to live in London and heads there for a job interview. On the way home, Anne sees a man fall onto the live rail at the station and die. Anne picks up a note dropped by the doctor who pronounced the man dead which reads “17.1 22 Kilmorden Castle”.
The man is identified as LB Carton and in his pocket was a viewing document for The Mill House, owned by Sir Eustace Peddler MD. The very next day a strangled woman is found dead in the same house. The eponymous “man in the brown suit” who was seen entering the property shortly after the dead woman is named a suspect.
Anne realises that Killmorden Castle is the name of a ship, sailing to South Africa. She uses the last of her money to buy a ticket.
Hijinks ensue!
The Man in The Brown Suit contains:
- Travel to South Africa
- Shifty secretaries
- Suspicious clergymen
- Stolen diamonds
- Romance
- Kidnapping
- Murder attempts
- And of course, the mysterious man in the brown suit
The Man in the Brown Suit is also funnier than any of the previous novels. There are quite a few witty lines, mostly to do with Guy Pagett, the shifty secretary mentioned above.
“Guy Pagett is my secretary, a zealous, painstaking, hardworking fellow, admirable in every respect. I know no one who annoys me more” says Sir Eustace. He also describes Pagett as having “the face of a fourteenth-century poisoner”.
The Covers
A lot of the covers for The Man in The Brown Suit either depict the scene on the train platform or else the ship, The Killmorden Castle.
I have chosen my two favourites here.
The one on the left has a Frank Abignale, Catch Me if You Can vibe which very much enjoyed. The one on the right takes the prize for bonkers with a depiction of a long blonde wig and a bloodied razor.
The Recipe – Coffee Ice Cream Sodas
“I walked into Cartwright’s and ordered two coffee ice-cream sodas – to steady my nerves. A man, I suppose would have had a stiff peg but girls derive a lot of comfort from ice cream sodas”
The Man in the Brown Suit, Agatha Christie
Coffee Ice Cream Soda – Dining with The Dame 4
So good you might want two! And for the daring, it also has a “stiff peg” in it’
- Yield: 1 1x
Ingredients
- ¼ cup hot coffee
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1–2 tablespoons coffee liqueur or rum (optional)
- Club Soda to fill your glass
- 2–3 scoops coffee ice cream
- Finely grated chocolate (optional)
- Maraschino cherry (optional)
Instructions
- Stir the sugar into the hot coffee.
- Chill until ready to serve.
- When ready to serve, add the coffee liqueur / rum.
- Pour into your serving glass.
- Add the ice cream.
- Top with club soda.
- Garnish with grated chocolate and a maraschino cherry.
Notes
Alternate or additional garnishes might include chocolate sauce or whipped cream.
Other Food Mentioned in The Man in The Brown Suit
- Dry toast and Ginger ale
- Chicken Broth
- Curry
A Personal Note
I identified with Anne Beddingfield quite a bit, particularly at the start of the book where she is girl from the ‘burbs, longing for both adventure and romance. Cue me at 14…15…16…17….
The plot about the stolen diamonds also made me remember a story I wrote when I was…maybe 10? I had just learned that the nickname for diamonds is “ice” and immediately wrote a story about a band of diamond thieves who hid their stolen wares in a large pitcher when the police came calling.
They would have got away with their nefarious ways except for an eagle-eyed girl detective (Trixie Belden? Nancy Drew? No, ME!) who noticed that on this very hot day, the “ice” in the pitcher was not melting as it should be.
Thieves caught, diamonds restored to their rightful owner. All well with the world!
I hope all is well with your world! Have a great week.
