Parker Pyne
| Parker Pyne | |
|---|---|
| First appearance | Parker Pyne Investigates |
| Created by | Agatha Christie |
| Portrayed by | Richard Griffiths |
| Information | |
| Occupation | "heart specialist" |
| Nationality | British |
Parker Pyne is a detective who appears in Agatha Christie's anthology Parker Pyne Investigates, and the short stories "Problem at Pollensa Bay" and "The Regatta Mystery". His quote and sales pitch is always "Are you happy? If not consult Mr Parker Pyne, 17 Richmond Street." Most don't notice this ad, some chuckle, and read on. And just a few make their way to Mr Parker Pyne's modest office and meet the world's most unusual, baffling and intriguing detective.
Christie presents Parker Pyne as having a solid if bland physical presence, one which is characteristically English and somehow vaguely comforting to those around him, though they themselves could not articulate exactly how or why. The character is first described in "The Case of the Middle-aged Wife" as follows:
Somehow or other, the mere sight of Mr. Parker Pyne brought a feeling of reassurance. He was large but not to say fat; he had a bald head of noble proportions, strong glasses, and little twinkling eyes.
In the short stories of Parker Pyne Investigates (1934), Christie repeatedly gives the detective's full name as James Parker Pyne, although in his newspaper advertisements he strictly uses his middle name (rather than his first) for all business purposes.
Confusion over his first name possibly being "Christopher" stems from a later story, "Problem at Pollensa Bay" (1935), wherein Pyne uses the pseudonym as a ruse to obfuscate his identity from fellow British travellers so that he would not be disturbed while on holiday. After multiple failed attempts to enjoy a peaceful vacation unfettered by work, Pyne settles in comfortably at Majorca but, almost immediately, is dismayed to encounter another distressed Englishwoman who may recognise his celebrated name from the newspapers. He had already signed in as "C. Parker Pyne" in the hotel register but, hoping to conceal his profession from this woman, he returns to the book and scribbles over the entry to change it to "Christopher" instead.
Although use of the full name Christopher is plainly intended here as a calligraphic cover-up, it is unclear whether Pyne's earlier notation of "C" (instead of "J" for James) was likewise a flimsy effort at disguise, or whether this was merely an oversight in continuity on Christie's part. Alternately possible, the name change could have been a deliberate alteration by the author, though in that case the reason for it is unexplained.
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