Summary of The Man in the Brown

The Man in the Brown Suit is one of Agatha Christie's novels, published in 1924 in the United States. It is one of the detective novels that we have come to enjoy alongside the brilliant author Agatha Christie. This novel takes us into a world of excitement and suspense.

The story revolves around the daughter of a famous archaeologist, Anne, who decides to move to London to live with Mr. Fleming and his wife. There, she finds events surrounding the mysterious murder of a man at the train station, with the story beginning in a tragic accident under the train wheels. At that moment, doubts arise about the cause of his death, as it was said that the doctor who examined him on the spot and told everyone he had died was not a doctor at all. This was evident from the way he performed the examination, in addition to a piece of paper falling from the deceased's pocket, which bore the address 22 17.1 Kilmordon Castle, which he apparently wanted to visit to inspect one of the houses. Immediately after the death, it was announced that the woman in that house, Mrs. Mill B. Marlow, had been murdered. The third reason given for the suspicion that the death was not natural was the look the deceased cast before passing away, along with the fact that the doctor did not request an investigation. These strange events make the novel exciting and enjoyable.

Anne feels anxious about the events, which seem similar or related to each other, so she goes to the police to tell them about some of what she saw at the train station. However, everyone tells her that what happened was just an accident. But she wants to search for the truth by herself and begins her journey to find 22 17.1 Kilmordon Castle, which she discovers is not an address but a number and the name of a ship! That ship is heading to South Africa.

The adventure continues in The Man in the Brown Suit as Anne meets a woman claiming to be Susan Bligh, a strong and cheerful woman, as well as Colonel Race, who is a friend of Susan's, and some other people like Eustace Pedlar, who we discover is the owner of Mill B. Marlow's house, which was murdered. However, surprisingly, he denies everything related to the incident and explains that he was not there but was traveling in southern France, as well as his private secretary who was in Italy.

We find that Anne occasionally looks at that mysterious paper, which she considers to be the thread that will lead her to the safe truth. She begins to interpret some of the numbers on it and guesses that the man was supposed to meet someone in room number 17, prompting her to search for it on the ship and she wants to enter or obtain it throughout the journey. However, what happens is truly strange, as both Sir Pedlar's secretary, Gaddy Padgett, and Reverend Chichester desperately want to stay in that room.

In the end, Anne does get the room, but she feels anxious about those insisting on obtaining it. Anne faces many dangers, as a strange man visits her in the room at night, showing signs of injury, then leaves without saying a word and without her knowing who he is. She also faces an attempted murder, but that same man intervenes to save her, and here she starts to recognize his features. He is the same man in the brown suit who appeared at the train station, looking like a doctor.

Anne continues her journey in The Man in the Brown Suit to South Africa, and during the trip, she learns a lot, such as Padgett not being in Italy as she was told, and that he was the one who tried to kill her in room 17. There in Africa, she faces another murder attempt and also kidnapping, as it becomes clear that gang leaders are everywhere around her.

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