Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories by Agatha Christie. Short summary

5 seconds

Mrs. Chester is horrified that her son is engaged to a «vulgar woman.» She asks Parker Pine to break up the marriage. Pine, however, does things his own way.

1 minute

A short story in the Parker Pine series. Detective Parker Pine is vacationing in Majorca, where he observes other vacationers with interest. One of the tourists, Mrs. Chester, is unhappy that her son Basil is engaged to a woman of free manners who wears jeans, drinks and swears. She turns to Parker for help.

Pine meets Basil and his fiancée Betty. The young people like the detective and he wants to help them. From London comes Pine’s assistant, the fatal beauty Madeleine de Sara.

The fiery Spanish Dolores (as Madeleine introduced herself at the hotel) immediately captivated the impressionable Basil. The young man ran after her like a dog. But Mrs. Chester suddenly fell in love with Betty, who compared to the eccentric Spaniard looked like a humble gray mouse. And when Betty decided to break off the engagement, the old lady began to persuade her not to leave her son.

Eventually Dolores «dumped» the annoying Basil and the young man returned to his bride. Now Mrs. Chester was happy to have such a daughter-in-law.