James Parker Pyne is a retired government employee who considers himself to be a "detective of the heart." Advertising his services in the "Personal" column of The Times, he works alongside his secretary Miss Lemon, novelist Ariadne Oliver, handsome "lounge lizard" Claude Luttrell and disguise artist Madeleine de Sara.

The first six stories deal with Pyne solving cases in England, while the second six stories detail Pyne's vacation, where he hopes not to have to detective work only to end up helping others anyway.

Contents

1 The Case of the Middle-aged Wife

2 The Case of the Discontented Soldier

3 The Case of the Distressed Lady

4 The Case of the Discontented Husband

5 The Case of the City Clerk

6 The Case of the Rich Woman

7 Have You Got Everything You Want?

8 The Gate of Baghdad

9 The House at Shiraz

10 The Pearl of Price

11 Death on the Nile [unrelated to Hercule Poirot novel of same name]

12 The Oracle at Delphi