They Came to Baghdad

Written by Agatha Christie

Narrated by Emilia Fox

In Agatha Christie’s classic crime adventure novel, They Came to Baghdad, a bright, young adventure seeker in the Middle East finds more excitement than she bargained for when a wounded spy expires in her hotel room.

A secret superpower summit is being held in Baghdad, but the word is out, and an underground organization in the Middle East is plotting to sabotage the talks.

Into this explosive situation appears Victoria Jones, a young woman with a yearning for adventure who gets more than she bargains for when a wounded spy dies in her hotel room.

The only man who can save the summit is dead. Can Victoria make sense of his dying words: Lucifer…Basrah…Lefarge. . . .

• Language: English
• Publisher: HarperAudio
• Release date: Jul 3, 2012
• ISBN: 9780062233936

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in over 70 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 20 plays, and six novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Reviews for They Came to Baghdad

[S T · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Agatha Christie did it again! Another great story full of its usual twists n turns.

[clairemays · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my very favorites. This book has it all.

[Gloriana · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is silly with a capital S. But more importantly it’s Fun with a capital F!

The main character Victoria with her lies that are believable and her truths that are not is hilarious. Her attitude towards everything implausible and her unexpected quick thinking is delightful.

Victoria is even better than other kind of similar spirited liars such as “Clarissa” from Spider Web and “Frankie” from Why Didn’t they ask Evans? When her back to the wall, she is ready or she will be somehow, she thinks. Or at least she hopes!

[Erin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My favorite Agatha Christie. So many fun twists & turns.

[Will F · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is not the classic whodunnit that Agatha Christie is famous for. This is as if she was impersonating a pulp fiction adventure author. It is not brilliant story but I am recommending it to those who like a light fluffy read along this lines. I giving it 5/5 because the book is exactly what it is supposed to be. The voice narrator is highly engaging and I looked forward to listening every evening. Good read if and only if you are not looking for a dramatic mystery.

[Gay Galvin · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well read and, it’s Agatha Christie! Actually a story of hers I had never read before.

[N. Brey & M. Brey · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Victoria Jones is an English girl whose Romantic love ideals bring her to Baghdad where she is in search of the man she loves. There she becomes entwined into an international spy drama. The witty and fast thinking girl is now in her element. It is a joy to encounter all the different personalities, who are actors in the plot. A lot of them are archeologists, whose field of work is clearly one Agatha Christie had perfect expertise in through her 2nd husband. The oriental backdrop is seen through the eyes of the Europeans. Nevertheless it comes convincingly to life. A ‘surprise’ turn of events makes Viktoria the amateur spy superstar at the conclusion of the novel. Emilia Fox is perfect as the narrator of the story.

[Mariam Shah-Rais · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very entertaining spy and international conspiracy story set in Baghdad and revolving around the central character of an imaginative, resourceful young woman by Agatha Christie. Although I guessed some of the development and the villains, I still thoroughly enjoyed it. Emilia Fox does a great job narrating.

[Susan · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Good adventure story with a plucky, likeable heroine and some evil enemies to foil.

[Bob Lau · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Very entertaining and charming. Will put a smile on your face and make you laugh.

[MLJS-piano · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What a fantastic unknown gem! I thought I'd read them all! The plot is deliciously intricate and tangled, and the historical context enlightening- and, any modern reader would feel right at home with this rite-of-passage and self-discovery tale for the central strong young female character. As always, dear Agatha's writing is a delight, and the narrator does a spiffing splendid job. Highly recommended.

[therebelprince · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

The death of a spy in her hotel room launches a young tourist on a whirlwind adventure.

"They Came to Baghdad" has always felt like an airport novel to me: passable, but characterised solely by stereotypes, and never really reaching any kind of plot intensity, at least not any that doesn’t feel manufactured. This novel is a vivacious little romp in the vein of Christie’s early thrillers, where Dame Agatha was allowing herself to experiment a little now that she’d reached a secure point in her career. Things move along steadily, and at least you can sense Christie’s enthusiasm – it’s not just workmanlike.

But, like all her thrillers, it borders on the preposterous, and I doubt anyone in the world has ever put this down and thought, “Wow. Glad I read that.” Copies of this book probably litter bargain basements and attic bookshelves everywhere.

[hanneri_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Victoria Jones is a somewhat impulsive but sharp minded young woman. After meeting mysterious young man she decides to follow him to his new work-place, distant Baghdad. At the same time, world leaders are planning a secret meeting in Baghdad and a shady world organization is planning to stop the meeting and sow discord among polarized states (after all we are talking 1950's here). Of course, Victoria Jones ends up in the middle of this cloak-and-dagger war.To be honest, I never expected Agatha Christie to write a spy novel, let alone James Bond-like novel but with this one she proved that she can write whatever she likes. Story drags a little bit from time to time, but again I take this as a mark of the time novel was written. Nevertheless, the book has a very interesting story and heroine.

[Alicia Fortney · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent narration by Emilia Fox. She captured Victoria Jones perfectly!

[Thomas Rosenthal · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I much prefer the Christie’s without the 2 detectives. This standalone is great.

[Maggie Norris · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It has been decades since I read Agatha. Not that I haven’t tried. The formulaic plots put me off; but the casual xenophobia made me put down many of her books unfinished over the years. They came to Baghdad has a somewhat novel plot and one somewhat original character and the racism is what you would expect for 1951.

[atomic1964 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Outstanding standalone Christie, a fantastic spy-thriller, completely old school. Emilia Fox performs it beautifully.

[vivienner_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the only Christie book that I haven't read before because I always thought I'd prefer the whodunnits over espionage. That still holds, but this was a lot of fun. Victoria Jones is a wonderful character, a reckless romantic who has a taste for excitement. Add an archaeological dig into the mix, complete with an absent-minded archaeologist with the obligatory double-barrelled name and you have a perfect example of a Christie adventure story.

[philipjmac · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After having read many Agatha Christie mysteries, I had held off reading some of her espionage and spy thrillers. I picked it up because of a bookclub, and I’m glad I gave it a try. It’s certainly a departure from her usual mysteries, but it has a delightful heroine at the center of the tale by the name of Victoria Jones. She’s a bit reckless, flighty, and romantic, but with all her flaws, the reader is still throughly engaged throughout to see if she’ll survive this adventure she put herself in. A fun and thrilling little adventure that I enjoyed.

[figgles_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun post-war Christie, where the slightly ridiculous plot is given weight by he author's knowledge of Iraq and its people (her second husband was British archaeologist Max Mallowan and she accompanied him on archaeological digs in the Middle East). There's also an undercurrent of seriousness - epitomised by the misquotation - it's better to serve in heaven than reign in hell. Enjoy the adventures of the little cockney liar Victoria Jones as she gets mixed up in espionage whilst looking for love!

[murderbydeath · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a surprise.  I'm certainly a long way from having read the entire Christie canon, but I've read enough to expect a certain...atmosphere in her books.  They Came to Baghdad certainly defied those expectations.  Exuberant is the only word that comes to mind. Unfortunately the plot is ludicrous.  For the first 13 chapters, Christie was on fire, creating rich characters and setting.  The breaking of the fourth wall in Chapter two, when Christie's narrator uses the collective present (Victoria was like most of us, ...), has left me wondering if there isn't a touch of the autobiographical in Victoria.  I can imagine Victoria's first impressions of Baghdad being Christie's and I could well believe her final thoughts on relationships are pulled from Christie's first hand knowledge.  It isn't until the plot is revealed that it all goes sideways.  It's all just a bit too Austen Powers. Still, if you can overlook it (and it becomes harder to do so in the second half of the book, to be honest), it's a highly entertaining book; practically a romp.  I enjoyed it overall, and it was worth the wobbly plot to see Christie's lighter side. (This was a buddy read for Summer of Spies.)

[smik_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Originally published in 1951, THEY CAME TO BAGHDAD reflects popular concerns of the time about whether another World War was brewing. He said grumblingly, ‘All right, all right…Get back as soon as you can. I’ve never seen the market so jumpy. All this damned Communism. War may break out at any moment. It’s the only solution, I sometimes think. The whole country’s riddled with it – riddled with it. And now the President’s determined to go to this fool conference at Baghdad. It’s a put-up job in my opinion. They’re out to get him. Baghdad! Of all the outlandish places!’ ‘Oh I’m sure he’ll be very well guarded,’ Miss Scheele said soothingly. ‘They got the Shah of Persia last year, didn’t they? They got Bernadotte in Palestine. It’s madness – that’s what it is – madness. ‘But then,’ added Mr Morganthal heavily, ‘all the world is mad.’ While the main protagonists appear to be the USA and Communist Russia, those engineering the war are quite a different group again: ‘I know everybody says there’s going to be another war sooner or later,’ said Victoria. ‘Exactly,’ said Mr Dakin. ‘Why does everybody say so, Victoria?’ She frowned. ‘Why, because Russia – the Communists – America –’ she stopped. ‘You see,’ said Dakin. ‘Those aren’t your own opinions or words. They’re picked up from newspapers and casual talk, and the wireless. There are two divergent points of view dominating different parts of the world, that is true enough. And they are represented loosely in the public mind as “Russia and the Communists” and “America”. Now the only hope for the future, Victoria, lies in peace, in production, in constructive activities and not destructive ones. Therefore everything depends on those who hold those two divergent viewpoints, either agreeing to differ and each contenting themselves with their respective spheres of activity, or else finding a mutual basis for agreement, or at least toleration. Instead of that, the opposite is happening, a wedge is being driven in the whole time to force two mutually suspicious groups farther and farther apart. Certain things led one or two people to believe that this activity comes from a third party or group working under cover and so far absolutely unsuspected by the world at large. Whenever there is a chance of agreement being reached or any sign of dispersal of suspicion, some incident occurs to plunge one side back in distrust, or the other side into definite hysterical fear. The central character/heroine Victoria Jones, who turns out to be a superb detective, never appears in another Christie novel. In tone and theme this novel is reminiscent of those that featured Tommy and Tuppence. It also reflects a theme that appears elsewhere, the idea of an evil force that is controlling world events.As Wikipedia says "The book was inspired by Christie's own trips to Baghdad with her second husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan, and is also one of few Christie novels belonging to the action and spy drama genres.."It is very clear that much of the description of the journey to Baghdad and what happens on an archaeological dig comes from Christie's own experience. In this e-version of THEY CAME TO BAGHDAD we also have a segment from Christie's Autobiography, begun in 1950 when she was in Iraq.I don't think this is one of Christie's best . The tone is probably closer to the novels of the 20s and 30s, and there was a little too much melodrama and romance in it for my taste. But it reminds us how anxious people must have been in 1950. 1949 China became Communist and Russia demonstrated an Atomic Bomb 1950 the Korean war began, Senator McCarthy begins the Communist Witchhunt in the USA and President Truman orders the construction of the hydrogen bomb

[bookconcierge · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Adapted from the book jacket: Baghdad is holding a secret superpower summit, but the word is out, and an underground organization in the Middle East is plotting to sabotage the talks. Into this explosive situation appears Victoria Jones, a young woman with a yearning for love and adventure who gets more than she bargains for when she follows a young man to that city. My reactionsI love Dame Christie’s works, and am especially fond of the series starring Hercule Poirot. This is one of her better stand-alone novels. There are lots of characters to sort out, and much intrigue (no surprise, given the basic premise). Victoria is plucky, thinks quickly, given to prevarication, and quite resourceful in a pinch. I love that she seizes opportunity; recently let go from her job she meets the charming Edward and decides to follow her heart (and her man) to Baghdad. Among the people she encounters are a professor of archeology, a junior embassy official, an ebullient hotel owner, a taciturn older man, a jealous office worker, a seasoned spy, and, of course, her young man. Along the way she experiences something of the culture and customs of the Iraqi people, stumbles into the major espionage ring at the core of the novel and learns more than a little about herself. I identified the culprit fairly early, but it was fun to watch it unfold and to watch Victoria talk her way out of more than one tight spot with her quick wit and talent for spinning a plausible story.

[paradiseporch · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Convoluted. Not Christie's best.

[cbl_tn · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Shorthand typist Victoria Jones fines herself suddenly out of a job. She meets a young man in a London park and they take a fancy to each other. Edward is returning to his secretarial job in Baghdad. Now that she's at loose ends, Victoria determines to join him there. She manages to get a temporary job as companion to a female traveler on her way to Baghdad, and surely a shorthand typist – even a not very good one – can find some sort of job there. One thing leads to another and, before she knows it, she's mixed up in international intrigue. Is anyone who he or she seems to be? She'll have to rely on her wits and her ability to lie convincingly to stay out of the clutches of the conspirators, whoever they are.Although Christie is better known for her mystery novels, several of her adventure novels are among my favorites. I've now added this one to that list. This book strikes just the right balance between suspense and humor. Although I guessed a few of the book's secrets, Christie still managed to surprise me. This would have been a 5-star read if not for the fact that the conspiracy Victoria was enlisted to thwart was never actually explained!”The delusion that by force you can impose the Millennium on the human race is one of the most dangerous delusions in existence. Those who are out only to line their own pockets can do little harm—mere greed defeats its own ends. But the belief in a superstratum of human beings—in Supermen to rule the rest of the decadent world—that, Victoria, is the most evil of all beliefs. For when you say, 'I am not as other men'—you have lost the two most valuable qualities we have ever tried to attain: humility and brotherhood.”

[auntie0nanuuq · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this piece of Christie's, it was a nice step-away from M. Poirot, Miss Marple, & Tommy/Tuppence....

A young woman is fired from her secretarial job for being sloppy & uncaring... While in the park lamenting the loss of income she happens upon a young man whom she falls head-over-heels for. Unfortunately he is leaving to Baghdad to work on a charity project of sorts.... Luckily she stumbles upon an advertisement for a "companion" to an older woman w/ a broken arm who is about to travel to Baghdad.

Meanwhile in the government: an "agent" goes missing, men bearing a resemblance to the agent are being found murdered, another agent is being sought after only to have disappeared... and Baghdad becomes a very dangerous place for the young woman, as she lands smack dab in the middle of the danger....

I liked the story, I liked the characters, many (but not all) of the clues were there and a few Red Herrings as well....... Who is to be trusted? Who isn't to be trusted? And what do a dying man's last words mean?

[pennykaplan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read this again after many years. Enjoyed the writing and the period setting, although today it reads almost like a young adult book

[lahochstetler · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I found this book to be different from Christie's usual fare. There's no murder mystery here. Rather, this book is about suspense and espionage. Former secretary Victoria Jones meets a man in the park and falls in love. When she discovers that he is moving to Baghdad, she decides to follow him. Victoria arrives in Baghdad on the cusp of an important meeting of world leaders to be held in the city, and the entire area is on high alert. Quickly it becomes obvious that it is not exactly safe for Victoria in Baghdad.I will admit that I tend to prefer Christie's murder mystery books to those like this, on espionage. This isn't a bad book, it's just not necessarily as good as the murder mysteries. I felt like I didn't know the characters in this book, and that I couldn't get my head around the diplomacy. I did manage to figure out who the bad guy was, which was gratifying, and it was interesting to read about Baghdad at a very different time.

[bnielsen_30 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

London, New York, Bagdad, ca 1950.En britisk agent, Henry Carmichael, er på vej til Bagdad med beviser på en fantastisk historie. Han har allerede fortalt historien til sin foresatte Hr. Dakin, men uden beviser er det bare en historie.Fjenden forsøger på alle måder at stoppe ham, fx ved at myrde alle der ligner ham!I London er Victoria Jones netop med rette blevet fyret fra sit job, så hun har ingen skrubler med at følge i hælene på en mand Edward Goring, som hun har mødt kortvarigt i en park og som er på vej til Bagdad. Victoria bliver rodet ind i plottet, som indbefatter den velfinansierede plan om at omstyrte den gældende verdensorden.I Bagdad forsøger Carmichael at komme ind på konsulatet, men han bliver forsøgt myrdet i det øjeblik han giver sig til kende. En fjern bekendt. Richard Blake. redder ham.Imens har Victoria bluffet sig vej til Bagdad, men hun har problemer med at finde et lønnet job og ditto med at finde Edward, som arbejder for en organisation, Oliegrenen, der forsøger at skabe fred i verden.Carmichael dukker op, men bliver dødeligt såret af et dolkestød fra en, han stoler på. Han udånder i Victorias værelse efter at have fremstønnet tre ord Lucifer, Basrah, Lefarge. Sir Rupert Crofton Lee er ligesom Dakin indviet i Carmichaels mission, men han forsvinder og dukker op som lig i Nilen dagen efter.Victoria bliver også kidnappet, men undslipper efter at hendes hår er blevet farvet platinblondt. Hun opdager at Lefarge er en fejlhøring af Defarge fra Dickens, hvor en Madame Defarge har strikket navne ind i et strikketøj. Tilsvarende er der et budskab gemt i et tørklæde, som Carmichael nåede at give Victoria inden han døde. Lucifer er en hentydning til Edward, der viser sig at være en af bagmændene i det skumle plot. Victoria afslører det og alt ender godt, for hun bliver sendt i armene på Richard Blake.Underholdende og stærkt usandsynlig historie.

[bookmarque · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An enjoyable read and a competent, if somewhat stylized spy thriller. I found Victoria’s character to be distinctive and I liked reading about how she was jerked from one situation to another. Unfortunately by dint of time, the rest of the book is pretty familiar. To anyone who has read other spy novels, the guilty party will be obvious. Despite that I liked the book. The characters are deliciously Christie; daft archaeologist, gossipy matron, spiteful female rival, crusty soldier, smarmy hotelier, red-herring villain, trustworthy spymaster – they’re none too original, but a lot of fun. The setting was interesting because now we’ve got such a different situation over there in Iran, Iraq and Kuwait and it was engaging to mull over the changes.