In Agatha Christie's book The Listerdale Mystery, in the story Mr Eastwood's adventure, there is the following paragraph:
He knew only too well that the kind of story that the editor in question did not want that kind of story - beautiful though it might be. The kind of story he wanted, and insisted on having (and incidentally paid handsomely for getting), was all about mysterious dark women, stabbed to the heart, a young hero unjustly suspected, and the sudden unraveling of the mystery and fixing of the guilt on the least likely person, by the means of wholly inadequate clues; in fact, 'THE MYSTERY OF THE SECOND CUCUMBER'.
'Although', reflected Anthony, "ten to one, he'll alter the title and call it something rotten, like "Murder Most Foul" without so much as asking me!'
Emphasis mine.
Anthony is an author and is trying to write a story called THE MYSTERY OF THE SECOND CUCUMBER.
I wondered if this excerpt is possibly a dig by Agatha Christie at her editor? I know that there was a movie based loosely on one of her books called Murder Most Foul...
My question is if there is any evidence that this excerpt is 'pointed' at anyone, i.e. more than just a bit of atmosphere for the story?