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108th out of 128 books
—
31 voters
The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence #1)
Tuppence Beresford takes a job posing as an American-but she and Tommy will have to play detective when her fake identity results in a real threat to her life.
Paperback, 242 pages
Published
January 1st 2001
by Signet
(first published 1922)
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Mar 31, 2012
James
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
i-own-a-copy,
crime,
3-stars,
read-in-2012,
read-in-teenties,
london,
ebook,
reviewed,
freebie
Agatha Christie meets Enid Blyton's Famous Five for a ripping adventure yarn. Or something like that anyway. Nothing like Poirot or Marple, Tommy and Tuppence are young, almost childlike in their approach. It's exactly like you'd imagine the Famous Five would treat the case - lots of excitable running about, not a lot of appropriate respect for the fact that they are in serious danger for most of the novel...
Tommy and Tuppence, the two detectives are demobbed after the war and find themselves wi...more
Tommy and Tuppence, the two detectives are demobbed after the war and find themselves wi...more
Sep 07, 2012
Bettie
marked it as to-read
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Bettie by:
Brazilliant and AM-Hayes-Zing
Shelves:
gutenberg-project,
mystery-thriller
http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/1155Dedication:
TO ALL THOSE WHO LEAD
MONOTONOUS LIVES
IN THE HOPE THAT THEY MAY EXPERIENCE
AT SECOND HAND
THE DELIGHTS AND DANGERS OF
ADVENTURE
Opening: IT was 2 p.m. on the afternoon of May 7, 1915. The Lusitania had been struck by two torpedoes in succession and was sinking rapidly, while the boats were being launched with all possible speed. The women and children were being lined up awaiting their turn. Some still clung desperately to husbands and fathers; othe...more
(A similar version of this review can be found at http://storybound.blogspot.com/2012/0...)
This was a fun book with likeable characters and a fast-moving plot. In the story, Tommy and Tuppence, old friends, run into each other after not having seen each other in a few years. They hang out for a bit and find out they are both poor and unemployed. So, naturally, they decide to be adventurers. They discuss how they will go about it and decide to place an ad in the paper.
"Now listen how's this? 'Tw...more
This was a fun book with likeable characters and a fast-moving plot. In the story, Tommy and Tuppence, old friends, run into each other after not having seen each other in a few years. They hang out for a bit and find out they are both poor and unemployed. So, naturally, they decide to be adventurers. They discuss how they will go about it and decide to place an ad in the paper.
"Now listen how's this? 'Tw...more
This was the inaugural selection of my newly formed book club, which consists of various female members of my family scattered all across the country. We chose this book for a number of reasons.
•It was a free download from GoodReads, which made it readily available to everyone.
•It was a short read of only 190 pages, so everyone should have time to read it.
•It was written by a well known and very popular author.
•It was highly rated by the GoodReads community, with an average rating of 3.80.
W...more
1 like · like · see review
Being the first Agatha Christie novel that I've read in eons I must say that I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. All in all it wasn't that mysterious per say but enjoyable nonetheless.
Tommy Beresford and Prudence Cowley called Tuppence, childhood friends who happen upon each other after the war (thats WWI) are both looking for jobs and start brainstorming some ideas finally deciding to put an advertisement in the paper saying they're willing to do 'anything' but with terms and conditions of course....more
Tommy Beresford and Prudence Cowley called Tuppence, childhood friends who happen upon each other after the war (thats WWI) are both looking for jobs and start brainstorming some ideas finally deciding to put an advertisement in the paper saying they're willing to do 'anything' but with terms and conditions of course....more
2 likes · like · see review
Dreadful. The mystery itself is far from mysterious—I had it figured out very early on—but the tone in which it is written is what really sinks this book. The unions and “common people” distrust the government only because they are manipulated into it by criminals, the government itself is filled with kind and upstanding men, and the criminals are cowards who enjoy writing grand declarations of their dastardly ways. Pah!
The only saving grace to the book is the pair of Tuppence and Tommy, althoug...more
The only saving grace to the book is the pair of Tuppence and Tommy, althoug...more
4 likes · like · see review
A short and entertaining read-- entertaining as much for its mystery as for the laughable sensationalism of its topic. Very timely for 1922-- all about bolsheviks and revolutions and Labour Party members and secret treaties, with a hero and heroine full of jolly upper-class Britishness and levity, if not imagination, in tough spots. Very characteristic of an era.
The mystery, though constructed out of sensationalistic and dated elements, has an excellent form. We are told quite frankly in the fir...more
The mystery, though constructed out of sensationalistic and dated elements, has an excellent form. We are told quite frankly in the fir...more
This story introduces the characters Tommy and Tuppence to the literary world. It is the intrigue of missing documents, an unidentifiable Mr. Brown, and the ignorance of youth that they cannot fail, all woven together into a tale deftly spun.
Tommy and Tuppence, friends of some time, meet up after the war (WWI). Looking for work, they decide upon adventuring, and adventure they obtain. A missing girl, Jane Finn, becomes the catalyst to their journey of near-death experiences, spies, secret factio...more
Tommy and Tuppence, friends of some time, meet up after the war (WWI). Looking for work, they decide upon adventuring, and adventure they obtain. A missing girl, Jane Finn, becomes the catalyst to their journey of near-death experiences, spies, secret factio...more
Have I gushed before in any of my reviews about how much I love the TV show 'Murder, She Wrote'? I feel like I had to have already gone on about how happy it makes me, however remedial and rudimentary most of the plots might seem. We should all know by now that there are many pleasures in a book aside from the plot- otherwise reading a succinct review would sate most of our appetites. So it isn't really about the story, with MSW, but the players involved, and the interactions between.
So it is w...more
So it is w...more
3 likes · like · see review
I've always been more of a fan of Christie's detective-less stories with average people thrown into crazy situations, fighting to solve the mystery around them before it eats them up. Though this book stars Tommy and Tuppence, who later went on to become recurring detective characters of hers—though hardly ever Poriot or Marple status. This is their first appearance: two naïve 20-somethings who have no clue what is happening and are merely looking for a way to make a quick buck. It has much of t...more
3 likes · like · see review
Alright, I read the version of this in Five Classic Murder Mysteries, but I'll go and deal with that later. Anywho, on to the review.
I give this Christie story a 3/5 because while I really enjoined it, in the end I feel there were a few loose ends. I feel that a few things just didn't come together. However, I still liked the thrill if the story. I really like Tuppence and Tommy, I feel they have a lot of potential. Christie paints a lively picture of a smart, witty, downright sassy young lady o...more
I give this Christie story a 3/5 because while I really enjoined it, in the end I feel there were a few loose ends. I feel that a few things just didn't come together. However, I still liked the thrill if the story. I really like Tuppence and Tommy, I feel they have a lot of potential. Christie paints a lively picture of a smart, witty, downright sassy young lady o...more
This is a Tommy and Tuppence book. Evidently it is the first in the series of stories. And as always, when Agatha Christie writes, I enjoy.
The book starts after WWI when Tommy and Tuppence have both been returned to civilian life. He was in the military and she was a nurse. They are broke and are trying to figure out a way to make money.
From there, the improbable crops up and they are sucked into a plot that will bring down the British government. The book was written at a time when the British...more
The book starts after WWI when Tommy and Tuppence have both been returned to civilian life. He was in the military and she was a nurse. They are broke and are trying to figure out a way to make money.
From there, the improbable crops up and they are sucked into a plot that will bring down the British government. The book was written at a time when the British...more
This was a great book. A mystery with enough suspense to keep you wondering if you'd figured it out but not so many twists and suspects to be contrived and exhausting.
A young pair of friends bump into each other one afternoon and agree to have some tea and catch up. While chatting they bemoan their prospects (the war is over and both find themselves unemployed and broke). They decide on the spot to form a company of sorts called the Young Adventurers and plan to put an ad in the newspaper offeri...more
A young pair of friends bump into each other one afternoon and agree to have some tea and catch up. While chatting they bemoan their prospects (the war is over and both find themselves unemployed and broke). They decide on the spot to form a company of sorts called the Young Adventurers and plan to put an ad in the newspaper offeri...more
So, I'm rediscovering my love for Agatha Christie...mainly because the library near my house doesn't have much of a selection of books on tape. I ADORED Agatha Christie when I was in middle school, and it's fun to re-experience my complete inability to figure out who the bad guy is - even if I already read the book before. Also, I've realized that Agatha Christie probably was a key player in my interest in human nature and psychology. Until I read her books more recently, I didn't realize all of...more
I am a big Agatha Christie fan, but I normally stick to the more well-known Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple mysteries. I am so glad I decided to branch out, because Tommy and Tuppence were a delight! This book was so much fun to read that I had trouble putting it down.
In the story (I promise not to include any spoilers!!) Tommy and Tuppence are old friends who bump into each other again. Having a spot of tea together and catching up, they share their money woes and decide--just for fun!--to embar...more
In the story (I promise not to include any spoilers!!) Tommy and Tuppence are old friends who bump into each other again. Having a spot of tea together and catching up, they share their money woes and decide--just for fun!--to embar...more
So this isn't the actual book I read - I'm really reading a collection of 5 Christie books, but this is the best way to get credit for all the books. If I can count 15 volumes of a Manga one book, I can count a collection of novels, five books. The book I'm reading is Agatha Christie: Five Complete Murder Mysteries - and I'll use it as the last book.
For many years I was laboring under the impression that Agatha Christie was a romance novelist. A modern-day romance novelist. I'm not sure how the...more
For many years I was laboring under the impression that Agatha Christie was a romance novelist. A modern-day romance novelist. I'm not sure how the...more
Another excellent one by Agatha Christie, evidently this is only her second attempt. You can sense the rawness in the way she crafted this story, with some light banter, too many coincidences, a couple of love birds etc. But at the end the mystery is superbly brought up and the premature climax and the associated twist is brought up nicely upon the unsuspecting reader.(view spoiler)...more
This novel features our two bright young English heroes, Tommy and Tuppence, the latter being female. The plot is cleverly constructed and totally implausible. There is a fair bit of colloquial language in the direct speech, most of which seems dated today but may have been fine at the time. One of the main characters is American, and Christie also attempts to bring that out in the direct speech.
Tommy and Tuppence are in love with each other, but for reasons which escape me seem incapable of ad...more
Tommy and Tuppence are in love with each other, but for reasons which escape me seem incapable of ad...more
May 29, 2011
Kathleen Hagen
added it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
2011-audio-books,
2011-mysteries
The Secret Adversary, by Agatha Christie, b-plus, narrated by Nadia May, produced by Blackstone Audio, downloaded from audible.com.
A man leaving the rescue ship of those who survived the Lusitania, has secret papers which must get to government people in England. He asks a girl, a perfect stranger, to carry them for him saying he will meet up with her later and if she doesn’t hear from him, she must deliver the papers in his stead. The girl, named Jane Finn, disappears and is still being sought...more
A man leaving the rescue ship of those who survived the Lusitania, has secret papers which must get to government people in England. He asks a girl, a perfect stranger, to carry them for him saying he will meet up with her later and if she doesn’t hear from him, she must deliver the papers in his stead. The girl, named Jane Finn, disappears and is still being sought...more
May 28, 2011
Lisa (Harmonybites)
rated it
1 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
No One
I am an Agatha Christie fan--honest I am. I can number as favorites And Then There Were None, Murder on the Orient Express, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Death Comes at the End all of which I'd rate at five stars. Even books I don't count as favorites I usually consider a fun read worth the time, but I just couldn't find the plot of this one credible enough to stick it out.
This is the first "Tommy and Tuppence" adventure. Christie didn't write as many mysteries with them as Hercule Poirot or...more
This is the first "Tommy and Tuppence" adventure. Christie didn't write as many mysteries with them as Hercule Poirot or...more
Tommy and Tuppence differ from Poirot and Marple (Christie's better-known detectives) in several crucial ways. They age at the same rate of their publications, with later novels set when they have been married for years and their grown children have left them. Their youth compared with the aforementioned detectives, as well as Tommy's war experiences and job, allow them to have more exciting and dangerous adventures than either Poirot or Marple.
This first adventure is definitely full of adventur...more
This first adventure is definitely full of adventur...more
This was the second novel Christie wrote, after her unexpected success with The Mysterious Affair at Styles. In the forward to this book, she said she thought she would try a spy novel instead of a detective story.
The novel is set in 1920 – five years after the sinking of the Lusitania, and after the end of The Great War (WW I). Unemployment is high and many young people who had served in some capacity during the war are descending on London to try to find work. Among them are Thomas Beresford...more
The novel is set in 1920 – five years after the sinking of the Lusitania, and after the end of The Great War (WW I). Unemployment is high and many young people who had served in some capacity during the war are descending on London to try to find work. Among them are Thomas Beresford...more
Mr. Brown est le deuxième roman écrit par Christie. En toute honnêteté, ça se ressent un peu au niveau de l’intrigue. Il y est question d’espionnage, de complots internationaux (mais cela reste toujours un peu flou et assez caricatural) et ce n’est pas là que je préfère Agatha Christie. En outre, les suspects sont si peu nombreux qu’il est très difficile de passer à côté (en général, même si je trouve le coupable, Christie embrouille tant les pistes que je ne suis jamais sûre tant les motivation...more
Jan 26, 2011
Books-treasureortrash
rated it
3 of 5 stars
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
reviewed
Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
This is a story about two young adults who get involved in a mystery involving the elusive Mr. Brown. There are several murders and several people are kidnapped. There is also a threat to the great state of England. It is up to the young adventures to solve the problem. Along the way they meet several characters, both good and bad. The language used is very different from today because the story takes place and was written just after the first world war, but I found...more
This is a story about two young adults who get involved in a mystery involving the elusive Mr. Brown. There are several murders and several people are kidnapped. There is also a threat to the great state of England. It is up to the young adventures to solve the problem. Along the way they meet several characters, both good and bad. The language used is very different from today because the story takes place and was written just after the first world war, but I found...more
Tommy and Tuppence are two high-spirited and intelligent friends out of work after WWI. The two laughingly seek adventure but accidentally stumble on to a real mystery involving a sensitive, possibly war-triggering document, and a ring of conspirators headed by the cunning but faceless leader.
When I started reading "Secret Adversary", I thought I was reading Agatha Christie on speed. First I thought that it was reading on my phone and having to turn the pages frequently that was producing the il...more
When I started reading "Secret Adversary", I thought I was reading Agatha Christie on speed. First I thought that it was reading on my phone and having to turn the pages frequently that was producing the il...more
I imagine that this book would have disappeared from memory had it not been the second Agatha Christie. It would probably have been categorized as a romp, or the equivalent term in the early 1920s, when first published. The story is completely unbelievable and yet it finely captures a moment in time. The men and women who went off to the First World War have returned home, changed, to an England that has also changed. The book captures the dislocation of life at the time and the nervous feeling...more
All’s well that ends well, and everything ends well and everyone is happy when this novel concludes—rather sweetly. In this Agatha Christie novel, we are introduced to two young people, Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Crowley, the “Young Adventurers,” as they call themselves, who in an attempt to make some money, put an ad in the newspaper and become involved in espionage. The story begins in post-WW-I England with the sinking of the Lusitania and the disappearance of Jane Finn and with her a packe...more
How cute is this book?? It immerses the reader thoroughly in 1920's England, with Tommy and Tuppence calling everyone (including each other) "old bean" and so forth. It's a departure from the classic mystery of its predecessor, The Mysterious Affair at Styles--although there is certainly a mystery with a twist worth of Agatha, there is also a heaping helping of adventure and romance. The romance is delightful--Tommy and Tuppence are irresistable. The adventure is a little much for me: all the wi...more
THE SECRET ADVERSARY was Agatha Christie's second book, and the first to feature friends Tommy and Tuppence. Young, smart, and experienced beyond their years, they are a formidable pair. World War I is over, but suspiciousness persists. Russian ideology is in it's infancy in the early nineteen-twenties, with the aim of world-wide influence beginning with labor movements in America and England.
It is to this threat that treaties are made, documents are signed, and spying proliferates. Figuring sig...more
It is to this threat that treaties are made, documents are signed, and spying proliferates. Figuring sig...more
This was Agatha Christie’s second book and introduces the characters of Tommy and Tuppence, the romantic duo who feature in some of Christie’s later detective fictions. In this one, set in 1919 right after the end of WWI, Tuppence has returned from serving as a nurse during the war and Tommy is recently “demobbed” (demobilized) from military service. They are at loose ends and unsure as to how to go about making a living. They decide to form a detective agency and are quickly hired by the myster...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeking more of the same--Intricate but not-so-dark mysteries | 10 | 68 | Mar 06, 2013 11:27am |
Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880...more
More about Agatha Christie...
Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, England, U.K., as the youngest of three. The Millers had two other children: Margaret Frary Miller (1879–1950), called Madge, who was eleven years Agatha's senior, and Louis Montant Miller (1880...more
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“Never tell all you know—not even to the person you know best.”
—
141 people liked it
“To all those who lead monotonous lives in the hope that they may experience at second hand the delights and dangers of adventure.
[author's dedication]”
—
42 people liked it
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[author's dedication]”
Nov 15, 2012 08:41am