From the Bookshelf of Reading the Detectives…

Why Didn't They Ask Evans

Agatha Christie

Start date: January 1, 2021

Finish date: January 31, 2021

Discussion: Group Challenges

Why we're reading this: First title in our new Assorted Christies challenge for 2021
[close] First title in our new Assorted Christies challenge for 2021

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Group Challenges

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) by Agatha Christie
By Susan · 14 posts · 16 views

last updated Sep 02, 2025 12:08AM

* Sept 25: The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - SPOILER Thread
By Susan · 4 posts · 12 views

last updated Sep 01, 2025 04:16PM

What Members Thought

Jan 03, 2021 Judy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: assorted-christies-challenge

For anyone who has been reading Christie novels featuring Poirot or Miss Marple, this early novel is very different. It features two very amateur detectives, vicar's son Bobby Jones and his childhood friend Lady Frances "Frankie" Derwent, a young heiress.

At first, the death which Bobby discovers during a round of golf seems like a straightforward accident. A man fell over the cliff in the sea mist - or did he? One or two things just don't add up, especially when someone tries to poison Bobby. He ...more

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Jan 01, 2021 Susan in NC rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars - fun, new-to-me Christie read for January with the Reading the Detectives group. This year, we are doing the non-Poirot and Marple mysteries, which I look forward to because I never read, or don’t remember, many of them.

I enjoyed this, listening to the audiobook mostly, narrated by Emilia Fox. She did a very good job, evoking the 1930s “Bright Young Thing” vibe of Lady Frances (an earl’s daughter, she goes by Frankie), and the stalwart, former naval officer Bobby Jones (the vicar’s fo 3.5 stars - fun, new-to-me Christie read for January with the Reading the Detectives group. This year, we are doing the non-Poirot and Marple mysteries, which I look forward to because I never read, or don’t remember, many of them.

I enjoyed this, listening to the audiobook mostly, narrated by Emilia Fox. She did a very good job, evoking the 1930s “Bright Young Thing” vibe of Lady Frances (an earl’s daughter, she goes by Frankie), and the stalwart, former naval officer Bobby Jones (the vicar’s fourth son, bounced out of the navy for vision problems, rattling about the Welsh village he grew up in, trying to figure out what to do next). Frankie and Bobby grew up playing together and are pals, but Bobby has become increasingly aware of the wealth and superior social position enjoyed by Frankie. Unfortunately, while listening to the “rathers” and “I says” of their first conversations around a suspicious death, and how they clearly see investigating it as a great adventure, I remembered the phrase “jolly hockey sticks” used by one of our British moderators, and I couldn’t get it out of my head!

Anyway, the plot is typical Christie, well-paced, red herrings, a good twist at the end - since this was an earlier effort, published in 1934 I think, some of the twists may not be totally effective to those Christie fans who’ve read a lot of her work, but still fun. Bobby is golfing at the opening, the evening mist is coming in from the ocean, and he hears a shout nearby, from the direction of the cliff edge. Sure enough, he and his fellow golfer, the local doctor, find a man has fallen over in the mist - he’s unconscious and the doctor says, upon examination, that he will not recover, is almost dead. He goes for help, leaving Bobby standing guard; the victim does open his eyes briefly, asks the mystifying question of the title, “Why didn’t they ask Evans?”, and dies. Upon covering his face and checking pockets for i.d., Bobby finds a photo of a beautiful woman. Bobby then realizes he’s going to be late to play organ for his father’s evening service, but a man suddenly calls down, asking if all is well. Bobby explains about the accident, says help is coming, tells the stranger his dilemma - stranger offers to wait for returning doctor, Bobby goes off to play organ, later reporting all to his father. He also runs into the bored Frankie, thrilled something has happened in their village - some unexplainable events convince the two this was no accident, and they are off playing detective.

No spoilers, and things move along at a fun clip, there are good, bad and questionable characters, as expected, but a number of times I cringed a bit at the “jolly hockey sticks” tone, and couldn’t believe they plunged in, blindly, to what seemed potential traps. I missed Poirot and Marple’s knowledge of human nature and evil - these two were babes in the woods! But, I’m glad I read it to add to my knowledge of Christie’s canon - she’s still probably my favorite mystery writer, for her sure hand and entertainment value, even if I suspect her tricks, I wasn’t exactly sure where she was heading! So, a satisfying, fun period mystery. ...more

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Aug 30, 2018 Becky rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2018reviews, 2018goodrule-old

First sentence: Bobby Jones teed up his ball, gave a short preliminary waggle, took the club back slowly, then brought it down and through with the rapidity of lightning.

Premise/plot: Bobby Jones, the vicar's son, is playing a round of golf with a friend when they discover a dying man. Did he fall to his death quite by accident, or was he pushed off the cliff? His death is ruled an accident, but Bobby and his friend, Lady Frances (aka Frankie) disagree. Primarily they disagree because soon after ...more

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Jun 16, 2017 Nanosynergy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mysteries-thrillers-espionage, british, fiction, 2017read, reviewed, fiction-1930s

To quote another GR reviewer, 'Only for Agatha Christie Completists' - which would be me. This is a stand-alone Agatha Christie book. While it has some fun and clever moments - and I really wanted to love it because I love Christie's mysteries - it was a slog to finish. Yet I can see from many reviews that others liked it. Perhaps it was just me... ...more

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May 15, 2009 Robin rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery

One of my favorite Christies -- because it's an excellent mystery in its own right, without a special detective (Poirot, Marple or whoever). ...more

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