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The Secret Adversary (Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries, #1)

Agatha Christie

Start date: July 15, 2024

Finish date: August 6, 2024

Discussion: Buddy reads

Why we're reading this: By member request, the first in the Tommy and Tuppence series.
[close] By member request, the first in the Tommy and Tuppence series.

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Mar 05, 2017 BrokenTune rated it liked it

Shelves: reviewed

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.

This is still one of the most intriguing Agatha Christie opening lines I have read (another can be found in Murder on the Orient Express, but I'll get to that in a different post).

The Secret Adversary is the first adventure of Miss Prudence Cowley and Lieutenant Thomas Beresford, a.k.a. Tommy and Tuppenc 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.

This is still one of the most intriguing Agatha Christie opening lines I have read (another can be found in Murder on the Orient Express, but I'll get to that in a different post).

The Secret Adversary is the first adventure of Miss Prudence Cowley and Lieutenant Thomas Beresford, a.k.a. Tommy and Tuppence.
Tommy and Tuppence have known each other since childhood but lost touch over the years with the exception that they met again in 1916, when Tommy was injured in the war and Tuppence worked as an auxiliary nurse. The story sets in as they meet again for the first time since 1916, now in London in 1920. Both are best described as Bright Young Things of their time, both are broke, and both are looking for way to make some money.

I absolutely love the start of this story, the setting and the dialogue between Tommy and Tuppence. It's fresh, it's witty, it's believable.
Christie shines through in every aspect of Tuppence, and, based on descriptions of her own circumstances in Christie's autobiography, I have a hunch that Tommy was somewhat inspired by Christie's then husband Archie.

When thinking about bright young things, I usually first think of Waugh's Vile Bodies. However, what is striking about The Secret Adversary is that it was published in 1922 - a whole 8 years before Vile Bodies!

This is only Christie's 2nd(!) published novel, and yet we get such fun dialogue as this:

"Rot!" said Tommy hastily. "Well, that's my position. I'm just about desperate."
"So am I! I've hung out as long as I could. I've touted round. I've answered advertisements. I've tried every mortal blessed thing. I've screwed and saved and pinched! But it's no good. I shall have to go home!"
"Don't you want to?"
"Of course I don't want to! What's the good of being sentimental? Father's a dear--I'm awfully fond of him--but you've no idea how I worry him! He has that delightful early Victorian view that short skirts and smoking are immoral. You can imagine what a thorn in the flesh I am to him! He just heaved a sigh of relief when the war took me off. You see, there are seven of us at home. It's awful! All housework and mothers' meetings! I have always been the changeling. I don't want to go back, but--oh, Tommy, what else is there to do?"
Tommy shook his head sadly. There was a silence, and then Tuppence burst out: "Money, money, money! I think about money morning, noon and night! I dare say it's mercenary of me, but there it is!"
"Same here," agreed Tommy with feeling.

While I love Tummy and Tuppence, the plot of the story doesn't quite work for me. It's Christie's first attempt at international espionage, and, if you ask me, she should have left it at that. After the two friends discuss an idea to go into business together, the plot snowballs out of control fuelled by the most unlikely of coincidences, and at some point I got confused again (and this was my third re-read!) about who is who and who is bluffing whom.

Mystery-wise, this is not the greatest of stories. However, I'd recommend it just for the sheer fun of getting to know Christie in her early years, before the necessity to make money from writing leads her to develop that famous formula that runs through most of her best known creations. ...more

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May 30, 2015 Leslie rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: guardian-1000, audiobooks, kindle, thriller-suspense

I found this Nadia May narration much enhanced my enjoyment of this first Tommy and Tuppence book. Also, my admiration for Christie's writing is greater with this reread as she managed to keep me guessing even though I thought I remembered the solution. Her red herrings were so plausible I kept second-guessing myself thinking I had mis-remembered it! ...more

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Apr 08, 2022 Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: audio, re-read, mystery, crrl, library-love-2022, coyer-2022-spring

One of my favorite Christie novels. Review to come.

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Jan 27, 2021 Jill rated it really liked it

Shelves: agatha-christie

Although Christie is one of my favourite authors, I have always liked the Tommy and Tuppence books the least. A rereading of this, which I originally read in my early teens, has born out my feelings. Although the two main characters have been through an active time in the war, they feel to me, that they have never grown up. Christie certainly includes a huge amount of mystery tropes, gangs, kidnapping, loss of memory, and many more. Definitely action-packed for those that like a fast moving read ...more

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Aug 14, 2015 Sandy rated it it was ok

Shelves: mystery-classic, mystery-detective-grp, rread-2021, rread-2024, series-completed, zchristie-challenge-2021, rread-2015

This is at least my third read of this book, a group read the last two times. I gave it two stars the first time and it has not improved with rereading. Christie is not at her best with international intrigue. Luckily T & T go on to more sensible adventures.

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