Postern of Fate (Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries, #5) in Reading the Detectives

Feb 19, 2017 BrokenTune rated it it was ok

Shelves: reviewed

Postern of Fate was Dame Agatha's last book. And knowing this, made reading the book rather sad. Not only because it is the last book she wrote but also because she seemed to have written it in a way to emphasize that this truly was Tommy and Tuppence Beresford's last hurrah.

So, we have Tommy and Tuppence in their seventies, moving into a new home in the country, and being reminded by their acquaintances of the great adventures they used to get into. As they start to get settled in their new ho ...more

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Jan 26, 2016 Kavita rated it did not like it

Shelves: mystery, uk

I had good memories of this book when I read it years ago. I wonder now what I liked. Must have been just Tommy & Tuppence and the village setting. At any rate, this is not a good book. There is no way I can twist this novel to claim it is a good, or even coherent, book.

Tommy & Tuppence are now grown old and have retired to a village and purchased an old house. In the process of redoing the place, Tuppence comes across a book in which the book owner had inscribed a code. She deciphers it and re I had good memories of this book when I read it years ago. I wonder now what I liked. Must have been just Tommy & Tuppence and the village setting. At any rate, this is not a good book. There is no way I can twist this novel to claim it is a good, or even coherent, book.

Tommy & Tuppence are now grown old and have retired to a village and purchased an old house. In the process of redoing the place, Tuppence comes across a book in which the book owner had inscribed a code. She deciphers it and realises that a mystery is awaiting: 'Mary Jordan did not die naturally'. So far, this is thrilling stuff, right? But this is about it. After this, the book simply degenerates into mindless, incoherent rambling so much so as you have absolutely no clue what people are even talking about.

Long conversations with prominent financiers and politicians about 'something' happening 'somewhere' and they knew 'someone'. We, the reader, are plunged into a morass of words that means nothing at all. Who is someone? Where is this action taking place? What is this something that happened? Was it First World War or Second World War? I couldn't even make that out! I have a feeling Christie wanted this to be a big spy thriller but she was supremely vague about everything. Just random phrases here and there about 'Common Market', 'Hitler Youth', 'Fascists', 'Mussolini', 'Communists' and so on and none of it made any sense whatsoever.

In the end, there is a murderer but I have no clue what the murder was about. Why is this random person going around trying to murder people and the higher echelons of the British society hyperventilating about it? This is about as vague as it gets. The murderer character too appears out of nowhere at the time they are revealed as the murderer. We never get to see them before. It's just frustrating.

I did enjoy the Tuppence scenes a bit because she is fun, but it led nowhere in the end. Unless you are a T&T fan and enjoy the more personal aspects of their relationship, give this book a miss. ...more

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Feb 11, 2017 Damaskcat rated it really liked it

I am not so keen on Christie's Tommy and Tuppence novels and short stories but this one caught my attention and I did enjoy it though not perhaps as much as a novel featuring Poirot or Miss Marple. Tommy and Tuppence have moved house and have taken on a run down mansion which needs some loving care. They are hoping for a peaceful retirement after their spy hunting working lives.

But their hope for peace dies a quick death when Tuppence discovers an ingenious message in a book consisting of underl ...more

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Jul 23, 2021 ShanDizzy rated it really liked it · review of another edition

I'm giving this four stars because I love Tommy and Tuppence and was happy to see how they've gotten on. I've read several negative reviews about this last story of one of the best fiction writers. However, I enjoyed it because it reminded me of spending an evening with my kindly, elderly aunt and listening to her tell a story. Yes. Auntie's tale becomes convulted as she gets side tracked with "Oh, that reminds me of So-and-So's uncle who..." And yes. You must prod her to get back on track. But ...more

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Jul 30, 2020 Sarah G rated it it was ok

A very subpar Agatha Christie. I love her books and style of writing as a rule but this was a disappointing read. The premise of the story was great but the mystery plot alternated between the vague and the screamingly obvious. Christie wrote this in her dotage and it shows. The domestic Tommy and Tuppence bits were lovely though.

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Aug 22, 2022 Sandy rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: mystery-classic, rread-2022, 2025-11, audio-downloaded, audio-tbr

While it was fun to be back with Tommy and Tuppence, and to unravel this mystery with them, the plot has elements of Christie's thrillers so not a favorite of mine. Unlike Christie's other detectives, T & T have aged in real time. I checked the publishing dates, and they really are in their seventies. Glad to have finished the (short) series. ...more

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