Reading the Detectives discussion

Welcome to our buddy read of The Secret Adversary This is the first in the Tommy and Tuppence series, first published in 1922. There are five books in the series:

1. The Secret Adversary (1922)
2. Partners in Crime (1929)
3. N or M? (1941)
4. By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968)
5. Postern of Fate (1973)

The length of time between books make this a very interesting proposition for a buddy series.

Anyway, in this first book two desperate youngsters, short of money and restless for excitement, place an advertisement saying they are willing to do anything and to travel anywhere, but their first assignment for a sinister client plunges them into more danger than they could have imagined.

Please feel free to post spoilers in this thread.

Not my favorite Christie as there is too much international intrigue with foreign agents seeking mysterious papers that could destroy the free world. However it is a good introduction to our adventurous duo.

I quite enjoyed this one-I agree with Sandy that I'm less interested in the spy thrillers than the murder mysteries, but do like Tommy and Tuppence and the setup of the couple. I understand young Alfred/Albert (can't remember the name) who works in Mrs Vandermeyer's building will be a recurring character so that's fun.

Hard to believe that Jane Finn kept up the lost memory act for 5 years! I also suspected Julius from the start so that was a typical Christie twist that he was fine and Peel Edgerton was the real villain.

Frances wrote: "I quite enjoyed this one-I agree with Sandy that I'm less interested in the spy thrillers than the murder mysteries, but do like Tommy and Tuppence and the setup of the couple. I understand young A..."

Yes, I fell for the Julius as bad guy the first time, this time it seemed more obvious that Peel Edgerton was sketchy…

Yes, Jane was quite determined, I must say - five years!

I have reached the point where Tuppence admits to herself that she is in love with Tommy after Julius proposes. and the mysterious young French woman is helping Tommy to escape!

I am finished this now. It has reminded me how I much prefer Christie's traditional mysteries to her more, romp/farce-like, adventure stories. The next one is a collection of stories, so I think I might skip that one.

I'm so glad the evil kidnappers didn't take Tommy's money away from him so that immediately following his escape he is able to have a turkish bath!

I couldn't believe how well I remembered this - I found I remembered most of the plot, which is unusual for me. Then I realised that I'd read it twice before, not once as I thought, and had also seen the TV adaptation with David Walliams and Jessica Raine, so it wasn't that surprising!

I'm finally finished, and would agree that T&T are good characters and I like Mr. Carter's description of of the couple.

"he's an ordinary clean-limbed, rather block-headed young Englishman. Slow in his mental processes. On the other hand, it's quiet impossible to lead him astray through his imagination. He hasn't got any - so he's difficult to deceive."

"The little lady's quiet different. more intuition and less common sense. They make a pretty pair working together."

but on the whole I prefer her mysteries to this spy novel. The romance was sweet, however. I mean the Tommy/Tuppence one, since the Julius/Jane one came out of nowhere.

What did anyone think of Julius? I felt the way he talks is very stereotyped, but he has a warmth and generosity of spirit which makes him quite likeable. Hard to believe that anybody could be as rich as he is, though!

Judy wrote: "What did anyone think of Julius? I felt the way he talks is very stereotyped, but he has a warmth and generosity of spirit which makes him quite likeable. Hard to believe that anybody could be as r..."

Yes, he felt like a walking, talking stereotype! I suspected him for awhile, even on rereading-I don’t trust my memory, and wasn't sure he wasn’t the Master Criminal! But it was classic Christie misdirection - a little heavy-handed and obvious, but it was an early book. Thank goodness she got better at it.

But yes, he was likeable in the end.

Yes I always cringe a little when many GA author's write Americans-even as a Canadian it just sounds really stereotyped and over the top. I didn't really like him as I suspected him, but on review he does seem like a sweetheart. I also find these marriage proposals in the absence of any romantic engagement or even much of a relationship strange, but that may have been more common at the time. Even Tommy and Tuppence I would have expected a brief courtship between "we're just friends" and "we're getting married"!

LOL he really is a stereotype!

It is odd that Christie wrote him as a stereotype when her own father was American. However, I suspect she knew that most people had their view of American's, at the time, from early cinema, where they were mostly portrayed as gangsters! Christie, I feel, always had her eye on the market and knew what was expected.

Susan wrote: "It is odd that Christie wrote him as a stereotype when her own father was American. However, I suspect she knew that most people had their view of American's, at the time, from early cinema, where ..."

Good point, I guess that’s fair, but I wonder how many of her readers had contact with Americans in WWI and realized they didn’t all sound like Edward G. Robinson? Maybe not as many as would’ve encountered Yanks in WWII with them littering up the place at military bases around England!

I wonder whether Christie and her publishers had any letters on this topic from readers when her books started to be popular in America? I suppose Tommy and Tupperware are a bit stereotyped too with "Old bean" etc, but not as much as Julius! Interesting that Jane doesn't talk in the same way

Tupperware? Thanks auto correct! ;)

PS on my phone so I can't just correct it to Tuppence...

Autocorrect in its most recent iteration is awful - just discussing today with my sisters, we text almost daily and some of the autocorrections are pure nonsense!

that's true, Judy, I hadn't noticed that but Jane doesn't speak anything like Julius. Maybe it's not because he's an American but because he is an American millionaire?

Jackie wrote: "that's true, Judy, I hadn't noticed that but Jane doesn't speak anything like Julius. Maybe it's not because he's an American but because he is an American millionaire?"

Jane was raised out west, wasn’t she? I’d expect Julius was raised in a big eastern city, I forget where, but especially if it was New York or Boston, he’d have a distinctive regional accent.

I enjoyed this, even though I stressed myself out a bit over the main bad guy. I was immediately and intensely convinced it was Edgerton the second he was introduced, but I was also sure that I was wrong and was waiting for his innocence to be revealed. I don't think I have enough faith in my detective skills.

Usually, I'm not as into spy novels, but Christie's are an exception. They're very fun. This is the first book I've read in this series, so I'm not sure if Julius shows up again. I like him as an eccentric that only makes one appearance.

I'm a true Agatha Christie lover but this is the second book I 've read where she doesn't stick to her traditional murder cases but to foreign affairs and agents and she doesn't do that very convincing at all.
I do like the traditional charm but overall this is one of the lesser good that I've read by her
It was the first Tuppence and Tommy book I've finally read and I won't read another very soon.
It was too easy to solve as well. I thought it was Peel Edgerton from the the beginning - he did visit Mrs Vandemeyer - a short while I thought it was Julius but I went back to Peel Edgerton soon again.

I thought it very unbelievable that Jane Finn put on a show for several years and I didn't find the part where Julius threatened the Russian with a gun very credible - what kind of spy or professional crook would react like that?

Well, I will read the rest some day since I want to read all of her crime novels and I'm sure I got the rest of T & T in my shelves but I will certainly read a Miss Marple or Mr Poirot next time.

(The other book I've read by her that dealt with foreign affairs was "They came to Baghdad. It's not a T & T book. I found it a bit better than this one.)

Nike wrote: "I'm a true Agatha Christie lover but this is the second book I 've read where she doesn't stick to her traditional murder cases but to foreign affairs and agents and she doesn't do that very convin..."

I agree that Christie's spy books are nowhere as good as her mysteries. There was one I really disliked but I've forgotten the name. It is not part of a series nor was it Baghdad which I thought was a rather fun romp.

While I have read the other T&T books I can't remember if they are spy ones as well. We will be reading the others so watch the threads to see if they would appeal.

Sandy wrote: "Nike wrote: "I'm a true Agatha Christie lover but this is the second book I 've read where she doesn't stick to her traditional murder cases but to foreign affairs and agents and she doesn't do tha..."

I'll do that! I remember watching a T & T - movie, I can't recall what it was about only that I quite liked it due to it's charm.