tommyandtuppence

February reading wrap. A very slow month.
Rebecca the #booksnake only got 4 new stripes this month after a whopping 10 last month.

Bookzombie I‘m loving Rebecca. Can‘t wait to see how long she is by end of year! 🙂 2d

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mrp27

The Secret Adversary (Diversion Classics) | Agatha Christie

pick

#christiescapers #serieslove2025

This was my first read and introduction to Tommy and Tuppence. I enjoyed the mystery and the two young detectives even though it was a bit contrived and ridiculous but I found it fun and engaging. I would definitely read another book in this series.

Librarybelle, Andrew65, TheSpineView

Librarybelle Yay! So glad you liked it! 5d

Aims42 That was the same copy I borrowed from my library lol I wish it had a prettier cover 😆 4d

mrp27 @Aims42 I fell the same way! 4d

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OutsmartYourShelf

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

so-so

Friends Thomas Beresford (Tommy) & Prudence Cowley (Tuppence) bump into each other in London after the end of WWI. In the aftermath of the war, they are struggling to find work & so they decide to place an advertisement together but before they can do so, they become embroiled in a conspiracy. Important government papers were entrusted to a passenger on the 'Lusitania' (a ship sunk by a German U-boat) who has since disappeared (continued)

OutsmartYourShelf & no-one has heard of her since. Is Jane Finn dead or being held somewhere?

This first book in the 'Tommy & Tuppence' series is a bit of a mad caper. Suspend your disbelief that a couple of inexperienced civilians would be asked to undertake a dangerous mission. Or that a government minister would spill secrets to two people who placed a newspaper ad. 5d

OutsmartYourShelf The plot almost became interesting at a couple of points but I found the two main characters a bit grating. It's OK but I prefer the author's Miss Marple & Poirot books. 2⭐

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7269043224
Read 22nd-23rd Feb 2025

#ReadAway2025 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES
#192025 (1922) @Librarybelle
#SeriesLove2025 @thespineview 5d

Librarybelle I liked this better my third or fourth time reading it than I did the first couple. I think I‘m in a “suspend my belief” mood at the moment! I also prefer her Marple and Poirot stories. 5d

DieAReader 🎉🎉🎉 5d

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Librarybelle

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

It‘s time for our #ChristiesCapers discussion! I have 6 questions as spoilers posted; you can find these on my feed, the book‘s feed, or by searching the group‘s hashtag.

Next month, we read the second Hercule Poirot novel, Murder on the Links. I‘ll post the official image tomorrow! #AgathaChristieClubR3

janeycanuck, Aims42, MallenNC, Soscha, Cuilin, kspenmoll, BarbaraJean, JenlovesJT47, Lizpixie, MariaW, elkeOriginal, AnneCecilie, Gissy, OutsmartYourShelf, mrp27, Larkken, Suet624, Cailey_Mac, Deblovestoread, ferskner, Marmie7, MaleficentBookDragon, majkia, Bookwormjillk, StayCurious, Laughterhp, Sace, RainyDayReading, Skygoddess1, Morr_Books, PathfinderNicole, dabbe, tdrosebud, TheAromaofBooks, Tineke, PageShifter, willaful, AnishaInkspill

Aims42 Putting in my hold at the library 👍 I am loving these discussions!! Thank you again for organizing!! 1w

MallenNC This one was fun! I had read it before and remembered not liking it but decided to read it again anyway. This time I enjoyed it! Thanks for leading us. 😊 1w

Morr_Books Just finished this morning. So close to being on time yet so far away. I'll check out the discussion questions and hopefully will be on rime for the next Christie 6d

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Librarybelle You are welcome, @Aims42 @MallenNC !! 6d

Librarybelle No worries, @Morr_Books ! I think the discussions are great on Litsy, as you can join in whenever you can. No pressure to be on time! 6d

kspenmoll Thanks for the list! now

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Librarybelle

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

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6. Christie served as a nurse during World War I, and we'll see her interest in poisons (we saw that in Styles last month) and medical situations throughout her canon of works. How does she bring in her knowledge of medicine into this novel?

More info on her work as a nurse (and will help this discussion point): https://hekint.org/2025/01/30/agatha-christie-nurse/

#ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Aims42 I thought it was funny how having a few sips of brandy was the cure-all 🤣 Overwhelmed? Have some brandy. Just faced a shock? Have some brandy. Almost died? Have some brandy. 1w

willaful There's a rather interesting book on her use of poisons.

A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie

MallenNC @Aims42 Maybe we all need to try the brandy cure! This year I might need it. 1w

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MallenNC @willaful That sounds like such an interesting book. I‘m putting it on my TBR 1w

Aims42 @MallenNC 😂🤣 Very true!! 👍 1w

willaful @MallenNC might be healthier for me than my usual ice cream cure. :-\ 1w

mrp27 I thought the brandy bit was funny too. I guess if we didn‘t have all the over the counter medicines we have today I would be hitting the brandy bottle too. 5d

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Librarybelle

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

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5. Did you figure out the identity of Mr. Brown before the big reveal? Were you suspicious as to the motives of some of the characters we meet in the book, thinking specifically of Mr. Carter, Julius, and Lord Edgerton? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Bookwormjillk I did not. I thought it was Julius. 1w

OutsmartYourShelf I was suspicious of both Julius & Edgerton, especially after the death of Rita with the clue of the balcony only being accessible from that flat. It had to be one of 3 people there & I knew it wasn't Tuppence. 1w

Deblovestoread Christie did a great job of having me waffle between Julius and James. 1w

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Aims42 I was convinced it was Julius 😆 1w

willaful I read it first so long ago I don't remember. She does some nice misdirection, certainly. 1w

MallenNC I had read this before but forgot how it ended. I was sure it was Julius! 1w

BarbaraJean I did NOT figure it out. I was convinced it was Julius! I was very suspicious of his motives--he was WAY too invested in saving a cousin he'd never met just because he fell in love with her picture. 🙄 1w

ferskner I'd read this before, and I can't remember how I felt the first time, but she always does a good job of hiding clues! 6d

mrp27 I was very suspicious of all of them! I felt they all had the potential, Julius, Edgerton, Mr. Carter. (edited) 5d

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Librarybelle

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

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4. Tommy and Tuppence have separate adventures in this novel, and Tommy especially faces a potentially deadly situation. What are your thoughts on the adventures they face? Why do you think they take the risks they do in order to find Jane Finn? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Deblovestoread In the beginning it was more a lark but as things got serious I think they continued because the knew the other was counting on them to see it through. 1w

OutsmartYourShelf I thought it was a bit contrived that two people with no relevant experience would be employed in an investigation involving state secrets on the basis of placing a newspaper ad asking about Jane Finn. Yes, they could be easily disavowed by the government but still. One of those “accept it for the plot“ situations. 1w

Aims42 Here for the comments because I‘m on the fence. Part of me was like, “ugh, don‘t split up! That‘s how you get killed!!” But then the other part was like, “I am curious how this ends up” 🤔 1w

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MallenNC What I liked most about them getting split up was that Tuppence got to be a smart character of her own. I always want to see that more than a damsel in distress. Jane was my favorite though, since she really saved herself throughout the book. 1w

BarbaraJean @OutsmartYourShelf My thoughts exactly! That particular contrivance required a LOT of suspension of disbelief for me.
I was frustrated by the risks both of them took! I was impressed by their ingenuity, though--I was kind of willing to go along with some of the more unrealistic aspects, because both Tommy and Tuppence ended up being a lot smarter about their own predicaments than I would have predicted. 1w

ferskner I really like that the book immediately sets up that a) they're broke and b) they've both just survived a war. I think those two facts make them very aware that they have nothing to lose. They've both just seen horrific realities and I imagine that would make them willing to take considerable risks because they're alive to take them. 6d

mrp27 It was totally contrived, ridiculous and they both took extreme chances but that‘s what made the story fun for me. Made me think a bit of Nancy Drew and how things just always seem to fall in place at the right time. 5d

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Librarybelle

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

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3. Let's talk about Tommy and Tuppence! What did you think of them as characters and as sleuths? Why do you think Christie created sleuths who were very different than Poirot? Would you hire Tommy and Tuppence to help you solve a crime? #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Bookwormjillk I thought they were fun! Not sure I‘d hire them but I enjoyed reading about them. 1w

OutsmartYourShelf It would be boring to write main characters that were all a slight variation on the same theme. Differences allow for more writing scope & plot development. That said, I prefer MM & Poirot myself. 1w

Deblovestoread At first I thought “oh no, more vapid bright young things” but as they became more fleshed out I enjoyed them. As to hiring them to solve a crime probably not but to find my lost dog maybe. 1w

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Aims42 @Bookwormjillk Took the words right out of my mouth, I agree 100% 👏😄 I enjoyed being a fly on the wall reading about their adventures. I‘d be exhausted if I was traveling with them lol 1w

MallenNC @Aims42 Agree! They were clever but probably exhausting in real life! I haven‘t read any more of these so I‘m curious how they get their next case. 1w

BarbaraJean My first thought was that they were a terrible choice to investigate such a sensitive international plot!! I liked them as characters, but thought it was pretty unrealistic that they would have the skills necessary to unravel this particular mystery. But I also appreciate Christie branching out in her protagonists. I liked their youthful energy and banter. 1w

ferskner They're just so fun!!!! I don't know that I'd want to hire them if I came across them, but gosh they're quick on their feet and they get the job done. They prove over and over again that they're up to any challenge, but I confess that I love the scrapes they get into the most (particularly in the short stories). 6d

mrp27 I thought they were fun and smart. 5d

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Librarybelle

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

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2. Christie sets up the mystery again with references to World War I...makes sense, since this was published in 1922. This time, Christie begins with the sinking of the Lusitania in 1915.

How familiar are you with the Lusitania? Why do you think Christie uses a historical reference point to anchor (pun not intended) her story?

More info on the liner: https://www.pbs.org/lostliners/lusitania.html

#ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Bookwormjillk It certainly added drama to have it start with a famous boat sinking! 1w

OutsmartYourShelf Last year I read a book set onboard the Lusitania which was quite good & I was vaguely aware of the ship's history before that. Maybe as this was an early book of Christie's, linking it to a fairly recent historical event gave her a good starting point. Her contemporary readers would know instantly the setting & the events. 1w

Deblovestoread I read Lusitania by David Butler years ago (great book) and it pops up frequently in books set in the period. I think it was a good way to insert the political intrigue into the story. 1w

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Aims42 It‘s such a pivotal part of history, I loved this as an opening. Definitely recommend Erik Larson‘s ‘Dead Wake‘ 1w

willaful The intro to my copy talked about Christie hearing the name Jane Fish and deciding to incorporate it, which is way she often worked. (If you know both Christie and D.E. Stevenson, you can see a lot of Christie's inspirations!) The sinking might have worked in a similar way. 1w

MallenNC I was only a little aware of the Lusitania and now I want to read more about it. I think starting with a real life event was a clever way to open this novel, especially as her readers would‘ve known so much about it when the book was first released. 1w

BarbaraJean I'm not at all familiar with the Lusitania, other than the general timeframe! It made sense to me that she wanted to orient it in relation to those international events, so the setting and scope of the story were clear. It was a very different backdrop than the other Christie novels I've read! 1w

ferskner I only know a bit about it as it pertains to bringing the US into the war, but I think it's a smart way for her to create a punch of a beginning! 6d

mrp27 I‘m familiar with Lusitania from school history and over the years it has served as a plot line in some books I‘ve read. 5d

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Librarybelle

The Secret Adversary | Agatha Christie

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1. This novel is the first in the Tommy and Tuppence series, which will eventually include 4 novels and 1 short story collection. This is also Christie's second novel, and we see a very different type of detective compared to Hercule Poirot!

Have you read The Secret Adversary before? Any of the Tommy and Tuppence novels? What are your overall thoughts to the book? We'll explore characters and themes later! #ChristiesCapers #AgathaChristieClubR3

Suzze Tommy and Tuppence are my favorite Christie characters! I wish she‘d written more of them! 1w

Librarybelle @Suzze It is a refreshing story. Admittedly, the first few times I read this book Tommy and Tuppence did not click for me. This time, though, they were just what I needed! 1w

Bookwormjillk First time for me. I liked that they weren‘t wealthy. 1w

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Deblovestoread I haven‘t read any of the Tommy and Tuppence books until this one. And I wasn‘t sure I‘d like it in the beginning but they grew on me by the end. 1w

OutsmartYourShelf This was my first read of this series after concentrating mainly on Miss Marple & Poirot so far, but I'm not a fan of T&T going by this book. Hoping the other books will be an improvement. 1w

Aims42 First time for me! I enjoyed these characters so much, I loved the humor and youthfulness. 1w

willaful I've read this quite a few times. It's far from Christie's best but it has a nice sense of fun. 1w

MallenNC @Librarybelle That was my experience too. I first read this after seeing a TV adaptation and I didn‘t like the banter. But this time I enjoyed it. It had been long enough that I forgot the story‘s resolution. It was much more like a spy novel than a detective novel but it had those signature Christie twists. 1w

BarbaraJean This is my first time reading any of the Tommy & Tuppence novels. I wasn't sure how I'd like the espionage/intrigue plot, and I do think some of it felt a little contrived, but overall, this was a lot of fun. Like @Deblovestoread, Tommy and Tuppence grew on me by the end. I'm interested to read the other books in the series. 1w

ferskner I've read this before and while T&T aren't my favorite Christie creations, that's really more of a testament to Poirot and Maple than a knock against T&T. They're so fun to read about and the frothy tone is perfection, even though I don't care as much about her thrillers. 6d

mrp27 This was my fist T&T and I really enjoyed it. 5d

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