The Secret Adversary (Tommy & Tuppence, #1)

by Agatha Christie

Tommy and Tuppence, two young people short of money and restless for excitement, embark on a daring business scheme - Young Adventurers Ltd. Their advertisement says they are 'willing to do anything, go anywhere'. But their first assignment, for the sinister Mr Whittington, plunges them into more danger than they ever imagined...

• Publish Date: 2003 (first published 1 January 1922)
• Publish Status: Unknown
• Imprint: Planet Three Publishing
• Edition: Agatha Christie Collection
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 256
• Language: English

Reviews

This was fantastic. This mystery was strong and had me guessing with all the twists and turns and drama. I didn't see it coming. Well written, fast paced and humorous. The characters - wow. I LOVED Tommy and Tuppence. Tommy is down to earth, logical and calm. Tuppence is headstrong, quickwitted and severe. I loved how practical and honest Tuppence is - and she has such a sense of adventure. Afterall their inital partnership is thus named The Young Adventurers, Ltd - ‘Two young adventurers for hire. Willing to do anything, go anywhere. Pay must be good. No unreasonable offer refused.’

Christie, Agatha. The Complete Tommy & Tuppence Collection (Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries) . William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition.

The banter between them is adorable. They've known each other since childhood and are great friends and it's clear in every interaction that they have a long history and feel comfortable around one another. Tuppence may be strong willed and imaginative but Tommy is no push over - he's more than willing to call Tuppence out on her crap.

“There wouldn’t be the least difference if you were caught!”
“Perhaps not. But I shouldn’t be caught. I’m so clever.”
“Modesty always was your besetting sin,” remarked Tommy.

Christie, Agatha. The Complete Tommy & Tuppence Collection (Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries) . William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition.

Together they make one hell of a team. And I don't think I've read any other book set in this time where the female character is so badass. I mean she tackles a guy.

“Just a word with your pretty friend here.” He stretched out an unsteady hand, and clutched Jane by the shoulder. Tuppence heard other footsteps behind. She did not pause to ascertain whether they were friends or foes. Lowering her head, she repeated a manœuvre of childish days, and butted their aggressor full in the capacious middle. The success of these unsportsmanlike tactics was immediate. The man sat down abruptly on the pavement. Tuppence and Jane took to their heels.

Christie, Agatha. The Complete Tommy & Tuppence Collection (Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries) . William Morrow Paperbacks. Kindle Edition.

I mean sure I've read heroines outsmarting people. Thinking for themselves. Being proactive when faced with danger. But I think it's a first to read one who's willing to physically take on an attacker in such a manner. Belting someone over the head with a candlestick yes. Rugby tackling no. And it was freaking awesome!

The romance is very abrupt and somewhat disjointed but the friendship between them is really special and makes it easier to ignore. The other characters were interesting but my favourite was Albert. Especially how he's taken in by the idea of spies and criminals and whatnot. It was adorable to read Tuppence buying threepenny detective novels to make sure she had more cliches ready for him. Plus when Tommy and Albert commando crawl unnecessarily to undertake surveillance. It was awesome.

Overall a solid read. 4.5 stars, rounded to 5.

[brokentune]

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.