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Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries #2
Par i brott
De unga makarna Tommy och Tuppence Beresford får i uppgift att driva en detektivbyrå i London. Genom att anamma de ”metoder” som används av en rad litterära detektiver, så som Sherlock Holmes, fader Brown och Hercule Poirot, löser de såväl stora som mindre betydelsefulla kriminalfall.
Par i brott är kanske Agatha Christies märkligaste och mest otypiska bok. Novellerna har en lättsam och lekfull ton, och visar prov på författarinnans humor. Boken innehåller även ett förord av Svenska Deckarakademins preses Johan Wopenka. Förordet ger på ett pedagogiskt sätt en överblick över brittisk kriminallitteraturs mest kända figurer och dess skapare.
Par i brott är kanske Agatha Christies märkligaste och mest otypiska bok. Novellerna har en lättsam och lekfull ton, och visar prov på författarinnans humor. Boken innehåller även ett förord av Svenska Deckarakademins preses Johan Wopenka. Förordet ger på ett pedagogiskt sätt en överblick över brittisk kriminallitteraturs mest kända figurer och dess skapare.
294 pages, Hardcover
First published June 7, 1929
About the author
Agatha Christie
4,517 books68k followersAgatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.
This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.
Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,807 reviews
April 8, 2010
This may be an unpopular opinion, but Tommy and Tuppence Beresford are my favorite of Agatha Christie's detectives. Poirot is brilliant and much appreciated, but Tommy and Tuppence are charmingly brilliant and absolutely hilarious. I love these short stories, in which the Beresfords take over a detective agency and solve a series of crimes of varying severity. Throughout, they refer to their "shelf of masters", adapting the mannerisms and techniques of various literary detectives, to hilarious effect. My favorite is Tommy's mangled violin playing as he apes Sherlock Holmes.
September 10, 2022
This is a fun set of Tommy & Tuppence short stories.
Once it gets going, our duo decides to pick different fictional detectives to imitate the styles of for each case. It was fun researching who some of the references were for and who was the author of the stories.
A Fairy in the Flat
This one isn't really a mystery or a short story. It's just the opening set up that tells you how Tommy and Tuppence take over a detective agency under false names to help the government suss out spies.
A Pot of Tea
This shows Tuppence's ability to think outside of the box.
With no real clients to speak of, Mrs. Tommy comes up with an ingenious idea that helps the Internation Detective Agency drum up some clients, while simultaneously helping her friend get the man of her dreams.
Not a true mystery, but still fun!
The Affair of the Pink Pearl
I'm going to be honest, I wasn't crazy about this story when I read it a few years back and I still didn't find it all that impressive this time around.
Sorry.
There were some missing jewels in a home that had a few houseguests. There was the socialist no one liked, a potential klepto houseguest, her maid, and a surly daughter who didn't want anyone investigating.
The mystery was ish and the best part is just all the banter between T & T.
The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger
Tommy decides that this time around he and Tuppence will be Valentine Williams' famous (at the time, at least) Okewood Brothers.
After receiving a blue letter that looks like it might be from the spies, a sinister stranger asks them for help. Is he a bad guy or is he just another client?
The ending is one of those that you can kind of see coming from a mile away, but it was still an ok addition to the collection.
Finessing the King/The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper
Although this story was called Finessing the King when originally published in The Sketch magazine in 1924, the story is sometimes split into 2 parts in certain editions of Partners in Crime and the second half of the story is called The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper.
In this one Tommy and Tuppence decide to act like Isabel Ostrander's fictional detectives McCarty and Riordan.
Tuppence wants to dance and convinces Tommy to go to a costume party. A couple sits next to them in a booth (he is dressed in newspaper), and a few minutes later they hear her cry out, him laugh, and then he leaves. They get curious when she doesn't appear and go check it out.
Stabbed through the heart, she dies in Tuppence's arms after whispering Bingo did it.
But did Bingo do it?
The Case of the Missing Lady
The solution to this mystery was funny!
An explorer returns after 2 years to find his fiancee missing. Or at least, she's not where he thought she would be and he can't seem to track her down.
He doesn't like her aunt because she's fat and he has an aversion to chubby women, so he thinks the woman is lying to him for some unknown reason about the whereabouts of her niece. Now, he doesn't want to call the police because he knows it will embarrass his lady love if she's just somewhere vacationing with friends.
Hence, Tommy & Tuppence.
They go through a whole thing to find her, and eventually end up thinking she's been kidnapped by a cult-y evil scientist type. They stage a rescue and everything only to find out that
At the end of the story Tommy imitates Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, calling Tuppence Watson and saying, "And you will oblige me by not placing this case upon your records. It has no distinctive features.
This one was my favorite just for the laughs.
Blindman's Buff
Tommy & Tuppence have been found out!
Tommy has been impersonating a crooked private investigator who was working for nefarious people that British intelligence wanted to keep an eye on. Mr. Carter (Tommy & Tuppence's boss) has informed them to be on the lookout for anyone suspicious because rumor has it that their cover has been blown and they may need to get out of there.
As with a lot of these short stories, T & T try on the styles of different literary detectives for each story. In this one, Tommy decides he'll be Clinton H. Stagg's blind detective, Thornley Colton.
He's hamming it up for Tuppence when things go wrong.
The Man in the Mist
Tommy & Tuppence solve the mystery of an airhead actress.
In this one, Tommy is dressed as G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown.
Not one of my favorites, but still a decent short.
The Crackler
A very cute Tommy & Tuppence mystery!
First published in the magazine The Sketch in 1924.
Inspector Marriot sets the duo on the trail of someone or a gang of someones who are passing fake money. And since bills crackle, Tommy hilariously decides to refer to the unknown leader as The Crackler.
Really, Tommy?
Tuppence and Mr. Tuppence get sucked into the world of high-stakes gambling and have quite a fun adventure before they uncover the ringleader of the forgers.
This was one of my favorites, mostly due to the interactions of the adorable married detectives.
The Sunningdale Mystery
In this short story, Tommy emulates Baroness Orczy's nameless armchair detective in The Old Man in the Corner.
Another book to add to my TBR.
So, Tommy & Tuppence are out to lunch when he pulls out a newspaper clipping of a murder and has her play the part of a reporter (Polly Burton) from the Orczy novel. They decide to try to solve the case with their wits alone.
And they do!
But how to convince the police of their findings?
The House of Lurking Death
A proper mystery!
A lot of these Tommy & Tuppence shorts are kind of silly. I mean, one of the fun things about this collection is that it's just these two doing goofy stuff, flirt-fussing at each other, and still managing to solve a case or three.
However, this is a twisty poisoning case worthy of Poirot or Marple.
Or A.E.W. Mason's Inspector Hanaud? Because that's who the Beresfords attempt to copy this time around. Hanaud is played by Tommy, of course. And Tuppence acts as his assistant, Ricardo, who is (traditionally) left in the dark till the last minute.
The Unbreakable Alibi
A mystery without a crime.
A well-off (but not very bright) young man comes in to get a bit of help winning a bet and hopefully the girl of his dreams.
A smart and sassy Australian woman bets Montgomery Jones that he can't prove that she wasn't in TWO places at the same time.
And while a first glance it does indeed seem that this lovely young lady has superpowers, the Beresfords aren't ones to be easily fooled.
The Clergyman's Daughter / The Red House
Tommy and Tuppence investigate a haunted house!
A clergyman's daughter comes to the detective agency because she and her invalid mother inherited a house that may be haunted. They've been trying to let the house to borders but the odd seemingly supernatural disturbances have driven everyone away.
Meanwhile, there's a man from the paranormal society that wants to buy the house from her. BUT! She has her doubts that he's what he claims to be.
The Ambassador's Boots
A US ambassador's bag was given to the wrong man and then returned by the other man's valet.
Nothing was missing and it seemed to be an honest mistake.
But something doesn't sit right with the ambassador and he asks Tommy & Tuppence to look into it for him.
This one is cute but not one of my favorites as it gets a bit convoluted by the end of things.
Sherlock Holmes is mentioned in this story, which is cool because at the time this was written Doyle was still writing about Holmes and Watson.
The Man Who Was No. 16
This is the last case for the Beresfords' fake detective agency!
Well, the cases they solve are real enough, but they are actually there as spies. The real Theodore Blunt of The Blunt Detective Agency is rotting away in prison while Tommy impersonates him in the hopes of finding out information useful to British intelligence.
This time around Christie goes completely meta and Tommy and Tuppence decide to imitate the famous detective Hercule Poirot.
That was probably my favorite thing about the whole story, if I'm going to be honest. Christie has been tipping her hat to all of the other famous writers of her day in the other shorts, and I like that she ended this by tooting her own horn a bit.
This one sees Tuppence get kidnapped by the elusive No.16 while Tommy, Albert, and the police in a desperate race against time to try to find her.
But of course, it ends with the capture of the agent, Tuppence home safely, and the announcement of her pregnancy. And that is when they decide to retire from all the excitement.
For now, at least.
Highly recommended for fans of Tommy and Tuppence.
Once it gets going, our duo decides to pick different fictional detectives to imitate the styles of for each case. It was fun researching who some of the references were for and who was the author of the stories.
A Fairy in the Flat
This one isn't really a mystery or a short story. It's just the opening set up that tells you how Tommy and Tuppence take over a detective agency under false names to help the government suss out spies.
A Pot of Tea
This shows Tuppence's ability to think outside of the box.
With no real clients to speak of, Mrs. Tommy comes up with an ingenious idea that helps the Internation Detective Agency drum up some clients, while simultaneously helping her friend get the man of her dreams.
Not a true mystery, but still fun!
The Affair of the Pink Pearl
I'm going to be honest, I wasn't crazy about this story when I read it a few years back and I still didn't find it all that impressive this time around.
Sorry.
There were some missing jewels in a home that had a few houseguests. There was the socialist no one liked, a potential klepto houseguest, her maid, and a surly daughter who didn't want anyone investigating.
The mystery was ish and the best part is just all the banter between T & T.
The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger
Tommy decides that this time around he and Tuppence will be Valentine Williams' famous (at the time, at least) Okewood Brothers.
After receiving a blue letter that looks like it might be from the spies, a sinister stranger asks them for help. Is he a bad guy or is he just another client?
The ending is one of those that you can kind of see coming from a mile away, but it was still an ok addition to the collection.
Finessing the King/The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper
Although this story was called Finessing the King when originally published in The Sketch magazine in 1924, the story is sometimes split into 2 parts in certain editions of Partners in Crime and the second half of the story is called The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper.
In this one Tommy and Tuppence decide to act like Isabel Ostrander's fictional detectives McCarty and Riordan.
Tuppence wants to dance and convinces Tommy to go to a costume party. A couple sits next to them in a booth (he is dressed in newspaper), and a few minutes later they hear her cry out, him laugh, and then he leaves. They get curious when she doesn't appear and go check it out.
Stabbed through the heart, she dies in Tuppence's arms after whispering Bingo did it.
But did Bingo do it?
The Case of the Missing Lady
The solution to this mystery was funny!
An explorer returns after 2 years to find his fiancee missing. Or at least, she's not where he thought she would be and he can't seem to track her down.
He doesn't like her aunt because she's fat and he has an aversion to chubby women, so he thinks the woman is lying to him for some unknown reason about the whereabouts of her niece. Now, he doesn't want to call the police because he knows it will embarrass his lady love if she's just somewhere vacationing with friends.
Hence, Tommy & Tuppence.
They go through a whole thing to find her, and eventually end up thinking she's been kidnapped by a cult-y evil scientist type. They stage a rescue and everything only to find out that
At the end of the story Tommy imitates Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, calling Tuppence Watson and saying, "And you will oblige me by not placing this case upon your records. It has no distinctive features.
This one was my favorite just for the laughs.
Blindman's Buff
Tommy & Tuppence have been found out!
Tommy has been impersonating a crooked private investigator who was working for nefarious people that British intelligence wanted to keep an eye on. Mr. Carter (Tommy & Tuppence's boss) has informed them to be on the lookout for anyone suspicious because rumor has it that their cover has been blown and they may need to get out of there.
As with a lot of these short stories, T & T try on the styles of different literary detectives for each story. In this one, Tommy decides he'll be Clinton H. Stagg's blind detective, Thornley Colton.
He's hamming it up for Tuppence when things go wrong.
The Man in the Mist
Tommy & Tuppence solve the mystery of an airhead actress.
In this one, Tommy is dressed as G.K. Chesterton's Father Brown.
Not one of my favorites, but still a decent short.
The Crackler
A very cute Tommy & Tuppence mystery!
First published in the magazine The Sketch in 1924.
Inspector Marriot sets the duo on the trail of someone or a gang of someones who are passing fake money. And since bills crackle, Tommy hilariously decides to refer to the unknown leader as The Crackler.
Really, Tommy?
Tuppence and Mr. Tuppence get sucked into the world of high-stakes gambling and have quite a fun adventure before they uncover the ringleader of the forgers.
This was one of my favorites, mostly due to the interactions of the adorable married detectives.
The Sunningdale Mystery
In this short story, Tommy emulates Baroness Orczy's nameless armchair detective in The Old Man in the Corner.
Another book to add to my TBR.
So, Tommy & Tuppence are out to lunch when he pulls out a newspaper clipping of a murder and has her play the part of a reporter (Polly Burton) from the Orczy novel. They decide to try to solve the case with their wits alone.
And they do!
But how to convince the police of their findings?
The House of Lurking Death
A proper mystery!
A lot of these Tommy & Tuppence shorts are kind of silly. I mean, one of the fun things about this collection is that it's just these two doing goofy stuff, flirt-fussing at each other, and still managing to solve a case or three.
However, this is a twisty poisoning case worthy of Poirot or Marple.
Or A.E.W. Mason's Inspector Hanaud? Because that's who the Beresfords attempt to copy this time around. Hanaud is played by Tommy, of course. And Tuppence acts as his assistant, Ricardo, who is (traditionally) left in the dark till the last minute.
The Unbreakable Alibi
A mystery without a crime.
A well-off (but not very bright) young man comes in to get a bit of help winning a bet and hopefully the girl of his dreams.
A smart and sassy Australian woman bets Montgomery Jones that he can't prove that she wasn't in TWO places at the same time.
And while a first glance it does indeed seem that this lovely young lady has superpowers, the Beresfords aren't ones to be easily fooled.
The Clergyman's Daughter / The Red House
Tommy and Tuppence investigate a haunted house!
A clergyman's daughter comes to the detective agency because she and her invalid mother inherited a house that may be haunted. They've been trying to let the house to borders but the odd seemingly supernatural disturbances have driven everyone away.
Meanwhile, there's a man from the paranormal society that wants to buy the house from her. BUT! She has her doubts that he's what he claims to be.
The Ambassador's Boots
A US ambassador's bag was given to the wrong man and then returned by the other man's valet.
Nothing was missing and it seemed to be an honest mistake.
But something doesn't sit right with the ambassador and he asks Tommy & Tuppence to look into it for him.
This one is cute but not one of my favorites as it gets a bit convoluted by the end of things.
Sherlock Holmes is mentioned in this story, which is cool because at the time this was written Doyle was still writing about Holmes and Watson.
The Man Who Was No. 16
This is the last case for the Beresfords' fake detective agency!
Well, the cases they solve are real enough, but they are actually there as spies. The real Theodore Blunt of The Blunt Detective Agency is rotting away in prison while Tommy impersonates him in the hopes of finding out information useful to British intelligence.
This time around Christie goes completely meta and Tommy and Tuppence decide to imitate the famous detective Hercule Poirot.
That was probably my favorite thing about the whole story, if I'm going to be honest. Christie has been tipping her hat to all of the other famous writers of her day in the other shorts, and I like that she ended this by tooting her own horn a bit.
This one sees Tuppence get kidnapped by the elusive No.16 while Tommy, Albert, and the police in a desperate race against time to try to find her.
But of course, it ends with the capture of the agent, Tuppence home safely, and the announcement of her pregnancy. And that is when they decide to retire from all the excitement.
For now, at least.
Highly recommended for fans of Tommy and Tuppence.
March 31, 2021
One of my favourite Agatha Christie books so far. Great fun and completely delightful.
September 12, 2020
I really do love me some early Christie short stories... I thought this was just such a fun time. There are definitely some weaker stories in here, but overall, the banter between T&T was delightful & I enjoyed watching them ape different detectives from Golden Age detective fiction (we even get a Poirot shout out!). This isn't the best of the short story collections, but it's definitely one that shouldn't be missed
February 4, 2023
3.75*
“It is a great advantage to be intelligent and not to look it.”
Short stories, where you can’t really get your teeth in the story, always feel a little ‘lesser’ to me than novels. Having said this, these proved to be fun and light. The prefect thing when you want something easy and entertaining.
Tommy and Tuppence throw themselves back in the midst of action by accepting to take over a detective agency, each episode representing a case, although there is a running thread through the whole of it. I particularly liked how our characters would take inspiration from fictional detectives to help them in their endeavour, from Sherlock Holmes to, yes, our very own Hercule Poirot. I can totally imagine Agatha having fun with this :O)
“It is a great advantage to be intelligent and not to look it.”
Short stories, where you can’t really get your teeth in the story, always feel a little ‘lesser’ to me than novels. Having said this, these proved to be fun and light. The prefect thing when you want something easy and entertaining.
Tommy and Tuppence throw themselves back in the midst of action by accepting to take over a detective agency, each episode representing a case, although there is a running thread through the whole of it. I particularly liked how our characters would take inspiration from fictional detectives to help them in their endeavour, from Sherlock Holmes to, yes, our very own Hercule Poirot. I can totally imagine Agatha having fun with this :O)
August 5, 2019
The Second of Tommy and Tuppence series it is a collection of 15 of their adventures, many styled after leading fictional detectives of the era including Sherlock Holmes. In one of the stories there is a delightful take on Hercule Poirot too. Not strictly in the same crime and mystery genre as Chritie's other stories, the stories here are light and fun
September 7, 2024
Title: Partners in Crime: Tommy and Tuppence #2
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Publication Year: 1929
Review: Partners in Crime is a short story collection from the magnificent Queen of Mysteries who uses the wonderful story device of tying all of these stories to Tommy and Tuppence, the now married couple that quip witticisms in their wonderful conversations. Additionally, each story has the couple parodying at least one detective duo, such as Watson and Holmes. The duo even riff on Hercule Poirot (a Christie creation), and his "little gray cells."
The thirteen stories are connected by bookending tales that have the pair taking over the International Detective Agency which assigns the husband and wife team not just solving crimes but also keeping their eyes open for ties to espionage. The stories, obviously, are not as involved as one would expect of the novels, but the quality is pretty consistent. Usually, in most anthologies, the stories are not of equal quality consistently throughout; however, here in Partners in Crime, I found no such drop off.
Fantastic collection, in my humble opinion. This is a high recommend on my part.
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Publication Year: 1929
Review: Partners in Crime is a short story collection from the magnificent Queen of Mysteries who uses the wonderful story device of tying all of these stories to Tommy and Tuppence, the now married couple that quip witticisms in their wonderful conversations. Additionally, each story has the couple parodying at least one detective duo, such as Watson and Holmes. The duo even riff on Hercule Poirot (a Christie creation), and his "little gray cells."
The thirteen stories are connected by bookending tales that have the pair taking over the International Detective Agency which assigns the husband and wife team not just solving crimes but also keeping their eyes open for ties to espionage. The stories, obviously, are not as involved as one would expect of the novels, but the quality is pretty consistent. Usually, in most anthologies, the stories are not of equal quality consistently throughout; however, here in Partners in Crime, I found no such drop off.
Fantastic collection, in my humble opinion. This is a high recommend on my part.
July 16, 2024
Light hearted fun. I wasn't expecting short stories as the first volume in the series was a full length novel, so I was a bit discombobulated when I first began listening. However, I soon adjusted and was overjoyed to discover that Hugh Fraser is the narrator of this audiobook. I realized I had missed hearing his voice since I had completed the author's Hercule Poirot series several months ago.
August 14, 2018
A collection of short stories mimicking famous literary detectives (even though some of them are practically unknown today), even Sherlock Holmes and Christie's own Hercule Poirot. Some of the stories are really fun, others utterly unremarkable. All in all, a pleasant read.
December 12, 2017
I have been rereading some of the old books of Dame Agatha as a sort of breather from more serious literature: this book is one of them. If I remember correctly, I read this sometime in the early eighties, three decades and a half ago.
I remember not liking it much at that time: and the reread did not change my opinion. Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, IMO, are Agatha Christie's weakest detectives even though they are an endearing couple.
The premise of this collection of short stories is really nice: the Beresfords, having helped the police to trap spies in the First World War, are asked to manage a bogus detective agency which is only a front for a Soviet espionage operation. The real proprietor, a spy, has been arrested. Tommy and Tuppence have to keep their eyes and ears open for a mysterious No: 16 and communications in blue envelopes, and play at detectives in their spare time.
Tommy has the ingenious idea of imitating a famous fictional detective each for a case, and try to solve the mystery in his style. It does provide an introduction to many famous literary sleuths of those times (many forgotten now, alas - the book was first published in 1929) and makes for some hilarity. In fact, most of the stories are written in a mock-serious tone, with more than a touch of underplayed British humour.
The weak point is the mysteries themselves. Except for two ("The Man in the Mist", "The Sunningdale Mystery"), none brought me the feeling of "Aha!" I usually get at the end of a Christie story. Many of them can at best be called passable. One ("The Unbreakable Alibi") I found practically childish.
Nice thing to while away an afternoon, but not your typical Christie whodunit.
I remember not liking it much at that time: and the reread did not change my opinion. Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, IMO, are Agatha Christie's weakest detectives even though they are an endearing couple.
The premise of this collection of short stories is really nice: the Beresfords, having helped the police to trap spies in the First World War, are asked to manage a bogus detective agency which is only a front for a Soviet espionage operation. The real proprietor, a spy, has been arrested. Tommy and Tuppence have to keep their eyes and ears open for a mysterious No: 16 and communications in blue envelopes, and play at detectives in their spare time.
Tommy has the ingenious idea of imitating a famous fictional detective each for a case, and try to solve the mystery in his style. It does provide an introduction to many famous literary sleuths of those times (many forgotten now, alas - the book was first published in 1929) and makes for some hilarity. In fact, most of the stories are written in a mock-serious tone, with more than a touch of underplayed British humour.
The weak point is the mysteries themselves. Except for two ("The Man in the Mist", "The Sunningdale Mystery"), none brought me the feeling of "Aha!" I usually get at the end of a Christie story. Many of them can at best be called passable. One ("The Unbreakable Alibi") I found practically childish.
Nice thing to while away an afternoon, but not your typical Christie whodunit.
April 19, 2017
I love Tommy and Tuppence -- they're my favorite Christie characters!
They are so fun with their banter and companionship -- it really is a partnership and marriage of equals. In fact, they are told by Mr Carter "Excessive self-confidence was always a characteristic of you two. Whether your immunity is entirely due to your own superhuman cleverness, or whether a small percentage of luck creeps in. I'm not prepared to say."
In this collection, the base story is their longing for adventure. This wish is granted by a photo fairy -- but really, by Mr Carter of Scotland Yard who have taken over a private detective agency which is under suspicion of being part of an espionage ring. This is to be their cover story.
The fun part is that to show off their cleverness and knowledge of the "Grand Masters" by taking on the detectives' methods they had read in their classics. Christie must have had a good time tweaking her fellow crime writers and their creations -- she even included her own Poirot and the constantly bewildered Hastings.
I did not recognize some of the detectives, but I hope to read some of their stories.
They are so fun with their banter and companionship -- it really is a partnership and marriage of equals. In fact, they are told by Mr Carter "Excessive self-confidence was always a characteristic of you two. Whether your immunity is entirely due to your own superhuman cleverness, or whether a small percentage of luck creeps in. I'm not prepared to say."
In this collection, the base story is their longing for adventure. This wish is granted by a photo fairy -- but really, by Mr Carter of Scotland Yard who have taken over a private detective agency which is under suspicion of being part of an espionage ring. This is to be their cover story.
The fun part is that to show off their cleverness and knowledge of the "Grand Masters" by taking on the detectives' methods they had read in their classics. Christie must have had a good time tweaking her fellow crime writers and their creations -- she even included her own Poirot and the constantly bewildered Hastings.
I did not recognize some of the detectives, but I hope to read some of their stories.
February 21, 2023
"Die Sache liegt folgendermaßen: Entweder ist die Perle noch im Haus, oder sie ist nicht mehr im Haus“, äußerte er gewichtig.
Im Februar durfte ich dank der #readchristie2023 Challenge eins von Agatha Christies Ermittlerduos kennenlernen, denen ich bisher noch nicht über den Weg gelaufen bin. Tommy und Tuppence sind ein junges Ehepaar, er Geheimdienstler, sie Hausfrau. Für eine Sondermission sollen sie ein Detektivbüro übernehmen, das in Spionageaktivitäten verwickelt sein soll.
In „die Büchse der Pandora“ begleiten wir Tommy und Tuppence durch ihre Abenteuer im Detektivbüro Blunt, manchmal tatsächlich bei Spionagefällen, oft aber auch bei klassischen Kriminalfällen.
________________
Hat mir ganz gut gefallen, Tommy und Tuppence sind echt super und irgendwie ganz anders als Agatha Christies andere Ermittler. Ich freue mich auf jeden Fall darauf, ihre anderen Bücher zu lesen. Leider habe ich ganz schön gemerkt, dass dieses Buch hier der zweite Band der Reihe ist und ich das ein oder andere wichtige Detail aus Band 1 somit verpasst habe.
Außerdem muss ich mal wieder feststellen, dass ich es einfach lieber mag, wenn im Buch ein Fall behandelt wird. Diese Kurzkrimis hier waren zwar ganz nett, aber oft war es aufgrund der Kürze schwer, sich richtig reinzufinden und mitzudenken.
3.5 🌟
Gelesen für die #readchristie2023 Challenge im Februar '23: use of a blunt object
Im Februar durfte ich dank der #readchristie2023 Challenge eins von Agatha Christies Ermittlerduos kennenlernen, denen ich bisher noch nicht über den Weg gelaufen bin. Tommy und Tuppence sind ein junges Ehepaar, er Geheimdienstler, sie Hausfrau. Für eine Sondermission sollen sie ein Detektivbüro übernehmen, das in Spionageaktivitäten verwickelt sein soll.
In „die Büchse der Pandora“ begleiten wir Tommy und Tuppence durch ihre Abenteuer im Detektivbüro Blunt, manchmal tatsächlich bei Spionagefällen, oft aber auch bei klassischen Kriminalfällen.
________________
Hat mir ganz gut gefallen, Tommy und Tuppence sind echt super und irgendwie ganz anders als Agatha Christies andere Ermittler. Ich freue mich auf jeden Fall darauf, ihre anderen Bücher zu lesen. Leider habe ich ganz schön gemerkt, dass dieses Buch hier der zweite Band der Reihe ist und ich das ein oder andere wichtige Detail aus Band 1 somit verpasst habe.
Außerdem muss ich mal wieder feststellen, dass ich es einfach lieber mag, wenn im Buch ein Fall behandelt wird. Diese Kurzkrimis hier waren zwar ganz nett, aber oft war es aufgrund der Kürze schwer, sich richtig reinzufinden und mitzudenken.
3.5 🌟
Gelesen für die #readchristie2023 Challenge im Februar '23: use of a blunt object
May 24, 2020
A collection of short stories within a story. Tommy and Tuppence impersonate Mr Blunt who runs an international detective agency which is a front for Russian spies. The two detectives undertake a series of investigations which parodies the styles of well-known detective writers of that era.
A Fairy in the Flat/A Pot of Tea introduces Tommy and Tuppence at the International Detective Agency. There first case is an amusing one about a missing girl which Tuppence solves.
The Affair of the Pink Pearl – This first real case is over missing pearls. A bit of a soapy tale.
The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger is an espionage story where the Russians suspect something amiss. Thanks to a silver cigarette case Tommy lives to investigate another day.
Finessing the King Is a two part story where a woman is murdered and the clues lead to her lover or do they? Her husband appears innocent. The ending is a bit gruesome.
The Case of the Missing Lady is amusing and goes over where a Norwegians explorer fiancée has disappeared too. Her obese aunt is very vague about her whereabouts. T&T find her with a twist.
The Man in the Mist is about Gilda Glen a Star who T&T are to meet. On a misty night on there way to the rendezvous they encounter a policeman on a misty night. Murder occurs and it points to an unlikely suspect or does it?
The Crackler – A comical story about counterfeit one pound notes. A gambler and apparently rich American. The crosses and n the door fail but Tommy has something up his sleeve.
The Sunningdale Mystery tells the story of a man stabbed to death on a golf course. T&T over lunch go over the details during lunch and come up with the answer which exonerates the suspected woman.
The House of Lurking Death is about Lois Hargreaves and who is trying to kill her. Recently inheriting a fortune and suspecting her cousin after several members of the family are poisoned by arsenic tainted chocolates. Things take a grim turn with fig paste. Always follow the money motive.
The Unbreakable Alibi is an amusing story about how someone can be in two places at the same time.
The Clergyman's Daughter/The Red House is about a poor woman who inherits a house with strange apparent supernatural events and which someone wants to buy. Buried treasure is involved.
The Ambassador's Boots a tale of switched bags and smuggling.
The Man Who Was No. 16 ties everything up and is a parody of Christie's own The Big Four. I liked where they found Tommy and the book ends with the happy news of a visit from the stork.
A Fairy in the Flat/A Pot of Tea introduces Tommy and Tuppence at the International Detective Agency. There first case is an amusing one about a missing girl which Tuppence solves.
The Affair of the Pink Pearl – This first real case is over missing pearls. A bit of a soapy tale.
The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger is an espionage story where the Russians suspect something amiss. Thanks to a silver cigarette case Tommy lives to investigate another day.
Finessing the King Is a two part story where a woman is murdered and the clues lead to her lover or do they? Her husband appears innocent. The ending is a bit gruesome.
The Case of the Missing Lady is amusing and goes over where a Norwegians explorer fiancée has disappeared too. Her obese aunt is very vague about her whereabouts. T&T find her with a twist.
The Man in the Mist is about Gilda Glen a Star who T&T are to meet. On a misty night on there way to the rendezvous they encounter a policeman on a misty night. Murder occurs and it points to an unlikely suspect or does it?
The Crackler – A comical story about counterfeit one pound notes. A gambler and apparently rich American. The crosses and n the door fail but Tommy has something up his sleeve.
The Sunningdale Mystery tells the story of a man stabbed to death on a golf course. T&T over lunch go over the details during lunch and come up with the answer which exonerates the suspected woman.
The House of Lurking Death is about Lois Hargreaves and who is trying to kill her. Recently inheriting a fortune and suspecting her cousin after several members of the family are poisoned by arsenic tainted chocolates. Things take a grim turn with fig paste. Always follow the money motive.
The Unbreakable Alibi is an amusing story about how someone can be in two places at the same time.
The Clergyman's Daughter/The Red House is about a poor woman who inherits a house with strange apparent supernatural events and which someone wants to buy. Buried treasure is involved.
The Ambassador's Boots a tale of switched bags and smuggling.
The Man Who Was No. 16 ties everything up and is a parody of Christie's own The Big Four. I liked where they found Tommy and the book ends with the happy news of a visit from the stork.
June 20, 2021
This was just a big old NOPE from me. It doesn’t even seem like it was written by the same author as other Christie’s I’ve read and loved. It was just so unlike her other books and I was both dreadfully bored and incredibly disappointed. I even put it aside with 50 of so pages left to go, which I NEVER do. I just couldn’t bear to read even one more word for fear of literally dying of boredom. Do yourself a favour, skip this Christie.
May 19, 2023
My excuse for signing this book out of the library was to participate in a buddy read with my Agatha Christie reading group. But I ended up with a number of books coming due one after another plus another that had to be finished before my book club meeting, and even some non-book events to attend to. I have not been a decent participatory buddy reader. However, I have been sandwiching Tommy & Tuppence short stories in around all these various requirements and have finished up the lot. Long before the end of the organized reading. Once again, off kilter with my timing.
It's my feeling that Christie was mistress of the novel, but not nearly so skillful at the short story. She was apparently playing with all the well known literary detectives, giving our intrepid duo the opportunity to mimic their methods in each story. I was conversant with Sherlock Holmes of course and was amused that Christie referenced her own creation, Hercule Poirot. The others weren't within my ken, so perhaps I couldn't appreciate them fully.
In truth, the set up for this series of stories is pretty thin—that two young people would be recruited to catch spies through a pretend private investigator firm. But if you are willing to just go with it, Tommy and Tuppence are fun. I wonder why Christie didn't unpack them and write a few more adventures for them than she did.
It's my feeling that Christie was mistress of the novel, but not nearly so skillful at the short story. She was apparently playing with all the well known literary detectives, giving our intrepid duo the opportunity to mimic their methods in each story. I was conversant with Sherlock Holmes of course and was amused that Christie referenced her own creation, Hercule Poirot. The others weren't within my ken, so perhaps I couldn't appreciate them fully.
In truth, the set up for this series of stories is pretty thin—that two young people would be recruited to catch spies through a pretend private investigator firm. But if you are willing to just go with it, Tommy and Tuppence are fun. I wonder why Christie didn't unpack them and write a few more adventures for them than she did.
February 23, 2023
As you'll gather from the rating, Tommy and Tuppence are my least favourite Christie derectives. However this book was the February 2023 Read Christie offering so ...
I disliked the first Tommy and Tuppence outing and this set of interlinked short story crimes hasn't changed my mind. However if you enjoy a frivolous set if stories where everyone is jolly and young and rich then you'll probably like these. They're certainly an improvement on The Secret Adversary but, given the choice, I won't rush to read another involving this pair.
I disliked the first Tommy and Tuppence outing and this set of interlinked short story crimes hasn't changed my mind. However if you enjoy a frivolous set if stories where everyone is jolly and young and rich then you'll probably like these. They're certainly an improvement on The Secret Adversary but, given the choice, I won't rush to read another involving this pair.
July 7, 2017
Loved all of Tommy and Tuppence's banter and the cleverly placed references to other famous sleuths of the 'Golden age of crime'. Some mysteries were definitely better than others, but overall this collection was just a lot of fun to read!
October 7, 2018
I think I’m addicted to Agatha Christie’s books!
I love her writing style. And I love the mystery in all her cases. I decided that I’m going to buy all her books. No matter how many did she write, I want them all! 😍
I love her writing style. And I love the mystery in all her cases. I decided that I’m going to buy all her books. No matter how many did she write, I want them all! 😍
September 26, 2022
In Mortimer J. Adler’s How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading, you learn about the various levels of reading and how to achieve them – from elementary reading, through systematic skimming and inspectional reading, to speed reading, you learn how to pigeonhole a book, X-ray it, extract the author's message, criticize. In short, ‘all books are NOT equal, and some books are not more equal than others’ to misquote a popular saying. Therefore, they are not meant to be read in the same way!
For Yours Truly all reading is enjoyable—well okay, except math textbooks—some being more enjoyable than others. Also, some reading is more relaxing than others, i.e., it is of the lighter fare, does not require so many ‘grey cells.’ For moi, these are the Agatha Christie mysteries, because I do not expect to solve them, and I do not even attempt this impossible feat. I am quite sure there is some obscure British pastry, idiom, custom or unique cultural phenomenon I am sure never to have heard of—which I will learn at the end of the novel—that is the basis of Miss Marple’s knowledge, so why sweat it?! Just kick back and enjoy!
Anyway, I do! This is also why I do not review these books… Why write up review after review saying, “She tricked me again?!” This would become tedious for the best of friends. Just because I enjoy learning these quaint new things, still I cannot share them, or I would spoil the story for others.
However, here I have come across an AC I can share because she has introduced me to a plethora of new mystery writers! One of my all-time favorite things when I read is an author who shares his/her competition! THAT—to me—shows true comradery, esprit de corps and a generous nature willing to share the limelight with those who could threaten one’s livelihood. Obviously, Ms. Christie is not worried about such petty stuff.
So here are some of the other mystery writers of her era: Edgar Wallace, author of The Daughters Of The Night and The Black Abbot +, Valentine Williams author of Okewood brothers books, A.E.W. Mason, author of At The Villa Rose, and The Four Feathers +, Clinton H. Stagg of Thornley Colton, Anthony Berkeley, creator of Roger Sheringham, Freeman Wills Crofts, author of the Inspector French mysteries and H. C. McNeile, author of the Bulldog Drummond books.
In Partners in Crime Tommy and Tuppence solve their crimes while attempting to imitate the techniques of the great sleuths listed above. Of course, they also aped the great Hercule and Sherlock, with Hastings and Dr. Watson playing sidekick, but I didn’t feel necessary to include them above being fairly sure readers are familiar already. I apologize if I have missed any others. There were so many, and I may have been so caught up in the story a reference escaped me. Still, I think the above list could keep any reader of mysteries, however serious, busy for at least a year, trying to get through them. Best wishes!
Great book! Thanks a million AC, for this book and all your others! GREAT ending too!
For Yours Truly all reading is enjoyable—well okay, except math textbooks—some being more enjoyable than others. Also, some reading is more relaxing than others, i.e., it is of the lighter fare, does not require so many ‘grey cells.’ For moi, these are the Agatha Christie mysteries, because I do not expect to solve them, and I do not even attempt this impossible feat. I am quite sure there is some obscure British pastry, idiom, custom or unique cultural phenomenon I am sure never to have heard of—which I will learn at the end of the novel—that is the basis of Miss Marple’s knowledge, so why sweat it?! Just kick back and enjoy!
Anyway, I do! This is also why I do not review these books… Why write up review after review saying, “She tricked me again?!” This would become tedious for the best of friends. Just because I enjoy learning these quaint new things, still I cannot share them, or I would spoil the story for others.
However, here I have come across an AC I can share because she has introduced me to a plethora of new mystery writers! One of my all-time favorite things when I read is an author who shares his/her competition! THAT—to me—shows true comradery, esprit de corps and a generous nature willing to share the limelight with those who could threaten one’s livelihood. Obviously, Ms. Christie is not worried about such petty stuff.
So here are some of the other mystery writers of her era: Edgar Wallace, author of The Daughters Of The Night and The Black Abbot +, Valentine Williams author of Okewood brothers books, A.E.W. Mason, author of At The Villa Rose, and The Four Feathers +, Clinton H. Stagg of Thornley Colton, Anthony Berkeley, creator of Roger Sheringham, Freeman Wills Crofts, author of the Inspector French mysteries and H. C. McNeile, author of the Bulldog Drummond books.
In Partners in Crime Tommy and Tuppence solve their crimes while attempting to imitate the techniques of the great sleuths listed above. Of course, they also aped the great Hercule and Sherlock, with Hastings and Dr. Watson playing sidekick, but I didn’t feel necessary to include them above being fairly sure readers are familiar already. I apologize if I have missed any others. There were so many, and I may have been so caught up in the story a reference escaped me. Still, I think the above list could keep any reader of mysteries, however serious, busy for at least a year, trying to get through them. Best wishes!
Great book! Thanks a million AC, for this book and all your others! GREAT ending too!
July 24, 2018
Tommy and Tuppence are an interesting detective duo. Not serious as Poirot and perhaps not as brilliant like him, but the duo keep the reader's interest in their detective adventures.
Partners in Crime is a collection of their detective adventures. These are light and fun; perhaps not so well executed as the mysteries in the Poirot series, but engaging enough in their own right.
It was interesting to note that there were certain references made to other fictitious detectives including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, as the duo considered which detective's method they should apply to the case at hand. This added a little humour and refreshment to the stories.
I did enjoy Tommy and Tuppence adventures. Their gaiety and careless manner was quite a contrast to Christie's most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot. This is quite an achievement on the part of Agatha Christie. She shows that she can create serious as well as light plots; and she also shows that she can create brilliant detectives and detectives who are clever enough, all the while securing the reader interest in her different work. Over and over Christie has showed that she is a real master in detective fiction.
Partners in Crime is a collection of their detective adventures. These are light and fun; perhaps not so well executed as the mysteries in the Poirot series, but engaging enough in their own right.
It was interesting to note that there were certain references made to other fictitious detectives including Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot, as the duo considered which detective's method they should apply to the case at hand. This added a little humour and refreshment to the stories.
I did enjoy Tommy and Tuppence adventures. Their gaiety and careless manner was quite a contrast to Christie's most beloved detective, Hercule Poirot. This is quite an achievement on the part of Agatha Christie. She shows that she can create serious as well as light plots; and she also shows that she can create brilliant detectives and detectives who are clever enough, all the while securing the reader interest in her different work. Over and over Christie has showed that she is a real master in detective fiction.
January 20, 2022
As with any collection of short stories, some you like and some you don't.
Fairy In The Flat, Man Who Was 16, Blindman's Bluff, Man In The Mist were amongst my favourites.
I also like the fact that their office employee Albert played a role in each story and that Tommy choose a famous literary detective to model himself after in some of the cases.
Fairy In The Flat, Man Who Was 16, Blindman's Bluff, Man In The Mist were amongst my favourites.
I also like the fact that their office employee Albert played a role in each story and that Tommy choose a famous literary detective to model himself after in some of the cases.
July 22, 2020
Took me two months to read! Then again, it is a bunch of short stories.
Super cute and fun.
Super cute and fun.
July 25, 2018
I was digging out things from my shelves because I have been packing, and I have been finding these massive hardcover Agatha Christie novels that my mother bought when she was younger. And while they aren't the best, I haven't been able to stop reading these. Cosy, English mysteries are apparently really my kind of books.
October 26, 2019
4.5 *
Aceasta parte a doua a seriei Tommy si Tuppence este o colectie de investigatii scurte dar bine puse la punct de catre sotii Beresford. Intreaga naratiune este comica, Tommy fiind un personaj tare simpatic.
Preferatul meu, insa, ramane Hercule Poirot.
Aceasta parte a doua a seriei Tommy si Tuppence este o colectie de investigatii scurte dar bine puse la punct de catre sotii Beresford. Intreaga naratiune este comica, Tommy fiind un personaj tare simpatic.
Preferatul meu, insa, ramane Hercule Poirot.
January 22, 2021
My first Tommy & Tuppence mystery. Quite enjoyable even though the mysteries are not quite that great. The duos interactions and their attitude towards the world and eachother is the more attractive aspect in this series I think.
January 6, 2020
Régóta szeretem Agatha Christie-t, sokat is olvastam, majdnem minden művét, és az elmúlt 2-3 évben jó volt újra kézbe venni néhányat. Számomra A.C. regényei pihentetőek, van egy pár zseniális, de a többségük nekem már kissé kiszámítható, ugyanakkor éppen ezért otthonos-familiar-pont illik ide ez az angol kifejezés. Megbízhatóan szórakoztat, és néha ez is kell az embernek.
A Tuppence és Tommy sorozat újraolvasás, mivel elfogult vagyok, négycsillagos. Aki ismerkedne az írónővel, ne ezzel/ezekkel/ kezdje!:)
A Tuppence és Tommy sorozat újraolvasás, mivel elfogult vagyok, négycsillagos. Aki ismerkedne az írónővel, ne ezzel/ezekkel/ kezdje!:)
January 20, 2020
Ratings - 4/5
January 14, 2024
'I wish,' she said, 'something would happen.'
Her husband looked up reprovingly.
‘Be careful, Tuppence, this craving for vulgar sensation alarms me.'
“Partners in Crime” is the second book in the Tommy and Tuppence series. Now married and slightly bored after the great adventure that was The Secret Adversary, the couple, specifically Tuppence, wants something to happen. Then they receive an offer.
The International Detective Agency, Theodore Blunt, Manager. Private Inquiries. Large staff of confidential and highly skilled Inquiry Agents. Utmost discretion.
Consultations free. 118 Haleham St, W.C.
The real Theodore Blunt is currently being detained at Her Majesty’s expense due to his uh, incapability to keep a secret. The two are tasked to take over the business ,with Tommy being the new Theodore Blunt, and wait for the real Mr. Blunt’s foreign friends to make contact. As they wait for the spies to make their move, they must take local cases to keep up the charade. After a successful first case, the phrase ‘Any case solved in 24 hours’ becomes their motto
This was technically a collection of short stories with one connecting case throughout all of them and with each story, they chose classic detectives to emulate. The last case’s detectives to emulate made me tear up.
Tommy and Tuppence were just as hilarious and quippy as they were in the previous book but now it’s even funnier because they’re married. I love them so much.
‘Francis?' queried [spoiler], with lifted eyebrows. ‘Was that the name she called you?'
'As you weren't at my christening,' said Tommy, ‘I don't suppose you can know whether it's my name or not.'
May 28, 2017
The best Tommy and Tuppence I've read. It's a collection of short stories - maybe that's why. The characters get to shine without bogging down the whole thing with their antics. T&T are my least favorite Christie characters by far, I really didn't expect to like this book. It also helped that the stories were centered more on simpler, cosier mystery, not espionage.
January 7, 2023
3,5 stars rounded up to 4.
The mysteries were above average for short stories but I loved the general wit, the characters and the writing style.
PS: Upon a reread, I decided to change my rating to 4. The wit and the structural overall connection of the stories were even better than I remembered.
The mysteries were above average for short stories but I loved the general wit, the characters and the writing style.
PS: Upon a reread, I decided to change my rating to 4. The wit and the structural overall connection of the stories were even better than I remembered.
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