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A review by thaurisil
Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie
4.0
In this book of short stories, Tommy and Tuppence are asked by Mr Carter, whom we met in The Secret Adversary, to pretend to be Mr Theodore Blunt, who runs the International Detective Agency but has now been arrested due to suspicions of contact with Russian criminals with a code surrounding the number 16. Tommy pretends to be Mr Blunt and Tuppence pretends to be Miss Robinson, the secretary. Together they solve a number of mysteries, interspersed with adventures to do with the "16" gang.
Like in The Secret Adversary, Tommy and Tuppence are a fun duo to read. They combine a moderate amount of cleverness, plenty of courage and a handful of luck. Their chemistry and banter, and their knack for taking themselves seriously while doing silly things infuses their adventures with youthful liveliness. Tommy tends to think of himself as the chief detective, but Tuppence is the one with the brains, and they take turns to uncover solutions.
The adventures themselves are not always simple mysteries.
In each case, Tommy pretends to be a literary detective from the golden age of mysteries, and Tuppence plays a long. The ones I recognised were Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown and Hercule Poirot. Many of the others I do not recognise, like Dr Thorndyke, the Okewood brothers, and the old man int he corner. The parodies are an additional playfulness on Agatha Christie's part and a tribute to the writings of her fellow mystery writers. The whole book is a joy to write, both from the standpoint of mixed genres of mystery fiction, and for its entertaining humour and the likeable and amusing Tommy and Tuppence.
Like in The Secret Adversary, Tommy and Tuppence are a fun duo to read. They combine a moderate amount of cleverness, plenty of courage and a handful of luck. Their chemistry and banter, and their knack for taking themselves seriously while doing silly things infuses their adventures with youthful liveliness. Tommy tends to think of himself as the chief detective, but Tuppence is the one with the brains, and they take turns to uncover solutions.
The adventures themselves are not always simple mysteries.
Spoiler
The first isn't even a true mystery. Tommy attempts to solve the mystery of a missing girl, only to find that it was a set-up by Tuppence and her friend to advertise the firm. There's another story that seems to a girl kidnapped by a doctor, until they discover that the girl is secretly undergoing slimming treatments. Another features a client who has been given a case of dual alibis by the girl he is courting, and who asks Tommy and Tuppence to help him solve her riddle. In one story, the pair discuss a mystery case in the news and together come up with the solution. Between these, there are more traditional mysteries of stolen pearls and money, several murders, and espionage-style stories leading to the eventual capture of the man who was no. 16.In each case, Tommy pretends to be a literary detective from the golden age of mysteries, and Tuppence plays a long. The ones I recognised were Sherlock Holmes, Father Brown and Hercule Poirot. Many of the others I do not recognise, like Dr Thorndyke, the Okewood brothers, and the old man int he corner. The parodies are an additional playfulness on Agatha Christie's part and a tribute to the writings of her fellow mystery writers. The whole book is a joy to write, both from the standpoint of mixed genres of mystery fiction, and for its entertaining humour and the likeable and amusing Tommy and Tuppence.