This edition published 1st January 2015 by Harper Collins.
From the cover of the book:
Agatha Christie’s complete Tommy and Tuppence short story collection, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers.Tommy and Tuppence Beresford were restless for adventure, so when they were asked to take over Blunt’s International Detective Agency, they leapt at the chance.
After their triumphant recovery of a pink pearl, intriguing cases kept on coming their way: a stabbing on Sunningdale golf course; cryptic messages in the personal columns of newspapers; and even a box of poisoned chocolates.
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Tommy and Prudence 'Tuppence' Beresford have been married for six years, and while Tommy is enjoying his job working on important government matters with Mr Carter, Tuppence is bored with the domestic sphere she finds herself confined to. Fortunately, Mr Carter arrives on their doorstep with a plan that should provide enough excitement even for Tuppence.
The International Detective Agency has recently come into the possession of the intelligence department Mr Carter manages, after the dodgy spy types who operated out of its offices have been put behind bars. Mr Carter offers Tommy and Tuppence the chance to manage the firm - providing Tommy takes on the guise of its former boss Theodore Blunt, and they keep an eye out for any further contact from the dodgy Russian spy ring.
Armed with a collection of classic detective fiction books, which they plan to use to hone their detecting skills, Tommy, Tuppence, and jack-of-all-trades Arthur settle into their new roles as Theodore Blunt, his private secretary Miss Robinson, and the agency's office boy... and so begins a series of adventures that have them solving a mixed bag of cases that include recovering stolen jewellery, finding missing persons, busting counterfeit rings, and even solving murders, while the thread of the Russian spy affair rattles on in the background - posing increasing danger to their careers as detectives.
This series of short stories is the second literary outing for Tommy and Tuppence, who earlier cut their teeth on a dangerous mission in The Secret Adversary, which also cemented their romantic partnership. Now a married couple, and ready for more adventures, Christie has them pitting their wits against all manner of criminal types in their new roles as private detectives. I was delighted to see that Arthur, who was introduced as a helpful aide to Tuppence in the previous book, is also along for the ride - and he takes his role as assistant very seriously indeed.
The seventeen stories in this book are all typical Christie short story country, and Tommy and Tuppence (with assistance from Arthur, of course) go about solving them in the style of the various detectives among their literary reference library, which gives rise to a lot of humorous situations, and is excellent fodder for the very funny banter that characterises their relationship. I especially enjoyed when Christie pokes fun at herself, by occasionally having Tommy and Tuppence emulate the relationship between Poirot and Hastings, which is used to lovely effect in the final story of the collection. I do not think I have ever laughed out loud so much in any Christie book before, which was such a delight.
Among all the humour there is plenty of excitement and melodrama too, which adds a delicious injection of tension, and allows Tommy and Tuppence to display their natural talent and intelligence when it comes to solving crime. Their skills really complement each other, and despite Tommy's occasional blustering condescension, Tuppence has more than enough feistiness to stand up for herself, and underneath it all their steadfast devotion to each other adds a note of emotion that is really heart-warming.
I very much enjoyed The Secret Adversary, but for me, this is the book that has fixed Tommy and Tuppence firmly in my affections. Their characters shine through in these stories, and although their career as private detectives draws to a close in these pages, with a very interesting development, this is not their last adventure together. I am looking forward to catching up with them in N or M?, the next book in the series.
This book is the second Agatha Christie I have read this month as part of the #Read Christie2023 challenge exploring the methods and motives Christie used in her books. I alternated reading with listening to the excellent audio book narrated by Hugh Fraser.
Partners in Crime is available to buy now in multiple formats.
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