REVIEW: The Secret Adversary (Agatha Christie)

Book: The Secret Adversary

Author: Agatha Christie

My rating: 2.5/5.

Premise: 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.

This book is very different from your usual Christie. For a start, it isn't a murder mystery, more a thriller. The two main characters start off having a lark playing detectives, but then get drawn into a political plot with serious consequences. At times I found Tommy and Tuppence annoying, especially at the start. They come across like a couple of spoilt twenty-somethings deciding they'll have a go at real work, and choosing something fun like being detective. Very much "jolly old chap" and all that. They did become more serious when they realised the stakes but that attitude did linger. The plot was good. There were a lot of twists and turns keeping you guessing. I must admit, I'd worked out a couple of the reveals (namely who the secret adversary was!) but it was still exciting nonetheless! A good read, but not my favourite Christie novel.