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Favourite book?

Rea_Potter 28 Sep 08 at 6:13 p.m. GMT

My favourite Tommy and Tuppence book is the Secret Adversary.

The secong is By the Pricking of My Thumbs.

The third is the Postern of Fate.

Which is yours and why?

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28 replies

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drdavid 29 Sep 08 at 2:23 p.m. GMT

I have enjoyed them all even the one everybody loves to hate "Postern of Fate" my favourite is "By the Pricking of my Thumbs" and also have enjoyed all the television films mostly based on the short stories

belgian_in_ireland 30 Sep 08 at 1:52 p.m. GMT

My very first Agatha Christie book was "Partners in crime", on holidays in France when I was about 14. I also love all T&T; books and as you, drdavid, I also enjoyed "Postern of Fate". The series with Francesca Annis and James Warwick is brilliant, I think. After much soul searching I bought the DVD's, thinking that after all these years, I might not like them as much. But I needn't have worried, it's still as good as it was in the 1980's. I just love the hats Francesca Annis gets to wear!

curious 30 Sep 08 at 2:25 p.m. GMT

I haven't read yet any other T&T book than The Secret Adversary, but I think it is very good and already now my favourite!

Marplefan9 14 Oct 08 at 8:39 p.m. GMT

I like all of the Tommy and Tuppences (Partners In Crime included) although Posten of Fate was the poorest of all. Out of them all, I really liked N or M? A great mystery

Towards_Zero 25 Oct 08 at 12:40 p.m. GMT

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N or M? and The Secret Adversary are best of T&T series, in my opinion. N or M? is written in the golden years of AC's career, so it is not surprising to face such a great thriller and is no doubt the best of T&T. The Secret Adversary is also brilliant. Specially when you note that it is AC's only second book (among 80). (p.s. I haven't read Postern of Fate yet!)

Bonini 16 Nov 08 at 1:56 a.m. GMT

N or M? is such a great book! I finished it on Thursday, and I've suspected the murderer since the beginning. I've not read yet By The Pricking of My Thumbs and Postern of Fate, so the order of my favourite T&T; books is: N or M?, The Secret Adversary, Partners in Crime.

El_Wara 20 Nov 08 at 2:06 a.m. GMT

I have only read The Secret Adversary and I think is a very good novel, I really like Tommy

Tommy_A_Jones 06 Dec 08 at 4:38 p.m. GMT

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The only one I haven't read yet is Postern of Fate, so far I think By The Pricking Of My Thum is the least good although I don't really remember much about N or M apart from something significant about  a Villain and the fact that I enjoyed the book.

Mr_Satterthwaite 23 Feb 09 at 6:32 p.m. GMT

Well to be honest I have only read two of the five books and one of these was when I was very young. However, I read 'N or M' about a year ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. Especially, I think, because it was written in 1940/41. I liked the environment that Christe created in the guest-house and the enduring spirit of the characters considering it was written during the 'Blitz'.

akkshay1 12 Jun 09 at 4:53 p.m. GMT

By tHe Pricking Of mY thUMbs..... the book is just WOW.... its on no #3 on my all time favourite AC's book... The quest of tuppence to find the house is simple sooperbly written ... and that book gave me creeppsss... at some places,,.. thats really a very well plotted story.. sad, i have read its abridged version, couldn't lay my hands on unabridged one..!! 

Tommy_A_Jones 17 Jun 09 at 10:49 a.m. GMT

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I think my favourite is 'The Secret Adversary' although it is 20 years since I read N or M and I remember liking that more than 'Thumbs' and POF which I have read since and 'Pqartners In Crime' is abook I loved but am not sure if it is a book of short stories or a Novel as T&T start with an Adventure and it is Concluded at the end but the other stories could be read independantly, It is like 'The Big Four' in that respect, but I agree with you akshay1 about Tuppence's quest for the House, I just feel 'Thumbs' is let down towards the end like POF, with that one I loved the Message and the quest to find the Author of it.

Dianala 26 Jun 09 at 2:30 p.m. GMT

I love Tommy and Tuppence stories.In adittion I really like the films where they are. To me, they are the best detectives.

na_well 05 Jul 09 at 12:05 a.m. GMT

I only read The Secret Adversary so far but I loved it. I would like to read another one. I think they are great and they are a good option because they are adventurous and more like spy novels which is something different from the common AC books which are more detective fiction.

aznm 12 Aug 09 at 1:44 p.m. GMT

It's been a while since I read all the T&T books, but I do remember really liking BY THE PRICKING OF MY THUMBS and THE SECRET ADVERSARY.  I remember thinking POSTERN OF FATE had some rehashed actions in it.  The short stories are fun and great for light reading when one only has a little bit of time.  N or M was interesting, too.  I do remember enjoying their books, for the most part, and I have read them more than once over a span of many years.  Loved their TV adventures and own the complete set.  I have all their books waiting to be read 'next in line', so I'll remember the three later books a bit more clearly after.

T&T were adventurous, light-hearted, and romantic, very different from Christie's other novels, and that's what's so attractive about them.

Puffinjill 05 Sep 09 at 3:14 p.m. GMT

Tommy and Tuppence were my introduction to Agatha Christie through the ITV Francesca Annis and James Warwick series in the '80's. I bought the "Partners in Crime" book and then read everything she had written that I could lay my hands on! I loved the period setting and the fun way the characters complimented each other. As for the novels, I've always loved "The Secret Adversary" and I have grown fonder of "N or M" in recent years. I think I now appreciate the way the characters age and not now just miss the lightheartedness as I did on reading the later novels. After all, they get to grow with their stories in the way Poirot and Marple don't. Thats what makes them interesting and unique in Christie detectives. I just wish we had more of them!

Tommy_A_Jones 21 Sep 09 at 3:18 p.m. GMT

I agree with you puffinjill, although Miss Marple's increasing frailty is mentioned in The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side

Puffinjill 21 Sep 09 at 5:05 p.m. GMT

I know, but from the start Miss Marple was in the twilight of her years. Her character may develop through the novels she is in, but she herself doesn't grow from personal life experiences as Tommy and Tuppence do. Her attitude to life is fully mature from the outset whereas T and T are delightfully young and rush into situations more mature people would run from (especially in The Secret Adversary).

Jack_London 12 Oct 09 at 12:21 p.m. GMT

Tommy and Tuppence are, in my opinion, Christie's greatest characters.

Mine would have to be N or M first, followed by The Secret Adversary, then finally By The Pricking of My Thumbs

I like the action and the faster pace with Tommy and Tuppence stories because it's something you don't necessarily encounter with Poirot or Marple.  

Puffinjill 12 Oct 09 at 2:43 p.m. GMT

Thats true, they exude youth and energy. Even the novels featuring an older Tommy and Tuppence have wonderfully quick dialogue that zips along.

Jack_London 13 Oct 09 at 7:42 a.m. GMT

That's exactly it. Poirot is great for his ingenious which is impossibly brilliant in every single case, regardless of circumstances, and along with that i am personally a great fan of dear old Hastings who i think perfectly ofsets the personality of Poirot. Marple is equally brilliant as much for her personality as her amazing capacity to understand everything, but Tommy and Tuppence i would say, appeal to readers because their stories are a change from Marple and Poirot who are in many ways quite similar.