A wartime thriller in which Tommy and Tuppence Beresford are appointed by British Intelligence to seek out a man and a woman from among the guests at a seaside hotel, guests who are, in fact, Nazis who have killed Britain's finest agent. From the author of THE ABC MURDERS.
N or M? (Tommy & Tuppence Mysteries)
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From Library Journal
Middle-aged Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, too old to fight and too young to knit, are dismayed to find out that the British government of World War II has little interest in their detecting and spy-catching abilities. Then, almost incidentally, they are asked to spot a traitor, believed to be living at a rural guesthouse. But the place is full of harmless eccentrics: elderly ladies, retired military men, a hypochondriac and his colorless wife, a young mother, and a German refugee. The Beresfords invent personalities and elaborate traps, identify the imposter, and prevent an invasion. The strengths of this Christie "cozy" are the exuberant charm, intelligence, and enthusiasms of the central characters. Middle-aged they may be, but inside Tommy and Tuppence are still the same young adventurers who chased criminals and spies in post-Great War London. James Warwick does a highly competent, nicely unobtrusive job of reading this title, which is likely to be popular with fans of golden age mysteries. Recommended for moderate to large public libraries. I. Pour-El, Des Moines Area Community Coll., Boone, IA
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.
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'As ingenious as ever' Guardian 'A nice surprise finish ... all-round entertainment' Observer
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Format:Mass Market Paperback
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford (SECRET ADVERSARY and PARTNERS IN CRIME) are now a middle aged couple who have two grown children, twins Deborah and Derek. It is the opening days of WWII, England is bracing for the Blitz and all citizens are anxious to "do their bit". Unfortunately while the twins are away on military assignments, the older Beresfords are deemed to be too old for active service. They are urged to take up service at home, like knitting. Ultimately though Tommy's old contacts pay off - for him at least - he is offered a desk job in a restricted area, Tuppence must remain at home, with the hated knitting.
It is later revealed that the desk job is a ruse and Tommy is needed for an undercover assignment. Tuppence is one step ahead as usual and arrives on the scene before Tommy. Together the two work to ferret out a spy ring on the English coast. As always with these two there are deceptions, kidnappings and last minute rescues before the triumphant conclusion.
It is nice to see what old friends have been up to in the intervening years and good to see that they haven't lost a step. Christie does an excellent job of capturing the atmosphere of the time, the tension as the war builds and the anxious waiting to hear news of loved ones in peril.
There are a couple of problems though for long time fans of this series. Judging from the publication dates of the earlier novels, 1922 and 1929, Tommy and Tuppence are in their early 40s and the twins are 11 years old during this one. Even going by the slighly different time frame listed in this novel the twins cannot be more than teenagers and Tommy would still be very young to be retired.
The plot is, as usual for Christie, clever and designed to keep the reader guessing until the end. The final chapter is, in keeping with the rest of the series, a nice, sentimental touch.
Format:Mass Market Paperback
This is the 39th book Agatha Christie wrote. She published it in 1941, in the mid of World War II. It is said that she wrote this story while London was suffering under the German air attacks. Agatha never wanted to leave London during these attacks, because she felt too involved. The novel is one of two which the author worked on simultaneously during World War II while she stayed alone in London. She alternated writing 'Body in the Library' and 'N or M?' to keep herself "fresh at task."
Although not being a big fan of Tommy and Tuppence Beresford I must admit that this story was quite special. This book is one of the few Agatha Christie wrote that have a historical background. It has certainly a nice atmosphere to it. First I was a bit put-off by the amazingly unrealistic espionage rubbish often seen in this kind of books, but discovered to my surprise that some -not all- subplots would not have been miscast in an average Poirot adventure. It was quite refreshing to see that Agatha had put this story in an almost realistic setting: the struggle against collaborators that tried to prepare a German attack on the coast of England.
Not the best of her works, but certainly very close.
By Bridget
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Tommy and Tuppence are excellent in this book. After Poirot, they are my favourite. I never guessed the murderer, and it was exciting and interesting every minute. I loved the suspense, and I read it in only one day. I highly reccomend this book to everyone.
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Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Best Book Ever Written
I am rapidly running out of superlatives to describe this book and all other books written by this sensational author. Read more
Published on Oct 6 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Very suspenseful. I really enjoyed this title.
This was one of my first Agatha Christie novels, and I liked it so much, I read it again. I readily recommend this book. Read more
Published on Sep 17 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
"The bullet-headed Prussian officer...."
How could anyone not love Tommy and Tuppence? They are so full of character, life, and vigor! N or M perfectly exemplifies the beloved characteristics of our dear sweet... Read more
Published on Nov 6 1997
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best of Tommy and Tuppence I've ever read!
I decided to read this book because it not only was an Agatha Christie but it envolves Tommy and Tuppence. They are my favorite charcters and did not disapoint me. Read more
Published on Aug 10 1997
5.0 out of 5 stars
Agatha Christie's Best Book since "Curtain"...
Who was the mysterious foreign woman who kept sneaking around? Why did she try to kidnap the young daughter of a tenant at the Sans Souci? Read more
Published on Mar 31 1997
5.0 out of 5 stars
40+ English man & wife work undercover & stop German attack.
During the war, a middle-aged, former undercover team, now
husband and wife, agree to work for their government again
on a special assignment. Read more
husband and wife, agree to work for their government again
on a special assignment. Read more
Published on May 31 1996
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