Of Agatha Christie's detectives, the Beresfords are her spy team. When readers first meet Tommy Beresford and Prudence “Tuppence” Crowley they are young, unemployed, and anxious for adventure. Throughout the years they get married, have twins, and adopt an orphan. They also are employed as spies by the British Secret Service, solving murders and thwarting sinister foreign plots against England.
Tommy and Tuppence complement each other perfectly. Tommy is logical, careful, uses common sense, has no imagination so is impossible to deceive, and is a bit slow but solid. Tuppence, on the other hand, is impulsive, intuitive, impetuous, and even a bit devious. Tommy needs her to spur him to action, and she needs him to anchor her down. As a couple and as spies, these two rely on each other through four Christie novels and one collection of short stories.
The Tommy and Tuppence Beresford Mystery Books
The Secret Adversary (1922): In the second book Christie ever wrote, childhood friends Tommy and Tuppence find themselves unemployed after the war and decide to hire themselves out as “adventurers.” They are quickly hired by a Secret Service operative to find the missing Jane Finn, who disappeared after being given some important government documents by an American right before the Lusitania sank. The two detectives must find the girl and the documents before they fall into the hands of the master criminal “Mr. Brown.”
Partners in Crime (1929): In this short story collection, the British Secret Service asks the now-married Beresfords to take over a detective agency so they can intercept messages from the Russians. While waiting for signs of international espionage, they solve cases as private investigators, each time mimicking the methods of famous fictional detectives.
N or M? (1941): A government agent charged with finding a Nazi spy has just been murdered. His last words were “N or M” and the name of a hotel. The Secret Service figures that “N or M” is the spy’s code name and asks Tommy to try to find the murderer. When he gets to the hotel he finds it packed with visitors, including his wife who has cleverly followed him. Together the Beresfords try to figure out which of the guests is the German spy before anyone else is killed.
By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968): When Tommy’s Aunt Ada dies, the Beresfords find an old painting of a house among her belongings. After finding out that the painter’s owner, a Mrs. Lancaster, has been quickly taken away from the nursing home where the old women lived, Tuppence tries to find her in the village depicted in the painting. No one there has heard of a Mrs. Lancaster but they do tell Tuppence about the mystery of a child who was murdered years before. Things get dangerous and Tommy ends up having to rescue Tuppence, and together they solve the mystery of the murdered child and the missing old lady.
Postern of Fate (1974): This was the last mystery Christie wrote, and sadly her age shows in this muddled plot. The Beresfords have just moved into a new house, and while going through some old books left by the previous owner Tuppence finds what seems to be a coded message. Breaking the code reveals this disturbing accusation: “Mary Jordan did not die naturally. It was one of us. I think I know which one.” Through gossiping in the village, Tuppence finds out that Mary was a German maid who lived in the village many years ago and was “accidentally” poisoned. The Beresfords decide to find out what really happened, and dig up a few other mysteries in this murder in retrospect.
The Enduring Interest in the Spy Team Tommy and Tuppence Beresford
Agatha Christie's married spy team detectives Tommy and Tuppence Beresford solve crimes in five mystery books, from The Secret Adversary to Postern of Fate. This couple balances each other's skills and complements each other's strengths, making their adventures delightful reading for anyone who enjoys a good mystery book.
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