I’ve read Agatha Christie on and off since I was about eleven – but it was more recently that I discovered a particular fondness for Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. Agatha Christie unfortunately only wrote four full length novels and a collection of short stories about Tommy and Tuppence – which is a crying shame. With Poirot’s ridiculous fastidiousness, ‘little grey cells’ boastful confidence, and Miss Marple’s old lady nosiness (all of which I still love) there is something about Tommy and Tuppence that is a breath of fresh air.
It appears I have read the Tommy and Tuppence novels in completely the wrong order – but I don’t suppose that matters. A few months ago, I read By the Pricking of My Thumbs which takes place a few years after this one, an excellent mystery – and I have had the final novel Postern of Fate for years but have never read it. Admittedly I have seen some poor reviews of that last novel – so perhaps I shouldn’t be in too much of a hurry to read it.
N or M? takes place in the spring of 1940, Tommy and Tuppence who original readers first encountered as bright young things, trying to shake off the horrors of the First World War, are now middle aged in the early months of another war. They have been married for a long time, have two grown up children, and have, in the past undertaken work of a secretive nature for ‘Mr Carter’ the former chief of Intelligence. The pair have been feeling very much out of things for a while, yet know they still have a lot to offer, are desperate to do something to help the war effort.
So, when a Mr Grant ‘a friend’ of Lord Easthampton (the real name of Mr Carter) Tommy and Tuppence know immediately that it is no social call. Sensing that their visitor would rather speak to Tommy alone, Tuppence makes her excuses.
“ ‘…All we know about them is that these two are Hitler’s most highly trusted agents and that in a code message we managed to decipher towards the beginning of the war there occurred this phrase – suggest N or M for England. Full powers –’ ”
Mr Grant wastes no time in taking Tommy into his confidence, a conspiracy of fifth columnists, activities which threaten Britain’s European campaign. Grant asks Tommy to undertake a secret, covert operation, he needs someone whose face is unknown. The only thing the intelligence service know are the code names N and M; the final words of a murdered man and the name of a boarding house on the south coast. Grant asks Tommy to keep his mission a secret even from Tuppence and invents a dull desk job for him in Scotland to explain away his absence. Tommy bids a fond farewell to his understanding wife, and to add colour to the lie, takes a train to Scotland, before turning around and heading back South to the boarding house Sans Souci in the seaside town of Leahampton.
When Tommy finally arrives at San Souci – as Mr Meadowes he is absolutely stunned to find Tuppence already installed, in the guise of a Mrs Blenkensop. Tuppence having of course listened in to the conversation between Tommy and Mr Grant – was not about to miss out on a bit of excitement, and the chance to prove herself still useful. They have a challenging task, routing out traitors and conspirators, a seaside boarding house not an obvious hunting ground. Tommy and Tuppence must appear to everyone as strangers – and they manage to play their part very well, meeting up on the beach to swap notes. At their first meeting after Tommy’s arrival, Tuppence is unrepentant at her deception.
“ ‘…I wished to teach you a lesson. You and your Mr Grant.’
‘He’s not exactly my Mr Grant and I should say you have taught him a lesson.’
‘Mr Carter wouldn’t have treated me so shabbily,’ said Tuppemce. ‘I don’t think the Intelligence is anything like it was in our day.’
Tommy said gravely; ‘It will attain its former brilliance now we’re back in it. But why Blenkensop?’
‘Why not?’
‘It seems an odd name to choose.’
‘It was the first one I thought of and it’s handy for underclothes’
‘What do you mean Tuppence?’
‘B, you idiot. B for Beresford, B for Blenkensop. Embroidered on my cami-knickers. Patricia Blenkensop. Prudence Beresford. Why did you choose Meadowes? It’s a silly name.’ ”
The boarding house is filled with an odd assortment of people. There is Mrs Peranna, her daughter Sheila, a Major, Mrs Sprot a devoted young mother and her charming little child Betty, a large Irish woman Miss O’Rourke, a German refugee von Deinem, an elderly lady called Miss Minton, a married couple, the Cayleys an invalid and his fussy, chattering wife. Tommy and Tuppence soon have their suspicions, and within a day or two of their arrival another foreign woman has been seen loitering outside the boarding house.
Tommy and Tuppence find themselves playing a dangerous game in a bid to unmask the traitors. Neither of them is safe, each of them seeming about to land themselves in hot water, I had my heart in my mouth. However, Tommy and Tuppence are possessed of incredibly cool heads. Christie is quite brilliant here, at recreating the sense of wartime paranoia, where nobody’s identity can be take at face value and foreigners are all treated with a degree of suspicion. Twists, turns and misdirection keep the reader guessing, and there are several surprises before the case is solved.
N or M? is an excellent Christie novel, more wartime espionage than the usual murder mystery we associate her with, it’s a brilliant little page turner, featuring an adorable couple.
We have all the Agatha Christie novels and even if you’ve read them, they good to go back to every now and then. I also enjoyed the Tommy and Tuppence books and I agree – I wish there were more.
Yes, I find I can read and re-read Christie quite happily. Several of the Poirot and Marple novels I have read more than once.
I remember this is my favourite in the short series of 4.Its the boarding house set in the 1940s that does it for me.
I really liked the boarding house setting.
I wish I had discovered Agatha Christie as a younger reader; I think I’d be fonder of her now, had that been the case. Regardless, this does sound very satisfying, and the transient flavour of the boarding house offers all sorts of potential for story-telling.
This is a really satisfying Christie novel, and the boarding house dynamic is really well done.
I *love* the Tommy and Tuppence stories – some of my favourite Christies! And I know Postern of Fate is reckoned to be not up to scratch, but I still have a fondness for it!
I’m sure I will read Postern of Fate one day, at least my of it aren’t too high. Glad you rather like it.
I really enjoy Christie’s T&T also, and am as disappointed as you that there are so few of her books featuring them.
Partners in Crime is most enjoyable if you recognize the popular fictional detectives of the day.
And, yes, Postern of Fate is an ordeal. I do not recommend it at all. https://www.exurbanis.com/archives/7192#postern
Yes I feel as if I read Partners in Crime many moons ago, but don’t remember it.
I read Christie as a teenager, borrowing the books from a friend of my mother’s. However, while she enjoyed Poirot and Miss Marple she didn’t like Tommy and Tuppence so I have never read those. This, at least, sounds like one I would enjoy but it will have to be an ebook or the library. I can’t fownsize with one hand and bring more books in with the other.
Good point, I’m sure ebook versions of this one are available, I hope you can find it.
The Tommy and Tuppence stories are some of my favourites too. I generally like the Christie stories where neither Poirot or miss Marple are included (although I’m very fond of miss Marple). Without them the story is more likely to take unexpected roads and I no longer know for sure who will solve it.
I have a great fondness for Poirot even though he is annoying. I liked some of the unexpected aspects of this novel, it is very clever.
I like Poirot, although not as much as miss Marple. I think he’s a great character. My main issue with him is that he’s in so many of Christie’s novels and many of those have too much in common.
I’ve never read a T&T! Seems like every week I make another confession about something I’ve not yet read, ha ha. But this sounds wonderful and I will definitely get around to them sometime!
I hope you do, they are great fun.
I am another big fan of Tommy and Tuppance, the only Christie continuing characters who age in “real time”. Another interesting thing about N or M? is that it is the only Christie novel written during WWII that actually is set during WWII. A number of her novels written AFTER the war deal with war time events, but the ones actually written during the war seem to be set either pre-war or in an alternative WWII free universe. I discovered this when doing research on fiction books written in England during the early years of the war when the end was in doubt, to see attitudes toward war, rationing, evacuation, etc.
Oh yes, I love the fact they age in real time. (unlike poor old Poirot, who had he been solving crimes in the 1970s would have been over a hundred). I always enjoy novels written during world war two rather than merely set during it.
I haven’t read any of the Tommy and Tuppence novels, but your review makes me think I need to pick one up soon!
I hope you do, they are great characters.
I read my way through all of the Agatha Christie books in my teens, I remember Tommy and Tuppence, but I don’t think I’ve ever revisited any of their books. You have me thinking that it’s time I did!
I hope you do, they are such nice characters.
I do love Christie novels but must admit I’ve never read any Tommy and Tuppence stories. I can see that I’ll have to remedy such an oversight, and soon!
Oh good, hope you enjoy getting to know T&T.
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