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A review by steveatwaywords
The Secret Adversary by Agatha Christie
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This is an early book in the career of Christie, and I admit I have not read many of her less famous works. Here, while this thriller--not really mystery--has its moments of irritation and clumsiness from a younger writer, it still offers a comfortable storyline that speaks of an era of more innocent reading, despite its topic.
The two young investigators (who will of course fall in love) find themselves in no less than a hunt for a WWI secret document which may cause the fall of the British government. Scotland Yard and other persons of society have never made much progress in finding it, but they quickly--bizarrely--enlist the confidence of these two amateur youngsters her wander haplessly into their midst. The other characters make a number of public assessments of the two (cleverness, intuitiveness, and the like) and this is how characterization is formed, because very few of these qualities are witnessed from them along the way. Instead, circumstance and luck find them discovering and surviving most dangers--but it's all in the clean fun of the read. We don't worry overmuch about their peril (no matter how much Christie dangles it before us), and we don't worry either about it all coming out okay in the end.
The great twist or mystery that has made her work so famous is also here, though readers are unlikely to be much surprised by it; we can see the truth of what is happening about half-way through, though it takes our heroes a tad bit longer. What is left, the clever escape, is unfortunately done in the way her critics have often accused--simply denying readers access to the information necessary. If we don't tell what a character is doing while they are not currently being narrated, we can have them do just about anything and keep it a secret. But worry not: the puzzle will all be filled in at a celebratory dinner party at the end.
As and early genre piece, then, there is nothing particularly unique about this first of a series of mysteries, but then, nothing entirely unsatisfying, either. Harmless (if quite dated) fun.
The two young investigators (who will of course fall in love) find themselves in no less than a hunt for a WWI secret document which may cause the fall of the British government. Scotland Yard and other persons of society have never made much progress in finding it, but they quickly--bizarrely--enlist the confidence of these two amateur youngsters her wander haplessly into their midst. The other characters make a number of public assessments of the two (cleverness, intuitiveness, and the like) and this is how characterization is formed, because very few of these qualities are witnessed from them along the way. Instead, circumstance and luck find them discovering and surviving most dangers--but it's all in the clean fun of the read. We don't worry overmuch about their peril (no matter how much Christie dangles it before us), and we don't worry either about it all coming out okay in the end.
The great twist or mystery that has made her work so famous is also here, though readers are unlikely to be much surprised by it; we can see the truth of what is happening about half-way through, though it takes our heroes a tad bit longer. What is left, the clever escape, is unfortunately done in the way her critics have often accused--simply denying readers access to the information necessary. If we don't tell what a character is doing while they are not currently being narrated, we can have them do just about anything and keep it a secret. But worry not: the puzzle will all be filled in at a celebratory dinner party at the end.
As and early genre piece, then, there is nothing particularly unique about this first of a series of mysteries, but then, nothing entirely unsatisfying, either. Harmless (if quite dated) fun.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Gun violence