Why Didn't They Ask evens?

by Agatha Christie

Was it a misstep that sent a handsome stranger plummeting to his death from a cliff? Or something more sinister? Fun-loving adventurers Bobby Jones and Frances Derwent's suspicions are certainly roused--espeically since the man's dying words were so Why didn't they ask Evans? Bobby and Frances would love to know. Unfortunately, asking the wrong people has sent the amateur sleuths running for their lives--on a wild and deadly pursuit to discover who Evans is, what it was he wasn't asked, and why the mysterious inquiry has put their own lives in mortal danger...

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Fiction, Crime, Classics, Mystery Thriller, Audiobook

Hardcover

First published September 1, 1934

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Why didn't they ask Evans?
Great question, random Goodreader.
The long of it is that you really need to quit trying to take these shortcuts, and just read the damn book for yourself.
The short answer is that they didn't know who the hell Evans was.



When a stranger falls off a cliff near the place where Bobby and the town doctor are playing a round of nine holes and utters Why didn't they ask Evans? as his dying words, he assumes it is just the random mutterings of someone who is passing on to the Great Golf Course in the Sky.



But when an attempt is made on his life, Frankie, (his attractive friend & neighbor) decides that there's more to the story. And who is Bobby to tell his childhood crush that he won't help her investigate? You can tell Frankie is a chick who knows what she wants, and what she wants is Bobby. He's a bit slow on the uptake, but I think it all turns out alright in the end.



I like these cute cozy mysteries that have a hint of romance to them.
Two young people who like each other but haven't admitted it yet, go on to solve a crime that baffles even the police.



Ok, ok, ok!
While the far-fetched plot doesn't allow for an ounce of believability to anything these kids discover, it still entertains.
Much like these Chris Evans GIFs.



I'd never read this one before (bonus!) and thought it was a fun little mystery.
Recommended for Agatha Christie fans.

[Kylie D · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a most welcome re-read for me. It's been many years since I last read it and I'd forgotten most of the plot, so it was like a new book!

We have a young man, Bobby, who, while playing golf, comes across a seriously injured man who has fallen from a cliff. As his golfing partner goes for help the injured man briefly regains consciousness and says "Why didn't they ask Evans?" and then dies. Bobby dismisses the comment as nonsense, but sinister things start to happen when he mentions this to the mans family, so he and his childhood friend Lady Frances Derwent, aka Frankie, start to investigate, not realising they are putting their own lives at peril.

This is another example of the ingenious plotting of Agatha Christie, and while it may not be her best, it's still a cut above most of todays offerings. All lovers of crime and mystery novels need to read Christie's works.

[Matheus Madeira · Rating 4 out of 5]

No dia 29 de abril de 2021, às 17:30h da parte inferior do meridiano de greenwich, fazendo 19°C em Tubarão city, editheus, em live de bel rodrigues, acompanhado de um belíssimo chat, termina de ler “por que não pediram a evans?” da veia safada agatha christie.

favor ler minha resenha acompanhado do seguinte painel semântico:
https://uploaddeimagens.com.br/imagen...

Este é o terceiro livro que leio da rainha do crime e me mantenho admirado com a forma que a narrativa é construída. O mistério central deste livro, o grande x da questão, a grande maionese caseira desse x, se mantém vivo até os momentos finais do livro (pelo menos para mim que deixou passar várias dicas sendo deixadas ao longo do caminho), eu suspeitava de algumas pessoas, mas lá na minha alma, tudo estava óbvio demais, e sei muito bem que nesse x-tudo da Agatha Christie, até a batata palha pode ser suspeita, porém, é um x-tudo maravilhosamente gostoso.

Não sei se um dia acertarei algum assassino, talvez eu seja um péssimo editetetive, em contrapartida, sou um ótimo futriqueiro [UEPA], então pode ter certeza que esse livro é um prato cheio de futricos. Gostei de ser apresentado a dois personagens novos, porém os caminhos que se seguem para o final me deixaram levemente “UÉ?” das ideias.

Ao final, não tem como duvidar que a veia é lendária no questio plots, no momento em que as resposta foram surgindo, eu não conseguia mais parar de read, a leitura desse livro é muito gostosinha e fluiu muito bem para mim. Ainda que tenha alguns pequenos pontos que ficaram estranhos ao meu ver [RAPAAAAAAZ], isso não tira o brilho dessa grande obra, com certeza recomendo para você que gostaria de ler um bom suspense policial.

Dito isso, fica aqui meus 4 edilikes, obrigado vossas pessoas por me ouvirem e obrigado Agatha por mais uma história fascinante, quem quiser entrar no meu grupo de whatsapp “palhaços da gata” me manda no e-mail eu@palhaço.agatha.christie, um beijão a todos.

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

A wonderfully quaint, but rollicking modern classic Agatha Christie tale - two old friends, one male and one female, of different social classes are drawn into a conspiracy that starts with an alleged 'accident' on a cliff side. I remember the TV adaption of this being marketed heavily as a great story... and indeed it is :) 7 out of 12.

2013 read

[Holly B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the April pick for Read Christie 2022/ Standalone

Also a new series on BritBox which is a streaming service in UK and US.

Why didn't they ask Evans? Well, this is the question of the day!

I'll never tell, but you can always read the book. I enjoyed it, especially Lady Frankie and her bestie, Bobby.

Bobby and a local doctor are playing a round of golf when they discover a stranger, he has fallen off a cliff. His last words are "Why didn't they ask Evans?" All the knifes, and poisons, and other deadly tools are out and Lady Frankie and Bobby are on the case.

Recommend to Christie fans and those who enjoy far-fetched, but fun mysteries, amateur sleuths, and cozy elements.

[Adrian · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun book and one of my first non Poirot/Marple Agatha Christie’s for many years.
More tomorrow 👍🏼

It seems strange reading an Agatha Christie book, without Miss Marple's little cough from the corner of the room, or Poirot commenting on his little grey cells. Did I miss them, yes, but I also enjoyed this mystery and it was still so Agatha.
Starring the 4th son of a vicar, Bobby Jones and his childhood friend Lady Frances Derwent, this story commences on the links golf course where Bobby is playing his usual random game, slicing his ball all over the place. Hearing a cry in the distance through the fog, when they get near the cliff, he and his golf partner discover a body on the rocks. Barely alive, on death's door, Bobby looks after the man whilst his partner goes for help. Just before expiring the man utters the famous words "why didn't they ask Evans ?".
This marks the beginning of a series of adventures for Bobby and Frankie , that takes them all over the country , sees them knocked out, kidnapped , drugged and imprisoned. Just when all hope appears to be lost Bobby and Frankie discover that something they have been hunting for is right under their noses.
Wonderfully written, which is obviously no surprise, this is as usual an intricate mystery with some clues and some red herrings scattered willy nilly. I didn't miss Poirot or Marple too much because I'm still finishing off reading challenges for both of them, so I guess I will enjoy non Marple/Poirot mysteries by Agatha Christie
A strong 4 stars.

[Phrynne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably not one of Agatha Christie's best books but I enjoyed it just the same. Frankie and Bobbie are a delightful pair and I loved their ending. The story is fun and I didn't actually guess one of the guilty parties.
I believe this was one of her earlier books and it was not as polished as her work usually is. I also had to suspend belief more often than usual. In the first few chapters when the doctor and Bobbie find a dying man on a cliff - the doctor goes for help leaving the unqualified young man in charge. Pretty sure the young man should have run for help leaving the suitably qualified doctor to tend the dying.
Never mind though. It was a good story and it was fun. A very pleasant light read.

[Luffy Sempai · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dame Agatha Christie. Creator of Hercule Poirot, best selling author of over 80 million books. And writer of Why Didn't They ask Evans?. 1/5 rating from yours truly. Take that, b-! What a horrible book. Such an irrevocably nonsensical, immature, and puerile book. I didn't suspect that so many of Christie's non Poirot/Marple books were so short on anything that bears a resemblance to quality. Slowly, after attempting to read several books, including that Haley Quin one, a dreary and patchy picture emerges. I'll be avoiding these obscure blunders from now on.

[͙͘͡★ Ancuta✨🌙 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating: 2.5✨


Okay, now about this one… I picked it up because it was short, that was the main reason. The other reason was that I really loved almost all of Agatha Christie’s novels and ofc I was expecting to absolutely enjoy this one too. The reality was that this one wasn’t as good as I hoped unfortunately.

Okay, so it wasn’t bad (I think it’s safe to say I read plenty of bad books and this one is not going to fall into that category). But at the same time, it wasn’t amazing either. It was somewhere between, I guess ?

It felt kind of bland tbh. I can’t say that I got attached to any of the characters, most of the time I really didn’t care what they were doing or what will happen to them. The same way, the plot didn’t really felt impressive, it was quite underwhelming, actually. I was expecting something more interesting and entertaining, something that would have made me be so captivated and immersed into the plot so that I couldn’t tell when the time flew with this one, but it wasn’t the case.

Nothing felt good enough for me in this book tbh. I had the feeling that even the interactions between the characters felt so forced and sometimes nothing really made sense for me. The crime plot wasn’t what I hoped. In fact, all the case was just so uninteresting to me, I couldn’t care less who did what, who was the killer, why did that man have to die or what’s all this Evans plot about.

I think the only good thing that I can say about this book is the fact that it was short and the chapters weren’t too long (and also, some parts were quite funny and I appreciated that). At least that made the reading a bit more bearable for me. I will watch the movie tho (maybe the mini series too, but we shall see about that), I’m really curious how I’ll be feeling about the adaptation (hope it’s going to be better🤞🏼).

[Piyangie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my second time reading of a standalone murder-mystery by Agatha Christie, and I find it to be quite a different experience. I've completed the Poirot series and I'm kind of used to having a competent detective around to secure justice for the victim of the crime. Here was a complete contrast to what I'm used to reading in an Agatha Christie novel. There is no competent detective, not even the police, but two youngsters playing at the hand of amateur detectives. Although it took some time for me to get into it, I quite liked this different style.

The story is based on a good murder-mystery plot. Having read a considerable number of Agatha Christie, I can't say that this is one of her best, but still, it is quite an interesting one, with a good concept. It is not overly complicated but has its fair share of twists and turns and red herrings. One of the criminals was spotted very early on, but his partner in crime and the motive behind it all was hidden till the end so that the suspense was kept fully intact.

The amateur detective duo is the most interesting feature of the story. The lack of professional knowledge and skill makes them close to us. We feel they are as one of us since we almost always play their role in every detective fiction that we read. It was nice to have such a duo for a change, and I very much enjoyed their blunders which played them almost to the hand of the criminals. But both are intelligent and resourceful, and though inexperienced at detection, turned the table to ensure that justice wins the day.

I enjoyed this book on the whole and was happy to find that even the standalone murder mysteries of Agatha Christie have the equal charm of those in her series.

[Ken · Rating 2 out of 5]

I always find the Christie thrillers to never really connect with me, that probably explains why I’d initially skipped this one when working through her cannon.

My favourite part of the story was probably the introduction to the mystery itself.
Bobby Jones and his friend Dr Thomas are playing golf in a Welsh seaside resort, only for Bobby to slice his ball over a cliff edge.
Down below he spots a dying man who utters the final words ‘Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?’

Whilst surviving an attempt of poisoning, Bobby regaling the events to companion Frankie (Lady Frances Derwent) and the pair decided to investigate further.

Even through the set up was great, I found the story to fall into the same plot failings as the other Christie thrillers.
At the same time the pair felt like a weaker version of Tommy and Tuppence.

By no means her worst novel, I’d rank this somewhere between The Secret of Chimneys and The Seven Dials Mystery.

[Richard Derus · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5* of five

Annoying. Just plain annoying. Frankie and Bobby are bumbling amateurs! Lady Frances Derwent, daughter of the Earl of Marchington, knows Bobby, the son of the Vicar of Marchbolt, from little on up. They meet again when Bobby's found a dying man under the cliffs near his home. He and Frankie decide that they'll look into the matter because there are some loose and flapping ends that Bobby knows but had no chance to say at the inquest.

Hijinks quite predictably ensue.

It was 80 years ago that the book was conceived and written, but the kinds of dumbass errors the amateurs make just got up my nose. So much so that I was really hard pressed to keep reading. I did, oh my, didn't I just, but I kept shouting at the book (thank goodness my roommate is in rehab!) when they pulled *yet*another*bonehead*maneuver* with their ridiculously overcomplicated plans that shouldn't have worked while overlooking commonsensical things like doors being locked or unlocked from the outside....

Well anyway, there it is, I can't change Dame Agatha's writing and I can't unread it.

There have been two TV adaptations. The first, in 1980, starred Francesca Annis and James Warwick (later stars of the very good Partners in Crime series featuring Dame Agatha's amateur sleuths Tommy and Tuppence) and was supremely faithful to the book. It was three hours of pleasure. The baddie was bad, the bumbling was still annoying, the goodies wore two shoes. But it was beautiful and it was well done.

But. Then. Came. Marple.

Horrifying. They totally screwed the pooch. Miss Marple, played at that point by Julia MacKenzie, was grafted onto the story, much surgery was done to the plot, and the characters of Frankie and Bobby were prettified (Sean Biggerstaff, who played Bobby, was Oliver Wood in the Potter franchise) into blandness. I'd deduct at least two stars for the awfulness of this "adaptation" but it's just not fair to blame the Dame for what happened thirty years after she popped her clogs.

In general, I'd give the whole fechachte thing a miss unless you are a Francesca Annis fan (me!) in which case hunt up the 1980 telefilm.

[Snjez · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think this was my first Agatha Christie novel ever. I read it when I was in highschool and I loved it back then. I didn't love it as much this time around, which was to be expected, but it was still enjoyable.

The audiobook was good. Frankie's voice was a bit annoying, but I liked the narrator's voices for other characters.

[NILTON TEIXEIRA · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was first published in the United Kingdom in 1934 and in the United States in 1935 under the title of The Boomerang Clue.
The narrative is lively and fun with some good action. Instead of Hercule Poirot or Mrs. Marple we are presented with a charming couple with very amateurish defective’s skills.
This was a re-read for me, but first time in English.
I did expect to enjoy the original language a lot more than the one translated into Portuguese, but unfortunately I was not surprised (I guess that the translation was very good).
I confess that I did not remember the storyline but I can say for certain that this one is definitely not one of my favourites.
I did find the writing out of her character and the plot too far fetched and not very gripping or interesting.
I can say that this one is the most boring book that I’ve ever read by Christie (in my opinion).
For those who don’t know me, I’ve been a fan of Agatha Christie since my early teens (I’m on my late 50’s) and I have read everything she has ever written (novels, romances and plays) and she is the only author that I re-read (my favourite is still “And Then There Were None”, which I have read over ten times, followed by “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd”).
There is a new adaptation for the TV, on BritBox, which I just watched but unfortunately did not impressed me (blame on the casting and screenplay, everything else, especially the production, was great).

[Katie Lumsden · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another delightful Agatha Christie.

[Μαρία Αλεξοπούλου · Rating 4 out of 5]

Οι εκδόσεις Ψυχογιός συνεχίζουν να επανακυκλοφορούν βιβλία της θρυλικής Agatha Christie ώστε να επανεκτιμήσουμε παλιές αγαπημένες ιστορίες μυστηρίου αλλά και να ανακαλύψουμε νέα ‘’διαμαντάκια’’. Το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο υπάγεται στη δεύτερη κατηγορία. Η ιστορία ξεκινάει όταν ο Μπόμπι Τζόοουνς παίζει μια παρτίδα γκολφ με τον δόκτορα Τόμας αλλά μέσα στον ενθουσιασμό του το μπαλάκι εκσφενδονίζεται και καταλήγει στον γκρεμό. Κατεβαίνει σιγά σιγά από το μονοπάτι να το αναζητήσει αλλά βρίσκει έναν άντρα τσακισμένο στα βράχια. Πριν ξεψυχήσει, ο άγνωστος ψελλίζει μία φράση: «Γιατί δε φώναξαν την Έβανς;» Τι νόημα κρύβει αυτή η φράση; Και ποια είναι η όμορφη γυναίκα στη φωτογραφία που βρήκε στην τσέπη του νεκρού;

Πρόκειται για το πέμπτο μυθιστόρημα της θείας Άγκαθας που διαβάζω αποφασισμένη να βρω τη λύση του γρίφου. Παραδόξως δεν μου έλειψε η περσόνα του Ηρακλή Πουαρό γιατί θεωρώ πως ο Μπόμπι και η φίλη του Φράνκι ήταν ωραίο δίδυμο που τους πυροδότησε μία ερώτηση. Ορμώμενοι από καθαρή περιέργεια αναδομούσαν έξυπνα το έγκλημα με το να απορρίπτουν τα ήσσονος σημασίας στοιχεία. Πάντα οι ελέγξιμες θεωρίες της συγγραφέως στηρίζονται στη λογική ώστε να μη δυσανασχετήσουμε με την εξωφρενική απιθανότητα μίας κατάστασης. Ο ανάλαφρος τόνου του έργου άρεσε γενικά στους κριτικούς γιατί δεν βρίσκονταν σε μόνιμη επαγρύπνηση. Τείνω να συμφωνήσω. Δεν υπάρχει σύγχυση όσον αφορά τους χαρακτήρες του έργου γιατί μεν υπάρχει βοηθητικός κατάλογος στην αρχή του βιβλίου, δε είναι λίγος ο αριθμός των υπόπτων. Όπως πάντα η Agatha με αποπροσανατόλισε με τα αφηγηματικά τεχνάσματά της και έμεινα άφωνη με την εξιχνίαση του μυστηρίου. Παρόλο που δεν είχα αυθαίρετα συμπεράσματα η δική μου ‘’λύση’’ απείχε παρασάγγας από την αλήθεια. Μόλις τελείωσα το βιβλίο ένα ερώτημα τριβέλιζε το νου μου. Γιατί δε βρήκα πάλι την εξήγηση της Agatha;

H κριτική δημοσιεύτηκε πρώτα στο Οne girl, one pen

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This must be one of Christie's most delightful novels. Bobby Jones is the likeable, if not very intellectual, young man who discovers a dying man on a golf course and hears his cryptic last words, "why didn't they ask Evans?" Events that follow, what originally seems an accident, lead Bobby and the plucky Frankie (Lady Frances Derwent) to try to unravel the mystery of who the man really was and who murdered him. Before long, Frankie and Bobby are plunged into an adventure, involving a sinister doctor, his beautiful wife, mysterious accidents, swopped photographs and the riddle of who Evans is - you will never guess!

Christie is at the top of her game here, with great characters, an enjoyable storyline and a difficult mystery to unravel. Bobby and Frankie are excellent investigators and this is a lovely stand alone novel. If you wanted to try Agatha Christie and not plunge straight into the Poirot or Marple books, this would be a great choice to get a feel for her writing and what a real master of her craft she was. It is amazing to realise that this was published in 1934, the year when she also published, “Murder on the Orient Express,” and, indeed, I have always thought that 1930’s was her strongest decade.

[Rahma.Mrk · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est l'un du roman que je ne l'oublie plus.
من روايات التي لا تنسى قراتها منذ سنتان و اتذكر كل حبكة .خاصة انها جريمة خاصة ليس هناك لا محقق هيريكول و لا انسة ماربل.

[غُفْرَان · Rating 4 out of 5]

يبدو أن السيدة صاحبة المقام الرفيع ستنتصر عليَّ إذ بدأت في إحراز نقاط فوزها ببراعة شديدة بهذا العقل الإجرامي الذي تحمله فوق كتفيها
فقامت بتغفيلي بإقتدار للمرة الثانية على التوالي
بل أقول أنها فعلتها في هذه الرواية أكثر من مرة 😣

ما إن أضع يدي على خيط حتى تأتي بإنجليزيتها الباردة لتقول لي :
هل تسمح لي السيدة بسحب هذا الخيط من يدها حيث يبدو لي أن السيدة أخطأت هذه المرة أيضًا 😌

لماذا لم يسألوا إيفانز ؟؟
ربما مفتاح اللغز عنده، بداية الطريق تبدأ من ملعب الجولف وجريمة غامضة بدت كحادثة سير أخرى
ولكن هيهات مع السيدة لا توجد حوادث سير أخرى فلا تمني نفسك بما هو مستحيل فهى قادرة على خلق جريمة وقاتل من كلمة صباح الخير ❗️
فلا تفعلها كما فعلتها ليدي فرانسيس ديروينت وبوبي ابن الموقر جونز وأقحموا أنفسهم في ما لا يحمد عقباه
فساقهم الفضول إلى ....
فلتسألوا إيفانز إذن فهو يعلم الكثير 😉

[Obsidian · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun look at a standalone Christie. "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" is definitely full of twists and turns. I also didn't realize the guilty party until the end of the book. The characters of Bobby Jones and Frankie Derwent (Lady Frances) are delightful and some parts of this book remind me of "The Seven Dials Mystery" which is not a bad thing.

"Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" begins with Bobby Jones and the local doctor playing golf when they realize that a man has fallen off a nearby cliff and is near death. Bobby stays with the man and is there to witness his last words "Why didn't they ask Evans?". Bobby goes through the man's pocket and finds a photograph of a young woman that looks slightly otherworldly. A man comes by and offers to stay with the now dead man while Bobby runs off home. When an inquest comes up Bobby feels slightly disappointed by the dead man's family and then eventually remembers the man's last words and sends off a letter about it. From there though things heat up with someone trying to murder Bobby. His childhood friend Lady Frances (Frankie) starts to think that something about the dead man is dangerous and could lead Bobby to his own end. The two of them put their heads together and managed to track down the man that Bobby ended up leaving the dead man alone with and from there meet dangerous characters all over the place.

I really liked Bobby. He seems to have a harebrained idea with his friend Badger (that name) but definitely doesn't want to give up until he finds out who possibly murdered the man he came across.

Frankie is similar to previous Christie female characters who keep on investigating even if it leads to their peril.

I loved the writing and the flow of the book improves after we get out of the first couple of chapters. It was a bit slow going at first.

The setting of the book has it taking place before World War II. It was interesting since most of Poirot's and Miss Marple's stories take place after World War II,

The ending was definitely a shocker. I was happy though with how things ended up.

[Велислав Върбанов · Rating 4 out of 5]

Много готино криминале, въпреки че не успя да се нареди сред любимите ми творби на Агата Кристи. Мъж е загинал след падане от скала, което първоначално изглежда като злополука. Боби случайно е чул неговите последни думи, зареди което след време някой се опитва да го убие. Заедно с аристократката Франки, с която Боби е приятел от детството, решават да се захванат с разследването на вълнуващата и заплетена загадка...

[Теодор Панов · Rating 5 out of 5]

„Защо не повикаха Евънс?“ е още една много добра криминална история, поднесена от Агата Кристи. Сюжетът и тук е силно заплетен, интригуващ и непредвидим. А тандемът Боби-Франки, заел се с разследването около загадъчната смърт на Алън Карстеърс, спечели симпатиите ми.

Избрани цитати:

Стр. 40
– Значи е отмъщение. Нали не си прелъстил някоя аптекарска щерка?
– Не мога да си спомня – с достойнство отговори Боби.
– Зная. Човек не си брои прелъстяванията. Но бих казала направо, че ти не си съблазнил нито една.

Стр. 51-52
– Веднъж се опитаха да те убият. Вероятно ще опитат пак. Този път можем да открием някоя нишка, която да ни отведе до тях. Като те използваме за примамка, искам да кажа.
– Не, благодаря, Франки – възрази Боби. – Веднъж имах късмет, но няма да го имам пак, ако решат да действат с тъп инструмент. Мисля в бъдеще да стана по-внимателен. Откажи се от мисълта за примамка.
– Страхувах се, че ще кажеш това – въздъхна Франки. – Младите мъже са много изродени в днешно време. Татко казва така. Не искат да се чувстват зле и да вършат неприятни и опасни неща. Жалко.
– Много жалко – съгласи се Боби, но говореше сериозно. – Какъв е вторият план за действие?

Стр. 101
– Не зная. Но имам странното усещане, че е невинен, че не е замесен в тази история.
Боби я погледна студено.
– Какво точно каза – той ли си пада по теб, или ти си падаш по него? – попита любезно.
Франки се изчерви.
– Не ставай смешен, Боби. Чудя се само дали няма някакво невинно обяснение, това е всичко.

Книгата я поставям след „Десет малки негърчета“, „Смърт край Нил“ и „Убийство в Ориент експрес“ – на четвърто място.

Оценка: 4.55 ⭐

P.S. Има и нова екранизация на книгата от тази година, под формата на мини-сериал.
🎬 Why Didn't They Ask Evans | Trailer | 2022
Не съм го гледал все още, но трейлърът изглежда добре! 👌

[Lisa (Harmonybites) · Rating 2 out of 5]

To put it mildly--not one of Christie's best--and I am a fan who has rated books of hers five stars. I really liked it at first. Bobby Jones is a amiable young man, a vicar's son, who finds a dying man at the foot of a cliff. The man's last cryptic words were, "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Soon there's an attempt on Bobby's life and he and his childhood friend, Frankie, aka Lady Frances Derwent, are on the case. There's a great chemistry between them, wit and humor to be had in the tale, a breezy readable style, action and suspense, and of course I was drawn in by the mystery.

But there are a number of problems I wouldn't expect from a Christie, although I guess when you write over 80 novels in a career, some are bound to be misfires. One question that occurred to me early on and is a pet peeve in many a mystery is why they didn't immediately go to the police with their suspicions, rather than start sleuthing on their own. But then that might go nicely with problem number two--that they were both too stupid to live--on several levels. One being of the Jeez, don't-walk-into-the-obvious-ambush kind. Another even more serious was that the obvious villains...were obvious--but Christie's sleuths remain oblivious.

This is one Christie (the only one I can remember) where right from the first I met the characters involved I was sure whodunnit and was right. Although there were some ins and outs I didn't learn until the end. Despite their stupidity, I did like Bobby and Frankie and that and those loose ends I wanted to see tied up kept me reading--but really, below average for a mystery and seriously sub-par for the writer of Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None.

[Rodrigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

La historia no ha estado mal pero yo he echado de menos a sus personajes habituales, Poirot o Marple.
En este caso caso los "investigadores" son una pareja de amigos, Bobby y Frankie, en cuyo pueblo sucede un "accidente".
Un hombre se ha caído por un precipicio y lo encuentran en muy mal estado, tanto, que en breve muere pero justo antes de morir dice lo siguiente "pregunten a Evans", y partir de eso empiezan a sospechar que quizá no ha sido un accidente...
La historia es entretenida pero yo no he logrado conectar con dichos personajes.

[zahra haji · Rating 4 out of 5]

لماذا لم يسألوا إيفانز ؟
تلك الجملة التي قالها القتيل قبل وفاته أمام بوبي كانت البداية في رحلة البحث عن القاتل
..من هو إيفانز وما علاقته بالرجل القتيل
رحلة مثيرة وشيقة مع الصديقين بوبي و فرانكي للوصول للقاتل والذي طوال قراءتي تغير
عشرات المرات حتى الشك بالجميع ... هل سيعرف إيفانز هذا ؟ وعلاقته بالقتل .. وهل سينبت
الحب وسط الخوف والرعب والقتل ؟

[Mir · Rating 4 out of 5]

Amusing, mostly light (if you ignore the perfectly nice people who get murdered along the way) mystery featuring for once no actual detective. Not even amateur sleuths like Christie's Tommy and Tuppence -- here we have a bored Bright Young Thing and her reluctant pal investigating what everyone else says was an accidental death.

The title seems like a spoiler but there are no actual boomerangs in this book.

My cover, excitingly, is even cheesier than the one displayed here.

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting plot full of twists and turns and some interesting coincidences. The lovable pair of amateur detectives Bobby and Frankie end up solving a gruesome death using their wits and some nice deductions. And of course you have a great end when it is revealed all in a grand fashion. Must read.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very Agatha Christie. Not her best work, but still a damn good mystery.

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has been my favorite read by far this year! I know the year hasn't been off for very long, but I expect that I won't read many more books that can surpass this author's works in the coming months.

Honestly! I really can't understand how some reviewers are so unsatisfied with this book! Perhaps it's because Poirot and Miss Marple are somehow even better? Christie's writing is nothing but brilliant, and if you will excuse my bluntness, I ended this one with the question of why anyone would want to read any other mysteries when there are works by people like of the likes of Agatha Christie (and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well, of course!) to read.

Anyway, the words above were not supposed to be a review at first, only some basics thoughts! Full review to come soon!

[Nadin Doughem · Rating 5 out of 5]

رواية رائعة بحق،
دائما ما تتفوق أجاثا كريستي بأن تبقيني ساهرة كي أنهي روايتها في جلسة واحدة دون عن باقي الروائيين