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Tommy & Tuppence #4
By the Pricking of My Thumbs
Christie, Agatha, By the Pricking of My Thumbs
255 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published November 1, 1968
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11179 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,786 books74.9k followersAgatha 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)
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)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,891 reviews
June 24, 2024
2.5 stars
Let me start by saying that I truly love Tommy & Tuppence.
They are the saving grace of what would otherwise be a very meandering story.
I don't know exactly why, but for some reason, Christie just wrote what seemed to be every single dull discussion that people could have with each other.
Now, where did I put my coat?
I think you left it in the other room.
Ah, yes. I think you're right.
Well, let me go grab it before we head out the door!
I'm not even sure if you'll need it, dear.
You're probably right. But just in case it gets chilly later?
True, true.
That's not an actual quote from the book, but there were a lot of nonsense conversations like that happening that should have been culled out of the story. Although, to be fair, what editor would have had the balls to tell Agatha Christie that she needed to chop the drivel out of her book?
The gist is that Tommy & Tuppence, now an old couple themselves, go to visit his aunt in a nursing home. She's a bit of a bitchy old spitfire, and Tuppence ends up ousted from the room and seated with a sweet old lady who asks her the fateful question, "Was it your poor child? There behind the fireplace.". A few seemingly normal deaths at the home later, and Tuppence smells a mystery that no amount of reasonable talk from Tommy will dissuade her from attempting to solve.
Because Tuppence gonna be Tuppence.
This sounds like a promising mystery.
And it is.
But there's a lot of uninteresting minutiae that has to be waded through to get to it. I'm noticing this a lot with the books Christie wrote as she got older.
I'm not saying don't read it because I did enjoy this portrait of what a fun married couple looks like later in life. I am saying that for readers who aren't diehard fans, this probably isn't going to be a winner.
Recommended for Christie completionists like myself.
Let me start by saying that I truly love Tommy & Tuppence.
They are the saving grace of what would otherwise be a very meandering story.
I don't know exactly why, but for some reason, Christie just wrote what seemed to be every single dull discussion that people could have with each other.
Now, where did I put my coat?
I think you left it in the other room.
Ah, yes. I think you're right.
Well, let me go grab it before we head out the door!
I'm not even sure if you'll need it, dear.
You're probably right. But just in case it gets chilly later?
True, true.
That's not an actual quote from the book, but there were a lot of nonsense conversations like that happening that should have been culled out of the story. Although, to be fair, what editor would have had the balls to tell Agatha Christie that she needed to chop the drivel out of her book?
The gist is that Tommy & Tuppence, now an old couple themselves, go to visit his aunt in a nursing home. She's a bit of a bitchy old spitfire, and Tuppence ends up ousted from the room and seated with a sweet old lady who asks her the fateful question, "Was it your poor child? There behind the fireplace.". A few seemingly normal deaths at the home later, and Tuppence smells a mystery that no amount of reasonable talk from Tommy will dissuade her from attempting to solve.
Because Tuppence gonna be Tuppence.
This sounds like a promising mystery.
And it is.
But there's a lot of uninteresting minutiae that has to be waded through to get to it. I'm noticing this a lot with the books Christie wrote as she got older.
I'm not saying don't read it because I did enjoy this portrait of what a fun married couple looks like later in life. I am saying that for readers who aren't diehard fans, this probably isn't going to be a winner.
Recommended for Christie completionists like myself.
July 5, 2023
Agatha Christie's leisurely murder mystery begins in an old ladies home quite appropriately .Tommy Beresford is visiting his bold ( or mean a better word) Aunt Ada, at the tranquil Sunny Ridge, the spinster is 80 and still tough and she likes tormenting Tuppence the nephew's wife, who has come unwisely along, (Ada needs some fun in her sedentary life). Tuppence befriends Mrs.Lancaster a lonely inmate in need of one. This woman seems slightly confused and always talking about a dead child which constantly annoys others, Miss Packard runs this peaceful establishment, doesn't take Mrs. Lancaster seriously, nobody would.Three weeks later Aunt Ada dies and Mrs.Lancaster is suddenly taken away from Sunny Ridge to some unknown place.While Tommy inherits a painting from his aunt, originally owned by Mrs.Lancaster, Tuppence being a very generous woman insists on giving back the picture . Problem is Mrs. Beresford can't locate the lady, what to do? Strange unexplained deaths happen at Sunny Ridge and Dr.Murray, the nursing home's physician asks Tommy for help. The uneasy doctor is greatly perplexed, many questions need answers, he though is unable to solve himself without experts, then the trail eventually leads unexpectedly to a remote village and turns quite dark , where grisly child murders had occurred 20 years ago , the distant past returns in rural England . Many suspects are still around even as two decades of time have expired, since the awful incidents shocked the dazed locals,
they occurred however, so the investigations are difficult and a house considered haunted by the locals is standing undaunted. The surprise conclusion makes this a fun book, not counting all the killings of course. Agatha Christie does her usual competent work as only she can, the style is unique and not many if any can duplicate, the Queen is dead but long live the wonderful books.They are never less than exuberant...Long live the Queen...indeed.
they occurred however, so the investigations are difficult and a house considered haunted by the locals is standing undaunted. The surprise conclusion makes this a fun book, not counting all the killings of course. Agatha Christie does her usual competent work as only she can, the style is unique and not many if any can duplicate, the Queen is dead but long live the wonderful books.They are never less than exuberant...Long live the Queen...indeed.
January 8, 2022
Agatha Christie Book Reading Challenge
BOOK 29 :- APRIL 2021
4 STARS
BOOK 29 :- APRIL 2021
4 STARS
December 16, 2010
I'm going to go ahead and give this five stars, because it is fairly rare for Dame Agatha to go all-out creepy with her books and I'm amazed at how well she does it here! I read this book a very long time ago and never forgot the image of the old lady calmly saying that the milk is not poisoned TODAY and inquiring about the body walled up in the fireplace. Gave me shivers! So I had a sense of happy deja-vu when I read the first chapter and realized that this was *that* book...so many of Christie's titles are interchangeable ("murderous" literary allusions) that I had no idea. The creepiness was back in full force on re-reading, and I had forgotten the twist that occurs in the denouement and was very startled and unnerved by it!
So, five stars for atmosphere, but also for another reason: I love the way Tommy and Tuppence have aged in this novel. Unlike the perenially elderly Miss Marple and later-middle-aged Poirot, T&T age convincingly over the long span of Christie's career and it is a real pleasure to see that they are still devoted to each other and still fond of sleuthing. Christie portrays their marriage wonderfully; it is not overdone, just a portrait of a fond couple who are very "settled in" together and have mutual affection and respect. Very sweet. I also like that Albert is still with them and provides a bit of domestic comic relief.
One more reason to admire this novel is the way that Christie sets herself a difficult challenge and lives up to it--rather like Nemesis, the mystery starts with almost no clues to go on, and the characters must think well outside the box to get on the right trail. Any decent mystery writer can start with a dead body and go from there, but only Christie could start with a harmless painting of a pretty house with something ever so slightly "off" about it and develop the plot in the fascinating way that she does here. Highly recommended.
So, five stars for atmosphere, but also for another reason: I love the way Tommy and Tuppence have aged in this novel. Unlike the perenially elderly Miss Marple and later-middle-aged Poirot, T&T age convincingly over the long span of Christie's career and it is a real pleasure to see that they are still devoted to each other and still fond of sleuthing. Christie portrays their marriage wonderfully; it is not overdone, just a portrait of a fond couple who are very "settled in" together and have mutual affection and respect. Very sweet. I also like that Albert is still with them and provides a bit of domestic comic relief.
One more reason to admire this novel is the way that Christie sets herself a difficult challenge and lives up to it--rather like Nemesis, the mystery starts with almost no clues to go on, and the characters must think well outside the box to get on the right trail. Any decent mystery writer can start with a dead body and go from there, but only Christie could start with a harmless painting of a pretty house with something ever so slightly "off" about it and develop the plot in the fascinating way that she does here. Highly recommended.
July 26, 2018
This is the first Tommy and Tuppence series I have read but it definitely won't be the last. By The Pricking Of My Thumbs offers the sense of adventure, wit and charm from the main characters, husband and wife duo, Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Beresford. This novel possesses a chilling tone that intensifies as the story progresses.
There are practically no dead bodies, only the shady disappearance of an old lady. The story finds Tuppence interested in a painting of a country house that is inherited from Tommy's aunt. Convinced that she has seen the original subject, she decides to track it down. When she does, she stumbles into stories of a series of unsolved child murders that occurred in the district many years before.
The novel is filled with neat mixture of characters and the plot is very original, with an ending you will never be able to guess (trust me on this). The very nature of the ending comes as a great shock to me, as it is completely unexpected and terrific! The entire novel, in fact, carries an underlying tone of omnipresent evil, foreboding and fear, which serves to create a wonderful atmosphere.
A definite must-read for any mystery fan, especially Agatha Christie fans!!
I am going to check out the other Tommy and Tuppence series.
There are practically no dead bodies, only the shady disappearance of an old lady. The story finds Tuppence interested in a painting of a country house that is inherited from Tommy's aunt. Convinced that she has seen the original subject, she decides to track it down. When she does, she stumbles into stories of a series of unsolved child murders that occurred in the district many years before.
The novel is filled with neat mixture of characters and the plot is very original, with an ending you will never be able to guess (trust me on this). The very nature of the ending comes as a great shock to me, as it is completely unexpected and terrific! The entire novel, in fact, carries an underlying tone of omnipresent evil, foreboding and fear, which serves to create a wonderful atmosphere.
A definite must-read for any mystery fan, especially Agatha Christie fans!!
I am going to check out the other Tommy and Tuppence series.
February 6, 2019
Bit of mess this one, there are many loose ends left hanging but i liked tommy and tuppence relationship.
October 16, 2020
Tuppence endures violence in search of a missing old lady
A top notch mystery, By the Pricking of My Thumbs, had me from the very first paragraph. Tommy and Tuppence split up on this adventure . After having visited his Aunt Ada in a nursing home, Tommy and Tuppence hear that she has passed away. They go to gather her belongings and Tuppence is eager to speak again to a chatty old lady named Mrs.Lancaster, but she finds that Mrs. Lancaster has been taken away suddenly. Tuppence thinks something is amiss and pursues the missing lady on her own, while Tommy is at a business conference. Tommy returns from his conference a few days later, but Tuppence does not. Now, Tommy has to find Tuppence!
A top notch mystery, By the Pricking of My Thumbs, had me from the very first paragraph. Tommy and Tuppence split up on this adventure . After having visited his Aunt Ada in a nursing home, Tommy and Tuppence hear that she has passed away. They go to gather her belongings and Tuppence is eager to speak again to a chatty old lady named Mrs.Lancaster, but she finds that Mrs. Lancaster has been taken away suddenly. Tuppence thinks something is amiss and pursues the missing lady on her own, while Tommy is at a business conference. Tommy returns from his conference a few days later, but Tuppence does not. Now, Tommy has to find Tuppence!
September 10, 2024
Title: By the Pricking of My Thumbs
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Publication year: 1968
Review: By the Pricking of My Thumbs: Tommy and Tuppence #4 is actually the only one of the series of five books that falls into what can be classified as one of those stories most in line with the more traditional stories of the murder mystery genre, a genre Christie dominated. There is entirely too much unnecessary dialogue, meandering prose, and slow scene development, but at the end of the day, the story is fascinating, and the mystery intrigues. Christie delivers with amazing skill.
The story initiates with a visit of elderly family in a group home and when an elderly person grabs Tuppence to tell her that there are ghosts in the facility and that there are people poisoning the stew, the couple get involved in a mystery that may include supernatural forces, and the possibility of elder abuse.
Despite the slow development of the plot, I found the story elements classic and hopeful.
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery
Publication year: 1968
Review: By the Pricking of My Thumbs: Tommy and Tuppence #4 is actually the only one of the series of five books that falls into what can be classified as one of those stories most in line with the more traditional stories of the murder mystery genre, a genre Christie dominated. There is entirely too much unnecessary dialogue, meandering prose, and slow scene development, but at the end of the day, the story is fascinating, and the mystery intrigues. Christie delivers with amazing skill.
The story initiates with a visit of elderly family in a group home and when an elderly person grabs Tuppence to tell her that there are ghosts in the facility and that there are people poisoning the stew, the couple get involved in a mystery that may include supernatural forces, and the possibility of elder abuse.
Despite the slow development of the plot, I found the story elements classic and hopeful.
October 29, 2023
Bem diferente da fórmula, curti! Mas depois da conclusão, achei um 3.75.
July 8, 2019
OK, so the Tommy & Tuppence stories are not really among my favourite Christie books.
And this particular story just left me ...bored.. I guess? So, no more than 2 stars,
And this particular story just left me ...bored.. I guess? So, no more than 2 stars,
March 7, 2025
This is my first Tommy and Tuppence mystery and I so enjoyed it. It reminded me of a grown up version of Nancy Drew/ Trixie Belden ( I loved reading both as a child, where our heroine often gets in trouble and needs to be rescued.
I loved the bond between Tommy and Tuppence. It really was such a fun read!
Published: 1968
I loved the bond between Tommy and Tuppence. It really was such a fun read!
Published: 1968
November 2, 2023
I was decided on 4* until the final pages, but I changed my mind because of the ending, which I thought that didn't live up to the rest of the novel.
May 11, 2024
Don't you just love little villages and their deadly secrets
June 20, 2009
This was an incredibly chilling mystery; I had the cover image and the creepy, insane mutterings of the killer burnt into my mind and preventing me from falling asleep. Scary.
Agatha Christie has produced yet another brilliant mystery, one that is intense and possesses gripping tension throughout the entire novel as the detectives attempt to solve the puzzle. Tommy and Tuppence are back again, now very much advanced in age, but still as spirited as ever. The light romance between the two is very sweet, particularly considering their old-couple status.
Agatha Christie has produced yet another brilliant mystery, one that is intense and possesses gripping tension throughout the entire novel as the detectives attempt to solve the puzzle. Tommy and Tuppence are back again, now very much advanced in age, but still as spirited as ever. The light romance between the two is very sweet, particularly considering their old-couple status.
April 12, 2021
I još jednom, Agata u svom najboljem svetlu 🖼🧸⚱🌹
November 26, 2023
Sinopsis: Mientras visita a la tía de Tommy, Ada, en el Hogar de Ancianos Sunny Ridge, Tuppence se encuentra con algunos residentes extraños, incluida la Sra. Lancaster, quien la desconcierta hablando de "su pobre hijo" y "algo detrás de la chimenea".
Cuando la tía Ada muere unas semanas más tarde, les deja a Tommy y Tuppence una pintura con una casa, que Tuppence está seguro de que ha visto antes. Esta comprensión la lleva a una peligrosa aventura que involucra una lápida perdida, contrabando de diamantes y un horrible descubrimiento de lo que la Sra. Lancaster estaba hablando.
Bueno viendo el argumento nadie diría que fuera aburrido no?? pues ha sido mi peor lectura de esta pareja de ex agentes retirados.
Me ha costado bastante avanzar, ya que lo poco que leía veía que no había mucho progreso, mucho dar vueltas, preguntas y demás, pero poca fluidez, lo mejor, el final, y gracias a eso se salva un poco de la quema, el aprobado raspado.
Valoración: 5/10
Cuando la tía Ada muere unas semanas más tarde, les deja a Tommy y Tuppence una pintura con una casa, que Tuppence está seguro de que ha visto antes. Esta comprensión la lleva a una peligrosa aventura que involucra una lápida perdida, contrabando de diamantes y un horrible descubrimiento de lo que la Sra. Lancaster estaba hablando.
Bueno viendo el argumento nadie diría que fuera aburrido no?? pues ha sido mi peor lectura de esta pareja de ex agentes retirados.
Me ha costado bastante avanzar, ya que lo poco que leía veía que no había mucho progreso, mucho dar vueltas, preguntas y demás, pero poca fluidez, lo mejor, el final, y gracias a eso se salva un poco de la quema, el aprobado raspado.
Valoración: 5/10
May 17, 2018
This book took me months to read. I do not think I have ever struggled through an Agatha Christie novel the way I struggled through this one. I picked it up and put it down...picked it up and put it down...picked it up...
But that ending.
Wow.
Agatha Christie went creepy. It is wonderful. I added another star for the twist. I think I need to re-read this one someday, just in one sitting. Tuppence and her muddled brain and intuitive leaps really keeps things confusing (though doesn't push the plot far)
Not my favorite Tommy and Tuppence Mystery, but what an ending!
But that ending.
Wow.
Agatha Christie went creepy. It is wonderful. I added another star for the twist. I think I need to re-read this one someday, just in one sitting. Tuppence and her muddled brain and intuitive leaps really keeps things confusing (though doesn't push the plot far)
Not my favorite Tommy and Tuppence Mystery, but what an ending!
July 30, 2019
My first Tommy and Tuppence story. An elderly happily married couple who get into some pickles. This story about the aging Aunt Ada and them meeting Mrs Lancashire in her retirement home starts an adventure. Tuppence looks for and finds a house by a canal in a painting there aunt leaves them. The house has some strange inhabitants and Tuppence is curious about the house history and gets drawn into a mystery with a surprise ending.
Criminal gangs, child murders, a secret room, jewels and some odd characters add to the atmosphere. The story ends with a great twist.
Criminal gangs, child murders, a secret room, jewels and some odd characters add to the atmosphere. The story ends with a great twist.
August 14, 2010
Oh Aggie, your mind really must have been going to have written this and considered it a complete novel. It doesn't make sense! It's terribly disappointing, especially because Tommy and Tuppence are usually so delightful. But in this mystery not only do they lack believable motivation for taking any action, they don't get to do much of anything together, and their chemistry is all wonky, which was the most depressing part.
I'll take some of the blame for not understanding the plot, as I did fall asleep reading it maybe three times, but not much blame. I mean, there's intentional ambiguity, and then there's throwing in plot points at random and forcing the reader to make sense of something is straight-up nonsensical.
I'll take some of the blame for not understanding the plot, as I did fall asleep reading it maybe three times, but not much blame. I mean, there's intentional ambiguity, and then there's throwing in plot points at random and forcing the reader to make sense of something is straight-up nonsensical.
August 6, 2025
This book was a faithful companion as I cooled my heels in my local hospital's emergency ward for several hours. Perhaps for that reason, I quite enjoyed it. I could tune out the other people and all the kerfuffle. Thank you, Dame Agatha.
Old age seems to have been on Christie's mind as she penned this novel. It is the penultimate Tommy and Tuppence mystery and our featured couple have aged. One of the tasks associated with late adulthood is taking time for even more elderly relatives and, eventually, settling their last affairs. Tommy and Tuppence start this tale by visiting Tommy's aunt in a care facility. The aunt refuses to visit with Tuppence, who has a curious experience in the common room with another resident. This is the inciting incident.
For once, it is not Tommy who gets clonked on the head and goes missing. Tuppence manages to get herself in trouble while he is away at a conference which is a men-only affair. Resentful, Tuppence follows her nose, trying to locate someone she is concerned about. At several points in the action, Tuppence reflects on her age and how much more difficult it is to pursue a case and recover from injury.
Since I find myself in much the same condition, wishing that I could do some of the things I did easily as a younger woman, I completely sympathized with Tuppence (and presumably with Christie also). Getting older is preferable to the alternative, but Bette Davis spoke a truth when she declared that aging is not for sissies.
Old age seems to have been on Christie's mind as she penned this novel. It is the penultimate Tommy and Tuppence mystery and our featured couple have aged. One of the tasks associated with late adulthood is taking time for even more elderly relatives and, eventually, settling their last affairs. Tommy and Tuppence start this tale by visiting Tommy's aunt in a care facility. The aunt refuses to visit with Tuppence, who has a curious experience in the common room with another resident. This is the inciting incident.
For once, it is not Tommy who gets clonked on the head and goes missing. Tuppence manages to get herself in trouble while he is away at a conference which is a men-only affair. Resentful, Tuppence follows her nose, trying to locate someone she is concerned about. At several points in the action, Tuppence reflects on her age and how much more difficult it is to pursue a case and recover from injury.
Since I find myself in much the same condition, wishing that I could do some of the things I did easily as a younger woman, I completely sympathized with Tuppence (and presumably with Christie also). Getting older is preferable to the alternative, but Bette Davis spoke a truth when she declared that aging is not for sissies.
February 2, 2022
Reading, or in this case listening to Agatha Christie's crime novels are like comfort food to me, after some time I forget about motive and can start all over again. And always a joy to listen to Hugh Fraser's excellent narration.
September 8, 2025
Na penúltima aventura de Tommy e Tuppence, o casal já envelhecido vê-se envolvido num mistério quando, ao visitar um lar para idosos, Tuppence ouve uma velhota mencionar uma criança enterrada atrás da lareira. O comentário enigmático dá início a uma investigação que os conduz a segredos do passado e a acontecimentos sombrios aparentemente esquecidos.
Embora a história esteja mais próxima do estilo a que a Rainha do Crime nos habituou, senti que havia personagens em excesso e demasiadas pontas soltas que ficaram por esclarecer. Ainda assim, foi uma leitura agradável, com o charme peculiar desta dupla que, apesar da idade, continua a meter-se em sarilhos.
Embora a história esteja mais próxima do estilo a que a Rainha do Crime nos habituou, senti que havia personagens em excesso e demasiadas pontas soltas que ficaram por esclarecer. Ainda assim, foi uma leitura agradável, com o charme peculiar desta dupla que, apesar da idade, continua a meter-se em sarilhos.
April 12, 2020
A recipe for one of Agatha Christie's most creepy, atmospheric thrillers:
A senile old lady's mysterious words.
A sudden disappearance.
An oil painting of a house which invokes an unexpected sense of déja vu.
A dead body walled off behind a fireplace.
A stuffed, glassy-eyed, broken doll.
A string of unsolved child murders.
A missing grave.
A killer in a home for elderly ladies.
A cache of precious stones.
All these set in a picturesque setting, along with a sprinkling of gossipy middle aged villagers, shifty lawyers and secret drawers are stirred up to put forth an old fashioned mystery, that is spell-binding in its quaint peculiarity.
It is not always blood and gore and drugs and open violence that make up a thriller. Sometimes, a quiet, slow paced story with a gradual build up can be just as eerie.
A book extremely different from all the Agatha Christies that I've read, but highly recommended.
A senile old lady's mysterious words.
A sudden disappearance.
An oil painting of a house which invokes an unexpected sense of déja vu.
A dead body walled off behind a fireplace.
A stuffed, glassy-eyed, broken doll.
A string of unsolved child murders.
A missing grave.
A killer in a home for elderly ladies.
A cache of precious stones.
All these set in a picturesque setting, along with a sprinkling of gossipy middle aged villagers, shifty lawyers and secret drawers are stirred up to put forth an old fashioned mystery, that is spell-binding in its quaint peculiarity.
It is not always blood and gore and drugs and open violence that make up a thriller. Sometimes, a quiet, slow paced story with a gradual build up can be just as eerie.
A book extremely different from all the Agatha Christies that I've read, but highly recommended.
April 4, 2022
An eerie and disturbing subject matter to read. This is my 3rd T&T book and it seems that Tuppence is the one always in trouble and it is getting a little tiresome for me. It seemed that parts of the book dragged and I think were unnecessary to reach clues to the killer. The ending was surprising and just wonder how those that rescued Tuppence were able to access the locked room so easily when it appeared to be impenetrable as described in the book.
August 16, 2025
"Well, at my age," said Tuppence, "and what with my neat and respectable and slightly boring appearance, it's nice to think that you might be taken for a depraved woman of fatal sexual charm."As one of her last novels, 'By the Pricking...' belongs to that select group of AC works that some critics and readers seem to enjoy dumping on.
~ without reason. It's a thoroughly entertaining story.
Of course, it's also one of the Tommy & Tuppence mysteries, which - like the books Christie wrote as Mary Westmacott - can sometimes turn off those purists who may have been more than sufficiently content if AC had just stuck to Poirot and Marple, without otherwise attempting to stretch herself as a writer.
Oh, the hazards of being pigeonholed!
'BTPOMT' was originally met with such inaccurate reactions as "not her best" and "begins rather well... but declines rapidly...". Honestly, there are times when I'm perplexed re: what exactly it is that people want. I can understand if the work had actually been a real mess; I've read some books by authors that were real messes and, certainly, slovenly work should be called out for what it is.
But this ain't a book to trash. (I've now read all but the last of the T&T books, 'Postern of Fate' - which was met with particular rancor. I'll have to cross that bridge when I get to it.)
What's uniquely clever about this novel is its rug-pulling construction. To avoid spoilers, I'll content myself with suggesting. Without tipping its hand about how it's being done, the novel sets out to fashion something rather complex, yet it's not interested in hitting upon answers for everything. In short, there are two major goings-on in the plot-line... but Christie mainly concerns herself with illuminating just one of them. (Ultimately, she accomplishes this in a way that is not only macabre but strangely terrifying.)
Being a Tommy & Tuppence tale, there is, once again, a strong element of delight. These are two of her most charming characters; you can't help not only wanting to root for them but wanting also to be in their company. As married couples go, they are fully the best of friends.
In the book's front matter, Christie tells us that she dedicates it to the many readers worldwide who wrote to her, asking, "What has happened to Tommy & Tuppence? What are they doing now?" Stephen King took up a similar fans' challenge and finally wrote 'Doctor Sleep' - the sequel to 'The Shining'. The difference is that, even though many SK fans still enjoyed 'Doctor Sleep', it's a sloppy work - and an unnecessary one.
'BTP...' is hardly sloppy - and, if you have missed being around the enticing T&T, then it proves itself to be quite necessary.
July 8, 2019
A este libro no he podido darle el progreso porque sencillamente no he estado mucho en casa que es de donde tengo conexión pero:
Ha sido un maravilloso reencuentro con Agatha Christie Mallowan, nuevos personajes e investigadores, los esposos Beresford que son una delicia, tampoco sabes nunca quién es el criminal como nos tiene acostumbrados la autora, una lectura llena de cosas por descubrír siempre con ese estilo muy inglés, yo diría con ese tono algo bucólico. Me ha encantado. Una lectura para pasar un buen rato.
Ha sido un maravilloso reencuentro con Agatha Christie Mallowan, nuevos personajes e investigadores, los esposos Beresford que son una delicia, tampoco sabes nunca quién es el criminal como nos tiene acostumbrados la autora, una lectura llena de cosas por descubrír siempre con ese estilo muy inglés, yo diría con ese tono algo bucólico. Me ha encantado. Una lectura para pasar un buen rato.
November 12, 2024
A complicated and clever mystery.
August 5, 2019
By this time both Tommy and Tuppence have considerably aged but they have not lost their charm and keenness for some amateurish detective work. It all starts with a visit to old age home to see Tommy’s aunt and the duo come across some interesting conversations which set them off on investigative track. However unlike their other adventures, there are too many coincidences which spoil the reader’s interest. The end is of course all mumbo-jumbo making the novel an average read.
November 1, 2018
Not one of Christie's best . The original premise is interesting and has lots of potential but things rapidly go downhill. The plot takes in a dead child, jewel robberies, a criminal mastermind and a child killer to name but a few. A less scattergun approach would have made for a more coherent and enjoyable detective story.
June 25, 2025
I don’t think I’ve ever read this one - rare to find a Christie I haven’t read at least once! I was unable to find the previous entry in the series, set during WWII (N or M?), but I’d like to read it - Tommy and Tuppence joke about their wartime adventure in this mystery, and it sounds intriguing!
In the opening dedication, Christie writes that this book is for all the readers who’ve written her, asking where Tommy and Tuppence are, and what they’re doing now. She says this story finds them years older (published in 1968), but their spirit for adventure is unquenched. We then meet them at the breakfast table, apparently middle-aged - I think…they soon decide to visit Tommy’s Aunt Ada in a home for old ladies. They write regularly, but it’s been awhile, so off they go.
They find her sharp-tongued as ever, but claiming not to know them. Hugh Fraser is a great narrator , and has a way with old lady voices, I always chuckle! Anyway, she finally accepts and allows Tommy to stay and visit, and Tuppence gives in to the old lady and goes to wait in a lounge area. There is a sweet little old lady sitting there sipping her milk; she says she’s Mrs. Lancaster, chats a bit with Tuppence, then asks if it was her poor child bricked up behind the fireplace…
Needless to say, Tuppence is chilled and remembers the bizarre conversation. Soon after, Aunt Ada dies and the couple return to the home to collect her things; Tuppence asks after the sweet, if scary, old Mrs. Lancaster. She’s been removed suddenly by distant family members who’ve returned from living abroad. Tuppence smells a rat, and is worried about the old lady; Tommy has a conference to attend, so she decides to do a spot of detecting, looking for Mrs. Lancaster and a pretty house in a painting Mrs. L had given Aunt Ada. Her excuse will be that she wants to make sure the old lady doesn’t want the painting returned to her.
It’s all quite tenuous and coincidental and frankly far-fetched, but I really enjoyed reading along and listening to Tuppence’s adventures. I’ve read the first two books in the Tommy and Tuppence series (The Secret Adversary and Partners in Crime), and they were fun and humorous adventures, but firmly in the spy and international crime ring genre of the 1920s.
This one, finding them a middle-aged couple, seemed a bit more relatable-hardly realistic, but fun, like in the scene where Tuppence doesn’t come home when she’s supposed to from her detecting, and Tommy and Albert (the couple’s general factotum), are concerned. Deborah, the adult daughter, rings up from Scotland, concerned because of a newspaper article she’s seen; information is being sought about a hospital patient giving Tuppence’s maiden name as her own. Deborah, knowing her mother’s impetuous nature, wants to check all is well. When her father tells her her mother has gone off investigating and hasn’t come home, she scolds him for not taking care of Tuppence and making her stay at home! I think many parents of adult children can appreciate and relate to this high-handed scolding…
I thought there were unanswered plot lines with so much going on, but thinking back on it I realize Christie, of course, ties up all loose ends! I don’t know how she did it, with so many story lines, characters and red herrings, but she did - and I thought it was great fun! I look forward to finding N or M? and then wrapping up the series with Postern of Fate.
In the opening dedication, Christie writes that this book is for all the readers who’ve written her, asking where Tommy and Tuppence are, and what they’re doing now. She says this story finds them years older (published in 1968), but their spirit for adventure is unquenched. We then meet them at the breakfast table, apparently middle-aged - I think…they soon decide to visit Tommy’s Aunt Ada in a home for old ladies. They write regularly, but it’s been awhile, so off they go.
They find her sharp-tongued as ever, but claiming not to know them. Hugh Fraser is a great narrator , and has a way with old lady voices, I always chuckle! Anyway, she finally accepts and allows Tommy to stay and visit, and Tuppence gives in to the old lady and goes to wait in a lounge area. There is a sweet little old lady sitting there sipping her milk; she says she’s Mrs. Lancaster, chats a bit with Tuppence, then asks if it was her poor child bricked up behind the fireplace…
Needless to say, Tuppence is chilled and remembers the bizarre conversation. Soon after, Aunt Ada dies and the couple return to the home to collect her things; Tuppence asks after the sweet, if scary, old Mrs. Lancaster. She’s been removed suddenly by distant family members who’ve returned from living abroad. Tuppence smells a rat, and is worried about the old lady; Tommy has a conference to attend, so she decides to do a spot of detecting, looking for Mrs. Lancaster and a pretty house in a painting Mrs. L had given Aunt Ada. Her excuse will be that she wants to make sure the old lady doesn’t want the painting returned to her.
It’s all quite tenuous and coincidental and frankly far-fetched, but I really enjoyed reading along and listening to Tuppence’s adventures. I’ve read the first two books in the Tommy and Tuppence series (The Secret Adversary and Partners in Crime), and they were fun and humorous adventures, but firmly in the spy and international crime ring genre of the 1920s.
This one, finding them a middle-aged couple, seemed a bit more relatable-hardly realistic, but fun, like in the scene where Tuppence doesn’t come home when she’s supposed to from her detecting, and Tommy and Albert (the couple’s general factotum), are concerned. Deborah, the adult daughter, rings up from Scotland, concerned because of a newspaper article she’s seen; information is being sought about a hospital patient giving Tuppence’s maiden name as her own. Deborah, knowing her mother’s impetuous nature, wants to check all is well. When her father tells her her mother has gone off investigating and hasn’t come home, she scolds him for not taking care of Tuppence and making her stay at home! I think many parents of adult children can appreciate and relate to this high-handed scolding…
I thought there were unanswered plot lines with so much going on, but thinking back on it I realize Christie, of course, ties up all loose ends! I don’t know how she did it, with so many story lines, characters and red herrings, but she did - and I thought it was great fun! I look forward to finding N or M? and then wrapping up the series with Postern of Fate.
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