N or M?

Tommy & Tuppence #3

by Agatha Christie, Hugh Fraser (Narrator)

🎧Run time = 5 hours and 41 minutes

In this World War II mystery from the Queen of Crime, semi-retired espionage agents Tommy and Tuppence Beresford venture to a hotel on the English coast to track down dangerous German spies N and M, who have allegedly just murdered Britain’s top agent. ✳Read by the acclaimed actor who played Captain Hastings on the TV series Agatha Christie’s Poirot!

It is World War II, and while the RAF struggles to keep the Luftwaffe at bay, Britain faces an even more sinister threat from "the enemy within" - Nazis posing as ordinary citizens.

With pressure mounting, the intelligence service appoints two unlikely spies, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. Their mission: to seek out a man and a woman from among the colorful guests at Sans Souci, a seaside hotel. But this assignment is no stroll along the promenade - N and M have just murdered Britain's finest agent and no one at all can be trusted....

©1941 Agatha Christie Limited ℗1941 HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

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

Audiobook

First published November 1, 1941

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]

Best couple in the Christieverse.



At least 50% of the time, I'm disappointed with the way Agatha wrote couples.
The worst offenders for me were a woman who happily gave up her successful business to be married, and a woman who felt her heart flutter with love when her man proved how much he cared by trying to strangle her.
However, in N or M Christie nailed it.
Tommy's respect for Tuppence is pretty amazing in that he doesn't expect her to sit at home docilely, and he's quite proud to have her working with him. And Tuppence is so sure of herself and secure in who she and Tommy are together that she doesn't do some of the silly things you see women in older books do. <--fainting, screaming, flittering about making things worse, etc.



So it's WWII, and Tommy and Tuppence are being told they are too old to do anything to help with the war effort. Which is really funny because they're only in their late 40s early 50s. I think retirement age is what...85 or 90 now? Times have certainly changed.
Anyway spoilery things happen, they eventually end up working undercover to try and ferret out two of the top German spies out there. Known only as N and M, they were traced to a small town by a British operative who was killed before he could report his full suspicions.

Thing is, the actual spy stuff was somewhat dull. I didn't care whodunnit. The parts I was most interested in were Tommy & Tuppence themselves and the interactions with their grown children. The children who have no idea that their mom and dad are cool spies and think that they are both tucked away in the country somewhere safe.



Oh! And this has nothing to do with the story, but I ran across these hideous limited edition Tommy & Tuppence figurines online and just had to share.



I haven't read all of the Tommy & Tuppence books so I don't have a favorite yet, but this one was fun. I'm not sure if I'd go around recommending all of them willy-nilly to someone who is just wanting a good book, but N or M one might be an outlier that anyone looking for a cozy spy mystery might enjoy.
Recommended for Christie Mystery Fans.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Agatha Christie Book Reading Challenge

BOOK 34 :- SEPT 2021

3 STARS

[W · Rating 2 out of 5]

Agatha Christie created the characters Tommy and Tuppence,in an early book she wrote,The Secret Adversary.That was during World War I and her sleuths were then a young couple.

The action of N or M takes place during World War II. Tommy and Tuppence are now a middle aged couple and find themselves sidelined.

But despite their advancing years,when Tommy is offered an opportunity to go undercover to trace German spies,he doesn't hesitate.Not to be left behind,Tuppence follows him anyway.

They'd end up uncovering the mystery of a dying British agent's last message,"N or M"

Tommy and Tuppence aren't as interesting as Poirot or Miss Marple. They didn't become regulars for her future novels,though they appeared in two more books, Postern of Fate and By the Pricking of My Thumbs.

[Argent Talonn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: N or M?
Author: Agatha Christie
Genre: Mystery, Espionage
Publication Year: 1941

Review: Book #3 of the Tommy and Tuppence mystery series by Agatha Christie is a unique novel. For one thing, it works as a mystery novel, but it also works as an espionage story. Tommy and Tuppence are now middle-aged, empty-nesters that have grown children, veterans of the first World War, looking to participate in the second. Tommy has been recruited to go undercover as a widower to find traitorous Brits willing to behave as fifth column sympathizers for the Germans. He is told not to communicate with his wife, which he obeys, but Tuppence creates an undercover dossier for herself. She has never been one to play the role of an idle spouse.

Obviously, the stakes for this murder mystery, espionage tale are doubled due to the international and voluntary peril undergone by the witty and glib couple. In my opinion, the fast pace, the suspense, and faithful characterization makes this the best book in the series. I give the novel five stars, not because it is a perfect tale. It isn't, but it demonstrates a perfect understanding of a genre mashup that works exceptionally well as mystery with red herrings galore, and espionage with multinational intrigue and cloak-dagger suspense.

[Jay Schutt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not the typical Christie murder mystery, but instead, a World War II espionage thriller featuring the husband and wife team of Tommy and Tuppence.
Don't worry, there are still plenty of red herrings to throw you off the scent.

[Rizwan Khalil · Rating 4 out of 5]

পড়ার প্রায় পুরো সময়টা বেশ উপভোগ্যতার সাথে মনোযোগ ধরে রাখতে পারলেও বলতেই হচ্ছে শেষাবধি মন ভরাতে পারল না । আগাথা ক্রিস্টির টিপিক্যাল সুলেখনিতে বইয়ের শুরু থেকেই গতিময়তা ছিল, জমজমাট রহস্যের ঘনঘটা ছিল, পাশাপাশি আমার পড়া তাঁর প্রায় সব বইয়ের মতো কেন্দ্রীয় রহস্যটা খুনের না হয়ে গুপ্তচর-শিকার আর স্পাই বনাম স্পাইয়ের বুদ্ধির খেলা হওয়ায় ঘটনার পর্যায়ক্রমে অভিনবত্বও পেয়েছি... কিন্তু আর সবক্ষেত্রে যেমন গল্পের ক্লাইমেক্সে গিয়ে ক্রিস্টি তাঁর নিখুঁত বোনা সূক্ষ্ণ রহস্যের জাল সুনিপূণ হাতে ধাপে ধাপে পাঠকের সামনে উন্মোচন করেন একের পর এক দুর্দান্ত বিস্ময়কর সব চমকের মধ্য দিয়ে, এখানে সেদিক থেকে শেষাংশটা অনেকটাই ব্যর্থ হয়েছে আমার মতে। রহস্যের উত্তরটা খুব আহামরি লাগেনি - তার উপর মূল দুই কালপ্রিট, তথাকথিত 'এন' আর 'এম'-এর একজনের মুখোশ খুলে যায় গল্প শেষ হবার বেশ আগে, এবং নিতান্তই কাকতালীয়ভাবে (যার পেছনে আমাদের গুপ্তচরশিকারীদের কোন কৃতিত্ব নেই) - তেমনি শেষের দিকের ঘটনাবলিগুলো সঠিক মসৃণতাও পায়নি, আর কেমন যেন হুট করে সবকিছুর যৌক্তিক ও সুচারু ব্যাখ্যা ছাড়াই সাদামাটাভাবে জোড়াতালি দিয়ে ইতি টানা হয়েছে । গুপ্তচরদের প্রকৃত পরিকল্পনা কী ছিল আর সেই রহস্যময় 'চার তারিখে' কী ঘটতে যাচ্ছিল তাতেও সেভাবে আলোকপাত করা হয়নি আর । যা হোক, পরিণতিটুকু বাদ দিলে বাকি উপন্যাসে ভালই মজা পেয়েছি, টানটান গাঁথুনির কল্যাণে একটানে পড়ে ফেলা গেছে, মূল চরিত্র হিসেবে টমি আর টাপেন্সকে ভাল লেগেছে । তাদের নিয়ে ক্রিস্টির লেখা বাকি উপন্যাসগুলোও অচিরেই পড়ে ফেলার ইচ্ছা আছে । ৫ এ ৩.৫ ।

অনুবাদ প্রসঙ্গে বলতে হয় সেবার ঐতিহ্যবাহী সুখপাঠ্য ও সহজপাচ্য অনুবাদের ধারা এই বইতেও তার সুনাম ধরে রাখতে সক্ষম হয়েছে, বরাবরের মতোই ঝরঝরে প্রাঞ্জল অনুবাদ । অবশ্য অনুবাদকের নাম যখন সায়েম সোলায়মান, বর্তমান যুগে আমাদের দেশের অন্যতম সেরা এক অনুবাদক, তখন এতে অবাক হবার কিছুই নেই । এমনটাই তো হবার কথা ছিল । তবে এটাও ঠিক এটাকে আমি সায়েম সোলায়মানের সেরা অনুবাদের কাতারে ফেলব না । দুয়েক জায়গায় অনুবাদ কিঞ্চিত আক্ষরিক হয়ে যেতে বসেছিল যাতে গল্পের সাবলীলতা কিছুটা হলেও ক্ষুণ্ণ হচ্ছিল, ফাইনাল একটা হালকা ঘষামাজার ছোঁয়ার অভাব অনুভব করছিলাম যেন । আরেকটা জিনিস খুবই খুবই বিরক্তির উদ্রেক করেছে, তা হলো অহেতুক একটু পর পর ডবল কোটেশন মার্ক দিয়ে বিভিন্ন শব্দ লেখা, যেগুলোর বেশিরভাগ ছিল একেবারেই অপ্রয়োজনীয়, এমনকি এক পর্যায়ে "ডবল কোটেশনের" "অর্থবহতাটাই" "হারিয়ে" "গিয়েছিল" মনে হয়েছে । আর দশজন সমসাময়িক অনুবাদকের কাজের সাথে তুলনা করলে এসব খুঁটিনাটি আসলে কিছুই না, তবে যেহেতু সায়েম ভাইয়ের অনুবাদের অসাধারণত্বের সাথে অতীতে ভালমতোই পরিচয় হয়েছে তাই সামনে আরও নিখুঁত আরও অপূর্ব সব অনুবাদের অপেক্ষায় রইলাম তাঁর কলম থেকে ।

[Wanda Pedersen · Rating 3 out of 5]

2023 Re-Read

This month’s Appointment with Agatha book and a very pleasant change from Poirot. I've had enough of him for a while, so I was glad to see Tommy and Tuppence in my reading queue. This is a rather ridiculous spy story but still fun if you don't take it too seriously. It's been five years since I last read it, during which I seem to have purged the pertinent details from my memory. I only recalled a few details: our main characters being frustrated at being kept out of significant war work, their children's pitying view of their parents, and Tommy getting clonked on the head yet again. Not a bad book to revisit.

***2018 Summer of Spies***

A fast, fun expedition into espionage! I liked the fact that Christie allowed her main characters to age and change a bit. As is true for most of us, they retained their basic characteristics which turned them into spy hunters to begin with, but they are dealing with details that afflict us all as we age. Younger folk (including the Beresford children) no longer see our relevance and no one wants the skills that we have on offer—just ask anyone who is over 40 and unemployed and they will tell you all about it!

Tommy must have a thick skull, because he once again gets clonked on the head in this novel, but manages to come out of things un-addled. The plot is not as smooth as Christie’s murder mysteries, but it is fun to see Tuppence trying to pretend to be a middle-aged lady who knits & gossips. Tommy at least gets to go out and play golf.

I’m currently reading a biography of Ian Fleming and I’m at the point of reading about his experiences in WWI in the Royal Navy’s Intelligence Unit—although this T&T caper seems a bit outlandish, it’s not that far off of some of the imaginative schemes that NID came up with to try to thwart the Nazis, which surprised me a lot. All of the global intelligence services have come a long way since the 1940s.

A bit of summer fun.

[Pranta Dastider · Rating 5 out of 5]

To be honest, this book didn't feel so good at the very beginning. But, as the things went ahead, I kept on guessing. Even with obvious fact my belief dangled, and I couldn't be sure of the decisions I made about the antagonist. And by the end I truly loved this story. Its everything you want from a Christie story. There is misdirection, suspense and proper explanation of the facts.

Normally I try to be critical about mystery novels, but I have absolutely no complain about this one. So, a full rating is well deserving achievement.

[Mara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a somewhat rocky start with T&T in THE SECRET ADVERSARY, but I was delighted to get on much better with them in this book. This book walks an interesting line between being a Christie thriller with definite Christie whodunnit vibes, and that balance really worked for me. I also think the fact that this is pretty short for a novel worked in its favor-- it didn't get bogged down in too much spy nonsense/hand-waveium, which I think was smart. Overall, a fascinating look into Christie's mindset in the middle of WWII

[Rodrigo · Rating 3 out of 5]

No ha estado mal, esta vez los protagonistas son este matrimonio Tommy y Tuppence ,que ya conocíamos de sus aventuras, sus libros están mas centrados a libros de espionaje y este libro no podía ser menos. La verdad es que esta vez han estado, al menos uno de ellos, en apuros y si que me pareció que algunas cosas estaban cogidas por los pelos...
Valoración: 6/10
Sinopsis: La trama se desarrolla tras el estallido de la Segunda Guerra Mundial. Tommy y Tuppence Beresford se aburren en su vida cotidiana cuando un viejo conocido del servicio secreto les propone instalarse en un hotel de la costa de Inglaterra para investigar entre su clientela, formada por militares retirados, viejas chismosas y parejas de enamorados a un peligroso agente secreto nazi.

# 1. Un libro que tengas empezado. Reto literario lecturas pendientes 2023

[Alina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four stars for the characters, three for the action, overall quite enjoyable.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

2024 Review
Not quite as compelling a re-read as I had hoped, but still conceptually fun.

2016 Review
Such fun! Spies, espionage, and patriotism! I loved Tommy and Tuppence and their relationship. I can't wait to read more about them!

[Helle · Rating 3 out of 5]

As light reading between more demanding literary works, Agatha Christie never fails. Although Tommy and Tuppence were always my least favourite sleuths of Agatha Christie’s, the detective formula largely follows the same formulas as in the Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple stories.

This one has a bit of Fawlty Towers about it. It’s on the eve of World War II, and T & T go sleuthing in a sleepy seaside boarding house. There they meet the usual suspects: a retired major, a strange foreign woman, a dimwitted elderly woman and her hypochondriac husband, a seemingly devoted mother and her child, a suspicious young German, etc. Will T & & be able to unravel the spies of the ‘fifth column’ before Hitler invades Britain, or will they be found out …?

Although the hotel boasts of no Basil Fawlty, the story is like a comedy of manners here and there, with some delightful phrases and characterizations. The hypochondriac coughs aggressively, the little child goes into ecstasies of mirth, the imbecile wife murmurs pacifically and so on. It got a bit soppy toward the end and was, in essence, predictably unpredictable.

My tattered copy is a testament to the days when I first began my English book collection, searching the dusty bookshelves in second-hand shops up and down Charing Cross Road. I first read this book back then but remember not a single thing. So, less demanding may also mean less rewarding, but there’s something to be said for a bit of brain candy before (and after) more taxing reading experiences. Dostoevsky, here I come!

[Ken · Rating 3 out of 5]

A highly enjoyable spy thriller set during the outbreak of World War Two, the now middle-aged Tommy and Tuppence are soon thrust into action.

I much prefer Christie’s puzzle box mysteries, but there’s something about the Beresford’s that instantly appeal.
I like how they have aged to reflect the 1940’s setting.
My favourite of Christie’s thrillers.

[Vikas Singh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This novel sees the detective duo of Tommy and Tuppence in the midst of World War-2. N and M are the initials given to two of Hitler's agents whom Tommy and Tuppence hunt for. A character in the novel Major Bletchley is a former Indian army officer who claims to know the secrets of Britain's wartime efforts. During World War-2, the code breakers at Bletchley Park in Buckinghamshire under Dilly Knox had broken German Enigma machine cyphers giving British military to Germany’s secret plans. Knox was a friend of Agatha Christie and MI5 was anxious to know how much Christie really knew about the Bletchley park operations. Knox invited her to his home and over tea asked her why she had named the Indian army major Bletchley. Christie said that once on her way from Oxford to London her train had been stuck for a long time at Bletchley and she took her revenge by naming the character Bletchley!

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

An espionage story with a few murders. The story has Tommy and Tuppence come out of retirement. They are tasked with finding the heads of a fifth column in Leahampton a seaside resort. They go undercover at a hotel where MI6 suspects is the headquarters of a nest of spies.

A delightful story with numerous red herrings. The kidnapping of Betty a child identified for me the female spy. The male spy was unexpected.

[Hamad · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is the second book I read in the Tommy & Tuppence series, and I wasn't crazy about it.
I think that maybe this series is not for me. I prefer Christie's murder mysteries over her espionage thrillers.

I prefer the usual Christie format where we get to explore all of the suspects and to appreciate the brilliance of her detectives. I think that was lacking here as I finished the book, and I did not connect to any of the characters.

The ending was good, and the twists were cool which is not surprising given it is a Christie book. For the time being, I will stick to her murder mystery books though.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remained engaged throughout this interesting story, which starts out with the husband and wife team, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford lamenting their middle-agedness. It appears that only the young or those already engaged in military careers over time were being given productive roles in World War II. However, this all changes and they go undercover to investigate members of the fifth column. It was truly fascinating and I felt like I was learning something new while also being entertained. This is my favourite volume in the series so far.

[সারস্বত · Rating 4 out of 5]

সেই রাজা সলোমানের সময় থেকে আজ পর্যন্ত মায়ের ভালোবাসার কোন পরিবর্তন হয়নি। সেদিন রাজা সলোমান যখন দুই মহিলার মধ্যে দাবীকৃত সন্তানকে তরোবারির আঘাতে কেটে ভাগ করে দিতে চেয়েছিলো, হার মেনেছিলো আসল মা। কেঁদে বলেছিলো আমার সন্তান চাই না। তাঁকে দিয়ে দিন। সেই তাঁর প্রকৃত মা।
আজ কয়েক হাজার বছর পরে মায়ের সেই ভালোবাসা আছে অবিকৃত আর থাকবেও চিরন্তন। একজন মা কোন অবস্থাতে তাঁর সন্তানের জীবনের ঝুঁকি নিতে পারেন না। আর এই চিরন্তন সত্যকে অনুধাবন করে সমাধান হয় লেখক সম্রাজ্ঞী অগাথা ক্রিস্টির এন অর এম তথা গুপ্তচর বইটির রহস্য।

রূপান্তরকৃত বইয়ের নামঃ গুপ্তচর
রুপান্তরঃ সায়েম সোলায়মান
মূল বইয়ের নামঃ এন অর এম
লেখিকার নামঃ অগাথা ক্রিস্টি
প্রকাশনীঃ সেবা
পৃষ্ঠা সংখ্যাঃ ২৩৮

অগাথা ক্রিস্টির টমি এবং টাপেন্স সিরিজের তৃতীয় বই হলো এন অর এম। সিরিজে মোট পাঁচটি লেখা আছে এবং এছাড়াও একটি ছোট গল্পের সংকলন আছে।

ইন্টালিজেন্স বিভাগ থেকে বিটায়ের্ডের বিশ বছর পর টমি বেরেসফোর্ডের কাছে হঠাৎ একদিন প্রস্তাব আসে আবার তাঁদের হয়ে কাজ করার। জার্মানের দুর্ধর্ষ সিক্রেট সার্ভিসের ফিফথ কলামের উপস্থিতির দেখা দিয়েছে সমগ্র ইংল্যান্ড জুড়ে। এমন কি জড়িত আছে সরকারি এবং সামরিক বিভাগের কিছু সদস্য।

আর ইংল্যান্ড ইন্টালিজেন্সের এজেন্ট ফারকুহার জেনে যায় ফিফথ কলামের প্রধান দুই গুপ্তচরের নাম। কিন্তু ফারকুহারকে গাড়ি চাঁপা দিয়ে হত্যা করা হয়। আর হত্যা আগে সে শুধু বলে যেতে পারে এন অর এম নামে দুজন প্রধান গুপ্তচরের সাংকেতিক নাম আর সন সুচি নামে একটি বোর্ডিং হাউজের। যেটির অবস্থান লিয়াহ্যাম্পটিন নামক একটি উপকূলীয় অঞ্চলে।

টমিকে যেতে হয় সেই গুপ্তচরদের চিহ্নিত করতে। কিন্তু টমির স্ত্রী টাপেন্স যেও কিনা ছিল ইন্টালিজেন্স বিভাগের দুর্ধর্ষ এজেন্ট। স্বামীকে একা ছাড়ে না। স্বামী টমি আগেই নিজেই ছন্দনামে এসে উপস্থিত হয় সন সুচির এক বোর্ডি হাউজে।
সন সুচিতে এসে যেন থৈ খুঁজে পান না বেরেসফোর্ড দম্পতি। এখানে সন্দেহ করেও যেন সন্দেহ করা যায় না কাউকে। এখানে মানুষের সংখ্যাও কম নয়। বোর্ডিং এ মালিক এবং তাঁর মেয়ে ছাড়াও আছে কয়েকজন বয়স্ক প্রবীণা, একজন রিটায়ার্ড কর্ণেল, একজন বিবাহিতা আর তাঁর বাচ্চা মেয়ে, একজন প্রাণ ভয়ে পালিয়ে আসা জার্মান এবং শহরের একজন বিত্তবান ব্যক্তিত্ব প্রাক্তন সামরিক কমান্ডার।

সবকিছু চলছিলো স্বাভাবিক গতিতে। একে একে নাম ছেঁটে সন্দেহের সংক্ষিপ্ত তালিকা গড়ে তুলছিলো বেরেসফোর্ড দম্পতি। কিন্তু এর মাঝে ঘটে যায় পর পর কিছু ঘটনা। অল্প বয়সী বিবাহিতা স্প্রেটের শিশুকন্যাকে চুরি করে নিয়ে যাওয়া হয়। এর পরপরেই স্বয়ং টমিকে খুঁজে পাওয়া যায় না। টাপেন্স নিজেকে বোঝাবার চেষ্টা করে তাঁর স্বামী টমি নিশ্চয় ভাল আছে। আর তারপর... তারপর... তারপর...

তারপর দুর্ধষ আর অসাধারণ একটা টুইস্ট। যা আপনার কল্পনাকে ছাড়িয়ে যাবে।

ব্যক্তিগত মতামতঃ

অগাথা ক্রিস্টির বইতে ক্ল্যাসিক গল্পের স্বাদ পেলাম। গল্পের মূল দুই চরিত্র টমি এবং টাপেন্সকে লেখিক অতিমানব কিংবা অতিমানবী হিসাবে দাড় করাবার চেষ্টা করেননি, যেটা আমার ভাললাগার অন্যতম দিন। অত্যন্ত স্বাভাবিক আচরণেও সে রহস্য চরিত্র অসাধারণ হয়ে উঠতে পারে সেটাও বইটির অন্যতম দিক।

অন্যদিকে আজকাল বইগুলোতে অস্ত্রের বিশদ বিবরণ, বিভিন্ন গ্যাজেটের উপস্থিতিতে, বাড়তি তথ্যে পৃষ্ঠার পর পৃষ্ঠা বিরবণে মূল কাহিনী অনেক দুর্বল হয়ে যায়। ড্যান ব্রাউন বর্তমান লেখকদের মাঝে এই নতুন ট্রেন্ড সৃষ্টি করার পিছনে যথেষ্ট অবদান রেখেছেন। সবাই ড্যান ব্রাউন হবার চেষ্টায় অনেক সময় অপ্রাসাঙ্গিকভাবেও বাড়তি তথ্যের অবতারণা করে।

শুধুমাত্র প্লট কিংবা গল্পের শক্তিতে কোন লেখাকে প্রতিষ্ঠা করা সহজ ব্যাপার নয়। যেটা আমি এই বইটিতে সম্পূর্ণভাবে পেয়েছি এবং শেষ করার পর অনুভূতিটা অসাধারণ ছিল।

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Trouble with us in this country is that we're so absurdly unsuspicious."

In one of my previous AC reviews, I mentioned an article from TimeOut which I'll now link here:
https://www.timeout.com/newyork/news/...

The writer of the article (Adam Feldman) compiled a list, during the rage of COVID, in which he evaluated all of Christie's work related to crime. Other readers with an AC interest may basically find the article helpful - but why am I posting it here? 

The main reason has to do with the 'Tommy & Tuppence' series (of 5 novels) - assessed generally as 'not good'; or as Feldman writes, "You can safely avoid reading any of these books." (Ouch!)

'N or M?' is the first (of the 5) that I've read... and I actually found it to be quite good. ~ quite different from Poirot / Miss Marple / and other, standalone novels. ~ yet still quite recognizable as a Christie book (with its standard use of multiple suspects).

Published just before the US entered WWII, the focus is the palpable German threat of UK infiltration. Perhaps Christie was enticed by the thought of her own take on the work of her contemporary Eric Ambler, whose thrillers began appearing in 1936. Thrillers can come with a challenge found perhaps less often in murder mysteries: a particularly diabolical element of growing menace - which is slowly, then effectively enhanced in 'N or M?' 

This becomes especially chilling when Christie reminds us of certain particulars of enemy agent operation:

To know when to use the truth was the essence of successful deception.

I should also mention that Tommy & Tuppence are very engaging characters, quite refreshing as a married couple: sort of Christie's sans-alcohol take on Hammett's Nick & Nora Charles (who had appeared in 'The Thin Man' in 1934). 

'N or M?' is not exactly the 'lighthearted' thriller that some consider it to be. In its own way, it's fairly nerve-wracking. Not as moody as what John le Carré would eventually bring to the genre, but well-crafted in terms of suspense, logic and twists; tempered with a whisper of humor. It quite accomplishes what it sets out to do (keeping in mind that what's primary is narrative skill, along with a certain 'entertainment' factor).

In a subsequent reread of Feldman's article, I found many instances in which my opinion differed - and that's fine; what works for some will not work as well for others. He did appropriately designate what's impossible to dispute as some of Christie's best work (titles like 'And Then There Were None', 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd') but he also gave higher rankings for some that I would place lower (and vice versa). 

My point is that readers need to trust their guts (and instincts) - much in the way that they give trust to a writer they have enjoyed - when said writer is stretching him / herself. (I read all of Philip K. Dick's SF novels. I didn't enjoy them all equally but I'm glad I stuck with him - but that's what we do when we feel kinship. And I feel a kinship with AC.) 

In short: take reading opinions - even mine - with a grain of salt. You don't have to finish every book. But you can certainly start the ones you're drawn to for whatever reason and take it from there. The very-valued element of surprise may very well be your own!

[Christine PNW · Rating 3 out of 5]

That plot summary doesn't even bear a passing resemblance to this book. Whoever wrote it should be fired. Also, the cover of my edition is insane - I get the shoelace, the hammer and the note wound around the rock, but the vaguely racist imagine of a Native American in full headdress holding a shot gun? I can literally remember NO references to either of those.

The book itself wasn't Christie's worst, but it was far from her best. I mean, it wasn't a Passenger to Frankfurt/The Big Four level disaster, but it also wasn't that great. The first third was boring - it did pick up after a bit, and the ending was pretty good. I figured out the spy at about the 55% mark well, one of the spies, anyway. I missed the second spy. It was pretty obvious that it was Mrs. Sprot, well before either Tommy or Tuppence, but that might just be because I've read A LOT of Christie (61 out of 67, to be specific).

Next up: By the Pricking of My Thumbs.

[Rita · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cada nova aventura, o casal Tommy e Tuppence envelhece mais um pouco. Agora cinquentões, estão aborrecidos com uma vida bastante pacata e sem qualquer tipo de emoção. Mas tudo muda quando um velho conhecido do serviço secreto britânico recruta Tommy — e apenas Tommy — para uma investigação.
Sem dizer nada à esposa, ele parte para a missão sob uma identidade falsa. No entanto, Tuppence, que é bem mais astuta (e talvez até mais determinada) do que o marido, rapidamente descobre o plano e acaba por se juntar a ele, também disfarçada.

Agatha Christie volta a demonstrar a sua mestria na construção do suspense e na caracterização das personagens, sobretudo na dinâmica entre o casal. Ainda assim, neste N ou M?, a previsibilidade da intriga deixou-me um pouco desapontada — descobri tudo bem antes do final.

Mesmo assim, é sempre um prazer reencontrar Tommy e Tuppence, cuja cumplicidade e sentido de humor continuam a ser um dos trunfos da autora.

[Alexandra Osipenco · Rating 5 out of 5]

"N sau M" de Agatha Christie

5/5 ⭐

Pe cine captivează istorii polițiste cu spioni, detectivi, deghizări, secrete, coduri, ați pus ochiul pe cartea potrivită.

Al doilea război mondial, Anglia. Tommy Beresford primește misiunea de a pleca la un hotel pe malul mării pentru a demasca doi spioni germani. Printr-o întâmplare (sau nu tocmai), la hotelul Sans Souci ajunge și Tuppence, iar cei doi joacă discret. Întâmplări imprevizibile, aventuri, copil răpit, spionaj, suspecți, aveți de toate

O carte tocmai potrivită pentru toamna de după geam.

Recomand!

[Qt · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charming and engrossing novel, with many twists and turns.

[Andrea Cox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This fantastic mystery kept me guessing till the very end. I never did figure out one of the suspects before the big reveal. The narrator, James Warwick, did a marvelous job, doing various voices and accents -- including a toddler's murmurings and another character's stammering -- which, I suppose, shouldn't come as a surprise since he's a television and movie actor (often working on Agatha Christie stories, by the way). The leads, Tommy and Tuppence, were funny, clever, and very entertaining. I hope to read -- or listen to -- another of their adventures soon.

The only drawbacks about this book, for me, are the profanity and expletives used.

Content: murder, alcohol

I was not compensated for my honest review.

[Hirdesh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review to come.

[Tras · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typically light and fast paced Tommy and Tuppence romp, this time set in early 1940 with the Germans about to topple France, and Dunkirk looming. Not a great time for Britain (or Europe generally). Tommy and Tuppence are now middle-aged with 2 grown up children, but still want to do their bit for the war effort. They end up in a guest house on the south coast to try and unearth the identities of the mysterious (and ruthless) N and M. This is a story filled with intrigue, spying, and Nazi Fifth Columnists. Potential enemies are everywhere and anyone, no matter how seemingly innocent, could be a German sympathiser.

I found it interesting that this book was published in 1941 - when the fate of the war was still very much in the balance - and that uncertainty definitely comes through in the writing. How could it not?

It's an enjoyable read with a typical array of Agatha Christie characters (a.k.a potential suspects), and you'll probably be kept guessing to the very end. Give it a whirl.

[Veronique · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75*

Agatha Christie is of course famous for her murder mysteries, but she wrote more widely than that, dipping her toes in spy stories, such as the excellent The Man in the Brown Suit.

N or M? features Tommy and Tuppence back on the scene, trying to find some meaningful work during WWII despite their 'great advanced age’ (they are in their 40s - lol). Luckily enough, they are sent on a mission to uncover a spy in a seaside resort. The beginning, after Tuppence’s masterful action, is a little slow, but speeds nicely towards a satisfactory end. I must admit Tuppence is really the character that shines in these stories. She is so smart and resourceful!

[aria ✧ · Rating 3 out of 5]

In his mind was that phrase, uttered years ago, at the close of an earlier war. A joint venture...
That was what his life with Tuppence had been and would always be—a Joint Venture...

I am not a fan of Agatha Christie’s spy books but I love Tommy and Tuppence too much to give this less than 3 stars.

[Rojita Rojîta · Rating 3 out of 5]

وقتی بانو کریستی تحت تاثیر جنگ زیاد دل و دماغ نوشتن نداشته