What’s a book about British national security without a drink to help you get through it? In honor of the (outrageously) stereotypical bad guys (See: Anti-bonus Factor), I am making a classic cocktail, the Moscow Mule, because of course there is a menacing Russian man threatening our audacious duo throughout the whole book! Christie’s best effort (oh Lord, please forgive me!). I do not think this book stands the test of time very well, and I also just don’t think this is Ms. Maybe I was just wishing this was another Poirot mystery, but I think there’s more to it than that. Christie, but I really had a tough slog to get through it all.

I know at the time, the critics raved about this sophomore effort from Ms. I personally was completely turned off by how much of the story relied on coincidence, luck and just outright improbability. Only Tommy and Tuppence can stop the next World War! Or something like that. Improbably, through several overheard conversations, Tommy and Tuppence fall into a very complex affair of national security. Tuppence doesn’t even realize she loves her friend Tommy until he is kidnapped and she hasn’t heard from him in days! Alternately, it never dawns on Tommy that he has feelings for Tuppence until a body washes up on shore wearing her clothes! Um, come on guys, declare your true love for each other and get married already! There is a very adorable scene at the end of the novel where Tommy and Tuppence are reunited and decide to let their feelings out, but I’ll save that for you to enjoy, dear reader. In typical 1920s British fashion, no one talks about their feelings. Stop almost getting yourself killed so we can hang out! I think when they turn 30, we’re gonna be really close, once this whole “Young Adventurers” thing loses its charm. They have spunk, they’re clever, and they like to drink and go to the theatre, so obvs we would be good friends. Now doesn’t that sound like they won’t get in to any trouble at all? They will offer themselves out as the Young Adventurers, ready to go and do anything for anyone, for a fee, of course. Just two young twenty-somethings, fresh from the War (he a soldier, she a nurse), they don’t have a lot of money, so they put their little heads together and hatch a plan. We meet adorable Tommy and Tuppence in this second Christie novel. If he was, maybe I would have enjoyed this second Agatha Christie mystery more. Brown,” whom no one knows what he looks like, but I guarantee, he is Not A Bear. Yes, this original book cover has a bear removing a (super-scary) mask. Relationship Status: See Ya Later, Alligator Anti-Bonus Factor: Broad Negative European Stereotypes

Tommy and tuppence the secret adversary