Partners in Crime - Agatha Christie

Published in ebook format by William Morrow/HarperCollins Publishers, August 2012.
First published 1929.

The second of two Agatha Christie short story collections I read online while researching a Year 10 mystery unit, Partners in Crime was also my first exposure to Tommy and Tuppence, an investigative duo who also are husband and wife. Their entry into Private Investigation is an interesting one - they are hired by the Government to impersonate the previous head of an investigative firm, who has been arrested for 'indiscrete dealings' including, it is assumed, espionage. Neither Tommy nor Tuppence have had any experience as Investigators, but Tommy in particular is a fan of mystery fiction and is eager to learn (though of the two, Tuppence has a greater immediate knack for the role).

The collection of stories is more connected than most Christie short story collections, with earlier cases sometimes influencing latter ones in some way, and the way that Tommy in particular wants continually to impersonate other 'fictitious detectives' (including Christie's own Poirot) adds a level of humour to the proceedings. 

Having a married couple solving mysteries with a humorous undertone also reminded me of the 1930s film series The Thin Man, which Elise and I enjoy. Some plot developments that are mentioned at the end of the book also make this comparison stronger.

A fun collection of slightly more (on the whole) light-hearted mysteries from a favourite mystery writer.

Completed 15 November 2022.

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