HPC Forums

[James]

JCB, you picked Why Didn't They Ask Evans? as your book of the month on your site.

Excellent book, isn't it? I absolutely loved it. In fact, I asked my sister to read it, and she said it was one of the absolutely best of Agatha Christie.

Why Christie didn't continue with the two new heroes, I still don't understand. They remind me a lot of Tommy & Tuppence Beresford. The plot of the book is incredible: a chase for an unknown murderer, a near-death poisoning for Bobby, multiple disguises for Bobby and Frankie, a plot to do with mistaken identity, a subplot of a mental hospital and a lunatic patient, a scheme of faking a will, a murder in a locked room, a scheme with impersonations, and a thriving drug business.

Whew! The plot is by far one of the best of Christie's. Absolutely a must read for anyone new to Agatha Christie!

JCB, I've added your AC newspage to my links page (https://www.poirot.us/plinks.html).

[JCB]

I liked the book a lot, too. It's definately in my top 10. Proabbly my third favourite non-series book (after "And Then There Were None" and "Towards Zero"). What I really liked was that the detectives aren't nice people like Tommy and Tuppence - they're quite snobbish, especially to Badger Beadon, and won't be seen in public with him even after he saves their lives!

However, If Agatha Christie had continued with Bobby and Frankie, it might be a bit too much like Tommy and Tuppence. Bright young things, indeed!

Did anyone solve this mystery? Something I meant to add to my page about this was that the original idea evolved after Major Belcher, the inspiration for Eustace Peddlar in an earlier book, flung down "The Sittaford Mystery" and said: "Good, but why the dickens didn't they ask Evans?" (people didn't swear in the thirties... apparantly). Then the title was born. AC worked on several plot ideas, her favourite being three people named Evans, one of whom held the key to a poisoning.

I've written too much. Sorry. Thanks for adding my page to your links! It's nearly had 1,000 viewings!
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