By the Pricking of My Thumbs
By Agatha Christie Ulverscroft Large Print, 2012
ISBN: 978-1-4448-0283-2
Genre: Crime, Mystery
Reviewed by Rochelle Caviness - February 21, 2012
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford are two of Agatha Christie's often overlooked detectives. When most people think about Christie's mysteries, their mind automatically jumps to Miss Marple or Hercule Poirot. While Miss Marple and Poirot are outstanding detectives, in their own rights, both lack the exuberance and vivaciousness of the Beresford duo. While Miss Marple and Poirot both have age and experience on their side, when it comes to detective work, Tommy and Tuppence have a willingness to meet danger straight on, and they have each other to lean upon when the going gets difficult. What all four detectives do share in common is a sense of unceasing curiosity, a knack for knowing when something doesn't seem 'quite right', and an innate ability to ferret out the truth.
In most of the Tommy and Tuppence mysteries, the couple are young and their exuberance for life compensates for any lack of detective ability. However, in By the Pricking of My Thumbs, Christie has allowed the couple to age and they are now contemporaries with the likes of Miss Marple and Poirot. Other than being older than 'normal', By the Pricking of My Thumbs is a 'traditional' Tommy & Tuppence mystery. And, if you are not already familiar with their detectives' skills - you will be in for a treat as you meet these two effervescent sleuths. They might move a little slower than they used to, but their minds are still as sharp as always. Of the five novels that Christie wrote featuring Tommy and Tuppence, this is perhaps the best of the best. One thing is certain, it is definitely the darkest of the five mysteries!
In this case, Tommy's aunt has died and left him with a mysterious picture as an inheritance. This event is quickly followed by the disappearance of his aunt's best friend. With due diligence, Tuppence quickly comes to the conclusion that something odd is going on. A fact which becomes all too apparent when Tuppence herself disappears, leaving Tommy with the task of finding her - and the solution to the mystery!
Not one to let a simple mystery be a simple mystery, Christie mixes in elements of the black arts, long dead children, and unspoken dangers that will raise the hairs on your arm as you follow Tommy and Tuppence on their perilous adventures. And don't expect to guess the ending before the end - it's a real shocker that is seemingly out of character when compared to normal Christie fare.
A rich mix of humor and mayhem, By the Pricking of My Thumbs is a "must" for all mystery fans.
By the Pricking of My Thumbs can be purchased directly from Ulverscroft.
Click Here for a complete list of all the books written by Agatha Christie.
Related Reviews:
The Secret Adversary, by Agatha Christie.
In this, the first of the Tommy and Tuppence mysteries, the young couple try to recover a top-secret document that, if it were to fall into the wrong hands, could topple the British government.
Postern of Fate, by Agatha Christie.
Now retired, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford set out to solve just one more mystery - who killed Mary Jordan, and why. This is the last book in the Tommy and Tuppence series.
