The Secret Adversary Audiobook By Agatha Christie cover art

The Secret Adversary

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The Secret Adversary

By: Agatha Christie
Narrated by: Penelope Dellaporta
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In 1919, young couple Tommy Beresford and Tuppence Cowley form a partnership, hiring themselves out as "young adventurers". Their first case, however, is more of an adventure than they expect. It involves finding documents that, if they were known to the general public, would fuel a communist revolution in Britain.

Tommy and Tuppence know that Jane Finn was carrying top secret documents when she disappeared five years ago. What they don't know is that a killer is targeting a sinister older woman because she knows all about Jane. And soon Tommy and Tuppence are themselves in grave danger.

(P)2006 Tantor Media Inc. Fiction Genre Fiction International Mystery & Crime Literary Fiction Mystery Traditional Detectives Detective Crime

Editorial reviews

Originally published in 1922, the story finds Tuppence and Tommy reacquainting themselves and grappling with various spies in their first adventure. While neither a very well-known nor very well-respected series, the two are rather cute, and Penelope Dellaporta portrays a sense of this without going over the edge. She gives an enthusiastic narration, and if her rendition of an American accent occasionally becomes distracting, she otherwise bounds happily around this complex story, admirably tackling the many different forces that were part of England between the Wars. She does an especially effective job with the spirited Tuppence, although when the plot falls into the particularly improbable, she is unable to raise it with her narration.
Classic Twists • Convoluted Plot • Clear Narration • Enjoyable Journey • Genuine Atmosphere • Delightful Reading
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Introduction to the characters Tommy & Tuppence. Enjoyable to read a still young (32 or younger) Christie’s personality, reflected in these two detectives.

Not one of her great mysteries though, but immersive reading. A fun, cheeky, genuine 1920s story with moments of seriousness that pulls you into another time…IF you like that sort of thing.

Transporting delight

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I liked the narration a lot, she did a great job relating voices to people, so I usually could tell that different people were speaking, and usually knew who they were. That’s not an easy thing to do.
The story was a disappointment, as it quickly turned into a Victorian romance, below Ms Christy’s usual style. It seemed like a filler between good mysteries. Well, I’m no author, so perhaps my opinion should be taken very lightly. It’s easy to criticize. I enjoyed it generally, and appreciate it.

Silly romantic story, noot her best, but reading was really delightful.

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I loved the story but there was a terrible squeak in the audio that would not go away no matter which device I chose.

Terrible squeak!

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I enjoyed the story and had no problem with the narration. Think of this one as RETRO! Anglophile style. It's also nice to read an early Agatha Christie story.

The story is pleasantly convoluted. The naiveté of the principals is charming.

This is not today's hard-edged mystery.

Vintage Intrique Romp

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A good story, but chaotic but excellently presented. Lots of twists and turns and looking back it seems obvious but well constructs its journey

Introduction to partners in crime

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The story is typically Christy - interesting and enjoyable! I found the narration annoying, especially Tuppence's loud exclamations and shrill squeaky voice. Ugh.

Great Christy! (Not Great Narration)

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I loved this book. It was refreshing to hear an Agatha Christie novel that I hadn't ready seen on tv and with new characters. I was kept guessing until the end.

Don't overlook this book

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The narrator's voice was crisp and clear, but it was very distracting when she tried to have different voices for each character. I would've preferred just to listen to the story. Good Christie story!

Great Listen!-but....

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I find Tommy and Tuppence the most attractive Christie characters. Poirot and Marple are equally or more clever but Not such enjoyable people.

Excellent Christie

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What made the experience of listening to The Secret Adversary the most enjoyable?

As always, an excellent story from our Queen of Crime, but truly terrible narration. Try to rise above it

Terrible narrator

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