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lilacs_book_bower's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
CW: in one story a minor character expresses extreme fatphobia, and in another Tommy plays at being blind to "enhance his other senses." I've read a lot of Christie, but somehow never cared much for the Tommy and Tuppence stories, based on previous limited exposure in short stories and one novel. I couldn't quite put my finger on why, but after reading this book, I can say that, here at least, I find Tommy a bit smug and a little condescending to Tuppence. It is supposed to read as loving banter and teasing, but I didn't care for it or him. I did like Tuppence, and I found their employee Albert to be quite amusing. This short story collection has the T and T team (assisted by Albert) running a private investigator agency, so they handle several different cases, with both Tommy and Tuppence getting their moments to shine. It is always good to read a new-to-me Christie though, and some of the mysteries were fun. Regarding the CW: a person could skip those stories and be fine. The fatphobia is expressed by the man who hires the couple in "The Case of the Missing Lady" and in "Blindman's Bluff" Tommy pretends he is blind. He expresses sympathy for blind people, but it made me uncomfortable nonetheless, that he is just trying on a disability. I read this as the February selection for #readChristie2023.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia and Ableism
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