The Secret Adversary

A Tommy and Tuppence Mystery

By: Agatha Christie

Narrated by: Nadia May

Length: 7 hrs and 48 mins

Publisher's summary

The girl in the photograph has been missing for five years. Neither her body nor the secret documents she was carrying have ever been found. Now, post-war England's economic recovery depends on finding her and getting the papers back. But the two young Brits working undercover for the ministry know only that her name was Jane Finn, and the only photo of her is in the hands of her rich American cousin.

They don't know yet about a mysterious and ruthless man called "Mr. Brown," or the beautiful but sinister older woman who knows all about Jane Finn...and therefore must die.

Public Domain (P)1997 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Nadia May reads with her usual charging enthusiasm....She enlivens the repartee between the two leads, relishes the other characters and enjoys herself immensely." (AudioFile)

Excellent narration

The first of the Tommy and Tuppence series by Agatha Christie was an such an enjoyable listen. I originally read the book when I was 17 and thought both characters were so mature and lucky to be in a position to have had such a wonderful adventure.

At 71 and much wiser, and knowing the horrors of war and the deprivation so many in Britain suffered during and after WWII, I see Tommy and Tuppence through a different lens.

Agatha Christie fans will be sure to admire and enjoy this reading of The Secret Adversary as narrated by Nadia May. She projects the youthful exuberance Tuppence brought to the "adventure" and made the listening experience so enjoyable. As a great fan of both Hugh Fraser and Penelope Dellaporta, I highly recommend this version . I have the audio versions of this book by both, but my 17-yr old self loves Nadia May's reading best.

I'd have to say: meh

The story itself isn't as captivating as other novels by Agatha Christie. I would even go as far as to say that the end is quite obvious even - something one definitely isn't used to.

Also, I was not quite happy with Nadia May's performance as I was somewhat annoyed by her voice (this is certainly a taste issue - you should listen closely to the preview) and I think she could have put more effort into intonation and modulation.

Still. The Secret adversary is entertaining and lives of its funny parts, but the obvious story and the IMHO sub-par narrating performance would make me recommend this only for people interested in going through all of Christies work.

Classic Agatha Christie!

Tired of Hercule Poirot or Jane Marples? Here's the first of a delightful series of the Tommy and Tuppence series.

New to the sleuthing world, the "Young Adventurers' Club" certainly seems to do just that - take on a world-case criminal!

P.S.: I know none us can ever be tired of Poirot or Jane Marples mysteries. Alas, here is another series to enjoy.

Fun Mystery

Lively characters, fun twists, and a bit of very British romance. Grab a table at the Ritz and enjoy.

Lots of fun

Intrigue, love, amnesia! First of the Tommy And Tuppence series. Quaint, but still holds up.

Mystery at its classic!

As an avid Agatha Christie fan growing up, I had read the print version of this book many years ago. Still I wanted to hear it again now. While the story, language and nuances are dated now, the story is still very intriguing and is Agatha Christie at her very best. The narration was spot on that made me happy to relive the story.

great job all the way round!

This story surprised me. It's far faster paced than other Agatha Christie novels & all the characters are delightful. Great performance by the narrator.

Sweet, puzzling and amusing!

The Tommy and Tuppence books are some of my favorite Agatha Christie's ever. They are intelligent, funny, and the couple is very sweet. The reader starts out a little rough with the exits, but she gets back into the swing of it quickly. Highly recommended!!

Very Fun Story

I really enjoyed this Agatha Christie story. It’s a true adventure with lots of dangers some twists and turns. Overall the book had a light happy feeling while still solving a great mystery. Good for kids as well as adults.

ok, but not my fave

It’s a decent spy mystery, but definitely not my favorite Christie book.
May does a decent enough narration and her voice fits this story where Fraser or Suchet wouldn’t.

one of Agatha's best

If you could sum up The Secret Adversary in three words, what would they be?

Suspense all through

Who was your favorite character and why?

Tuppence, even although the character was supposed to be young lady with limited exposure to the outside world (clergyman's daughter} her portrayal was very believable.

Which character – as performed by Nadia May – was your favourite?

Tuppence,

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

enjoyed listening to it again and I am sure will again.

Any additional comments?

Nadia May used her voice very effectively for the female characters and was able to lower it enough for the male parts not to be distracting.