Tracking T&T: By The Pricking of My Thumbs

(As usual, not my picture,
but it's the version that I own.)

Note: This is a spoiler-free post!

I know that I started this T&T review series by writing about the first book in the series. Logically, I should proceed with the second, then the third, and so on. But you’ll have to forgive me since I’ve decided to jump to the fourth book in the series - By The Pricking of My Thumbs. I did reread the second and third books, but somehow I feel more excited to write about this fourth one. So here we are!

A Brief Blurb

Tommy and Tuppence, now older and keen on carrying out filial duty, decide to go and visit Tommy’s Aunt Ada. To Sunny Ridge they go - Aunt Ada’s retirement home. True to her well-known unpleasant behavior, Aunt Ada shoos Tuppence out of her room. Only dear nephew Tommy is allowed inside. Tuppence then meets another resident called Mrs. Lancaster. A pleasant-looking old lady she is - that is, until she asks Tuppence an unexpected question: Was the dead child behind the fireplace yours? Tuppence, bothered by the question, decides to investigate further. What started as an innocent visit to Aunt Ada apparently leads Tommy and Tuppence to something more sinister.

Young Adventurers Ltd., Many Many Years Later

Unlike Poirot and Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence age in real time. They were youths in the first book, and they get older, older and older in the sequels. In By The Pricking of My Thumbs, T&T are probably in their fifties or sixties. (I don’t think Christie ever mentions their exact ages in any of her books?) Their getting older affects certain aspects of the story.

The tone in this book is noticeably different from previous T&T books. In my review of The Secret Adversary - the first book in the series - I mentioned that I always loved the lighter tone in Tommy and Tuppence stories. The tone in this fourth book is quite darker, actually. Or at least, that light tone isn’t as prevalent in By The Pricking of My Thumbs. Perhaps this reflects how T&T have matured as they age.

Maturity, however, isn’t the only thing to befall Tommy and Tuppence. As many senior citizens do, T&T seem to have experienced some sort of decline in their mental faculties. For example, there are multiple instances of them forgetting certain things. But that doesn’t mean they stop being their goofy selves. Fun moments still exist!

“Tuesday it is,” said Tuppence. “What’s the name of the woman? I can’t remember - the matron or the superintendent or whoever she is. Begins with a P.”

Another interesting thing to note is that practically the entire story revolves around the elderly. What a contrast this is with The Secret Adversary - where T&T are described as bright, young things - and Partners in Crime - where T&T’s young-but-jobless state is again emphasized. (Also, interestingly, Christie draws links between the elderly and children - two ends of the age spectrum.)

This elderly theme is quite fitting actually. T&T are quite old now, so it’s a nice opportunity to tackle themes about aging. T&T themselves also have conversations (sometimes silly ones, in classic T&T behavior) about morbid topics. I guess you naturally think of morbid things much more often as you age…

“I hate mourning,” she said. “It always smells of moth balls because it’s been laid up somewhere.”

“You don’t need to go on wearing mourning. It’s only to go to the funeral in,” said Tommy.

“Oh, no, I know that. In a minute or two I’m going to go up and put on a scarlet jersey just to cheer things up. You can make me another White Lady.”

“Really, Tuppence, I had no idea that funerals would bring out this party feeling.”

Christie’s Decline?

Christie herself reportedly wrote By The Pricking of My Thumbs in her old age. Many think that this is the cause of the story’s weak plot and loose ends: Christie herself was not exempt from age-related mental decline. That seems likely. But hey, I think it’s still impressive to be able to write an entire novel like that. I can’t even get one done in my non-senior age, haha.

(There’s something else I want to say about this, but I can’t do it in a spoiler-free post. So keep your eyes peeled for the spoiler-filled post.)

As for me, I still managed to enjoy the story. I was confused by the infamous loose ends, but I honestly wasn’t really bothered by the slow-moving plot. Maybe this is because I’ve encountered many slow-paced stories and found that I do enjoy them. My enjoyment also largely comes from Tommy and Tuppence themselves. I just like seeing them interact and go about their shenanigans!

The Culprit

One last thing I’d like to mention here is the culprit. To be precise, the culprit’s psychology, motive, and circumstances. They’re all very interesting. Though the reveal is reserved, as usual, at the very end of the book, those ending pages helped elevate the entire story.

I think the reveal can be quite shocking. I first read this book (translated version) years ago and I honestly don’t remember how I reacted then. And I started this read still remembering the culprit’s identity (yay). What I didn’t exactly remember was the motive and circumstances. It was nice to have some sort of first-time experience again, and the uniqueness of the motive and circumstances made it even more intriguing.

To conclude…

Like what I’ve said in this post, I’m very biased when it comes to Tommy and Tuppence (lol). I like them a lot. It’s nice to read that Christie enjoyed writing them the most too. While the plot isn’t really this book’s strongest point, it gave us an interesting culprit and enjoyable interactions between Tommy and Tuppence.

An elderly couple having breakfast together….However, Mr. and Mrs. Beresford had not yet arrived at the time of life when they thought of themselves as old….Mr. and Mrs. Beresford from their own point of view were just past the prime of life. They liked themselves and liked each other and day succeeded day in a quiet but enjoyable fashion.