Tracking T&T: Brief Thoughts on By The Pricking of My Thumbs

Note: This post contains spoilers for By The Pricking of My Thumbs!

Just some brief thoughts I had about three things in the story: the story's loose ends, Sir Philip, and the inscription on the tombstone Tuppence found.

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!

Tracking T&T: Why the Name “Tuppence”?

 Note: This post contains spoilers for The Secret Adversary!

During my reread of The Secret Adversary, I was once again made aware of the fact that we never know why Miss Prudence Cowley is called “Tuppence”. In the opening chapter of The Secret Adversary, Christie herself seems to tell us that she would not be giving us explanation:

…Miss Prudence Cowley, known to her intimate friends for some mysterious reason as ‘Tuppence.”

Christie may offer no answers, but I am here to offer a fun speculation.

Tracking T&T: Revisiting The Secret Adversary

The 1967 Bantam edition is the copy I managed to acquire. 
(the picture above isn't mine, though.)

Note: This is a spoiler-free post!

The Secret Adversary was my first encounter with Agatha Christie.

Well…not exactly.

The translated version of The Secret Adversary was my first encounter with Agatha Christie. I was fond of mysteries - I grew up reading stories like Enid Blyton’s Famous Five and Secret Seven, and Gosho Aoyama’s Detective Conan (whose ending, to this day, is still nowhere in sight). I guess it was just a matter of time before I encountered the Queen of Crime herself. And though not everything may be believable, The Secret Adversary successfully sold me on the Agatha Christie's mysteries through its hilarity and - of course - plot twist. Down the rabbit hole I went, devouring any Christie books I could get my hands on.