|
Loading... Why Didn't They Ask Evans?by Agatha Christie
LibraryThing recommendationsMember recommendationsLoading...
won't like
will probably not like
will probably like
will like
will love Sign up for LibraryThing to find out whether you'll like this book. Justifiably forgotten "clever young things" mystery from 1933, with so many convolutions and about-faces I lost track. We are supposed to be charmed by the madcap vicar's son and his titled love-interest, but I wasn't. (  ) metrorebecca | Oct 26, 2009 |  Synopsis: While playing a round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes and says, ‘Why didn’t they ask Evans?’ WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS is an interesting exploration of the impact of class differences in English society, at the same time as being an absorbing murder mystery. The original title is self-explanatory, but the title THE BOOMERANG CLUE comes from the fact that the first clue to the identity of the murderer is in fact the one that, when understood, actually counts. Bobby Jones is the fourth son of a clergyman, at a loose end and without prospects because he has recently left the Navy. His fellow "detective" is the Lady Francis Derwent, well above him in social class, but a friend from childhood, when social station made no difference to their friendship. Frankie is a woman of means, with the leisure to pursue mysteries, a car at her disposal, and able to move in the spheres of the wealthy, and able to winkle information out of people in a way that penurious Bobby never could. One of the themes of this mystery has to be that personal opinions can cloud your judgement as both Bobby and Frankie believe in the innocence of the person who turns out to be the murderer. If you want to read a real spoiler, and learn more of this story than I am going to tell you here, then you can do that on Wikipedia. Another of the lessons must be that true sleuthing is largely a matter of luck, and that culprits are not always brought to justice. WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS has stood the test of time well I think, and largely held my attention, although I got a bit impatient to be finished in the last 30 or so pages, where Christie rather pedantically led me through a recount of all the plot points (just in case I had missed anything). This is a technique that Christie tended to use in most of her novels. (  ) smik | Oct 17, 2009 | One of Christie's most implausible, with a plot that turns on morphine addiction, a local rehab that may keep patients prisoner and a minor character who swoops in like Errol Flynn to save Bobby and Frankie at the last minute, then disappears again. These may sound like criticisms but they aren't- this is a mystery done at break-neck speed and Christie is having fun throwing in every unlikely plot twist she can think of. (  ) mstrust | Jul 10, 2009 | Interesting premise of a murder that is first thought to be an accident. Bobby and Frankie are fairly likeable characters and aren't as annoying as Tommy and Tuppence, which is a blessing. (  ) riverwillow | Jun 7, 2008 | Bobby Jones is enjoying a round of golf when his ball goes astray. Chasing it down, he finds a dying man. Bobby is in time to hear the man's last words, "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Bobby is sorry for the man, but ready to forget about the whole thing when someone tries to poison him. He enlists the help of his friend, Lady Frances, and together they try to solve the case. (  ) cmbohn | Aug 27, 2007 |  no reviews | add a review
Amazon.com Product Description (ISBN 0312981597, Mass Market Paperback)Agatha Christie is more than the most popular mystery writer of all time. In a career that spans over half a century, her name is synonymous with brilliant deception, ingenious puzzles, and the surprise denouement. By virtually inventing the modern mystery novel she has earned her title as the Queen of Crime. Curious? Then you're invited to read...WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS?Was it a misstep that sent the handsome stranger plummeting to his death from a cliff? Or something more sinister? Fun-loving adventurers Bobby Jones and Francis Derwit's suspicions are certainly aroused-especially since the man's dying words were so peculiar: Why didn't they ask Evans? Bobby and Francis would love to know. Unfortunately, asking it of the wrong people have sent the amateur sleuths running for their lives-on a wild and deadly pursuit to discover who Evans is, what it was he wasn't asked, and why the mysterious inquiry has put their own lives in mortal danger... AUTHORBIO: AGATHA CHRISTIE is the world's best known mystery writer. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in 44 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her writing career spanned more than half a century, during which she wrote 80 novels and short story collections, as well as 14 plays, one of which, The Mousetrap, is the longest-running play in history. Two of the characters she created, the brilliant little Belgian Hercule Poirot and the irrepressible and relentless Miss Marple, went on to become world-famous detectives. Both have been widely dramatized in feature films and made-for-TV movies.Agatha Christie also wrote under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. As well, she wrote four non-fiction books including an autobiography and an entertaining account of the many expeditions she shared with her archaeologist husband, Sir Max Mallowan. Agatha Christie died in 1976.(retrieved from Amazon Tue, 05 Jan 2010 14:18:11 -0500) The first test round has been closed. Visit the Open Shelves Classification group for details. |
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Wikipedia in English (1)
