Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1934)

by Agatha Christie

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
3,110	65	4,411	(3.62)	130
When a man plunges down a cliff, two adventurous young friends decide to find his killer... While playing an erratic 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?' Haunted by these words, Bobby and his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger...… (more)

all members

▾Members

Recently added by

LIFEInternational, thebookshedatguild, agentx216, kcchessor, Taekwondo2328, ViniLobo, biblio_creep, bassibabes, PacificScholeLibrary

▾Tags

▾LibraryThing Recommendations

▾Lists

Crime and Mysteries to Read (213)

Books With the Most Memorable Titles (346)

Books mentioned in Julian Symons’ Bloody Murder (30)

» 5 more

Books Read in 2018 (1,717)

Agatha Christie (7)

Books With Complete Sentence Titles (32)

Detective Stories (201)

Books About Murder (286)

▾Will you like it?

▾Conversations (About links)

No current Talk conversations about this book.

» See also 130 mentions

▾Member reviews

English (59) Spanish (4) Dutch (1) Danish (1) All languages (65)

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 59 (next | show all)

4.75 stars

This book is really funny for being a murder mystery! It's a standalone featuring confident and clever Frankie, and sweet, unassuming Bobby.

I didn't work out the ending perfectly myself. The only part I disliked about the ending was when the culprit explained the entire crime in a letter. This didn't ring true to me, at all.

There was a small amount of profanity. (

)

RachelRachelRachel | Nov 21, 2023 |

When out playing a round of golf with the local doctor, Bobby Jones a man lying at the bottom of a cliff. Before he dies, the unknown man opens his eyes and clearly states "why didnt they ask evans?". [return][return]Bobby and his wealthy friend Lady Frances are then embroiled in an investigation as to what it all meant, who was Evans and who was the stunning woman who's photo was found in the dead man's pocket

nordie | Oct 14, 2023 |

3.5/5
O enredo do crime é pouco envolvente, os personagens, porém, são bem carismáticos.

huds | Oct 10, 2023 |

"Frightfully" flawed and convoluted. (

)

TheScribblingMan | Jul 29, 2023 |

This has been my favorite read by far this year! I know the year hasn't been off for very long, but I expect that I won't read many more books that can surpass this author's works in the coming months.

Honestly! I really can't understand how some reviewers are so unsatisfied with this book! Perhaps it's because Poirot and Miss Marple are somehow even better? Christie's writing is nothing but brilliant, and if you will excuse my bluntness, I ended this one with the question of why anyone would want to read any other mysteries when there are works by people like of the likes of Agatha Christie (and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as well, of course!) to read.

Anyway, the words above were not supposed to be a review at first, only some basics thoughts! Full review to come soon! (

)

BooksbyStarlight | Oct 25, 2022 |

date ▼ | votes

Showing 1-5 of 59 (next | show all)

▾Published reviews

no reviews | add a review

▾Other authors

» Add other authors (59 possible)

Author name	Role	Type of author	Work?	Status
Christie, Agatha	—	primary author	all editions	confirmed
Bebber, Otto Albrecht van	Author	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Fox, Emilia	Narrator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Havrevold, Gunvor	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed
Kattelus, Kirsti	Translator	secondary author	some editions	confirmed

▾Series and work relationships

Belongs to Publisher Series

Accolade (109)

Adey's Locked Room Murders (0443)

The Albatross Crime Club (No. 133)

Collins Crime Club (White Circle No. 9)

Delfinserien (568)

Dell Mystery (46)

— 6 more

Fontana (114)

Goldmann (43949)

Goldmann Taschen Krimi (70)

Nova terra (54)

SaPo (3)

St. Martin's Minotaur Mysteries

Is contained in

Five Classic Murder Mysteries: The Secret Adversary, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Boomerang Clue, The Moving Finger, Death Comes as the End by Agatha Christie

The ABC Murders ; Why Didn't they Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie

1930s Omnibus: The Sittaford Mystery, Why Didn't They Ask Evans, And Then There Were None, Murder is Easy by Agatha Christie

The Hollow / Peril at End House / Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie

Peril at End House [and] Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? / The Listerdale Mystery / Curtain by Agatha Christie

(show 6 more)

Agatha Christie Crime Collection: Murder on the Orient Express / Death in the Clouds / Why Didn't They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie

Death in the Clouds [and] Why Didn't They ask Evans? by Agatha Christie

After the Funeral / Death in the Clouds / Murder on the Orient Express / Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? by Agatha Christie

Dumb witness ; Why didn't they ask Evans? by Agatha Christie

Murder on the Orient Express / Why Didn't They Ask Evans? / Three Act Tragedy by Agatha Christie

Perguntem a Evans + Parker Pyne investiga by Agatha Christie

Has the adaptation

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? [1980 film] by John Davies

Agatha Christie's Romantic Detectives by John Davies

▾Awards and Honors

view history

▾Common Knowledge

You must log in to edit Common Knowledge data.

For more help see the Common Knowledge help page.

Canonical title

Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

Original title

Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

Alternative titles

The Boomerang Clue

Original publication date

People/Characters

Roger Bassington-ffrench

Sylvia Bassington-ffrench

(show all 9 items)

Important places

Marchbolt, Wales, UK (fictional)

London, England, UK

Staverley, Hampshire, England, UK

Important events

Marple: Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2009 | IMDb)

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (2022 | IMDb)

Epigraph

Dedication

To Christopher Mallock in memory of Hinds

First words

Bobby Jones teed up his ball, gave a short preliminary waggle, took the club back slowly, then brought it down and through with the rapidity of lightning.

Quotations

"Isn't it odd," she said. "We seem somehow to have got in between the covers of a book. We're in the middle of someone else's story. It's a frightfully queer feeling."

Last words

(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

Disambiguation notice

Why Didn't They Ask Evans was published in the US as The Boomerang Clue.

The Collins English Readers edition is abridged and should not be combined with the unabridged work.

Publisher's editors

Blurbers

Original language

English

Canonical DDC/MDS

823.912

Canonical LCC

▾References

References to this work on external resources.

Wikipedia in English (1)

Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

▾Book descriptions

When a man plunges down a cliff, two adventurous young friends decide to find his killer... While playing an erratic 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?' Haunted by these words, Bobby and his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger...

▾Library descriptions

No library descriptions found.

▾LibraryThing members' description

Book description

It started when a false step from a misty footpath sent a mysterious stranger plummenting to his death.
How was Bobby Jones to know that witnessing the dying man's last words- "Why didn't they ask Evans?" - would send him on a death-defying chase?

Bobby and his unlikely partner in detection, Lady Frances Derwent, end up in pursuit of a hauntingly beautiful woman - and a cunning killer who is out to do them in!

-----------------------------------
Bobby studied him more closely. An attractive face, humourous, determined, resourceful. The eyes, he thought were probably blue. Just as he reached that point in his thoughts, the eyes suddenly opened.

They were a clear deep blue. They looked straight at Bobby. There was nothing uncertain or hazy about them. They seemed completely conscious. They were watchful and at the same time they seemed to be asking a question.

Bobby got up quickly and came towards the man. Before he got there the other spoke. His voice was not weak - it came out clear and resonant.

"Why didn't they ask Evans?" he said.

And then a queer little shudder passed over him, the eyelids drooped , the jaw fell ...

The man was dead.

Haiku summary