Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

Another very enjoyable Agatha Christie read -- this was the perfect thing for reading by the pool over my vacation. When vicar's son Bobby Jones is out golfing with a doctor friend, he comes across a man who has fallen (or has he???) over a cliff. They rush down to help but the doctor sees that the man, while still alive, is not going to make it. Bobby stays with the mystery man while the doctor goes for help, and just before dying, the man opens his eyes and says "Why didn't they ask Evans?" A series of events lead Bobby and his good friend, the aristocratic Frankie (aka Lady Frances) to suspect foul play and take on the job of amateur sleuths. They are a smart and charming couple with a will-they-or-won't they vibe (enhanced by their show more class differences), and the mystery is just complicated enough to be extremely satisfying. I had figured out the who before the end of the book, but not the why, and Christie satisfyingly ties everything together by the end of the book. My copy had a truly amazing 70s cover that I still love even though the only connection I can find to the book is a pair of pince nez glasses. Recommended regardless of which cover you snag! show less

Early, and delightfully, funny Christie. Bobby Jones, 4th son of a Welsh vicar, ex navy, and indifferent golfer comes across a dying man during a round of golf. What at first appears as an accident (fall from a cliff path) soon becomes a suspicious death - and Bobby, along with his childhood friend Lady Frances Derwent (Frankie, a bored bright young thing) are soon on the trail of criminals that prove to be more than equal to the criminals found in their beloved thrillers. Not to be taken seriously but vastly entertaining!

The closest that Agatha Christie comes to P.G. Wodehouse. This almost-comedy features striking characters enacting a plot lifted straight from Wilkie Collins. Thoroughly entertaining and as light as they come.

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.

A fun Christie, and I like Frankie and Bobby quite a bit as protagonists— very much in the line of Tommy and Tuppence, or Bundle Brent.

Of course the plot is a real mess, all sorts of impersonations and conspiracies and stuff, but it’s the tone that carries it, and (as always) Emilia Fox’s excellent narration.

'The Boomerang Clue' is an alternative title for the novel, ‘Why didn’t they ask Evans?’ This phrase is uttered by a dying man, and triggers a long and convoluted investigation by two young people: Bobby, the Vicar’s son, and Frankie, a close friend of his.

As with most of Christie’s novels there are false clues everywhere. Bobby and Frankie set out on many trails, some more useful than others. They ask questions, leap to conclusions, aren’t sure who to trust… and only after an exciting finale do they gradually work out the truth.

The plot is complex, not one I could have worked out myself. But I liked the friendship between Bobby and Frankie and was content to go along with their reasoning, albeit with my own suspicions. I show more thought the two main protagonists were better drawn than typical for Christie's books, and some of the minor characters were interesting too.

Believable dialogue for the mid-20th century upper and upper-middle classes, and a nicely crafted plot that was difficult to put down. Definitely recommended to anyone who likes light crime fiction. show less

Why Didn't They Ask Evans? is vintage 1934 Christie, and so much fun. I recalled the story vaguely from my early days of reading Agatha Christie. I'd binge on four or five of her novels over a weekend and emerge rather confusedly, with various machinations and motives all mixed up in my head. That reading habit didn't make for great plot retention, but despite the fuzziness I remembered this title as being a particularly good one. I listened to the audiobook version read by Emilia Fox and thoroughly enjoyed it.

"Why didn't they ask Evans?" These are the last words of a dying man, who fell from a cliff near Bobby Jones's home. Bobby, a young ex-Naval officer, attaches no importance to the words until an attempt is made on his own life. show more By that time, Lady Frances Derwent—or, as we shall call her, Frankie—has decided that the man called Alex Pritchard didn't fall from the cliff. He was pushed. But why? And who is the mysterious Evans?

Yes, there are several farfetched plot devices (multiple impersonations, the hero's astonishing recovery after being poisoned, the deus ex machina also known as Badger Beadon, etc.). But the ride is so much fun, you just don't care. Frankie and Bobby are utterly appealing protagonists whose relationships and characters are drawn sparingly and believably. And the dialogue is splendidly amusing. I suspect Emilia Fox's reading gave it an extra edge.

Fox's narration is excellent, though I did have to get used to the slightly gravelly quality of her voice. She does wonderful character voices and I especially enjoyed the way she portrays Frankie.

Christie is generally one of my favorite mystery authors, having introduced me to the genre, and I'm finding her stories are even more enjoyable on audiobook. Good stuff. show less