Tommy and Tuppence (real names Thomas Bereford and Prudence Cowley) are among Agatha Christie's most recurring characters like Hercule Poirot or Jane Marple. They are private detectives working for the government.
Biography[]
This couple first appears in the novel The Mysterious Adversary. There they are - a couple of young guys who are looking for adventure and quick money. However, adventure finds them faster than they thought. Very quickly they find themselves drawn into an investigation into the activities of spies, led by a certain Mr. Brown, whom no one has ever seen in person. They are also searching for a document that was once of great importance, but now could cause a coup. The only person who could tell where exactly this document is is a girl named Jane Finn, who is being sought by both the government and her billionaire relative named Julius. Tommy and Tuppence witness the innumerable deeds of the gang of saboteurs, including murder, and are alternately captured by the gang. Later, they manage to get out of captivity (with the help of Jane and Julius who intervened) and find the document. Mr. Brown turns out to be Sir James Peel Edgerton. He commits suicide so as not to be held accountable for his actions. Tommy and Tuppence get married. In the short story collection Partners in Crime, Tommy and Tuppence work for a detective agency and solve crimes. In the novel N or M?, Tommy and Tuppence are looking for a German spy. In the novel Snap Your Finger Only Once, Tommy and Tuppence go to visit Aunt Ada. While Tommy was talking to his aunt, Tuppence meets Mrs. Lancaster. She talks about sinister murders. Three weeks later, Aunt Ada died and Mrs. Lancaster disappeared. The Beresfords inherit a painting of a mysterious house. It turns out that the painting is a piece of the puzzle. Tommy and Tuppence must find a serial killer. In the novel The Gates of Fate, the now elderly Tommy and Tuppence are investigating an old murder.
Personality[]
Tommy and Tuppence are shown to be brave (if a little reckless) detectives. They will come to the aid of the state whenever necessary. They also love each other very much. For example, during the events of the novel H or M?, when Tommy is offered another job undercover, Tuppence decides to accompany him, regardless of whether her services are needed or not. In the very same novel, they decide to adopt a little girl, whose supposed mother turned out to be a spy, while the biological mother of this girl was killed by her supposed mother. They also want to be helpful.