The Secret Adversary
1922 novel by Agatha Christie
The Secret Adversary is the second published mystery novel by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in January 1922 in the United Kingdom by John Lane at The Bodley Head and in the United States by Dodd, Mead and Company later in that same year. The UK edition retailed at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6) and the US edition at $1.75.
The book introduces the characters of Tommy and Tuppence who feature in three other Christie novels and one collection of short stories; the five Tommy and Tuppence books span Agatha Christie's writing career. They are hired for a job that leads them both to many dangerous situations, meeting allies as well, including an American millionaire in search of his cousin.
Reviews were generally positive on this adventure, which manages to keep the identity of the arch-criminal secret to the very end.
Plot summary
In 1920 London, demobilised soldier Tommy Beresford reunites with his childhood friend and war volunteer Prudence "Tuppence" Cowley. In passing, he mentions that he overheard a man mention the name "Jane Finn," which he finds ridiculous. Out of work and money, they form "The Young Adventurers, Ltd".
Their first client, a Mr Whittington, makes Tuppence a suspiciously generous offer. Remembering Tommy's anecdote, when Whittington asks Tuppence her name, she gives him the alias "Jane Finn." A shocked Whittington offers her £50 hush money and asks her to return the following day, but when she returns, the office has been suddenly closed.
The public source identifies “The Secret Adversary” as 1922 novel by Agatha Christie. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Secret, Adversary and novel.
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Attribution, date and provenance are strongest when supported by the original work, a catalogue record and documented transmission. The source revision retrieved here is dated May 18, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q617379. The first chronological checks are 1922 and 1920.
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This entry incorporates text from “The Secret Adversary” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.