Dew's Agatha
Christie Mystery Site
Some Information About
Tommy & Tuppence Beresford
Physical Description:
€Tommy has red, slicked-back hair (at least when he is younger) and he is "pleasantly ugly--nondescript, but unmistakably the face of a gentleman and a sportsman."
€"Tuppence had no claim to beauty, but there was character and charm in the elfin lines of her little face, with its determined chin and large, wide-apart grey eyes that looked mistily out from under straight black brows."
Information and History:
€They appeared in five Agatha Christie's novels: "The Secret Adversary," "Partners in Crime," "N or M?" "By The Prickling of My Thumbs," and "Postern Of Fate."
€They are usually involved in international espionage.
€Their adventures begin in their early twenties and they become grandparents in their final novel.
€They end having twins (a son and a daughter) plus they also adopt a daughter, Betty.
€When we first met Tommy, we find out that he was wounded in WW1 and fought for the British Army.
€Tuppence served in several volunteer capacities, such as a nurse.
€During the war, they worked as spies for Intelligence.
€At one point, they take over a detective agency.
€Tuppence's real name is Prudence but everyone calls her by her nickname.
€While they never meet Hercule Poirot, they do know of him.
Personality Characteristics:
€They are total opposities.
€Tuppence is impetuous, intuitive, imaginative, and volatile. She speaks her mind and does things without thinking.
€Tommy is cautious, logical, reserved, and follows common sense. He thinks things through before caring anything out.
€Tommy compares his wife to a mongoose and himself to a tortoise.
€Tuppence is not above skirting laws, rules, lying, or tricking others.
€Tuppence is devious while Tommy is straight forward.
Their Approach To Solving Crimes:
€It is their conflicting and opposing personalities that allow them to get into trouble (thanks to Tuppence) and back out (thanks to Tommy).
€"They make a pretty pair working together. Pace and stamina."
