A Fairy in the Flat / A Pot of Tea by Agatha Christie

T&T.

I surprised myself this month and actually caught up with the all the previous short-story selections for FandaClassiclit's Agatha Christie Challenge! Most of them were enjoyable, some more than others. I had never even heard of the Tommy and Tuppence mysteries before, so this was a pleasant surprise.

Not much happens in A Fairy in the Flat, which mostly serves as an introduction to Tommy Beresford and his wife Tuppence. They are both British ex-military and finding it somewhat difficult to adjust back into civilian life after the excitement of international espionage during WWI. Tuppence feels bored returning to a humdrum life of domestic and wifely duties. Tommy seems a little more complacent about their current circumstances wheras she is eager to embark on the next big adventure. He comes across as more pragmatic whereas she seems more forthright in her convictions, impulsive, mercurial. The title of the story refers to a photograph that he shows her where if looked closely enough, you can just make out a fairy-like figure hovering in the background. Perhaps I missed the significance of this discovery because it's mentioned once and then Christie quickly transitions into the turning point of the story where their friend shows up at the flat, presenting an opportunity to take over a detective agency. Looks like Tuppence's wishes for a new adventure have been answered. 

This brings us to the next story, A Pot of Tea, where the couple receives their first case. It's mystery-light and doesn't involve grand conspiracies or murder. The "big reveal" is rendered inconsequential; rather, it's main purpose is character development, giving the reader a better sense of their contrasting personalities. Like many of Agatha Christie's works, these two stories are dialogue heavy and it's the witty banter that really shines. Since this is just an introduction to Tommy and Tuppence, I can only imagine that the stakes are higher in their later adventures.