Tommy & Tuppence Beresford
Tommy and Tuppence Beresford feature in both full length novels and a collection of short stories. Within the short stories, ‘Partners in Crime’ they take over The International Detective Agency and solve a series of mysteries.
Within the novels the Beresfords are retried from the secret services and are looking to find a new purpose and direction. The novels cover espionage and thriller style mysteries. A full character list from the novels can be found below.
Tommy & Tuppence Beresford - Novels
1922 - The Secret Adversary
1941 - N Or M?
1968 - By the Pricking of My Thumbs
1973 - Postern Of Fate
The fist novel in the Tommy and Tuppence series - takig on a case for a 'Mr Carter' the Beresfords are soon embroiled in an international mystery on the hunt for a missing treaty.
With spies and espionage this is a great thriller written by Christie - the 3rd of the 5 Beresford novels to enjoy.
A collection of short stories with Tommy and Tuppence Beresford investigation mysteries. If you're a fan of the Beresford novels or just want to dip your toe in...it's a great collection of mysteries.
A secret message found within an old book? There's a mystery to solve for the Beresfords in this the 5th book in the Tommy and Tuppence series of novels.
On Screen
Watching Agatha Christie
In 2015 ‘Partner’s in Crime’ was aired as a BBC TV series with David Walliams playing Tommy Beresford and Jessica Raine as Tuppence Beresford. It was a six part series with two stories being split into three episodes as follows:
Episodes 1-3 The Secret Adversary
Episodes 4-6 N or M?
Previously in 1983 there was also a mini TV series:
- The Secret Adversary – Not actually an episode of the series, but a television adaptation preceding the series. The main cast is the same as the later episodes.
- The Affair of the Pink Pearl – Aired on 16 October 1983
- The House of Lurking Death – Aired on 23 October 1983.
- The Sunningdale Mystery – Aired on 30 October 1983.
- The Clergyman’s Daughter – Aired on 6 November 1983.
- Finessing the King – Aired on 27 November 1983.
- The Ambassador’s Boots – Aired on 4 December 1983.
- The Man in the Mist – Aired on 11 December 1983.
- The Unbreakable Alibi – Aired on 18 December 1983.
- The Case of the Missing Lady – Aired on 1 January 1984.
- The Crackler – Aired on 14 January 1984.Aired on
The Novels - Tommy & Tuppence Character List
1922 The Secret Adversary
Julius P Hersheimer | Jane Fin’s millionair cousin |
Mr Carter | Seniour member of the British government |
Jane Finn | Missing woman who held important documents |
Marguerite ‘Rita’ Vandemeyer | Previously an actress, travelling on board of the Lusitania with Jane Finn |
Albert | A boy that works in South Adley Mansions and helps the Beresfords |
Mr Whittington | Member of the gang |
Boris Ivanovitch/ Count Stepanov | Member of the gang, friends with Rita |
Mr Kramenin | |
Dr Hall | |
Sir James Peel Edgerton | King’s council and old friend of Mr Carter |
Mr Brown | |
Danvers |
1941 N or M?
| Mr Carter | |
| Captain Grant | British intellegence secret agent who employes Tommy and Tuppence |
| N | German spy |
| M | German spy |
| Mrs Perenna | Owner of the Sans Souci hotel, mother of Sheila |
| Sheila Perenna | Daughter of Mrs Perenna the owner |
| Mrs O’Rourke | Irish woman |
| Major Bletchley | |
| Mr Von Deinem | German refugee |
| Mr Cayley | |
| Mrs Cayley | |
| Miss Sofia Minton | |
| Mrs Sprot | |
| Betty | Mrs Sprot’s todler daughter |
| Commander Haydock | Retired naval officer |
| Albert Batt | Previous manservant to the Beresfords |
| Deborah Beresford | Daughter of the Beresfords and Derek’s twin |
| Derek Beresford | Son of the Beresfords and Deborah’s twin |
| Vanda Polonska | Polish refugee |
1968 By The Pricking of my Thumbs
| Miss Packard | Manages the Sunny Ridge nursing home where Ada Fanshaw and Mrs Lancaster are residents |
| Ada Fanshaw | Thomas Beresford’s aunt who resides at the Sunny Ridhe nursing home |
| Mrs Lancaster | Elderly lady and resident at the Sunny Ridge nursning home who goes missing |
| Nurse O’Keefe | Employed at the nursing home Sunny Ridge |
| Albert | The Beresfords help |
| Alice Perry | Lives with her husband Amos in one half of the house in Sutton Chancellor which is depicted in the painting left by Aunt Ada to the Beresfords |
| Amos Perry | Married to Alice Perry, living on one half of the myseterious house |
| Vicar | Vicar who speaks with Tuppence when she meats him in the church graveyard |
| Nellie Bligh/ Mrs Johnson | Very active lady in the parish of Sutton Chancellor |
| Mrs Copleigh | Local gossip and owner of the B&B at Sutton Chancellor |
| Mr Copleigh | Married to Mrs Copleigh |
| Sir Josiah Penn | Retired intellegence officer and Thomas Beresford’s superior |
| Robert | Art expert |
| Dr Murray | Local doctor for the residents at Sunny Ridge home |
| Mr Eccles | Solicitor |
| Emma Boscowan | Wife of the man who created the painting which Ada left to the Beresfords |
| Ivor Smith | Young intellegence officer |
| Sir Phillip Starke | Local landowner of Sutton Chancellor |
| Mrs Moody | Resident at Sunny Ridge who knows Mrs Lancaster |
1973 Postern of Fate
| Tuppence Beresford | Married to Thomas and also retired from the british intellegence |
| Mr Robinson | International financier The character appeared in three other novels Cat Among the Pigeons (1959), At Bertram’s Hotel (1965), and Postern of Fate (1973). |
| Albert | Manservant to the Beresfords |
| Colonel Ephraim Pikeaway | Retired intelligence officer working to block an unwanted international movement. |
| Horsham | |
| Isaac | |
| Mary Jordan |
The Short Stories - Partner's In Crime (1929) Character List
| A Fairy in the Flat/ A Pot of Tea | Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| Mr. Carter | Member of the intellegence service | |
| Theodore Blunt | Former manager of the Detective Agency | |
| Albert | Porter for Tuppence and Tommy | |
| Lawrence St. Vincent | Young member of the aristocracy who asks the Beresfords for help | |
| Earl of Cheriton | Lawrence St Vincent’s uncle | |
| Janet | Young woman who works in a hat shop and is reported to have disappeared | |
| The Affair of the Pink Pearl | Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| Miss Kingston Bruce | Young lady who entreats the help of Tommy and Tuppence in finding a missing pearl | |
| Lawrence St. Vincent | Man who recommended the Beresfords (Blunts) to Miss Kingston Bruce after they helped him previously | |
| Colonel Kingston Bruce | Host at whose party the pearl was stolen, married to Lady Laura Barton and father of Miss Kingston Bruce | |
| Lady Laura Barton | Mother of Miss Kingston Bruce and wife of Colonel Kingston Bruce. | |
| Mr Hamilton Betts | American man staying with the Bruce’s | |
| Mrs Hamilton Betts | American lady staying with the Bruce’s who loses a pearl from her necklace | |
| Mr Rennie | Young man staying with the Kingston Bruces and is anamoured by their daughter | |
| Elise | Lady Laura’s French maid | |
| Inspector Marriot | Detective from Scotland Yard | |
| The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger | General Francis Haviland | Man who Tuppence worked with during the war |
| Dr. Charles Bower | Doctor to requests the help of Tommy and Tuppence to stake out his office | |
| Detective Inspector Dymchurch | Detective from Scotland Yard | |
| Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective | |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| Finessing the King/The Gentleman Dressed in Newspaper | Inspector Marriot | Detective from Scotland Yard |
| Sir Arthur Merivale | Gentleman married to Lady Vere Merivale who is murdered | |
| “Bingo” Hale | Best friend of Sir Arthur Merivale | |
| Lady Vere Merivale | Wife of Sir Arthur merivale and victim | |
| The Case of the Missing Lady | Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| Gabriel Stavansson | A famous explorer recently returned from an expedition to the North Pole | |
| Honourable Mrs. Hermione Leigh Gordon | Widowed lady who becomes enagaged to Stavensson before he leaves for the North Pole | |
| Lady Susan Clonray | Hermione Leigh Gordon’s aunt whom she has been staying with | |
| Dr. Horriston | Doctor at a private nursing home | |
| Blindman’s Buff | Mr. Carter | Employed in the intellegence service and has the title Lord Easthampton, acquaintence of the Beresfords |
| Thornley Colton | A blind detective | |
| Duke of Blairgowrie | Introduced as a friend of Captain Harker and reports his daughter as being kidnapped | |
| Captain Harker | Friend of the Duke’s | |
| Albert | Young man who asists the Berefords | |
| Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective | |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| The Man in the Mist | Mervyn Estcourt / Bulger | Friend of Gilda Glen and old aquaintance of the Beresfords |
| Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective | |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| Gilda Glen | A famous actress | |
| Lord Leconbury | Gentleman Gilda is engaged to | |
| James Reilly | A poet in love with Gilda Glen | |
| Mrs. Honeycott | Owner of a house on Morgan’s Avenue | |
| Ellen | Maid at Mrs Honeycott’s residence | |
| Policeman | unnamed but who is the long lost husband | |
| Mr. Marvell | Solicitor for James Reilly | |
| The Crackler | Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| Inspector Marriot | Detective from Scotland Yard | |
| Major Laidlaw | Wealthy man seen in ‘racing circles’ with cash to burn | |
| Lawrence St. Vincent | Man who was helped previously by the Beresfords and who is an aquaintance of the Laidlaws | |
| Mrs Marguerite Laidlaw | French lady married to Major Laidlaw | |
| Monsiur Heroulade | Mrs Laidlaw’s father | |
| Hank Ryder | American man who admires Marguerite Laidlaw | |
| Albert | Young man who asists the Berefords | |
| The Sunningdale Mystery | Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| Captain Anthony Sessle | Business man and member of the Sunningdale Gold club with his business partner Mr Hollaby | |
| Mr Hollaby | Business man and member of the Sunningdale Gold club with his business partner Captain Sessle | |
| Doris Evans | Young woman identified as being seen with Anthony Sessle on the golf course | |
| Mr Hollaby Junior | Son of Mr Hollaby | |
| The House of Lurking Death | Lois Hargreaves | Rich heiress who comes from her home Thurnly Grange in the country to seek Tommy and Tuppence’s help |
| Lady Radclyffe | Lois’ deceased aunt who was herself a widow | |
| Dennis Radclyffe | Nephew of Lady Redclyffe’s late husband who lives with Lois at Thurnly Grange | |
| Miss Logan | Elderly former companion to Lady Redclyffe and distant relation of Dennis also living at Thurnly Grange | |
| Mary Chilcott | A school friend of Lois’ who lives with her at Thurnly Grance | |
| Esther Quant | Parlourmaid at Thurnly Grange | |
| Hannah | Elderly maid at Thurnly Grange | |
| Dr. Burton | Local doctor | |
| Edward Logan | Miss Logan’s father | |
| Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective | |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| The Unbreakable Alibi | Mr. Montgomery Jones | Wealthy but unintellegent young man in love with Una Drake |
| Una Drake | Australian girl who sets a challenge for Montgomery Jones | |
| Mr. le Marchant | Friend of Una Drake who dined with her at the Savoy Hotel | |
| Inspector French | Inspector whose methods the Berefords are aware of | |
| Flatmate of Una Drake | ||
| Charwoman | ||
| Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective | |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| The Clergyman’s Daughter/The Red House | Monica Deane | Young woman seeing help from the Beresfords due to strange events at the Red House they live in |
| Dr. O’Neill | Member of the Society for Physical Research | |
| Mrs Deane | Monica’s invalid mother | |
| Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective | |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife | |
| Crockett | Elderly main attending to Monica Dean and her mother | |
| Gardener | Gardner at the Red House | |
| The Ambassador’s Boots | Randolph Wilmott | USA ambassador to the UK |
| Richards | Valet to Randolph Wilmot | |
| Senator Ralph Westerham | Man whom Randolph is told accidentally picked up his kitbag | |
| Eileen O’Hara | Lady travelling on the voyage as Randolph Wilmott | |
| Miss Cicely March | Young lady who responds to an advert the Beresfords put out | |
| Albert | Young man who asists the Berefords | |
| The Man Who Was No. 16 | Mr. Carter | |
| Prince Vladiroffsky | ||
| Marise | A known Russain agent | |
| Mrs. Van Snyder of Detroit | Name of a lady with a room at the Blitz hotel | |
| Prudence (“Tuppence”) Beresford | Wife of Thomas Beresford and detective | |
| Thomas Beresford | Husband of Prudence ex intellegence agent now a detective with his wife |