The Secret Adversary The Secret Adversary The Secret Adversary is the second published detective fiction novel by British writer Agatha Christie, first published in January 1922 in the United Kingdom by 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. The Great War is over,
Partners in Crime (short story collection) can take on cases as this detective agency, an opportunity that delights the young couple. They employ Albert, a young man also introduced in "The Secret Adversary", as their assistant at the agency. The two tackle a series of cases – mimicking in each the style of a famous fictional detective of the period, including Sherlock Holmes and Christie's own Hercule Poirot. At the end of the book, Tuppence reveals that she is pregnant, and will play a diminished role in the spy business. Prudence ("Tuppence") Beresford, who is happily married to Tommy for six years, is bored with life.