Tommy and Tuppence Tommy and Tuppence Tommy and Tuppence are two fictional detectives, recurring characters in the work of Agatha Christie. Their full names are Thomas Beresford and his wife Prudence (née Cowley). The first time Tommy and Tuppence appeared in a Christie novel was in "The Secret Adversary" (1922). They started out their career in a search of adventure and money, and the detecting life soon proved profitable and very exciting. Tommy and Tuppence appear together in four full-length novels and one collection of short stories The collection of short stories is "Partners in Crime", (1929, each story referencing another writer's work);
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.