To put it mildly--not one of Christie's best--and I am a fan who has rated books of hers five stars. I really liked it at first. Bobby Jones is a amiable young man, a vicar's son, who finds a dying man at the foot of a cliff. The man's last cryptic words were, "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Soon there's an attempt on Bobby's life and he and his childhood friend, Frankie, aka Lady Frances Derwent, are on the case. There's a great chemistry between them, wit and humor to be had in the tale, a breezy readable style, action and suspense, and of course I was drawn in by the mystery.But there are a number of problems I wouldn't expect from a Christie, although I guess when you write over 80 novels in a career, some are bound to be misfires. One question that occurred to me early on and is a pet peeve in many a mystery is why they didn't immediately go to the police with their suspicions, rather than start sleuthing on their own. But then that might go nicely with problem number two--that they were both too stupid to live--on several levels. One being of the Jeez, don't-walk-into-the-obvious-ambush kind. Another even more serious was that the obvious villains...were obvious--but Christie's sleuths remain oblivious. This is one Christie (the only one I can remember) where right from the first I met the characters involved I was sure whodunnit and was right. Although there were some ins and outs I didn't learn until the end. Despite their stupidity, I did like Bobby and Frankie and that and those loose ends I wanted to see tied up kept me reading--but really, below average for a mystery and seriously sub-par for the writer of Murder on the Orient Express and And Then There Were None.

It really was jolly rotten luck that a man should decide to topple off the cliff at the golf course the very night Bobby Jones had promised to play organ at his fathers evening service. But as the mans not quite dead, theres nothing for it but for Bobby to stand guard while his partner of the course rushes off for help. It is then that the man utters five words before quietly dying. The words Why didnt they ask Evans?It is that question and subsequent odd occurrences that set Bobby and his great friend, Lady Frances, to the trail. But as they play at being detectives it becomes apparent that they have fallen into a dangerous and potentially fatal game, a game that can only be solved by the question Why didnt they ask Evans?Discussion.There are very few things that I like better than a good old-fashioned stereotypical mystery, but one of the things I do like better is a story in which the detectives are actually amateurs playing at being detectives and trying to solve their mystery by following stereotypical lines only to have their deductions and themselves knocked about silly by the real evidence and solution to the crime. Such a story was The Secret Adversary, and such a story I am delighted to report was Why Didnt They Ask Evans?Were deducing beautifully, said Frankie. I hope were not deducing all wrong. Very likely. Said Bobby. [pg. 50]:)On principle I distrust people who have alibis, said Bobby. So do I. But I dont see how you can get round this one. [pg. 149]I loved the description Christie gave of her hero on the opening page.He was an amiable-looking young man of about eight-and-twenty. His best friend could not have said that he was handsome, but his face was an eminently likable one, and his eyes had the honest brown friendliness of a dogs.Likewise this speech from Bobby when Frankie does herself up for an accident theyve scheduled to occur.Youre looking very pale, Frankie, said Bobby anxiously. Are you sure youre all right? Im made up pale, explained Frankie. Ready for the concussion. You dont want me to be carried into the house blooming with health. How wonderful women are! said Bobby appreciatively. You look exactly like a sick monkey. [pg. 66]With Bobby and Frnakie, Agatha Christie captures exactly that fresh young thing attitude I find so appealing in characters and which was so sadly missing from some of her later novels such as Nemesis, Third Girl, and Elephants Can Remember which smacked more of modernity and cynicism.Conclusion. Brilliant one of her best works.

Agatha Christie is one of my favorite authors of all time. So you can expect me to be a bit partial to her writing. I love her and the way she weaves magic in every book of hers. Her books are simply marvelous and so is this book Why didnt they ask Evans. The protragonists Bobby and Frankie are awesome especially Frankie. She is independent, smart and spunky. She is now right on top with my favorite female fictional characters. The plot like any Agatha Christie book is brilliant and grasping. The words Why didnt they ask Evans uttered by a man just before dying which seem pretty useless end up being the most important key to the whole book. The book is fast paced, interesting, gripping and humors at times. Definitely worth a read!

This is the same book as "The Boomerang Clue" but "Why Didn't They Ask Evans" is the perfect title, as it holds the key to the entire story. I'm not sure what a boomerang has to do with the story, unless it refers to a character throwing a boot up through a skylight, said boot falling back into the room amid broken glass on the floor. Anyway, Christie's forte was never double-detective stories (it's just hard to out-wit Poirot or Marple), and here Bobby and Frankie come off as no more than Tommy and Tuppence with different names but perhaps a far more varied sex life! Dame Agatha is no prude! Late in the story, Bobby says, "We don't want to be taken in the rear," but one can only wonder at what Bobby is actually thinking. And what does Frankie have to say? "Young men are sadly degenerate these days." But she marries him anyway after the murder is solved, as there is a convenient cleric nearby. One can only suppose they have opted for an open marriage. This is not Great Christie, nor is it Very Good Christie. But it has an unusual, climactic "action sequence" as opposed to a detective explaining it all in the drawing room. And as far as Bobby's preferences in the bedroom, I say "live and let live." Dame Agatha Christie is ALWAYS in fashion.

While Agatha Christie is best-known for her sleuths like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, Ive discovered that some hidden gems among her standalone novels. Why Didnt They Ask Evans? Is a thoroughly enjoyable read, anchored by the terrific chemistry between the protagonists, lifelong friends Bobby Jones, son of the local vicar, and Lady Frances Derwent. Their relationship, particularly the way they constantly spar and view their case, reminds me of another pair of Christie sleuths Tommy and Tuppence. I could Christie turning Frances & Bobbys adventures into a series but perhaps that never happened because it would have been a little too similar to Tommy & Tuppences adventures.Why Didnt They Ask Evans? is a thoroughly enjoyable read. Its fast-paced and quite humorous, thanks in large part to Frankies character. She operates in a constant, dizzying state of activity that tends to leave everyone she encounters in a wake of confusion so generally speaking, she can get away with pretty much anything. Witnessing the quieter, more deliberate Bobby keep up with her is a lot of fun. Christie packs the novel with her trademark twists and turns, and keeping up with how the large cast of characters is related can be a bit confusing if youre not focused on the story. By the end of the novel, the guilty parties have become apparent, but that doesnt detract from ones enjoyment of the tale in the least watching Bobby and Frankie survive their excursion into the detective world is far too entertaining. I rank this as one of my favorite Christie novels.