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    Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
    Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
    Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
    Audiobook7 hours

    Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

    Written by Agatha Christie

    Narrated by Emilia Fox

    4/5

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    About this audiobook

    A dying man’s bewildering last words pull an inquisitive young man and his beautiful companion into a dangerous web of lethal secrets in Agatha Christie’s classic mystery, Why Didn’t They Ask Evans?

    While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. The man opens his eyes and with his last breath says, ""Why didn't they ask Evans?""

    Haunted by those words, Bobby and his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger. . .

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperAudio
    Release dateJul 3, 2012
    ISBN9780062234094
    Author

    Agatha Christie

    Agatha Christie (1890–1976) is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the bestselling novelist of all time. The first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award, she published eighty mystery novels and many short story collections and created such iconic fictional detectives as Hercule Poirot, Miss Jane Marple, and Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. She is known around the world as the Queen of Crime.

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    Reviews for Why Didn't They Ask Evans?

    4/5

    214 ratings32 reviews

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    • 5/5
      Twists in the plot kept me guessing and wanting to find out the outcome. Very enjoyable read
    • 5/5
      The lengthy intrigue of who did and plot are so very early in writings of Agatha Christie for wonderful story.
    • 3/5
      This Agatha Christie novel came highly recommended, and I must admit that the appeal of reading and AC novel which doesn't feature either Poirot or Miss Marple was appealing, since I'd never indulged in any of those before. When a man is discovered at the bottom of a cliff in the last minutes before his death, the only clue to his demise are his last words: "Why didn't they ask Evans?". Bobby and Francis, two young inhabitants of the village where the presumed accident has taken place, can't resist the opportunity to uncover what aristocratic and thrill-seeking Francis hopes is a vile crime, and together they set about getting involved in what is a highly convoluted, yet satisfying plot, involving a young woman who's picture is found in the victim's pocket, and a suspicious temperamental doctor who runs a clinic for drug addicts. I would have given this mystery novel a higher rating were it not for the dialogue, which I found painfully bad. This was probably emphasized by the fact that I took in the audiobook version, but is in no way attributable to the narrator, who did a very competent job. Definitely recommended for Agatha Christie fans. Less so for newcomers.
    • 5/5
      Synopsis: While playing a round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge of a cliff. His ball is lost, but on the rocks below he finds the crumpled body of a dying man. With his final breath the man opens his eyes and says, ‘Why didn’t they ask Evans?’WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS is an interesting exploration of the impact of class differences in English society, at the same time as being an absorbing murder mystery. The original title is self-explanatory, but the title THE BOOMERANG CLUE comes from the fact that the first clue to the identity of the murderer is in fact the one that, when understood, actually counts.Bobby Jones is the fourth son of a clergyman, at a loose end and without prospects because he has recently left the Navy. His fellow "detective" is the Lady Francis Derwent, well above him in social class, but a friend from childhood, when social station made no difference to their friendship. Frankie is a woman of means, with the leisure to pursue mysteries, a car at her disposal, and able to move in the spheres of the wealthy, and able to winkle information out of people in a way that penurious Bobby never could.One of the themes of this mystery has to be that personal opinions can cloud your judgement as both Bobby and Frankie believe in the innocence of the person who turns out to be the murderer. If you want to read a real spoiler, and learn more of this story than I am going to tell you here, then you can do that on Wikipedia. Another of the lessons must be that true sleuthing is largely a matter of luck, and that culprits are not always brought to justice.WHY DIDN'T THEY ASK EVANS has stood the test of time well I think, and largely held my attention, although I got a bit impatient to be finished in the last 30 or so pages, where Christie rather pedantically led me through a recount of all the plot points (just in case I had missed anything). This is a technique that Christie tended to use in most of her novels.
    • 3/5
      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.
    • 4/5
      A dying man’s last words lead a Vicar’s son and a Lord’s daughter on a thrilling adventure…

      The slightly bumbling leads, Bobby Jones and “Frankie” Derwent, are quite similar to the youthful Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, to the point where James Warwick and Francesca Annis – cast in the lead roles in a 1980 film version of "Evans" - would subsequently play Tommy and Tuppence in Partners in Crime.

      Ultimately, I don’t have much to say about this one. It’s a somewhat trifling little confection, with a nifty, engaging plot, and some dynamic – if harmless – leads. A good read.
    • 5/5
      Romance, danger, mystery and intrigue. The narrator is excellent and the story is very well crafted. One of my favorite by AC.
    • 5/5
      Bobby Jones is enjoying a round of golf when his ball goes astray. Chasing it down, he finds a dying man. Bobby is in time to hear the man's last words, "Why didn't they ask Evans?" Bobby is sorry for the man, but ready to forget about the whole thing when someone tries to poison him. He enlists the help of his friend, Lady Frances, and together they try to solve the case.
    • 4/5
      Originally published as "The Boomerang Clue", this stand-alone mystery from 1934 had somehow escaped my notice until recently. I found this a fun cosy mystery although slightly predictable. I suspect that is because so many authors have copied the gist of Christie's plots over the years! In any case, although I did figure out who the bad guys were fairly early, it was still fun to watch Bobby and Frankie figure it out
    • 5/5
      It's been a while since I've read any Agatha Christie books - well apart from her autobiography - and although I read this one as a teen, I had no recollection of it, and it gripped me completely. Despite originally being published in 1934 and some of the language and culture having changed considerably, making it a bit dated, the plot and storyline, along with the level of suspense, was not. I had no idea who Evans was right up until the end. I had suspected who had done it, although I had no clue how, and Christie writes it in such a way that keeps you turning the pages. Agatha doesn't waste time on superfluous description or what I call linking scenes (getting characters from a-b), she keeps tight to the plot and keeps it moving forward, running circles round her reader as they try and work it out along with the main characters. If there was any example of how to keep a story moving forward, this is it. I am always left wondering how on earth she ever plotted these before she wrote them. Sadly her autobiography gives us no clue to that - in fact for her writing seemed to just be a small part of her life. The main characters, Frankie and Bobby, were a great combination. Even though she might not have realised it at the time, or done it deliberately, Agatha Christie wrote a strong female lead here, who is admired for that strength and respected for it by the other male characters, which even today is something that is still considered unique.Like many of Christie's books, it's about people with money and from the upper classes, and there may be terms or conversations that might not be considered politically correct anymore, but it is very much a piece of its time and has the decadent even art-deco feel of its era. I thoroughly enjoyed this one, and look forward to reading more.
    • 5/5
      This was a very good change of pace from the Poirot stories I've listed to. But that is what makes this book fun. Instead of a professional, brilliant detective figuring stuff out, the reader can relate to two young people who are in over their hands just trying to make sense of the mystery around them with everyday logic.
    • 1/5
      Dame Agatha Christie. Creator of Hercule Poirot, best selling author of over 80 million books. And writer of Why Didn't They ask Evans?. 1/5 rating from yours truly. Take that, b-! What a horrible book. Such an irrevocably nonsensical, immature, and puerile book. I didn't suspect that so many of Christie's non Poirot/Marple books were so short on anything that bears a resemblance to quality. Slowly, after attempting to read several books, including that Haley Quin one, a dreary and patchy picture emerges. I'll be avoiding these obscure blunders from now on.
    • 3/5
      Really recommend the audiobook, the narrator was phenomenal! One of the better books by Agatha Christie. I'd rate it 4 stars, but I've seen adaptation first.
    • 4/5
      The story was fun, and the young characters were a fresh change compared to know-it-all Poirot. The narrator was a little campy and over the top with her high pitched female voices, but overall this was a good listen.
    • 4/5
      This Agatha Christie mystery doesn't ahve any of her big-name detectives (Marple, Poirot), just a couple of young people who get caught up in somehting. I really liked what she did with the question of the title (I think that's vague enough not to count as a spoiner).
    • 4/5
      my 50th book since joining library thing a year ago!! well, a year and 4 days...life always always gets in the way.but 50 in a year...i didn't really try, and it's a low number...but its a nice round number...and reach 50 with the genre i first fell in love with, with one of my favorite authors...just puts a smile on my face :)
    • 3/5
      Abridged on three CDs, and read by Jenny Funnell. This is a standalone mystery without any of Christie's regular characters. It features a pair of bright young things who become suspicious about the circumstances of an accident and decide to investigate. Naturally, they don't take their suspicions to the police, and in various other ways prove themselves too stupid to live, including walking into really obvious traps. None of which actually matters, because it's very amusing watching them being too stupid to live. Christie very gently sends up her characters while keeping them sympathetic. The dialogue leaves a lot to be desired, but I had a lot of fun picking my way through the red herrings. Not her best work, but still an enjoyable way to pass three hours.
    • 4/5
      England, ca 1934Præstesønnen Bobby Jones og Dr Thomas opdager en døende mand tæt ved golfbanen. Dr Thomas går efter hjælp og efter kort tid afløses Bobby af Roger Bassington-ffrench. Forinden har Bobby dog fundet et fotografi på manden og denne har sagt "Hvorfor spurgte de ikke Evans?" og udåndet. Ved ligsynet fortæller Bobby ikke noget om de to ting, og manden bliver identificeret som Alex Pritchard. Kort tid efter bliver Bobby forsøgt lokket væk og da det mislykkes, så forsøgt forgivet. Han overlever og barndomsveninden Lady Frances Derwent - kaldet Frankie - går i krig med at opklare sagen med Bobby som hjælper..De ræsonnerer sig frem til at Roger Bassington-ffrench har urent mel i posen og Frankie snyder sig til et ophold i huset hos Rogers bror Henry og dennes kone Sylvia. Frankie finder ud af at den døde snarere er Alex Castins og at der er en skummel afvænningsklinik i nærheden ledet af en Dr Nicholson. Det er dog delvist et vildspor. Roger er skurken og Dr Nicholsons kone Moira har heller ikke rent mel i posen. Henry bliver dræbt og mordet kamoufleret som selvmord. Frankie og Bobby følger sporene tilbage i tiden og finder et andet selvmord, der ser suspekt ud, men vedkommende havde skrevet testamente i overværelse af flere troværdige vidner, herunder et par tjenestefolk, dog ikke stuepigen Evans, hvilket er nøglen til at trævle det hele op. Roger er forklædningskunstner, men til sidst forrådes han af sin medskyldige Moira og flygter til udlandet.Bobby og Frankie planlægger bryllup efterfulgt af emmigration til Kenya.Agatha Christie har moret sig med at tage alle klicheerne: det umage par, adel forklædt som borger, borger forklædt som adel/sagfører, mesterskurk der bruger forklædninger og holder lange enetaler og lægger falske spor ud, en narkotikasmuglerbande, kamouflerede mord, falske selvmord, giftmordforsøg der ikke lykkes, et falsk testamente, osv osv.En noget anderledes Agatha Christie uden de klassiske detektiver, men i stedet en slags sandkasse for plotideer. Ganske vellykket.
    • 2/5
      Paper-thin pastiche of frolicsome young things sleuthing. It hasn't worn well.
    • 4/5
      Cute story, bumbling Bobby & smart resourceful Frankie.
      Lol at their Britishness when they finally show romantic feelings.
      I enjoyed reading it :)
    • 4/5
      Here we have two Christie mysteries (Sad Cypress & Why Didn't They Ask Evans?), both written around the same time, both make use of telephones and license plates and both have similar poison by morphia murders. I thought both were, as expected, fine mysteries with interesting twists and turns. Neither are the absolute best of Agatha Christie but the contrast between the two highlights just how great of a character Hercule Poirot is. Why Didn't They Ask Evans? comes across as an afternoon movie plot with its cast of Bobby Jones and Lady Frances doing the solving (barely) and Sad Cypress has the magisterial air of Poirot to give it a fine luster.
    • 4/5
      'The Boomerang Clue' is an alternative title for the novel, ‘Why didn’t they ask Evans?’ This phrase is uttered by a dying man, and triggers a long and convoluted investigation by two young people: Bobby, the Vicar’s son, and Frankie, a close friend of his.As with most of Christie’s novels there are false clues everywhere. Bobby and Frankie set out on many trails, some more useful than others. They ask questions, leap to conclusions, aren’t sure who to trust… and only after an exciting finale do they gradually work out the truth. The plot is complex, not one I could have worked out myself. But I liked the friendship between Bobby and Frankie and was content to go along with their reasoning, albeit with my own suspicions. I thought the two main protagonists were better drawn than typical for Christie's books, and some of the minor characters were interesting too. Believable dialogue for the mid-20th century upper and upper-middle classes, and a nicely crafted plot that was difficult to put down. Definitely recommended to anyone who likes light crime fiction.
    • 3/5
      While golfing Bobby Jones and his partner find a man at the bottom of a cliff. it seems an accident, but when Bobby informs the man's relatives about his last words "why didn't they ask Evans?" he get's into trouble. First people try to get rid of him the nice way, than the hard way. Together with the aristocrat Frankie he tries to find out what is going on.Nice book. Great plot and very likable characters. The end is a bit over the top, but Christie can be forgiven.
    • 5/5
      My favorite of the bright young things books, this book is so impressive in its plotting. The Boomerang Clue (its alternative name) does it credit as well, weaving a wonderful plot that turns back on itself repeatedly.
    • 1/5
      A disappointing outing after the more sophisticated play on the classic detective story form found in The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Murder in the Calais Coach/Murder on the Orient Express and the light self-aware touch shown in Murder at the Vicarage Christie returns to the pedestrian style, plotting and characterizations of The Big Four, The Seven Dials Mystery and The Secret Adversary.
    • 3/5
      Interesting premise of a murder that is first thought to be an accident. Bobby and Frankie are fairly likeable characters and aren't as annoying as Tommy and Tuppence, which is a blessing.
    • 1/5
      Book was fine but recording is faulty. A few minutes into the next to last chapter it just ends. Very frustrating. Not the first such problem I’ve had with Scribd.
    • 4/5
      Fun to read..especially if you keep in mind the era, the culture, and the society it reflects.
    • 5/5
      A fun Christie mystery very well read by Emilia Fox.
    • 4/5
      Why Didn't They Ask Evans? is vintage 1934 Christie, and so much fun. I recalled the story vaguely from my early days of reading Agatha Christie. I'd binge on four or five of her novels over a weekend and emerge rather confusedly, with various machinations and motives all mixed up in my head. That reading habit didn't make for great plot retention, but despite the fuzziness I remembered this title as being a particularly good one. I listened to the audiobook version read by Emilia Fox and thoroughly enjoyed it. "Why didn't they ask Evans?" These are the last words of a dying man, who fell from a cliff near Bobby Jones's home. Bobby, a young ex-Naval officer, attaches no importance to the words until an attempt is made on his own life. By that time, Lady Frances Derwent—or, as we shall call her, Frankie—has decided that the man called Alex Pritchard didn't fall from the cliff. He was pushed. But why? And who is the mysterious Evans? Yes, there are several farfetched plot devices (multiple impersonations, the hero's astonishing recovery after being poisoned, the deus ex machina also known as Badger Beadon, etc.). But the ride is so much fun, you just don't care. Frankie and Bobby are utterly appealing protagonists whose relationships and characters are drawn sparingly and believably. And the dialogue is splendidly amusing. I suspect Emilia Fox's reading gave it an extra edge.Fox's narration is excellent, though I did have to get used to the slightly gravelly quality of her voice. She does wonderful character voices and I especially enjoyed the way she portrays Frankie. Christie is generally one of my favorite mystery authors, having introduced me to the genre, and I'm finding her stories are even more enjoyable on audiobook. Good stuff.