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Synopsis: Tommy and Tuppence Beresford take over the washed-up International Detective Agency; a one-man operation formerly run by Theodore Blunt (slogan: Blunt's Brilliant Detectives). They install themselves in the office, along with office boy Albert. They really have no idea what they are doing, but try to put on an impressive front by appearing to be loaded with staff and cases.
They install bookshelves and load them up with detective stories by "The Old Masters" (obviously, pre-1929), which they use not only as decor but as instruction manuals. In a series of short but connected vignettes, they take on the mannerisms of various famous detectives from their books as they meet with clients; all the while on the lookout for a mysterious agent they only known as "16".
Review: The practice of taking on the mannerisms and methods of famous fictional detectives is hilarious. I recognized some of them, had to look up some others, and likely missed some altogether. Here's the ones I found, most certainly a partial list:
- Desmond Okewood "Secret Service Series" by Valentine Williams
- Sherlock Holmes series by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
- The Old Man in the Corner series by Baroness Orczy
- Dr. Reginald Fortune series by H.C. Bailey
- Roger Sheringham series by Anthony Berkeley
- Inspector French series by Freeman Wills Crofts.
- Hercule Poirot series by, yes, Agatha herself.
I can only imagine the fun if this book continued with more of the Golden Age detectives of the 1930's and 1940's.
You may also enjoy this review by Bev Hankins on My Reader's Block.
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