This post is a part of the Agatha Christie in the Making series, a study of her mystery writing craft by published date.

When I first met Tommy and Tuppence, I was 12- or maybe 13-years-old. By the time I met them, they seemed dull and middle-aged, used too many phrases like, “oh my Tommy,” and were tottering away restoring their old house. I had picked up a copy of Postern of Fate in a small paperback, likely at a windowless B. Dalton Bookstore in Rosedale Mall, Roseville, Minnesota. It was the only book option my suburban worldview could hold, so an Agatha Christie novel, no matter the title, was my best pick amongst the Wildfire teen romance series (sometimes) Sweet Valley High (ok, I’m bored enough) or whatever was the pre-curser to the Chicken Soup for the Soul series (poke my eyes out).

So, I read Poster of Fate and could remember next to nothing from it except to cross any Tommy & Tuppence from my Agatha Christie to-read list.

If only my romantic teen soul had found Tommy & Tuppence when they’d first met. I’d have fallen in love with them, just like they did with each other. Well, almost like they did.

Falling in love with your soulmate while realizing you both share a craving for adventure and living on the edge is really the theme of this Agatha Christie novel, written when Agatha herself would have been in her early twenties, full of lust, life and the verve to produce adrenalin-inducing tales as the stuff of romance.

As readers will notice from my other posts, I try my best to link out to copies of Agatha Christie books for sale in independent book sellers. My go-to is often Powell’s Books of Portland, Oregon.

While young, they seem a bit more bookish in this vintage cover than their wild story of hunting down hitmen would suggest. Yet, I like that it shows how almost a century has gone by since this was first published.

I did find this cover…, but, hmmm…

Just don’t…I mean, I support buying books and all, but this cover is just not the image you want….trust that the dashing young couple I’ve just described is not true to this cover.

A much better selection, the sleek travel poster inspired cover…