Characters in The Secret Adversary

Supporting characters

• Tommy Beresford

  Steady, unflappable and methodical, he balances Tuppence's impulsiveness with dogged common sense.

  Also in By the Pricking of My Thumbs, Postern of Fate, Partners in Crime

• Tuppence Cowley

  Quick-witted, daring and ambitious, she drives much of the pair's bold risk-taking.

• Jane Finn

  Her disappearance is the puzzle at the heart of the hunt.

• Julius Hersheimmer

  Energetic and free-spending, he attaches himself to the investigation and its resources.

• Mr Carter

  Reserved and watchful, he sets the mission in motion while withholding much.

  Also in Partners in Crime

• Sir James Peel Edgerton

  A celebrated barrister whose acuity and reputation make him a powerful ally.

• Mrs Vandemeyer

  Cool and self-interested, she becomes a pivotal source of information.

• Boris

  A hard-edged agent operating within Mr Brown's network.

• Whittington

  His suspicion is roused when an alias hits too close to the truth.

• Mr Brown

  His true identity is the novel's central concealment; he is known only by reputation as a ruthless master criminal.