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''N or M?'' is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1941〔John Cooper and B.A. Pyke. ''Detective Fiction – the collector's guide'': Second Edition (pp. 82, 87) Scholar Press. 1994; ISBN 0-85967-991-8〕〔("American Tribute to Agatha Christie" )〕 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November of the same year.〔Chris Peers, Ralph Spurrier and Jamie Sturgeon. ''Collins Crime Club – A checklist of First Editions''. Dragonby Press (Second Edition), March 1999 (p. 15)〕 The US edition retailed $2.00〔 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6).〔 The title is taken from a catechism in the Book of Common Prayer which asks, "What is your Christian name? Answer N. or M."〔(A CATECHISM FROM THE BOOK OF COMMON PRAYER, 1549, ENLARGED, 1637, REVISED IN THE BISHOP WHITE BOOK, 1785, NOW AGAIN REVISED AND ENLARGED )〕 The "N. or M." here stands for the Latin, "nomen vel nomina", meaning "name or names". It is an accident of typography that "nomina" came to be represented by "m". The novel is the first to feature the mature versions of her detectives Tommy and Tuppence, whose previous appearances had been in the adventure ''The Secret Adversary'' (1922) and the short story collection ''Partners in Crime'' (1929). ==Plot introduction== After the outbreak of the Second World War and many years after they worked for British intelligence, Tommy and Tuppence Beresford feel useless and sidelined. When Tommy alone is approached to go undercover once more, however, Tuppence decides to join him on his mission whether invited or not. Through good sleuthing she learns where he is to be sent and actually arrives there before him. They begin a search for German fifth columnists. Another British agent that was following these Germans left a cryptic message on his deathbed: "N or M. Song Susie". Grant knew that "Song Susie" stood for ''Sans Souci'', a hotel in (fictional) seaside Leahampton, based on Bournemouth; "N" and "M" were two German spies, one male and one female. Tommy is to go to ''Sans Souci'' to investigate whether N, M or both are at the hotel and to figure out their identities. Both N and M's identities are revealed at the end of the book; "N" is a top German spy—who is shot by British intelligence at the book's conclusion as he threatens Tuppence's life—and "M" is his female co-conspirator. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「N or M?」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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