Why Didn't They Ask Evans?
To Christopher Mallock
in memory of Hinds
UK
Collins, London, Sep. 1934
US
Dodd, Mead & Co., New York, 1935 as "The Boomerang Clue"
Redbook Magazine, November 1933 as 'The Boomerang Clue'

Plot

While playing an erratic round of golf, Bobby Jones slices his ball over the edge od 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?'
Haunted by these words, Bobby and his vivacious companion, Frankie, set out to solve a mystery that will bring them into mortal danger.

Contents

1. The Accident • 2. Concerning Fathers • 3. A Railway Journey • 4. The Inquest • 5. Mr and Mrs Cayman • 6. End of a Picnic • 7. An Escape from Death • 8. Riddle of a Photograph • 9. Concerning Mr Bassington-ffrench • 10. Preparations for an Accident • 11. THe Accident Happens • 12. In the Enemy's Camp • 13. Alan Carstairs • 14. Dr Nicholson • 15. A Discovery • 16. Bobby Becomes a Solicitor • 17. Mrs Rivington Talks • 18. The Girl of the Photograph • 19. A Council of Three • 20. Council of Two • 21. Roger Answers a Question • 22. Another Victim • 23. Moira Disappears • 24. On the Track of the Caymans • 25. Mr Spragge Talks • 26. Nocturnal Adventure • 27. 'My Brother was Murdered' • 28. At the Eleventh Hour • 29. Badger's Story • 30. Escape • 31. Frankie Asks a Question • 32. Evans • 33. Sensation in the Orient Café • 34. Letter from America • 35. News from the Vicarage

Characters

Robert "Bobby" Jones • Lady Frances (Frankie) Derwent • Dr. George Arbuthnot • Henry Bassington-ffrench • Roger Bassington-ffrench • Sylvia Bassington-ffrench • Tommy Bassington-ffrench • Badger Beadon • Alan Carstairs • Amelia Cayman • Leo Cayman • Reverend Thomas Jones • Lord Marchington • Dr. Nicholson • Moira Nicholson • Gladys Roberts • Frederick Spragge • Inspector Williams

Films & TV

Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, UK, 1980
TV drama list
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, ITV/UK, 2011
Agatha Christie's MARPLE Season 4
Pourquoi pas Martin?, FR, 2013
Les petits meurtres d'Agatha Christie Saison 2
Why Didn't They Ask Evans?, UK, 2022
TV drama list

UK/US covers

Collins / Fontana Books / HarperCollins

Dodd, Mead and Company / Grosset & Dunlap

Dell Books

Pan Books

Berkley Books

other publishers

Western Europe covers

Pourquoi pas Evans?

French index

Le Masque (#241) 1937

Club des Masques (#9) 1966

Le Livre de Poche (#5671) 1982

other publishers

Waarom Evans niet?

Dutch index


Ein Schritt ins Leere

German index


Northern Europe covers

Varför bad de inte Evans?

Swedish index


Hvorfor spurgte de ikke Evans? // Hændeligt uheld?

Danish index


Hvorfor spurte de ikke Evans?

Norwegian index


Askel tyhjyyteen

Finnish index


Hver er Evans?

Icelandic index


Miks nad ei kutsunud Evansit?

Estonian index


Kodėl nepaklausė Evans? / Kodėl nepaprašė Evans?

Lithuanian index


Southern Europe covers

Perché non l'hanno chiesto a Evans? // Ritratto di Ignota

Italian index


¿Por qué no le preguntan a Evans? /Trayectoria de Boomerang / Trayectoria de Bumerán

Spanish index

Trayectoria de Boomerang


Trayectoria de Bumerán


¿Por qué no le preguntan a Evans?


Cursa de bumerang / La cursa del bumerang


Por que não Pediram a Evans? / Perguntem a Evans / Porque não Pediram a Evans?

Portuguese index

Por que não Pediram a Evans?


Perguntem a Evans


Porque não Pediram a Evans?


Οκτώ κόκκοι μορφίνης / Γιατί δεν ρώτησαν τον Έβανς; / Γιατί δε φώναξαν την Έβανς; / Εβανς... γιατι δεν ηταν εκει? / Η Κυρία Έβανς

Greek index

Οκτώ κόκκοι μορφίνης


Γιατί δεν ρώτησαν τον Έβανς;


Γιατί δε φώναξαν την Έβανς;


Εβανς... γιατι δεν ηταν εκει?


Η Κυρία Έβανς


Zasto nisu pitali Evansa?

former Yugoslavia index


Zašto nisu pitali Evansa

former Yugoslavia index


Zašto nisu pitali Evansa?

former Yugoslavia index


Zakaj ne Evans?

former Yugoslavia index


Eastern Europe covers

Proč nepožádali Evanse?

Czech index


Miért nem szóltak Evansnak? // Miért nem hívták Evanst?

Hungarian index


Защо не повикаха Евънс?

Bulgarian index


Dlaczego nie Evans?

Polish index


De ce nu i-au cerut lui Evans?

Romanian index


Чому не Еванс?

Ukrainian index


Почему не Эванс? // Почему не позвали Уилби?

Russian index

Почему не позвали Уилби?


Почему не Эванс?


Why Didn't They Ask Evans?


Middle East & Asian covers

Neden Evans'a Sormadılar? / Evans Nerede / Ceset Dedi Ki / Esrarlı Kayalık / Evans'a Neden Sormadılar / Uçurumdan Aşağı

Turkish index


כדור בשדה הגולף / למה לא ביקשו את אוואנס

Hebrew index


لماذا لم يسألوا إيفانز؟ / لغز الصورة

Arabic index

لماذا لم يسألوا إيفانز؟


لغز الصورة


چرا از ایوانز نخواستند؟ / چرا از اوانس نپرسیدند

Persian index

چرا از ایوانز نخواستند؟


چرا از اوانس نپرسیدند


হোয়াই ডিডন’ট দে আস্ক ইভান্স

South Asia index


මාරයකුගේ පාපොච්චාරණය

South Asia index


Pembunuh di Balik Kabut // Langkah-langkah Maut

Indonesian index


ฆาตกรย้อนรอย / พยาบาทฆาตกรรม

Thai index

ฆาตกรย้อนรอย


พยาบาทฆาตกรรม


Tại Sao Không Là Evans? / Người trong ảnh

Vietnamese index


悬崖上的谋杀 / 為什麼不找伊文斯?

Chinese index

悬崖上的谋杀


為什麼不找伊文斯?


なぜ、エヴァンズに頼まなかったのか? / 謎のエヴァンス / 謎のエヴァンズ殺人事件

Japanese index

なぜ、エヴァンズに頼まなかったのか?


謎のエヴァンス


謎のエヴァンズ殺人事件


すりかえられた顔


海辺の殺人



왜 에번스를 부르지 않았지? / 부머랭 살인사건 / 왜 에반스에게 부탁 안했지 / 왜 이밴스에게 부탁 안했지 / 수수께끼의 에반스

Korean index

왜 에번스를 부르지 않았지?


부머랭 살인사건


왜 에반스에게 부탁 안했지


왜 이밴스에게 부탁 안했지


수수께끼의 에반스