murdered by his brother Sylvia : American wife of Henry who takes a liking to Frankie Thomas : their young son Roger : Henry's scheming and murdering brother Dr Nicholson: Canadian owner of a sanatorium near Merroway Court Moira Nicholson: his wife; also Mrs Templeton John Savage: millionaire big-game hunter who stayed with the Templetons and was murdered by Roger Mr and Mrs Templeton: friends of John Savage at the end of his life; Mr Templeton is Leo Cayman Mrs Rivington: friend of John Savage who knows Sylvia , and brought Mr Carstairs to dinner at her home Gladys Roberts: former parlourmaid to Mr and Mrs Templeton when she was Gladys Evans, now staff with her husband to the Vicar of Marchbolt Rose Pratt: former cook to Mr and Mrs Templeton and witness to the last will of "John Savage" (impersonated by Roger) Albert Mere: former gardener to Mr and Mrs Templeton and witness to the last will of "John Savage" (impersonated by Roger) Insight into how the title originated In the introduction of Agatha Christie's book Passenger to Frankfurt (Dodd, Mead hardcover, 1970) she gives examples of how she has come up with ideas for her books. Included is this explanation: "You go to tea with a friend. As you arrive, her brother closes a book he is reading – throws it aside, says: 'Not bad, but why on earth didn't they ask Evans?' So you decide immediately a book of yours shortly to be written will bear the title, Why Didn't They Ask Evans? You don't know yet who Evans is going to be. Never mind. Evans will come in due course – the title is fixed." Allusions to real people The name of the novel's hero – Bobby Jones – is the same as that of the American golfer who was at the height of his fame at the time of publication. The first chapter introduces "Bobby Jones" playing golf; when his stroke scuds disappointingly along the ground, the narrative explains this Bobby is not the American master. Reception The Times Literary Supplement (27 September 1934) concluded favourably, "Mrs Christie describes the risks (Bobby Jones and Frankie Derwent) ran in her lightest and most sympathetic manner, playing with her characters as a kitten will play with a ball of wool, and imposing no greater strain on her readers than the pleasure of reading at a sitting a