Agatha Christie | First Editions

About Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie was one of the most prolific and widely read authors in the history of literature, known around the world as the Queen of Crime. Born in Torquay, England, in 1890, she began writing during the First World War while working as a nurse. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introduced readers to the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and launched a career that would span over half a century.

Christie’s talent lay in crafting ingenious plots that kept readers guessing until the final pages. Her stories often centred on murder within confined social settings—country houses, trains, ships, or sleepy villages—populated by an array of sharply drawn characters with hidden motives. Over the course of her career, she wrote 66 detective novels, 14 short story collections, and several plays. Among her best-known books are Murder on the Orient Express, Death on the Nile, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, and And Then There Were None, the latter of which remains one of the best-selling novels of all time.

Two characters in particular became enduring icons: Hercule Poirot, the meticulous and moustachioed detective, and Miss Marple, the elderly spinster whose sharp mind and knowledge of human nature helped her solve even the most baffling crimes. Christie’s ability to write from both a psychological and procedural standpoint allowed her to experiment with narrative structure, unreliable narrators, and clever misdirection, all of which helped to elevate the detective story to new literary heights.

Her work was not only popular but also deeply influential. Christie set the gold standard for the classic “whodunit,” and her books have inspired countless authors, adaptations, and reinterpretations across film, television, and stage. The Mousetrap, her most famous play, holds the record as the world’s longest-running theatrical production.

Despite the dark themes of her stories, Christie maintained a lightness of touch and a keen eye for human foibles, which made her books accessible to a wide audience. Her understanding of class, gender roles, and postwar British society gave her mysteries added depth and relevance beyond the puzzle at their core.

Agatha Christie’s popularity has never waned. Her novels have sold more than two billion copies worldwide and continue to be published in dozens of languages. Her work is regularly adapted for the screen, most recently in high-profile films and television series that have introduced her stories to new generations. She was made a Dame of the British Empire in 1971 for her contribution to literature.

Christie died in 1976 at the age of 85, but her legacy remains unparalleled. Her gift for storytelling, her mastery of suspense and surprise, and her creation of some of the most beloved characters in fiction have secured her place as a towering figure in twentieth-century literature. Her books continue to captivate readers with their elegance, wit, and enduring mystery.