It's 2020, and that marks an entire century since Agatha Christie published her first novel. A Mysterious Affair at Styles, the story in which we first meet famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, was just one of 66 novels and 14 short story collections the author published during her lifetime. She is also responsible for The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in West End history. And if that wasn't enough, to top it all off, she's also the biggest-selling author of fiction in history. Not bad, eh?
Agatha Christie also just so happens to be this bookworm's favourite author. Ever since I was young, I've loved the beautifully crafted stories she writes. I used to watch the adaptations on television with my Dad, who first introduced me to the world of crime fiction. I soon watched all the Poirot adaptations and moved onto reading the novels. Now I've read most of the standalone novels too, and I'm hoping to move onto the Miss Marples and others afterwards too.
I don't pretend to have read all of Agatha Christie's novels, but I do believe everybody who reads one of her stories can take something away from it. A century on from her first novel, and in preparation for the next adapation to be released, I wanted to write this post about my love for the author; why I believe she's so great, and some recommendations for any readers who aren't very familiar with her work, but who'd like to try it.
Earlier this week, I conducted a few polls on my instagram account (if you'd like to check out my bookstagram, you can find the link on the right hand side of this blog). I wanted to know if other people agreed with me about Christie's work, and about which of her novels were the best. Interestingly, 65% of people responded that they had read an Agatha Christie story. That's higher than I thought! Part of me knows that on a book account, I'm preaching to the already converted, but I also think there's another explanation for it.
Simply, there has never been a better time to pick up one of her stories. They've never been so accessible, and it is just so nice to see! With so many new television adaptations and films, people are being introduced to these stories in a really gentle way, and it's inspiring readers everywhere to give the original stories a try. Out of the people who had never read one, 91% said they would like to try one at some point. I've seen this first hand as well. My boyfriend read his first Agatha Christie novel earlier this year, as did one of my best friends. And thankfully, they both loved them!
With her novels in particular, there is just such a charm when you read them that I can't explain. You would think crime fiction would be complicated and difficult to get through, and a lot of the genre has become that. However, Christie's stories are actually not that long, and they are so easy to read. They hold a drama in them, whilst also being incredibly light-hearted. Not to mention that she is the best at writing a reveal scene, where all of the little clues come together and our mouths hang open in shock and frustration at our own ignorance. Agatha Christie also the queen of characterisation, with her detectives being insufferable but also beloved all at the same time. I remember reading somewhere that Christie said that she hated the character of Poirot that she had created. If I met him in real life, I probably would too, but he has such a warmth and charm on the page that it's impossible not to take to him.
I've put together a list of my top recommendations for anybody who is looking to try reading their own Christie. There are so many that it can be a little intimidating, but these are my careful choices of stories that I believe best encapsulate the spirit of her work; the charm, the characterisation, the immaculate plots, and the really gripping novels.
Recommendation 1: The Mysterious Affair at Styles
A refugee of the Great War, Poirot is settling in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactress, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim’s much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village.All of them have secrets they are desperate to keep, but none can outwit Poirot as he navigates the ingenious red herrings and plot twists that earned Agatha Christie her well-deserved reputation as the queen of mystery.
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
The simple answer is because it was the first! Without this one, we wouldn't have had all the other wonderful stories that came after. It's quite a simple one, but is a fantastic introduction to Christie's style of writing. A gateway Christie, if you like!
Recommendation 2: And Then There Were None
First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder.When they realize that murders are occurring as described in the rhyme, terror mounts. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale? Only the dead are above suspicion.
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
This is arguably the best standalone novel Christie ever wrote, and was popular amongst those who responded to my instagram polls too. It feels like a thriller, but maintains the easy reading that has become traditional of the author's work. As the pool of suspects continues to get smaller, it's so much fun to try and guess who is responsible. This is definitely a key work to read!
Recommendation 3: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. First, the attractive widow Ferrars dies from an overdose of veronal. Not twenty-four hours later, Roger Ackroyd—the man she had planned to marry—is murdered. It is a baffling, complex case involving blackmail, suicide, and violent death, a cast that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “little grey cells” before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his fabled career.
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
Although at first glance this novel doesn't look like anything special, it's often cited as the most significant novel that Agatha Christie ever wrote. You have to read it to find out why, but this novel, on its publication, taught readers that when it comes to crime fiction, they really cannot trust anything.
Recommendation 4: Murder at the Vicarage
‘Anyone who murdered Colonel Protheroe,’ declared the parson, brandishing a carving knife above a joint of roast beef, ‘would be doing the world at large a favour!’ It was a careless remark for a man of the cloth. And one which was to come back and haunt the clergyman just a few hours later – when the colonel was found shot dead in the clergyman’s study. But as Miss Marple soon discovers, the whole village seems to have had a motive to kill Colonel Protheroe.
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
Okay, this is where I admit that I haven't actually read this one, but it's the first Miss Marple story that Agatha Christie ever wrote, and I'm really looking forward to being introduced to her as well!
Recommendation 5: Murder on the Orient Express
Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside.Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again.
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
Possibly her most favourite work of all time, and certainly the most adapted for the screen, Murder on the Orient Express is a classic. When you read it, it's clear to see why. This story pushed the boundaries of crime fiction further than ever before in a way that readers never saw coming. It's unique, and utterly brilliant.
Recommendation 6: Crooked House
In the sprawling, half-timbered mansion in the affluent suburb of Swinly Dean, Aristide Leonides lies dead from barbiturate poisoning. An accident? Not likely. In fact, suspicion has already fallen on his luscious widow, a cunning beauty fifty years his junior, set to inherit a sizeable fortune, and rumored to be carrying on with a strapping young tutor comfortably ensconced in the family estate. But criminologist Charles Hayward is casting his own doubts on the innocence of the entire Leonides brood. He knows them intimately. And he's certain that in a crooked house such as Three Gables, no one's on the level...
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
Although nowhere near as well known as Murder on the Orient Express, this novel also pushes the boundaries of crime fiction. I recently read it for the first time and I did not see the ending coming. The story is very meticulous and it's probably not the best novel to read first of all of Christie's repertoire, but it's a unique one to read when you're familiar with the way she works.
Recommendation 7: The ABC Murders
When Alice Asher is murdered in Andover, Hercule Poirot is already on to the clues. Alphabetically speaking, it's one down, twenty-five to go.There's a serial killer on the loose. His macabre calling card is to leave the ABC Railway guide beside each victim's body. But if A is for Alice Asher, bludgeoned to death in Andover; and B is for Betty Bernard, strangled with her belt on the beach at Bexhill; then who will Victim C be?
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
This is the book my boyfriend chose to read a few months ago as his first ever Agatha Christie novel. He said he chose it because the story sounded really intriguing, and it's worth noting that it's among the highest rated Christie stories on Goodreads. It's a reall intricate story that keeps you guessing, and it's one of the best in my opinion.
Recommendation 8: Death on the Nile
The tranquillity of a cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot through the head. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything - until she lost her life. Hercule Poirot recalls an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: 'I'd like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger.' Yet in this exotic setting, nothing is ever quite what it seems...
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
This is my all time favourite novel of Agatha Christie's, and it showcases the best of her work in my opinion; an intricate plot that appears to mean that nobody can be responsible. It has some of my favourite characters, and the backdrop of Egypt is beautiful. Everything comes together and this the ultimate Christie in my eyes.
Recommendation 9: Ordeal by Innocence
Recovering from amnesia, Dr. Arthur Calgary discovers that he alone could have provided an alibi in a scandalous murder trial. It ended in the conviction of Jacko Argyle. The victim was Jacko's own mother, and to make matters worse, he died in prison. But the young man's innocence means that someone else killed the Argyle matriarch, and would certainly kill again to remain in the shadows. Shaded in the moral ambiguity of murder, the provocative psychological puzzler of guilt, vengeance, and blood secrets is among Agatha Christie's personal favorites.
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
This is another standalone novel, and so is one that can be read independently. I read this a couple of years ago and thought it was meticulous in plot progression, and the feeling of warmth it gave me was second to none.
Recommendation 10: Cards on the Table
A flamboyant party host is murdered in full view of a roomful of bridge players… Mr Shaitana was famous as a flamboyant party host. Nevertheless, he was a man of whom everybody was a little afraid. So, when he boasted to Poirot that he considered murder an art form, the detective had some reservations about accepting a party invitation to view Shaitana’s private collection. Indeed, what began as an absorbing evening of bridge was to turn into a more dangerous game altogether…
Blurb taken from Goodreads.
Why should I read it?
This is a totally random choice, but I wanted to make the number up to 10! Cards on the Table is one of my favourite Poirots, as it focuses on the psychology of a case, which Agatha Christie loved to use to get to the bottom of a murder. Poirot considers the motivations and and reasoning behind the actions of the involved parties, and that's how he solves the mystery. I think it's a very clever and intellectual novel that really satisfies me.
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So there we have it! My top 10 recommendations for readers to introduce themselves to Queen Agatha Christie. I could go on and on, but I genuinely feel these reflect the best introduction to her work. There are, of course, the newer Poirot novels as well, written by Sophie Hannah with the permission of the family. These are really fun reads that are full of nostalgia, but you just can't beat the real thing.
Although, if the thought of reading one of these mysteries doesn't float your boat, you could always pick up on the the adaptations to try instead. But for your own sake, make it a David Suchet one...
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