We enjoy a good mystery here at Chapters Bookstore, and the undisputed Queen of Mystery is none other than the incredibly gifted Agatha Christie.

We look at 9 (really 10) of our favourite Agatha Christie novels. Agatha Christie has so many books and they are all good, so this list is purely our personal opinion, but if you are going to read your way through Christie, these have to be included somewhere!

 

  1. If you're new to Agatha Christie, start with one of her most famous, And Then There Were None; a classic mystery novel about ten strangers who are invited to stay on an isolated island, only to find that someone is murdering them one by one….

 

  1. Everyone should read this book and watch any of the versions of the film, it is a Sunday afternoon classic! Murder on the Orient Express, takes place on the famous train; a man is killed, the passengers, supposed strangers all have a reason to have wanted him dead. Hercule Poirot, the fastidious Belgian Detective must solve the case before the murderer strikes again.

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  1. Another Poirot, this time The ABC Murders, one of her most suspenseful novels. A series of seemingly random murders occur across the county, connected apparently only by the letters of the alphabet. This is a twisty, complex mystery that will keep you guessing until the very end!

 

  1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is probably my favourite! It was a set text when I was at university and is often considered her masterpiece. Roger Ackroyd, a wealthy man is murdered; there are multiple suspects, many red herrings, twists and turns galore and an ending that will shock! Poirot is fantastic in this.

 

  1. The marvellous Miss Marple makes an appearance in The Body in the Library, in which the body of a young woman, in evening dress and with smeared makeup is found in the library of a wealthy couple. The Bantrys, call in their good friend, Jane Marple to solve the mystery of who she is, how did she get there, what is her connection to another dead girl who is discovered in a local quarry and most importantly of all … who dun it?!

 

  1. Murder is Announced has perhaps one of the most interesting setups in all of Christie’s novels and Miss Marple is front and center from the beginning! An advert in a local paper reads: ‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30 p.m.’ As a crowd gathers at the appointed time, the lights go out and instead of a ‘game’, there is a death …. Christie’s 50th novel and considered the best of the Miss Marple’s, there are so many threads to follow you won’t be able to put it down!

 

  1. Sleeping Murder, Miss Marple’s last novel, is probably the creepiest Christie I have ever read … not one to take to bed! A young bride moves into her new home and odd things begin to happen, which leaves the bride, Gwenda, with an irrational sense of terror every time she climbs the stairs. With the help of the sensible Jane Marple, they solve a perfect crime from years before!

 

  1. Peril at End House, has a young woman, with an unusual name, Nick Buckley, who has three unusual ‘accidents’ in just a few days. Poirot, recently resigned and holidaying nearby with his eponymous sidekick and best friend Hastings, thinks that these ‘accidents’ are attempted murder and sets out to catch the murderer before they succeed! There is a superstitious maid, foreigners in the guest house, hard-partying friends and a theatrical Poirot! It isn’t the most complicated plot line, and you might not be surprised at the end, but as a less well known novel, it deserves its moment in the sun and it is just a jolly good romp!

 

1.This is a joint one as I can’t decide! Five Little Pigs and The Mysterious Affair at Styles are both superb books and both deserve to be read!  Five Little Pigs in an emotional affair as it has Poirot investigating a cold case, 16 years after a wrongful conviction which led to an innocent woman dying in prison and Styles is both the first novel in which we meet the persnickety Poirot, but also Christie’s first ever novel - it is assured and confident, well paced and sets you up for years and years of reading enjoyment!

 Agatha Christies Five little pigs at chaptersbookstore.com

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