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Agatha Christie is widely regarded as the Queen of Mystery, and her books are so beloved that she is second only to Shakespeare as the bestselling author of all time. Embrace your inner Hercule Poirot with the most intriguing mysteries Christie has written.
‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ (1926)
‘The Murder of Roger Ackroyd’ is only the third novel with Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and showcases a “masterful use of narration and sleight of hand,” said Book Riot. “Both detective and author” are at the “height of their powers,” said The New York Times. ($11, Signet Classics, Amazon)
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Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
Join more than 350,000 subscribers and keep yourself informed with a selection of The Week’s most interesting, enlightening and entertaining stories - plus daily puzzles.
In one of the most famous Poirot novels, the mustachioed wunderkind becomes snowbound on a luxury train, and a man is murdered on board, creating a baffling “locked-room” mystery. Christie provides “enough lovely detail of place” to make her novel “as atmospheric as it is ingenious,” said Forbes. ($19, William Morrow, Amazon)
‘The ABC Murders’ (1936)
Like many other Poirot books, this one is “narrated in part by his old friend Captain Hastings,” who is “a bit of a dolt — a classic unreliable narrator,” said The New York Times. “The ABC Murders” is one of the “first times Christie dabbled in criminal psychology, with fantastic results.” ($19, William Morrow, Amazon)
‘And Then There Were None’ (1939)
This classic is perfect for fans of “isolated settings with a murderer on the loose,” said Reader’s Digest, and is Christie’s bestselling novel and one of her favorites, according to a list she wrote to a Japanese fan in 1972. Chances are “you’ve heard of this masterpiece” even if “you’ve never read the book.” ($20, William Morrow, Amazon)
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Theara Coleman has worked as a staff writer at The Week since September 2022. She frequently writes about technology, education, literature and general news. She was previously a contributing writer and assistant editor at Honeysuckle Magazine, where she covered racial politics and cannabis industry news.
