Who was Agatha Christie
Dame Agatha Christie DBE (Dame Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire which she was awarded in 1971 by Queen Elizabeth II), was born on 15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976. She was an English writer, who during her lifetime wrote 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections.
Some of her most well known work revolves around her fictional detectives, the most notable being Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world’s longest running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been ongoing since 1952.
Agatha Christie was in her heyday during what is known as the “Golden Age of Detective Fiction”, and Christie herself has been called the “Queen of Crime”. She is listed in the Guinness World Records as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, having sold more than two billion copies.
She has also written six romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott.
The Best of Agatha Christie
Below you will find the list of the best of Agatha Christie books. We have compiled this list by a mixture of the popularity of the books, the Goodreads score, and adaptations that the books may have inspired. Included in the list below will be the top ten according to the Queen of Crime herself, Agatha Christie. You will see which of the seventeen Agatha Christie thought of as her best work identified by (AG) at the end of the title of the book.
See the list below, the order will be in publication order.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) 
Hercule Poirot #1
67,820 words, 140 pages, 4hrs 30mins
Published by The Bodley Head
4.00 out of 5 on Goodreads
How else could we start this list without Agatha Christie’s debut novel, and the introduction of one of, if not the most iconic detectives ever created. Read the synopsis below.
With impeccable timing Hercule Poirot, the renowned Belgian detective, makes his dramatic entrance on to the English crime stage.
Recently, there had been some strange goings on at Styles St Mary. Evelyn, constant companion to old Mrs Inglethorp, had stormed out of the house muttering something about ‘a lot of sharks’. And with her, something indefinable had gone from the atmosphere. Her presence had spelt security; now the air seemed rife with suspicion and impending evil.
A shattered coffee cup, a splash of candle grease, a bed of begonias… all Poirot required to display his now legendary powers of detection.
The Secret Adversary (1922)
Tommy & Tuppence #1
82,150 words, 304 pages, 5hrs 30mins
Published by The Bodley Head
3.85 out of 5 on Goodreads
This was the novel that first introduced a new set of characters, Tommy and Tuppence. The two characters rekindle their friendship after the war (World War 1) and it is clear to see that Agatha Christie is able excellently write about more characters than Poirot. These are two fantastically and well aging characters and deserve their place on this list. And where best to start other than to start at the beginning and watch their relationship unfold? Read the synopsis below.
The Great War is over and jobs are scarce. Tommy Beresford and Prudence “Tuppence” Cowley, who were friends before the war, run into each other in London and discover they are both equally short of money and opportunities. On a whim, they decide to start a business, advertising themselves as “The Young Adventurers.”
Their first job leads them into a series of increasingly dangerous situations involving international spies, a society beauty, a Russian count, the wreck of the Lusitania, an amnesia patient, an American millionaire, and a fiendishly clever arch-criminal known only as “Mr. Brown.”
By the time the dust settles, all the puzzle pieces have been fitted together—and the young couple have realized their feelings for each other and have become engaged.
The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)
Colonel Race #1
84,355 words, 381 pages, 5hrs 40mins
Published by The Bodley Head
3.96 out of 5 on Goodreads
Only four years after the release of her debut novel and introducing Hercule Poirot, and two years after introducing a new detective series of Tommy & Tuppence, we have another new detective to follow. Another great mystery story to follow and solve with this new protagonist. Johnny Race who is an Ex-Army Colonel and MI5 agent. This is his first of four books. Read the synopsis below.
Newly-orphaned Anne Beddingfeld is a nice English girl looking for a bit of adventure in London. But she stumbles upon more than she bargained for! Anne is on the platform at Hyde Park Corner tube station when a man falls onto the live track, dying instantly. A doctor examines the man, pronounces him dead, and leaves, dropping a note on his way. Anne picks up the note, which reads “17.1 22 Kilmorden Castle”. The next day the newspapers report that a beautiful ballet dancer has been found dead there– brutally strangled. A fabulous fortune in diamonds has vanished. And now, aboard the luxury liner Kilmorden Castle, mysterious strangers pillage her cabin and try to strangle her. What are they looking for? Why should they want her dead? Lovely Anne is the last person on earth suited to solve this mystery… and the only one who can! Anne’s journey to unravel the mystery takes her as far afield as Africa and the tension mounts with every step… and Anne finds herself struggling to unmask a faceless killer known only as ‘The Colonel’….
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (AG) (1926)
Hercule Poirot #4
65,940 words, 320 pages, 4hrs 25mins
Published by The Bodley Head
4.26 out of 5 on Goodreads
This story is probably the first of the more well known books starring Hercule Poirot and for very good reason, the conclusion at the end is enough to make anyone’s head spin! Read the synopsis below.
The peaceful English village of King’s Abbot is stunned. The 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 case involving blackmail and death that taxes Hercule Poirot’s “little grey cells” before he reaches one of the most startling conclusions of his career.
Thirteen Problems (AG) (1932)
Miss Marple Short Story Collection #1
57,000 words, 256 pages, 3hrs 45mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
3.93 out of 5 on Goodreads
This is the only collection of short stories to have made this list, and for good reason. It is probably the most well known of Agatha Christies, and includes the introductory story of Miss Marple – The Tuesday Night Club, which was originally published in 1927. But as a collection, they were published as above, in 1932. Read the synopsis below.
The Tuesday Night Club is the name for a varied group of guests who challenge each other to solve recent, and not so recent, crimes. It begins one evening when the group gathers at Miss Marple’s house and the conversation turns to unsolved crimes. Over the weeks, we learn about the case of the dripping bloodstains, the thief who committed his crime twice over, the message from the death-bed of a poisoned man who talked of a ‘heap of fish’, the strange case of the missing will, and a spiritualist who warned that ‘Blue Geraniums’ meant death.
The 13 stories are:
1. The Tuesday Night Club, 2. The Idol House of Astarte, 3. Ingots of Gold, 4. The Bloodstained Pavement, 5. Motive v. Opportunity, 6. The Thumbmark of St. Peter, 7. The Blue Geranium, 8. The Companion, 9. The Four Suspects, 10. A Christmas Tragedy, 11. The Herb of Death, 12. The Affair at the Bungalow, and 13. Death by Drowning
Murder on the Orient Express (AG) (1934)
Hercule Poirot #10
62,480 words, 288 pages, 4hrs 10mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
4.20 out of 5 on Goodreads
This list would not be complete without this iconic story, we have all at least heard of this and for that alone it is deserving to be on this list. Being the inspiration to many film adaptations, the most recent adaptation made in 2017, directed by and starring Kenneth Brannagh. Read the synopsis below.
Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the famous Orient Express in its tracks as it travels through the mountainous Balkans. 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.
One of the passengers is none other than detective Hercule Poirot. On vacation.
Isolated and with a killer on board, Poirot must identify the murderer—in case he or she decides to strike again.
The tranquility of a lovely cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything – until she lost her life.
Who is also on board? Christie’s great detective Hercule Poirot is on holiday. He 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.’ Despite the exotic setting, nothing is ever quite what it seems…
Death on the Nile (1937)
Hercule Poirot #18 and Colonel Race #3
77,550 words, 384 pages, 5hrs 10mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
4.12 out of 5 on Goodreads
Another of the most iconic titles on this list, where it would have been hard to have not heard of it before, either the book or one of the many film adaptations that have been made. Again, Kenneth Brannagh had a hand in making this happen having directed and starred in the most recent adaptation, made in 2022. Read the synopsis below.
The tranquility of a lovely cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything – until she lost her life.
Who is also on board? Christie’s great detective Hercule Poirot is on holiday. He 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.’ Despite the exotic setting, nothing is ever quite what it seems…
And Then There Were None (AG) (1939) (AKA Ten Little Indians)
Standalone novel
56,835 words, 247 pages, 3hrs 50mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
4.28 out of 5 on Goodreads
This one clearly had to be on this list for multiple reasons, as according to a global public vote, this book came out on top. Also being the most sold crime novel of all time, thus making it no surprise that this would find its place on this list. Read the synopsis below.
Ten people, each with something to hide and something to fear, are invited to an isolated mansion on Indian Island by a host who, surprisingly, fails to appear. On the island they are cut off from everything but each other and the inescapable shadows of their own past lives. One by one, the guests share the darkest secrets of their wicked pasts. And one by one, they die…
Which among them is the killer and will any of them survive?
The Body in the Library (1942)
Miss Marple Novel #3
50,000 words, 224 pages, 3hrs 20mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
3.84 out of 5 on Goodreads
This is probably one of the more well known and popular of the Miss Marple series, with a great title and story to follow. It’s a great, refreshing read to the classic whodunnit genre. As you read it, you find the story so real and vivid, you just sink right into it .Read the synopsis below.
Early one morning, the Bantry family awakes to a shocking scene. On the floor of their library is a woman’s body, dressed in an evening gown, with makeup smeared across her face.
Soon after, the corpse of another young woman is discovered, charred, and abandoned in the local quarry. But could there be a connection between the murders?
The Bantry’s, eager to clear their name and save their impeccable reputation, call on their astute elderly neighbor, Miss Marple, to help them catch the killer.
Five Little Pigs (1942)
Hercule Poirot #25
62,950 words, 288 pages, 4hrs 15mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
4.03 out of 5 on Goodreads
This is a great fun, little read and feel that this deserves its place on this list because of the way it is structured. She has Poirot re-open a previously shut case and solve it by interviewing the “Five Little Pigs”, each of them reliving and retelling the same story from all their different perspectives. And you can have fun while reading it, trying your hand in solving the case, find the cracks in the story, who is telling you falsehoods? Well, you just have to read it to find out! Read the synopsis below.
It was an open and shut case. All the evidence said Caroline Crale poisoned her philandering husband, a brilliant painter. She was quickly and easily convicted and sentenced to life in prison.
Now, sixteen years later, in a posthumous letter, Mrs. Crale has assured her grown daughter that she was innocent. But instead of setting the young woman’s mind at ease, the letter only raises disquieting questions. Did Caroline indeed write the truth? And if she didn’t kill her husband, who did?
To find out, the Crale’s daughter asks Hercule Poirot to reopen the case. His investigation takes him deep into the conflicting memories and motivations of the five other people who were with the Crales on the fatal day. With his keen understanding of human psychology, he manages to discover the surprising truth behind the artist’s death.
The Moving Finger (AG) (1942)
Miss Marple #4
57,000 words, 240 pages, 3hrs 45mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
3.86 out of 5 on Goodreads
Another of Agatha Christie’s favourite own books, and her first one for a Miss Marple Novel (while not the first on our list). While this made her list is because she enjoyed reading and having just re-read before making the list , it was one of the freshest in her mind. Either way, we agree, we much enjoyed reading this book and fully agree to it being in one of her top books Read the synopsis below.
In the nearby town of Lymstock, residents are tormented by a sudden outbreak of hate mail.
At first, the locals assume these anonymous letters are a cruel practical joke. But then, one of the recipients commits suicide, and the community begins to fear the worst.
And so, Miss Marple heads to Lymstock to try and uncover the truth. But as she digs deeper into the case, she suspects the coroner has got it all wrong. This is no suicide, it’s a cold-blooded murder, and if she doesn’t act fast, more people could die.
Towards Zero (AG) (1944)
Superintendent Battle #5
58,875 words, 301 pages, 3hrs 55mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
3.93 out of 5 on Goodreads
While this is not this detectives introductory novel, we thought we would jump ahead to what is probably this characters better standalone novels. He does appear in a Hercule Poirot and Colonel Race novel, Cards on the Table (1936), this being Hercule Poirot’s 15th novel, Colonel Race’s second and Superintendent Battle’s third – what a group! This novel however is all about Battle and you truly get to see his ability shine in his final outing. Read the synopsis below.
When a house party gathers at Gull’s Point, the seaside home of Lady Tressilian, Neville Strange finds himself caught between his old wife, Audrey, and his new flame, Kay. A nail-biting thriller, the play probes the psychology of jealousy in the shadow of a savage and brutal murder. With reflections on suicide, depression and redemption, the play is a layered drama of piercing intelligence.
Crooked House (AG) (1949)
Standalone Novel
54,325 words, 276 pages, 3hrs 40mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
4.08 out of 5 on Goodreads
Agatha Christie has been quoted as saying; “Writing Crooked House was pure pleasure and I feel justified in my belief that it is one of my best.” which in itself, I feel it to be justified in putting it on this list. If the writer is proud of their work and one of Agatha Christie’s caliber, then it truly is worth the read, if you have not done so already. This story is a great piece of writing, gradually building the tension to what results in a very unanticipated yet satisfying ending. Read the synopsis below.
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…
A Murder is Announced (AG) (1950)
Miss Marple #5
73,000 words, 320 pages, 4hrs 50mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
4.00 out of 5 on Goodreads
The very next Miss Marple book Agath Christie released after the last Miss Marple book also makes her own favourite book. She stated that she really thought all of the characters interesting to write about. She felt that she really knew each of them really well by the end of it, and we think that it is evident in the book. All of the characters feel well developed and thought out, thus making it a one of the best reads.
Miss Marple stays in the quaint village of Chipping Cleghorn when a strange and sinister advertisement appears in the local gazette.
It reads: ‘A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30 p.m.’
The address is the home of Miss Letitia Blacklock, and now, Letitia is terrified that the victim could be her.
The mysterious announcement transfixes the community, so a crowd gathers at Little Paddocks on the specified day and time, eager to see if the ominous prediction will come true.
And then, like clockwork, at 6:30 p.m., the house is plunged into darkness, and their worst fears are confirmed.
Ordeal By Innocence (AG) (1958)
Standalone Novel
65,940 words, 288 pages, 4hrs 25mins
Published by The Bodley Head
3.83 out of 5 on Goodreads
Hailed by critics and Christie herself as one of her better novels. It’s another great mystery with a new standalone character. It brings in crimes of the past and present in this brilliant psychological thriller. This novel was adapted into a TV series back in 2018, starring Bill Nighy. Read the synopsis below.
According to the courts, Jacko Argyle bludgeoned his mother to death with a poker. The sentence was life imprisonment. But when Dr. Arthur Calgary arrives with the proof that confirms Jacko’s innocence, it is too late—Jacko died behind bars following a bout of pneumonia. Worse still, the doctor’s revelations reopen old wounds in the family, increasing the likelihood that the real murderer will strike again.
Endless Night (AG) (1967)
Standalone Novel
58,875 words, 256 pages, 3hrs 55mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
3.81 out of 5 on Goodreads
The title of this novel was inspired by William Blake’s Auguries of Innocence. In this, Blake describes Agatha Christie’s favourite theme: a “twisted” character, who always chooses evil over good. Christie said that she was able to finish Endless Night in just six weeks, whereas a novel would normally take at least double that amount of time. Somewhere around three-four months. This is another of Christie’s favourite books of her own, and this was received with the most critical acclaim on release of all her books. Read the synopsis below.
Gipsy’s Acre was a truly beautiful upland site with views out to sea – and in Michael Rogers it stirred a child-like fantasy. There, amongst the dark fir trees, he planned to build a house, find a girl and live happily ever after. Yet, as he left the village, a shadow of menace hung over the land. For this was the place where accidents happened. Perhaps Michael should have heeded the locals’ warnings: ‘There’s no luck for them as meddles with Gipsy’s Acre.’ Michael Rogers is a man who is about to learn the true meaning of the old saying ‘In my end is my beginning.’
Curtain (1975)
Hercule Poirot #44
60,755 words, 384 pages, 4hrs 5mins
Published by Collins Crime Club
4.09 out of 5 on Goodreads
There is only one way to finish this list, and that is to end with one of the most iconic endings to our hero, and a very fitting title to go with it for sure. It was a shock to readers around the world when this book was first released and for that impact alone it has a place along this list. This was the story that the iconic TV show Poirot (1989-2013), starring David Suchet as our protagonist used for their finale. Read the synopsis below.
Arthritic and immobilized, Poirot calls on his old friend Captain Hastings to join him at Styles to be the eyes and ears that will feed observations to Poirot’s still razor sharp mind. Though aware of the criminal’s identity, Poirot will not reveal it to the frustrated Hastings, and dubs the nameless personage ‘X’. Already responsible for several murders, X, Poirot warns, is ready to strike again, and the partners must work swiftly to prevent imminent murder.
Poirot’s final case, a mystery which brings him and Hastings back to Styles where they first solved a crime together. The story was both anticipated and dreaded by Agatha Christie fans worldwide, many of whom still refuse to read it, as it is known to contain Poirot’s death.
BONUS
Absent in the Spring (1944)
(Written under the name of Mary Westmacott)
57,000 words, 190 pages, 3hrs 45mins
Published by HarperCollins
4.16 out of 5 on Goodreads
We felt it only fair to include as a bonus, one of the best works that Agatha Christie wrote as Mary Westmacott. The piece of work that we feel has the biggest impacts on its readers. If you are interested in reading something of hers where crime and mystery are not the main focus or genre then we would recommend starting with this one. Read the synopsis below.
Returning from a visit to her daughter in Iraq, Joan Scudamore finds herself unexpectedly alone and stranded in an isolated rest house by flooding of the railway tracks. This sudden solitude compels Joan to assess her life for the first time ever and face up to many of the truths about herself. Looking back over the years, Joan painfully re-examines her attitudes, relationships and actions and becomes increasingly uneasy about the person who is revealed to her.
Overall
This is our list that we have uncovered for the best of Agatha Christie. There are many more works out there that you should definitely discover. But if you have not read any of these books, or are looking at where best to start, then I hope we have helped you with where to begin.
Agatha Christie is quite rightly known as the “Queen of Crime”, and as this list shows you, there is a lot of evidence to back this up. And also as you may have found out from this list, she has a lot more characters than just Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Any crime writer would feel over the moon with having come up with just one iconic character and here is Agatha Christie with many.
There is so much more to Agatha Christie’s work, so many more characters to fall in love with that she has created and many standalone novels for you to sink your teeth into. And in some cases there is an extra added surprise of having some of her characters meet, and meddle in the same mysteries together. It really is evident that her work is around to stay for many, many, more years to come.
If you are interested in finding out the best order in which to read Hercule Poirot or Miss Marple, then click on the links and all will be revealed.
Which one is your favorite or most looking forward to picking up next?
Let us know!
Happy Reading!
Agatha Christie’s Top 10
Below you will find the ten best books of Agatha Christie, in her own opinion. The list will be as above, in publication order.
- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)
- Thirteen Problems (1932)
- Murder on the Orient Express (1934)
- And Then There Were None (1939) (AKA Ten Little Indians)
- The Moving Finger (1942)
- Towards Zero (1944)
- Crooked House (1949)
- A Murder is Announced (1950)
- Ordeal By Innocence (1958)
- Endless Night (1967)
Total stats:
- Overall word count: 1,152,850 words
- Overall total pages: 5,087 pages
- Overall reading time: 76hrs 50mins
Things to note:
- Word count is an approximation.
- Amount of pages may differ due to different publications, font style and/or size etc.
- Time spent reading is an approximation based on the word count and the average reading time. The average reader will read 250 WPM (Words Per Minute).
- This is the original publishers of the books.
- The Current GoodReads score at time of writing.
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