What You Need to Know About Agatha Christie Books
Here’s the basics you need to know if you’re going to pick up an Agatha Christie book. Agatha Christie wrote from the 1920s through the 1970s. Her books are almost entirely set among the British upper classes, and are commonly termed British cozy mysteries. This isn’t where to go for a diverse group of characters. Christie writes very simple, straightforward prose with a focus on plot and dialogue. They are not procedurals exactly, since they rarely focus on a professional police officer or detective. (Even Poirot is a former detective.) Instead the clues are compiled from conversations and plot twists. She has two major series and another lesser-known series. Each follows the cases of a specific detective or team of detectives. These don’t necessarily have to be read in order, though it may be helpful to start with the first one to get yourself properly introduced to the main character(s). Many of her books and stories have been adapted for television and movies.
Agatha Christie characters
Need a guide to recurring characters in Agatha Christie novels? Here’s some of the most important ones.
Hercule Poirot
Poirot is best known for his iconic mustaches and using his “little grey cells” to solve the most puzzling cases from the right set of clues. A Belgian private detective who used to be a policeman, Poirot is often accompanied by Captain Arthur Hastings, who acts as the Watson to his Holmes. Poirot loves to gather all the suspects and slowly explain how he’s solved the case. Many Poirot mysteries involve exotic locales and rich people, since Poirot himself is a wealthy man who keeps insisting he is retired. There are over 30 Poirot novels and over 50 short stories.
Miss Marple
Jane Marple is an amateur detective who also happens to be a sweet little old lady from the village St. Mary Mead. Miss Marple never married, has few relatives, and never had to work for a living. She’s unexpectedly brilliant but enjoys her camouflage as a harmless old woman. Most Miss Marple novels give you a look at village life with a more typical cast of characters. She is often a minor character who may not appear for the first half of the book, and when she does appear be prepared for her to be wrapped in a pink fuzzy woolen shawl. She first appeared in Christie’s short stories but eventually was featured in a dozen novels.
Tommy and Tuppence
This is the only series you may want to read in order, since the couple meets as carefree young people in the first novel and are several decades into their marriage by their last. Tommy and Tuppence start out post-World War I, full of excitement but without anything interesting to do, and stumble into a career looking for adventure and solving crimes. They appear in four novels and one book of short stories.
Other Recurring Agatha Christie Characters
Superintendent Battle and Inspector Japp are regular foils to Poirot, not quite bumbling police detectives, but reliant on Poirot to help them crack the case. Ariadne Oliver is a famous mystery novelist whose books feature a foreign detective…hmm, why does that sound familiar? Oliver is not a detective herself, but a colorful side character who gets to stand in for Christie, usually in Poirot novels.
The Best Agatha Christie Books
If you’re only going to dabble in Christie’s work, the best Agatha Christie books to try are the most popular ones with the most lasting cultural impact. They’re full of ingenious plots and endings so memorable that they’ve become part of the literary canon.
Strong Standalone Agatha Christie Books
Before we dive into the detective series, it’s worth noting some of the best Agatha Christie books don’t have any of her most popular characters. Go into it spoiler free if at all possible. Those titles come from the central poem that’s an important plot device, and you may find either “Indian” or “Soldier,” depending on which version you read. Basically every serial killer novel where a detective tries to figure out how the victims are connected exists because this book did it first.
The Best Hercule Poirot Mysteries
Favorite Miss Marple Mysteries
Suggested Agatha Christie Reading Order
If you’re only going to read one Christie novel, take one from our Most Iconic list, though avoid any where you’ve had the ending or plot spoiled. If you enjoy plays, several of Christie’s short stories and novels were adapted for the stage. Perhaps the second best known is The Witness for the Prosecution, which also became a popular movie. Many would argue this is the best place for you to start, a good introduction to the author and her most famous detective. She starts off strong and surefooted. A particularly impressive denouement where Poirot uses some unusual theatrics. Hastings narrates, which is always a bonus. It’s notable in large part because the character is very different in this book, not quite the sweet old lady we come to know later. But this novel, where the plot revolves around a town in scandal over poison pen letters, has a batch of quirky and memorable characters, including an extra charming injured pilot narrator. I also recommend reading A Caribbean Mystery and Nemesis in a row, especially since the latter refers to events of the former quite often. Instead of being a secondary character, here Miss Marple is front and center. If you’re going to read two or three, here are some suggested reading orders:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, And Then There Were None, Sleeping Murder Murder on the Orient Express, Crooked House, The Secret Adversary
For a slightly longer list to really give you a feel for all that Christie has to offer, including some books that go outside her formula, read her books in this order:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles The Secret Adversary The Murder of Roger Ackroyd The Moving Finger Death Comes as the End Five Little Pigs They Came to Baghdad Endless Night Sleeping Murder
Also, check out our Agatha Christie Reading Pathway for even more recommendations. But if you start out with Christie and realize you really enjoy her books, reading in order of publication is just about as rewarding a reading experience as you can get.
