Agatha Christie’s Birthday
On September 15 Dame Agatha Christie would have turned 128 years old if she were still alive. Despite having passed away in 1976 her books continue to be published, made into television specials, movies and the longest running play in London's West End history. This maven of mystery wrote more than 60 novels in her lifetime and introduced the world to Hercule Poirot, the famous Belgian detective, and Miss Marple, the most unassuming knitting detective with a lifetime of experience to draw upon.
Here are some favourites:
Hercules Poirot
This book was inspired by all the archaeological digs that Agatha Christie explored with her second husband. The murder takes place in the heat of the Egyptian sun with a myriad of suspects and an unsympathetic murder victim.
- Book
- Audiobook
- Graphic Novel
- Movie with David Suchet
- Movie with Kenneth Branagh
- Movie with Albert Finney
During Dame Agatha Christie's lifetime travel across Europe involved trains primarily and the Orient Express was popular. The line from Istanbul to Paris was, and still is for some, a romantic way to travel. In this story the suspects are limited to people on the train car, with a victim stabbed multiple times during the night and everyone trapped by an avalanche between stations.
Published in 1947 this collection of short stories represent Hercules Poirot's self-imposed last twelve cases similar to his Greek mythological namesake.
Miss Marple
- Book
- Large Print Book
- Audiobook
- eBook
- eAudiobook
- Movie with Geraldine McEwan
- Movie with Joan Hickson
A body is found in a library and no one in the house recognizes the body, leading to seaside trip for some investigations and fresh air. A great example of the cozy mystery genre.
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side
- Book
- Large Print
- Movie with Angela Lansbury
- Movie with Julia McKenzie
- Movie with Joan Hickson
- eBook
- eAudiobook
A big time Hollywood star comes to the small village to live and the locals are excited. At the first party to welcome the locals one of the guests dies from a poisoned cocktail. But was she the intended victim? The version with Angela Lansbury features Elizabeth Taylor as the glamorous movie star.
This is a collection of short stories featuring Miss Marple features a group of friends that meet on Tuesdays to discuss mysterious events, which Miss Marple ends up solving without leaving her chair.
I would be remiss not to mention some comic films of Miss Marple that starred Margaret Rutherford. There were not your typical murder mysteries, but they are all enjoyable and feature Margaret Rutherford's real life husband in the films.
Dame Agatha Christie had created other characters such as Tommy and Tuppence, Adrienne Oliver and the mysterious Mr. Quinn and continues to appear in popular culture, such as an episode of Doctor Who with David Tennent. The episode entitled The Unicorn and the Wasp offers an idea of what happened to Dame Agatha Christie when she disappeared for those ten days 1926 (she really did disappear and never told anyone what happened).
Please let me know which stories are your favourite and which Poirot and Miss Marple you prefer.
2 thoughts on “Agatha Christie’s Birthday”
My favourite Miss Marple is A Murder is Announced. In it an invitation to a murder is posted in the town newspaper, surprising citizens and the residents of the home where the murder is scheduled to take place. The event has a large turnout and at the designated time the lights go out and shots are fired. When the lights come back on, someone is dead. Fortunately Miss Marple is visiting the town and she solves the crime with her customary geniality.
That one was a crazy idea, to announce a murder! I also really loved And Then There Were None, which was a stand alone novel. I felt that story was the ultimate locked room mystery, but instead of a room it’s an island.