List of Agatha Christie books: description and download in English. Works by Agatha Christie

Updated: 11/11/2018 19:14:22

Expert: Katerina Saltykova

It is not for nothing that the queen of detective stories, Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller, known to readers by the last name of her husband, Christie, is recognized as the most published writer of all time. And not only this record was broken by her. The play “The Mousetrap” has become a work that is most often staged on the theater stage. The prose writer's writing career began at the age of 18. These short stories also did not go unnoticed and were published a little later. Basic distinctive feature Christie's creativity is that in her books there are no terrible scenes of violence, rudeness, cruelty, or a sea of ​​blood. All her detective stories are a symbiosis of a mysterious plot, morality and ethics that make you empathize with the characters, and most importantly, enjoy reading works written in the author’s refined manner.

Throughout her life, Agatha Christie created more than two hundred stories, plays and novels. We selected the best of them for our rating, and they were recognized as classics detective genre. For those who are not familiar, get acquainted. For those who have re-read it more than once and know the text almost by heart, remember to take your favorite work off the shelf again and enjoy the lively style and writing style unique to Agatha Christie.

Rating of the best books by Agatha Christie

The work was published in 1926. For the first time Agatha Christie used literary device, when the narrator himself turns out to be a criminal, which makes the plot not just interesting, as in all the other books of the author, but fascinating and unpredictable. Here the nature of the killer is fully revealed, who in the end is surprised at his duplicity and meanness. The case is led by the beloved Hercule Poirot. The events are narrated by Dr. Sheppard, who becomes the assistant of the famous detective, replacing Captain Hastings in this book.

A rich widow is murdered in a fictional village. But everyone is sure that she took her own life. And only when Ackroyd, who was about to tie the knot with Mrs. Ferrar, dies, no one has any doubt that a crime has occurred. Eight people become suspects, whose characters are so vividly described by the author.

In the novel, several events occur simultaneously, which distract the reader and confuse him. But when the real killer is found, it will be clear that they are all described for a reason. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd received mixed reactions. Critics received the book negatively. Fellow writers accused him of using techniques unacceptable for a detective. But only time put everything in its place. And today this is one of the best works of the genre and the work of the great Christie.

Second place in the ranking goes to the author’s favorite work, which became Agatha Christie’s best-selling creation. The novella was published in 1939, and four years later a play was written based on it. A children's rhyme about black children takes on a creepy, frightening meaning and runs throughout the entire storyline. The action takes place on a rocky island, the prototype of which was the British island of Burgh.

Ten absolutely strangers The Owens arrive at the invitation, but they themselves are not there. Guests find a tray with 10 porcelain figurines, and everyone has a poster with a counting rhyme hanging in their room. The butler turns on the gramophone, from which it sounds male voice and accuses everyone of crimes. And then the murders of the guests begin to occur, after which the porcelain negros disappear from the living room one by one. There is no way out, the boat sailed away, and they were left alone with the villain on an island cut off from people. The only chance is to figure out who is the real killer here and stop him.

The detective story was first published in January 1936. The first film adaptation took place 29 years later, and another 27 years later a film novel with David Suchet in the role of Hercule Poirot was released. In addition to the famous detective, the main characters are his faithful assistant Captain Hastings and Inspector Japp. It is noteworthy that the narration is first told in the first person, and then in the third.

The book begins with the murders of people whose last names are arranged in alphabetical order. The first victim was Alice Usher from Andover. Before each crime, the unknown person sends Poirot a hint, telling him about the place and time of the alleged murder and signing the messages with the first three letters of the alphabet. But the police are too late every time and find the ABC directory near the victims.

The criminal himself confesses and comes to confess. And although Cast finds himself next to the bodies all the time, he does not remember the smallest details at all and suffers from memory lapses. As a result of a thorough investigation, they learn that the traveling salesman has a 100% alibi for the time of one of the murders. The detective not only proves his innocence, but also finds the true criminal, preventing him from committing the planned 26 murders according to the number of letters of the English alphabet.

The novel included in the rating was published in 1935 and at first had a different title, namely “Death in the Air.” The investigation is led by Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and London policeman Japp. The action takes place on board a plane, in which a dead woman is discovered just before landing. The first version was a wasp bite, as a small puncture was found on the body. But the detective quickly finds out that the elderly French woman was poisoned, and the cause was a dart with poison released from a tube.

Only those who are now on the plane could do this, so everyone becomes a suspect, including Poirot. The detective story will have everything: an exciting plot, colorful descriptions of the characters, an unpredictable ending and a killer who might be the last thing anyone thought of.

Agatha Christie often uses closed spaces in her works. Each time the intensity of passions goes off scale, the reader cannot decide until the very end who from the narrow circle of suspects is the real killer, and every time the writer fools even the most attentive book lovers. In 1992, the novel was used in the television series about Hercule Poirot, starring David Suchet.

Published in 1950, the crime novel follows the investigations of dear old Miss Marple. The action takes place in a small English village. A strange announcement about an upcoming murder, published in a local newspaper, does not cause anything but a smile, because local residents They think that this is just some kind of not entirely successful joke or an invitation to a holiday in such an original way. The curious gather at the estate. And although the owners did not make any announcement, they are forced to welcome the guests.

Exactly at 18.30, as indicated in the newspaper, a stranger enters the living room with a lantern, the lights go out and shots are heard. But it turns out that the guests are all alive, only a small scratch on Miss Blacklock, the mistress of the estate, and in fact the criminal himself, whom they recognize as the petty swindler Rudy Schertz, was killed. At the request of the police, Miss Marple is included in the investigation and suggests that they really wanted to kill the elderly woman, and uninvited guest They just paid to stage a crime.

The old lady begins to unravel the tangle of events in which intrigues related to inheritance, interpersonal relationships of heroes and the thirst for profit are intertwined, making ruthless killers out of respectable people.

A worthy place in the rating is occupied by a novel published in May 1938, which tells about the Middle Eastern adventures of Hercule Poirot. Both critics and readers greeted the work with delight, and it was recognized as one of best works great author. Seven years later, Agatha Christie wrote a play in which there was no detective, and story line differed from what was offered to readers.

The action takes place in Jerusalem. The detective accidentally witnesses a conversation between a brother and sister in which they plan to kill their mother. In fact, Mrs. Boynton's three children are adopted, and she herself, who previously worked as a prison guard, was a cruel tyrant who haunted her family. And even the people around you experience hostility even when you first meet a rich American woman.

Poirot does not have the slightest clue to prove that this is murder. But he only has 48 hours to investigate, so he quickly gets to work. After interviewing witnesses, the detective analyzes the situation with special care, masterfully reconstructs the chain of events and finds the real criminal.

Another “hermetic” detective was released on New Year’s Day 1934. It is recognized as a classic of the genre and is especially loved by admirers of A. Christie’s talent. Of course, traveling on a luxury train is not complete without murder. And this investigation will become one of the exciting and unpredictable of the great intellectual Hercule Poirot. Having made a forced stop due to snow drifts on the tracks, the body of a wealthy American is discovered in the carriage.

Ratchett's past is not so bleak. In fact, his real name is Casseti, and he was able to get away with the brutal murder of a little girl many years ago. Poirot is helped in his investigation by his friend Monsieur Bouc from Belgium and the doctor from Greece Stavros Constantine. Suspicion falls on the passengers of the carriage, each of whom could have committed a crime. But there are no motives, but there is plenty of evidence, but they only lead astray and do not allow one to identify the real villain.

But the detective is difficult to confuse. He notices the smallest details and, analyzing, collects all the puzzle clues into a single picture. The author was especially successful in describing the luxurious express train and the splendor of its furnishings, and it is to this work that the Paris-Istanbul train owes its increased popularity.

The novel included in the rating was also published under other titles: “The Ridiculous Little House” and “The Crooked Little House.” Many critics and readers consider this book by Agatha Christie to be the most successful because of its unpredictable and unexpected ending. The action begins in the house “Three Gables”, which over time grew with extensions, the number of its inhabitants increased, and, it would seem, what a large friendly family needs for simple happiness. But happy life disrupted by a series of murders committed in the estate.

The house is inhabited by the head of the family, millionaire Leonidis, and his relatives, who are eagerly awaiting the death of the elderly owner. The son of a policeman, Charles Hayward, who came to woo the granddaughter of the murdered man, begins his own investigation. The suspicion of the large family falls on the old man's wife, who is almost half a century younger than him, but each of them could wish the death of a rich relative.

The plot is captivating from the first line. The author gives us hints, but every time he again beats the reader. You think that he is the true criminal, but Christie continues to intrigue. And when you reach the final, you experience a real shock.

The crime detective was written in 1952. 10 years after its publication, it was filmed, but the detective in it was not Poirot, but Miss Marple. The action takes place after Mr. Abernethy's funeral, when all the numerous relatives are waiting for the reading of the will. His death was quite expected, but after one of the heirs suggested murder, the lawyer begins his own investigation. But when the same Cora who doubted her natural death is killed, she decides to turn to a detective to reveal the mystery of the millionaire’s death.

Poirot arrives at the mansion to catch the murderer. Christie, as always, managed to surprise with her descriptions of the characters. There are greedy characters hungry for inheritance, and other heroes who evoke sympathy. Family drama turned into a crime, skillfully solved by the detective beloved by many.

Gathering those present in the living room, he began to expose the true killer. The ending is unpredictable, like all Agatha Christie's works. The experts have a clear opinion: the book is not just recommended for reading, but should be on the shelf next to other bestsellers by the queen of detective stories.

We could not help but include one of the significant works, the main character of which is Hercule Poirot, leading an investigation in tandem with his friend, British intelligence colonel Race. The plot revolves around a love triangle, where two are happy, and the third is angry and tries to take revenge. Abandoned Jackie threatens to kill the homewrecker, but after another drinking session she wounds Simon. Passengers and medical workers nearby became witnesses to the unsuccessful attempt.

In the morning, Lynnette is found in her cabin with a bullet through her head. Colonel Reis, at the request of the ship's captain, heads official investigation, Poirot helps him with this. Almost every passenger had a motive, but all the evidence points to Jackie, and witnesses confirm her alibi. As a result of the investigation, other crimes committed on the ship were also revealed.

Agatha Christie, as always, skillfully juggles the facts, and the reader still cannot understand who the real killer is. The ending is unpredictable, because it is this person who is the least likely to be suspected and his participation in the terrible crime seems unreal.

The novel was published in 1941, in which again the Belgian detective masterfully unravels a complex case and never ceases to amaze the reader with his analytical skills and investigative methods. Hercule Poirot goes to a resort town to rest and, upon returning, retire peacefully. He checks into a hotel that once belonged to an old rogue adventurer. The current owner is Mrs. Castle, who jealously guards not only the reputation of the establishment, but also her own.

A motley group gathers at the hotel, and naturally squabbles and scandals begin, love triangle, which the author describes so fascinatingly and colorfully. The next day, the frivolous Arlena Marshall, who caused all the troubles, is found dead on the coast, and each of the guests has a motive for the crime.

Poirot, who has been in the hotel all this time, himself participates in many events and sees them from the inside. Challenging puzzle and here it does not cause difficulties for the detective, and he, in his characteristic manner, exposes the real criminal.

The classic detective story on our list, written in 1927, is included in the collection As Long as the Light Lasts, which includes both little-known and very popular stories. The work tells the story of respectable Claire Holywell, who helps those in need, takes care of the poor together with the vicar, and tries to return normal life degenerate drunkards. A sweet and modest girl suffers from unrequited feelings and cannot calmly endure meetings with new darling your lover. Gerald lived next door, and spent his entire childhood and youth with him.

Those around them were sure that this friendship would end in an engagement. Over time, Claire believed it too. Imagine the surprise when the young man married a non-local girl. What brought the main character even more suffering was that Gerald’s wife was very beautiful, and every time she met, she condescendingly communicated with her husband’s abandoned lover.

One day, Claire had some dirt on the homewrecker. But what will a girl do who lives according to her conscience and does not violate either God’s or human laws? The finale will show how difficult it is to stay on the edge, and whether it is possible to live on if it is quite difficult to come to an agreement with your conscience.

The sentimental work, written in 1926, does not belong to the usual classic detective story. Mysticism, psychology, and romance are combined here. The book touches the feelings of every reader, and Agatha Christie appears before us in a slightly different light. Sad story tells the story of a man searching for his place in the world. His ideal presentation is inspired by dreams, but is there any real life such a corner for a person to be happy there?

The main character of the work is John Segrave. Coming from a wealthy family that eventually went broke, he learned to make money, although that was not his dream. But for for a long time He was not able to achieve much success in this field either. One morning John woke up shocked, and it was all because of the dream of the House. It was beautiful, stood on a hill and was surrounded by greenery and flowers.

Having met him in reality, will John find happiness in him? The author discusses whether it is always good when dreams come true, and maybe fantasies should remain in our heads so that reality does not disappoint.

Agatha Christie - English writer, author of numerous short stories, stories, novels and dramas with a detective plot. She has published more than 60 novels, which have been translated into more than 100 languages ​​and published total circulation over 4 billion copies. We present to your attention a list of ten best novels famous writer Agatha Christie.

10 Murder Announced (1950)

The plot of the novel takes place in the English village of Chipping Cleghorn. A strange advertisement was printed in the local newspaper: “A murder has been announced to take place on Friday, October 29, at 18:30 in Little Paddocks. Only today! Friends, hurry up and take part.” At the appointed time, under various pretexts, a whole living room of people gathers in the small estate of Little Peddoxy, where the elderly Letitia Blacklock and several other people live...

9 Death in the Clouds (1935)

During a flight from Paris to Croydon, shortly before landing, Madame Giselle is discovered dead in the back of the plane. At first, the passengers decide that the woman died from a wasp sting, but it later turns out that death was caused by a poisoned dart fired from a blowpipe. All passengers on the plane come under suspicion, because the investigation is led by the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

8 Crooked Little House (1949)

The main character of the novel, the son of an assistant police commissioner named Charles Hayward, after a 2-year separation from Sophia Leonidis, comes to her to ask for her hand. However, there is a tragedy in Sofia’s family - her grandfather, the wealthy oligarch Aristides Leonidis, was killed. The cause of death was a lethal dose of eserine eye drops. One of the family members replaced the insulin with a bottle of eye drops. Charles undertakes to investigate this matter.

7 Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

Hercule Poirot travels to Britain on the Orient Express. However, a few days after the start of the trip, due to snow drifts, the train comes to a dead stop somewhere on the territory of Yugoslavia. It also turns out that in one of the compartments lies the body of the murdered Mr. Ratchett with twelve stab wounds...

6 Endless Night (1967)

Michael Rogers, an ambitious young man and storyteller, marries wealthy bride Fenella Gutman (Ellie). Together the couple buys a piece of land called the “Gypsy Compound”, over which, according to old legend There is a gypsy curse, and they are building a dream house on it. It would seem that this is happiness. However, the curses begin to come true.

5 Five Little Pigs (1942)

Poirot is approached by a young woman, Carla Lemarchand. She tells the detective the story of her mother, who sixteen years ago was sentenced to death penalty for murder own husband - famous artist Amyas Crale. Carla is deeply convinced of her mother's innocence and asks Poirot to help her find out the truth.

4 The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)

The plot of the novel is narrated from the perspective of the elderly doctor James Sheppard (becomes Poirot's assistant), who lives in the small fictional English village of Kings Abbot and talks about the latest case of detective Hercule Poirot. The investigation begins with the murder of a wealthy widow, Mrs. Ferrar.

3 Curtain (1975)

The narration comes from the perspective of Arthur Hastings - partner, assistant and best friend private detective Hercule Poirot. After Hercule's death, Captain Hastings receives a letter. In the letter, the famous detective talks about his latest case and an almost perfect killer who is not inferior in intelligence to Poirot himself.

2 The Alphabet Murders (1936)

This time, the main characters of the novel, detective Hercule Poirot, Captain Hastings and Chief Inspector James Japp, need to put an end to a series of murders carried out in alphabetical order throughout England.

1 Ten Little Indians (1939)

The novel tells the story of ten completely unknown people who come to Negro Island by invitation married couple Alec Norman Onim and Anna Nancy Onim. During dinner, a voice is heard from a gramophone record that accuses them all of murder. Anthony Marston dies first...

15.09.18 09:55

The most intricate plots came to her mind when she was knitting, and the most sophisticated murders - while washing dishes (if the first activity was calming, the detective queen categorically did not like the second). Today, September 15, Agatha Christie turns 128 years old - she was born in 1890. Her works are in third place in terms of publication (after the Bible and Shakespeare), and their circulation has long exceeded 4 billion. During her career, Christie wrote more than six dozen detective novels and published 19 collections of short stories (not counting books of other genres, although the writer’s “ladies’ prose” did not go well). Today we will remember the best books of Agatha Christie, isn't it time to re-read them?

You can't pull it by the ears: the best books by Agatha Christie

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd: Who Needs These Courgettes?

In 1926, the novel “The Murder of Roger Ackroyd” was published, which broke detective canons. In this book by Agatha Christie, the narrator is the rural doctor James Sheppard, who replaced the absent Hastings for the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Poirot himself wanted to retire and settled in an idyllic province. But then a crime occurred (the local rich man Ackroyd was stabbed to death in his own office), and the Belgian, bored with growing zucchini, regained his detective passion. In the year the novel was released, it was criticized for its “dishonest tactics” that violated the main detective “commandment,” but over time, the reading public began to consider it one of Agatha Christie’s best books. This was confirmed by the Crime Writers Association, which decided in 2013 that The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was best detective of all times.

Murder on the Orient Express: A Night Train Nightmare

Although the debut of the Belgian emigrant, a former policeman who moved to England during World War I, took place in 1920 (“The Mysterious Affair at Styles”), other novels brought Poirot fame. Among them, “Murder on the Orient Express” (1934), twice filmed in Hollywood, the first version received an Oscar, the second, 2017, was received cooler, although both involved famous actors. Hercule returns to Europe on a luxury train, where at night a sinister massacre of one of the passengers occurs. Mr. Ratched's chest is riddled with puncture wounds, and most of the temporary occupants of the compartment carriage come under suspicion.

Death on the Nile: Honeymoon Failed

They love to film the detective queen, and film adaptations of Agatha Christie’s best books are released almost every year. So “Death on the Nile” will receive another incarnation, it will be a sequel to “Murder on the Orient Express”, however, whether Kenneth Branagh (Poirot) will participate in it is still unknown. But there is another wonderful film in which the detective is played by Peter Ustinov, a “full-time” performer of this role in the 1970-1980s, a beautiful movie with Maggie Smith, Angela Lansbury and Mia Farrow. The novel "Death on the Nile" was published in 1937, and in it the great detective deals with mysterious murder wealthy heiress Linnet, a young lady, was shot dead on the ship Karnak during her honeymoon.

Evil under the sun: in a Mediterranean idyll

It is very difficult to single out the very best books by Agatha Christie in which Poirot acts, except that we don’t like “Curtain” very much, and only because in it the author kills his famous hero. But we are compiling the top 10, and it is impossible to mention all the works. So be it, let’s add another book about the eccentric mustache – “Evil Under the Sun”. The action taking place on a Mediterranean island is very cleverly twisted, and the victim, former star Arlena Stewart's scenes were hated by almost all the vacationers at the sanatorium. Of course, Poirot was also unlucky enough to stay in this luxurious boarding house, and he immediately took up the investigation! In the film version of the book, Arlena is played by Diana Rigg, and the owner of the boarding house is Maggie Smith, and the same Ustinov plays Poirot.

Nemesis: on long-gone tracks

It is well known that Lady Agatha had difficulty enduring Hercule Poirot - only for the sake of the reader's love, but she was not disappointed in Jane Marple until the very end. Therefore, even in the latest novel about a village spinster, the heroine unravels another crime and peacefully returns to her St. Mary Mead. Appearing in the 1930 book Murder at the Vicarage, Marple was with her literary “mother” for four decades, and in the final, 12th novel of the series, Nemesis, she set out on the trail of a very old murder. Jane was asked about this by an old acquaintance, millionaire Rafiel (she met him in French Polynesia, in the novel “A Caribbean Mystery”). The rich man sent a letter with a request to find the culprit in the death of the orphan girl Verity, which occurred many years ago. To do this, Jane went on a tour of the gardens and parks of England. The journey turned out to be intriguing and dangerous.

Mousetrap: covered with snow

The most famous play Agatha Christie “grew up” from a tiny 1947 radio play, “Three Blind Mice,” which the author created at the request of Queen Mary (Elizabeth II’s grandmother). The premiere of “The Mousetrap” took place in 1952, and since then the play has not left the London stage. The action of the detective story takes place in a small hotel, whose guests are waiting out the snowfall. The boarding house ceases to be a cozy refuge when one of the guests is found strangled. There is a good domestic film with Elena Stepanenko, Nikita Vysotsky and Vladimir Soshalsky. Sesquicentenary The play coincided with the 50th anniversary of the coronation of Elizabeth II, and she attended the London performance.

Snap your finger just once: curiosity killed the cat

Of course, we adore Poirot and Marple, we read everything, watched everything, both TV series and films, but Agatha Christie was not limited to these legendary characters. She has a series of stories about the mysterious Mr. Keane, novels about Colonel Race and Superintendent Battle (who sometimes “crossed paths” with Poirot) and books where “random” people act as amateur detectives. But we want to remember a couple more “cross-cutting” heroes of the writer - the family couple Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, about whom four novels and a collection of short stories were created. Agatha Christie's best book in this series is Snap Your Finger Just Once (1968), whose title quotes Shakespeare's Macbeth. Amateur detectives, the Beresfords, are faced with a cunning, sophisticated killer, and it all begins with an innocent visit to Tommy's aunt, who lives in a nursing home. Oh, that restless, curious Tuppence!

Crooked house: who was bothered by the old Greek?

Agatha Christie herself considered her best books to be those novels that did not contain the popular Belgian and old maid Marple. These three books top our top. In 1949, the novel “The Crooked Little House” was published. In it, the investigation is led by the son of police inspector Charles Hayward, who wants to find out who poisoned the elderly, but strong and cheerful Aristide Leonidis. The Greek emigrated to England a long time ago and amassed a million-dollar fortune here; his heirs were interested in his death (among whom were Charles’s fiancée Sophia and Aristidis’s young wife Brenda). The recent film adaptation of the novel “Crooked Little House” featured Max Irons (Charles), Glenn Close, Gillian Anderson, Christina Hendricks. Critics really appreciate this book because the ending is completely unpredictable.

Ordeal by Innocence: Uninvited Guest

Lady Agatha did not deny that the novel “Ordeal by Innocence” (or “Woe to the Innocents”) was very successful. The book was published in 1958, in which scientist Arthur Calgary returns from a long polar expedition and accidentally learns that he could save a life. It turns out that the geophysicist is the only witness who can confirm the alibi of the guy accused of murdering his adoptive mother. However, it is too late: Jack died in prison. Arthur decides to reassure the poor fellow's relatives and goes to the Argyll mansion. The news does not have the effect that Calgary was expecting, because now the case will be reopened, and everyone at home will come under suspicion. There was no movie based on this book, but there was a TV movie with Donald Sutherland and an unsuccessful BBC series in which almost everything was wrong. And also - an episode of the series "Miss Marple", although in the plot of the original there is no trace of dear Jane: the murderer is exposed by Calgary.

Ten Little Indians: The Mystery of the Rocky Island

According to Agatha Christie, best book of all the books she has ever written, “Ten Little Indians,” which is confirmed by the number of copies of the novel sold (it holds the record for sales). True, for reasons of political correctness it is published under a different title - “And There Were None.” There is a BBC mini-series of the same name, starring Toby Stephens, Sam Neill, Douglas Booth, and Charles Dance. But the film adaptation of Stanislav Govorukhin’s “Ten Little Indians” with Abdulov, Zeldin, Drubich is much more in line with the spirit of Christie. Eight guests arrive on a secluded small rocky Negro island, they are met by two servants (the owners are late). At dinner, everyone is shocked by a strange voice, accusing ten of those present in turn of murders for which they were not punished. When the first of the guests suddenly dies, and then the maid does not wake up, the rest understand: someone has started a terrible game according to the famous counting rhyme posted in all the bedrooms of the mansion. The novel was published in November 1939, and the prototype of the ill-fated island was the southern British islet of Burgh. The absolute masterpiece of the detective queen!

Agatha Christie- English writer, author of numerous short stories, novellas, novels and dramas with a detective plot. She has published more than 60 novels, which have been translated into more than 100 languages ​​and have sold over 4 billion copies in total. We present to your attention a list of the ten best novels by the famous writer Agatha Christie.

Murder Announced (1950)

A Murder Is Announced is a novel by Agatha Christie, published June 1950. In 2006 it was filmed.

The plot of the novel takes place in the English village of Chipping Cleghorn. A strange advertisement was printed in the local newspaper: “A murder has been announced to take place on Friday, October 29, at 18:30 in Little Paddocks. Only today! Friends, hurry up and take part.” At the appointed time, under various pretexts, a whole living room of people gathers in the small estate of Little Peddoxy, where the elderly Letitia Blacklock and several other people live...

Death in the Clouds (1935)

During a flight from Paris to Croydon, shortly before landing, Madame Giselle is discovered dead in the back of the plane. At first, the passengers decide that the woman died from a wasp sting, but it later turns out that death was caused by a poisoned dart fired from a blowpipe. All passengers on the plane come under suspicion, because the investigation is led by the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.

Crooked Little House (1949)

Crooked Little House is a detective novel by Agatha Christie, written in 1949.

The main character of the novel, the son of an assistant police commissioner named Charles Hayward, after a 2-year separation from Sophia Leonidis, comes to her to ask for her hand. However, there is a tragedy in Sofia’s family - her grandfather, the wealthy oligarch Aristides Leonidis, was killed. The cause of death was a lethal dose of eserine eye drops. One of the family members replaced the insulin with a bottle of eye drops. Charles undertakes to investigate this matter.

Murder on the Orient Express (1934)

The seventh place in the list of Agatha Christie's best novels is occupied by a detective novel first published on January 1, 1934 - Murder on the Orient Express. In 1974, this one of Agatha Christie's most famous novels was filmed by director Sidney Lumet.

Hercule Poirot travels to Britain on the Orient Express. However, a few days after the start of the trip, due to snow drifts, the train comes to a dead stop somewhere on the territory of Yugoslavia. It also turns out that in one of the compartments lies the body of the murdered Mr. Ratchett with twelve stab wounds...

Endless Night (1967)

Michael Rogers, an ambitious young man and storyteller, marries wealthy bride Fenella Gutman (Ellie). Together, the couple buys a plot of land, the so-called “Gypsy Compound”, over which, according to an old legend, a gypsy curse hangs, and build a dream house on it. It would seem that this is happiness. However, the curses begin to come true.

Five Little Pigs (1942)

The Five Little Pigs is a detective novel by Agatha Christie from the Hercule Poirot series. It was first published in 1942.

Poirot is approached by a young woman, Carla Lemarchand. She tells the detective the story of her mother, who sixteen years ago was sentenced to death for the murder of her husband, the famous artist Amyas Crale. Carla is deeply convinced of her mother's innocence and asks Poirot to help her find out the truth.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)

In fourth place on the list of Agatha Christie's best novels is the detective novel The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, first published in June 1926.

The plot of the novel is narrated from the perspective of the elderly doctor James Sheppard (becomes Poirot's assistant), who lives in the small fictional English village of Kings Abbot and talks about the latest case of detective Hercule Poirot. The investigation begins with the murder of a wealthy widow, Mrs. Ferrar.

Curtain (1975)

One of Agatha Christie's best novels is considered to be the last novel about Hercule Poirot, first published in September 1975 - The Curtain.

The story is told from the perspective of Arthur Hastings, the partner, assistant and best friend of private detective Hercule Poirot. After Hercule's death, Captain Hastings receives a letter. In the letter, the famous detective talks about his latest case and an almost perfect killer who is not inferior in intelligence to Poirot himself.

The Alphabet Murders (1936)

The Alphabet Murders is one of the most significant novels by the British writer, published in 1936. The structure of this novel is quite unusual, as the story is told first from the first and then from the third person.

This time, the main characters of the novel, detective Hercule Poirot, Captain Hastings and Chief Inspector James Japp, need to put an end to a series of murders carried out in alphabetical order throughout England.

Ten Little Indians (1939)

Ten Little Indians is a detective novel written by Agatha Christie and first published in Great Britain on November 6, 1939. The writer considered this novel her best work. It is also her best-selling novel. It has sold about 100 million copies worldwide.

The novel tells the story of ten completely unknown people who come to Negro Island at the invitation of the married couple Alec Norman Onim and Anna Nancy Onim. During dinner, a voice is heard from a gramophone record that accuses them all of murder. Anthony Marston dies first...

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Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, née Miller, better known as Agatha Christie, is an English writer. He is one of the world's most famous authors of detective fiction and is one of the most published writers in the entire history of mankind (after the Bible and Shakespeare).

Occupation: novelist, playwright
Years of creativity: 1920 – 1976
Direction: fiction
Genre: detective, adventure novel, spy novel, autobiography
Debut: The Mysterious Affair in Styles

Her parents were wealthy immigrants from the United States. She was the youngest daughter in the Miller family. The Miller family had two more children: Margaret Frary (1879-1950) and a son, Louis "Monty" Montan (1880-1929). Agatha received a good education at home, in particular music, and only stage fright prevented her from becoming a musician.

During the First World War, Agatha worked as a nurse in a hospital; she loved the profession and described it as “one of the most rewarding professions a person can engage in.” She also worked as a pharmacist in a pharmacy, which subsequently left an imprint on her work: a total of 83 crimes in her works were committed through poisoning.

Agatha Christie first married on Christmas Day in 1914 to Colonel Archibald Christie, with whom she had been in love for several years - even when he was a lieutenant. They had a daughter, Rosalind. This period was the beginning creative path Agatha Christie. In 1920, Christie's first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published. There is an assumption that the reason for Christie’s turn to the detective was a dispute with her older sister Madge (who had already proven herself to be a writer) that she, too, could create something worthy of publication. Only the seventh publishing house published the manuscript in a circulation of 2,000 copies. The aspiring writer received a fee of £25.

Disappearance.

In 1926, Agatha's mother died. Late that year, Agatha Christie's husband, Archibald, admitted to infidelity and asked for a divorce because he had fallen in love with fellow golfer Nancy Neal. After an argument in early December 1926, Agatha disappeared from her home, leaving a letter to her secretary in which she claimed to be heading to Yorkshire. Her disappearance caused a loud public outcry, since the writer already had fans of her work. For 11 days, nothing was known about Christie's whereabouts.

Agatha's car was found, and her fur coat was found inside. A few days later the writer herself was discovered. As it turned out, Agatha Christie registered under the name Teresa Neil at the small spa hotel Swan Hydropathic Hotel (now Old Swan Hotel). Christie offered no explanation for her disappearance, and two doctors diagnosed her with amnesia caused by a head injury. The reasons for the disappearance of Agatha Christie were analyzed by British psychologist Andrew Norman in his book The Finished Portrait, where he, in particular, argues that the hypothesis of traumatic amnesia does not stand up to criticism, since Agatha Christie's behavior indicated the opposite: she registered in a hotel under the name of her husband’s mistress, she spent time playing the piano, spa treatments, and visiting the library. However, after examining all the evidence, Norman came to the conclusion that there was a dissociative fugue caused by a severe mental disorder.

According to another version, her disappearance was planned specifically to take revenge on her husband, whom the police inevitably suspected of the murder of the writer.

Archibald and Agatha Christie's marriage ended in divorce in 1928.

Second marriage and later years.

In 1930, while traveling around Iraq, at excavations in Ur, she met her future husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan. He was 15 years younger than her. Agatha Christie said about her marriage that for an archaeologist a woman should be as old as possible, because then her value increases significantly. Since then, she periodically spent several months a year in Syria and Iraq on expeditions with her husband, this period of her life is reflected in autobiographical novel“Tell me how you live.” Agatha Christie lived in this marriage for the rest of her life, until her death in 1976.

Thanks to Christie's trips to the Middle East with her husband, several of her works took place there. Other novels (such as And Then There Were None) were set in or around Torquay, Christie's birthplace. The 1934 novel Murder on the Orient Express was written at the Hotel Pera Palace in Istanbul, Turkey. In room 411 of the hotel where Agatha Christie lived, she is now memorial museum. The Greenway Estate in Devon, which the couple bought in 1938, is protected by the National Trust.

Christie often stayed at the mansion Abney Hall in Cheshire, which belonged to her brother-in-law James Watts. At least two of Christie's works were set on this estate: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding, a story also included in the collection of the same name, and the novel After the Funeral. “Abney became an inspiration to Agatha; hence the descriptions of such places as Stiles, Chimneys, Stonegates, and other houses, which in one degree or another represent Abney, were taken.”

In 1956, Agatha Christie was awarded the Order of the British Empire, and in 1971, for her achievements in the field of literature, Agatha Christie was awarded the title of Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire, the holders of which also receive noble title"lady" used before a name. Three years earlier, in 1968, Agatha Christie's husband, Max Mallowan, was also awarded the title of Knight of the Order of the British Empire for his achievements in the field of archaeology.

In 1958, the writer headed the English Detective Club.

Between 1971 and 1974, Christie's health began to deteriorate, but despite this she continued to write. Experts at the University of Toronto examined Christie's writing style during these years and suggested that Agatha Christie suffered from Alzheimer's disease.

In 1975, when she was completely weakened, Christie transferred all the rights to her most successful play, The Mousetrap, to her grandson, Mathew Prichard, who also inherited the rights to some of her literary works, and his name is still associated with the Agatha Christie Limited Foundation.

The last book published during Agatha’s lifetime was “The Curtain.” Christie hesitated for a long time to publish it, as if sensing that it was a requiem. According to the plot of the story, in Stiles, the setting of the first novel, Hercule Poirot dies after solving another murder. Poirot's game is over, Agatha Christie's life is over. Farewell letter Poirot to Hastings is like Agatha’s farewell to her readers. " We will never again set foot on the path of crime together. But it was wonderful Life! Oh, what a wonderful life it was!»

Agatha Christie died on January 12, 1976, at home in Wallingford, Oxfordshire after a short cold, a year after her triumph last book.
Agatha Christie's autobiography, which the writer graduated in 1965, ends with the words: “ Thank you, Lord, for my good life and for all the love that was given to me».

Christie's only daughter, Rosalind Margaret Hicks, also lived to the age of 85 and died on October 28, 2004 in Devon.