Selected Stories

by Agatha Christie

334 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1976

About the author

Agatha Christie also wrote romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott, and was occasionally published under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.

Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller) was an English writer known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, the murder mystery The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952. A writer during the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction", Christie has been called the "Queen of Crime". She also wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame (DBE) by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Guinness World Records lists Christie as the best-selling fiction writer of all time, her novels having sold more than two billion copies.

This best-selling author of all time wrote 66 crime novels and story collections, fourteen plays, and six novels under a pseudonym in romance. Her books sold more than a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation. According to Index Translationum, people translated her works into 103 languages at least, the most for an individual author. Of the most enduring figures in crime literature, she created Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She atuhored The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in the history of modern theater.

Associated Names:
Agata Christie
Agata Kristi
Агата Кристи (Russian)
Агата Крісті (Ukrainian)
Αγκάθα Κρίστι (Greek)
アガサ クリスティ (Japanese)
阿嘉莎·克莉絲蒂 (Chinese)

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

A collection of thirteen stories by the queen of the whodunnit. Old favourites Hercule Poirot and Mrs Marple, help unravel some of these mysteries. While the police are running about England and France like headless chickens, Poirot is not for rushing about and particularly suffers on sea crossings from mal der mer. Poirot relies instead on quietly letting his grey cells delve into the mystery of "The Kidnapped Prime Minister" for the solution. Sometimes the villains get away with murder but I won't tell you in which of the stories, each has the trademark twists. I prefer Agatha Christie's novels as they give me more time to engage with the characters and allow my suspicions to fall on one or two of the possible suspects (though Ms Christie always fools me). There is also some karma in a manner similar to those in Roald Dahl's "Tales of the Unexpected". The details include servants, wills, an Egyptian Curse and a Ming vase. I found the stories just slightly too long for my metro trips, I would find myself having exited the metro reading the last two pages near the top of the escalator before proceeding about my daily business. As a collector, I particularly liked "Strange Jest", where the key to the mystery relates to a collector's knowledge.

[Lav Zeloco]

Wonderful collection of bit-sized stories. Great for when you're commuting. If you like mystery and generally Christie's works - you'll enjoy this one.

[Pedro Assunção · Rating 4 out of 5]

Easy and entertaining book to introduce yourself to Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple among other very easy to read short-stories showcasing Agatha Christie's remarkable storytelling skills