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Clues to Christie: The Definitive Guide to Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Tommy & Tuppence and All of Agatha Christie's Mysteries
Dying to read Agatha Christie for the first time or to re-read one of her classic mysteries but don’t know where to start? This fully authorized and comprehensive guide to the Queen of Mystery includes an introduction by award-winning Agatha Christie expert John Curran with features on each of her classic detectives including Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot and Tommy & Tuppence; guides to reading each of her series and her stand-alone novels; and an A to Z of Agatha Christie. Interspersed throughout are quotes from Christie, a list of the Christie novels that were her personal favorites and three of her classic short The Affair at the Victory Ball, Greenshaw’s Folly and A Fairy in the Flat.
Clues to Christie Table of “Agatha An Introduction” by John Curran; The Hercule Poirot Mysteries; “The Affair at the Victory Ball”; The Miss Marple Mysteries; “Greenshaw’s Folly”; The Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries; “A Fairy in the Flat”; Agatha Christie’s Stand-Alone Mysteries and Short-Story Collections; The Queen of Mystery’s Personal Favorites; Ten Other Ways to Read Agatha Christie; “On Agatha Christie and Poisons”; The A to Z of Agatha Christie.
Clues to Christie Table of “Agatha An Introduction” by John Curran; The Hercule Poirot Mysteries; “The Affair at the Victory Ball”; The Miss Marple Mysteries; “Greenshaw’s Folly”; The Tommy and Tuppence Mysteries; “A Fairy in the Flat”; Agatha Christie’s Stand-Alone Mysteries and Short-Story Collections; The Queen of Mystery’s Personal Favorites; Ten Other Ways to Read Agatha Christie; “On Agatha Christie and Poisons”; The A to Z of Agatha Christie.
97 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 22, 2011
71 people are currently reading
528 people want to read
About the author
Agatha Christie
5,812 books75.4k followersAgatha 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)
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)
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews
May 23, 2016
Greenshaw's Folly was worth the read. The other two short stories did not have enough substance.
I thought it was cool at the end of this book how her mysteries were combined. If you wanted to read them as just poisons, stabbings, holidays, nursery rhymes, ect...
I thought it was cool at the end of this book how her mysteries were combined. If you wanted to read them as just poisons, stabbings, holidays, nursery rhymes, ect...
November 25, 2011
I have enjoyed several Agatha Christie books over the years but this is just a short story about her works. Unless a person is new to reading her works then this book will not help in any way. this is actually just a copy and past from her autobiography with some writing in between. The information in this book can be searched for on the internet and found at several different websites. This was a free book at the Kindle store.
December 31, 2011
If you're new to Christie you may like this, but otherwise it's a waste of time and money. It's primarily a rehash of Christie's own autobiography and various lists of her books.
August 15, 2017
A Marketing Gimmick
The short stories were wonderful, but the extra information (the guide) was thin, mostly lists, a short overview of Christie's life, and quotes from AC.
The short stories were wonderful, but the extra information (the guide) was thin, mostly lists, a short overview of Christie's life, and quotes from AC.
June 22, 2018
This was a short little book I really enjoyed. I read all the Christie books the library had when I was in high school. This book gave a perspective on her life that I found very interesting. I also really
Iiked the ten books that were her favorites.... a fast read but it makes me want to pick up some Agatha Christie’s again. I think I miss Poirot.
Iiked the ten books that were her favorites.... a fast read but it makes me want to pick up some Agatha Christie’s again. I think I miss Poirot.
August 3, 2018
"A nice little "so you want to read Agatha Christie but don't know where to star?" book. It has three short stories from the authors main characters, so you can see which one you may want to start with, as well as several different reading lists for different ways to read the books and even a listing of the authors own favorites of her own works."
June 24, 2018
★★★☆☆ | 2.5 Stars
Nothing new or groundbreaking here. A few interesting tidbits about Christie's inspirations (especially re poisons) but it's not very detailed. Probably best to just read her autobiography instead.
Nothing new or groundbreaking here. A few interesting tidbits about Christie's inspirations (especially re poisons) but it's not very detailed. Probably best to just read her autobiography instead.
October 20, 2021
I Loved the introduction about Christie and who she was and where she came from. I also really enjoyed reading the short stories that were in this book. I can’t wait to read more books by her. Excited for my next read by her.
March 11, 2022
Gives a sneak peek into the works of Agatha Christie. Expected more on the writing styles, the thought process and how the stories are built. More of a biography lesson with a laundry list of her works.
June 5, 2017
Quick review of Agatha Christie's life and works. Great if you are going to pick up her works after a long absence.
November 16, 2017
Very helpful. Given me some ideas of what I’m about to embark on.
December 23, 2018
Quick and light read. Fun but nothing in it I didn't already know.
October 6, 2019
This is really just a short introduction to Christie and her work and then excerpts from her work. I was hoping for more of a guide to/analysis of her work, rather than the work itself.
November 24, 2019
I was expecting something entirely different. Still entertaining but if you want to learn more about Christie and her characters, better read her autobiography.
October 27, 2020
Adequate for Christie's beginner - that is me.
November 26, 2020
Part of the Agatha Christie Mystery collection box set. Short stories of Miss Marple, Hercule poirot, amd Tommy & Tuppence plus some reading guides.
February 23, 2021
This is an interesting brief read. It is a short introduction to Christie's novels, has some outtakes from her autobiography, and has breakdowns of her books by various categories.
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February 26, 202102.25.2021
April 27, 2021
My favorite author and enjoying the lists of books by characters. Especially liked the additional short stories at the end.
September 17, 2021
Enjoyed the bio, but I expected more info on the books themselves.
January 25, 2022
As a short, useful, general information guide on the works, the background, and the times of Agatha Christie, this small reference does a good job.
April 5, 2024
3 stars because its just a brief overview of Christie. Good short stories tho.
February 13, 2021
An Agatha Christie expert gives a brief overview on the author's life sharing three short stories. Definitely check The Secret Notebooks for a more in-depth look into Agatha's brilliant mind. I did enjoy the curated book lists with quirky subjects.
February 19, 2022
113/365
This is a collection of short stories and information about the detective characters that made Christie famous. You'll get insights into these beloved characters: Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence and Miss Marple. I enjoyed this book
This is a collection of short stories and information about the detective characters that made Christie famous. You'll get insights into these beloved characters: Poirot, Tommy and Tuppence and Miss Marple. I enjoyed this book
April 23, 2018
A guide to Dame Agatha Christie's mysteries and other novels. Also contains three short stories that represent each of her main series characters. In the lengthy introduction by Christie expert John Curran, we're given a quick biography of the author as well as an overview of her many styles of writing. There is enough information to intrigue the novice Christie reader.
The first short story is "The Affair at the Victory Ball" with Hercule Poirot and his friend, Captain Hastings. Viscount Cronshaw is found dead with a table-knife stuck in his heart shortly after an argument with actress Miss Coco Courtenay. Coco is found dead in her bed from a cocaine overdose. Inspector Japp comes to Poirot for help untangling the mystery. A good example of a typical Poirot case, with the vain Belgian detective keeping the facts and his observations a secret until the Grand Reveal before all interested parties. 4 out of 5.
Next up is Miss Marple in "Greenshaw's Folly". Eccentric spinster Miss Greenshaw is shot with an arrow, dying while the two women who might have helped were locked in their respective rooms. Using very obscure connections to people and events in her village of St. Mary Mead, Miss Marple solves the mystery without ever meeting anyone suspected in the murder. She is a snoopy old lady who might not *share* gossip idly, but definitely listens to it. And somehow twists what she hears into a solution for whatever crime she becomes involved in. 3.5 out of 5.
The last short story is "A Fairy in the Flat", starring Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. Tuppence is bored after six years of marriage, wants something exciting to happen. Then Tommy's Secret Service Chief arrives with an offer to run a shady private detective agency using the original owner's name. They are particularly concerned with possible espionage, but don't have enough information to determine exactly what is going on. To be honest, this isn't a true short story, it is an excerpt and set-up from a longer story. The mystery is barely touched upon, much less solved. There is a supernatural touch in the beginning that doesn't have much of a purpose. Tuppence doesn't come off well either. 2 out of 5.
Before each story there is a list of books and stories in that character's universe. There are also listing of other non-series books and stories, sadly without any description or synopsis. A list of Dame Agatha's favorite stories is given, as well as a sub-divide of stories by theme and/or subject matter. We end the guide with a bonus chapter on Agatha and poisons. 3.5 out of 5.
The first short story is "The Affair at the Victory Ball" with Hercule Poirot and his friend, Captain Hastings. Viscount Cronshaw is found dead with a table-knife stuck in his heart shortly after an argument with actress Miss Coco Courtenay. Coco is found dead in her bed from a cocaine overdose. Inspector Japp comes to Poirot for help untangling the mystery. A good example of a typical Poirot case, with the vain Belgian detective keeping the facts and his observations a secret until the Grand Reveal before all interested parties. 4 out of 5.
Next up is Miss Marple in "Greenshaw's Folly". Eccentric spinster Miss Greenshaw is shot with an arrow, dying while the two women who might have helped were locked in their respective rooms. Using very obscure connections to people and events in her village of St. Mary Mead, Miss Marple solves the mystery without ever meeting anyone suspected in the murder. She is a snoopy old lady who might not *share* gossip idly, but definitely listens to it. And somehow twists what she hears into a solution for whatever crime she becomes involved in. 3.5 out of 5.
The last short story is "A Fairy in the Flat", starring Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. Tuppence is bored after six years of marriage, wants something exciting to happen. Then Tommy's Secret Service Chief arrives with an offer to run a shady private detective agency using the original owner's name. They are particularly concerned with possible espionage, but don't have enough information to determine exactly what is going on. To be honest, this isn't a true short story, it is an excerpt and set-up from a longer story. The mystery is barely touched upon, much less solved. There is a supernatural touch in the beginning that doesn't have much of a purpose. Tuppence doesn't come off well either. 2 out of 5.
Before each story there is a list of books and stories in that character's universe. There are also listing of other non-series books and stories, sadly without any description or synopsis. A list of Dame Agatha's favorite stories is given, as well as a sub-divide of stories by theme and/or subject matter. We end the guide with a bonus chapter on Agatha and poisons. 3.5 out of 5.
June 13, 2017
$0.0
This book is all about Agatha Christie and her work, not just murder mysteries (romances and other genres), but she wrote other things as well, including stage plays. Bleak House by Dickens is one that she wrote but it was never filmed. This book contains lists of all her writings, as well as different categories of how someone was murdered -- poison, strangulation, shot, etc. It also encloses short stories featuring Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. It really is more of reference a book about Agatha Christie and all of her writings, and I especially enjoyed the introduction by John Curran because everything she did with her life, was truly amazing when you add it all up in her day and age. I don't think many authors could crank out a couple of books a year these days, but Christie did just about that, as well as five in a year. After her second marriage, she accompanied her husband on archaeological digs, so it isn't as though she sat in front of her typewriter day in and day out. During both wars she worked in a dispensary (what we would call a pharmacy), and gained a lot of knowledge this way. What surprised me the most was that she didn't have any schooling but she read immensely. Reading will take you places, and I'm just glad that I had the opportunity to read her autobiography even though I have not even come close to reading all of her books. It is surprising, though, since these are considered classics, that most are for sale on Amazon although I have picked up a couple free ones. Even her name, Agatha Christie, is a registered trademark of Agatha Christie Limited. Somebody was thinking.
This book is all about Agatha Christie and her work, not just murder mysteries (romances and other genres), but she wrote other things as well, including stage plays. Bleak House by Dickens is one that she wrote but it was never filmed. This book contains lists of all her writings, as well as different categories of how someone was murdered -- poison, strangulation, shot, etc. It also encloses short stories featuring Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, and Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. It really is more of reference a book about Agatha Christie and all of her writings, and I especially enjoyed the introduction by John Curran because everything she did with her life, was truly amazing when you add it all up in her day and age. I don't think many authors could crank out a couple of books a year these days, but Christie did just about that, as well as five in a year. After her second marriage, she accompanied her husband on archaeological digs, so it isn't as though she sat in front of her typewriter day in and day out. During both wars she worked in a dispensary (what we would call a pharmacy), and gained a lot of knowledge this way. What surprised me the most was that she didn't have any schooling but she read immensely. Reading will take you places, and I'm just glad that I had the opportunity to read her autobiography even though I have not even come close to reading all of her books. It is surprising, though, since these are considered classics, that most are for sale on Amazon although I have picked up a couple free ones. Even her name, Agatha Christie, is a registered trademark of Agatha Christie Limited. Somebody was thinking.
December 9, 2013
Not really much here for a real Christie fan. John Curran’s “Introduction” was largely old news for me, although I was surprised to find that when Agatha married Max Mallowan she was 40 and he was only in his mid-twenties.
I was very disappointed by the omissions: in the text the only Christie character mentioned other than the four in the subtitle was Captain Hastings. Mr Parker Pyne, Mr Quin, Mrs Oliver and Colonel Race might never have existed, and Superintendent Battle’s stories are listed as stand-alone novels.
Also disappointing—although somewhat less so, since I knew I wasn’t going to be getting anything new here—were the short stories included. I was happy to see “The affair at the Victory Ball”; it’s a perfectly good Poirot with Hastings and Japp being archetypically themselves. But “Greenshaw’s Folly”? Again? It’s got to be the most-often-collected Marple short story, and in my opinion it’s the worst of the bunch: any other choice would have been an improvement. As for “A fairy in the flat”, it’s not properly speaking a story at all. It exists merely to provide a thread to string together the stories in Partners in crime. No plot, just backstory.
I did like “On Agatha Christie and poisons”. While reading her anecdote about a pharmacist getting the dosage wrong and the young assistant (her, in this case) not sure what to do I was racking my brain trying to remember which book she had used that in. Finally got it: not a book and not a Christie. It’s a Wonderful Life.
So for dashing young Max and life in the dispensary I’ll give it three stars.
I was very disappointed by the omissions: in the text the only Christie character mentioned other than the four in the subtitle was Captain Hastings. Mr Parker Pyne, Mr Quin, Mrs Oliver and Colonel Race might never have existed, and Superintendent Battle’s stories are listed as stand-alone novels.
Also disappointing—although somewhat less so, since I knew I wasn’t going to be getting anything new here—were the short stories included. I was happy to see “The affair at the Victory Ball”; it’s a perfectly good Poirot with Hastings and Japp being archetypically themselves. But “Greenshaw’s Folly”? Again? It’s got to be the most-often-collected Marple short story, and in my opinion it’s the worst of the bunch: any other choice would have been an improvement. As for “A fairy in the flat”, it’s not properly speaking a story at all. It exists merely to provide a thread to string together the stories in Partners in crime. No plot, just backstory.
I did like “On Agatha Christie and poisons”. While reading her anecdote about a pharmacist getting the dosage wrong and the young assistant (her, in this case) not sure what to do I was racking my brain trying to remember which book she had used that in. Finally got it: not a book and not a Christie. It’s a Wonderful Life.
So for dashing young Max and life in the dispensary I’ll give it three stars.
July 18, 2015
This is a good book for giving some background on Agatha Christie and her mysteries. It has bio info, a short story for each of her famous sleuths, and an interesting section called 10 ways to read Christie. In that section her 80 or so novels are categorized so you read books on a theme: Death in the Middle East, Death on Holiday, Death by Spying, Death by Nursery Rhyme, Death by shooting, poison, etc. on ways to kill... Her mysteries are old fashioned and they still work for me. It was good to read about her background and experiences which led to her writings. She was enormously popular and prolific in the first half of the 20th century. An easy read.
February 17, 2016
Subtitled The Definitive Guide to Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, Tommy & Tuppence, and all of Agatha Christie’s Mysteries.
A delightful overview of this extraordinary author’s life, including insights into her characters and her writings, this book includes short stories from each of her three protagonists (four if you count Tommy & Tuppence separately). This delightful read includes a comprehensive listing of all of her works, as well as the following: The Queen of Mystery’s Personal Favorites; Ten Other Ways to Read Agatha Christie; “On Agatha Christie and Poisons†and The A to Z of Agatha Christie.
A delightful overview of this extraordinary author’s life, including insights into her characters and her writings, this book includes short stories from each of her three protagonists (four if you count Tommy & Tuppence separately). This delightful read includes a comprehensive listing of all of her works, as well as the following: The Queen of Mystery’s Personal Favorites; Ten Other Ways to Read Agatha Christie; “On Agatha Christie and Poisons†and The A to Z of Agatha Christie.
November 29, 2016
A very short little book but very informative. It gives a history of Agatha Christie's life and her characters. It lists her favorite books and little insights to the author. It also includes three short stories from each of her main characters. Hercule Poirot is called upon to solve a murder at a costume ball. Miss Marple is asked to solve a murder in a house close to home where the murder is seen by a number of people. Tommy and Tuppence are wishing for more action in their lives and it gets delivered. A nice little book to use as a reference and a quick read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 50 reviews