Travels with Agatha Christie

by David Suchet

In 1922, a young Agatha Christie, still at the dawn of her literary career, received an incredible opportunity. Britain was preparing for a grand festival - the British Empire Exhibition - to be held in Wembley in 1924. But such an ambitious event needed planning, and Agatha and her husband, Archie, were asked to help. Would they like to travel to different parts of the Empire to assist in its preparation? Naturally, their answer was a resounding yes.

Nearly a century later, the legendary Sir David Suchet and his wife Sheila were invited to retrace Agatha's remarkable journey. In Travels with Agatha Christie, Suchet - renowned for his iconic portrayal of Hercule Poirot - follows in Agatha's footsteps, visiting the diverse landscapes of South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Hawaii and Canada. With his trademark charm and warmth, and insightful reflections, David not only explores the enduring legacy of the British Empire but also uncovers the profound impact these travels had on a young Agatha Christie, shaping her future as the Queen of Crime.

Rich with personal anecdotes, David's own stunning photography and fascinating history, Travels with Agatha Christie offers a fresh, intimate look at the woman behind the distinguished mysteries. Through David's eyes, we gain a deeper understanding of Agatha's early writing, her love for adventure and the lasting influence of her travels on her creative journey. A captivating blend of history, travel and personal insight, this book reveals a side of Agatha Christie that few know.

Genres: Nonfiction

256 pages, Hardcover

Published January 13, 2026

About the author

David Suchet, CBE is an English actor best known known for his work on the stage and British television, for which he has earned international praise.

Reviews

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

In the very early years of her writing career Agatha Christie spent months travelling across what was then the British Empire. Around 100 years later actor David Suchet and his wife make the same journey. Having played Hercule Poirot for 25 years Suchet knows a lot about Christie, but on this journey he discovered a lot more.
This is a wonderful book with plenty of anecdotes and it is enhanced by a wealth of excellent photographs taken by Suchet himself. It's a great read for fans of travel, history, Agatha Christie and David Suchet. An absolute delight.

[Stephen · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting book detailing the actor following Agatha Christie Empire tour of the early 1920's

[Alyson Walton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. . . I devoured this! I really did. Read on a relaxing Christmas day evening, this is a must for all Agatha Christie Fans. David Suchet IS Poirot for me, from my childhood spending time watching this programme on the BBC, I quickly became impressed with this little, intelligent man. That obsession continued into my adult life.

Set in the summer of 2024, DS and his wife chronicled their journey mirroring that of Agatha Christie and her husband Archie, completed in 1922 whilst assisting in the research/set up for The British Empire Exhibition.

Beautifully told, written, documented and photographed by DS himself, this was such an informative read that any Agatha Christie Fan will truly love.

[Matt Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had already watched the TV programme presented by the brilliant David Suchet so I knew a bit of what to expect from the book and it didn't disappoint.
Agatha Christie and her then husband Archie went on a tour of the British Empire in 1922 to document their findings in the aid of preparing a huge empire exhibition at Wembley stadium 2 years later.
David and his wife Sheila follow in their footsteps over 100 years later, visiting exactly the same places and seeing what Agatha would have seen and what's changed. This book was interesting, sometimes moving and informative, complimented wonderfully by some of David's own fantastic photographs taken on this trip.

[Beachcomber · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down, only because it felt a little… light?… I finished but felt like we skimmed over the various bits of travel without ever really getting into any depth, compared to watching the documentary episodes that this trip was creating.

[David Bryant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Apparently this book has not yet been published in the US, but I was gifted a copy sold in the UK, with a publication date of 2025. What is odd is that the jacket does have a price list showing a US price (in British pounds). So, I would not consider this a pre-publication review, per se.

OK, leaving that aside --

I quite enjoyed this! We had watched the documentary of Agatha Christie's travels in 1922 on behalf of the British Empire Exhibition, and had enjoyed that. This book is David Suchet's story of the travels he and his wife had, associated with making that documentary. David is shown in that documentary retracing the route that Agatha took and her stops along the way. Her trip took 8 months and was mostly by ocean liner, whereas the Suchets' trip was 8 weeks and was mostly by air. Throughout the book, Suchet comments on the places visited by Christie, the people she met and impressions she recorded in her notes (to which Suchet had access), the historical context of the trip, and his own reaction to the various sites.
To a large extent, the book seems to repeat much of what Suchet said in the documentary about his reactions, and to expand upon it. In particular, he continually remarks about how welcome they were made to feel at each location, and sometimes connects with people who were either descended from or otherwise connected to people who met Agatha Christie on her tour. In addition, he and his wife (and possibly the the film crew?) sometimes stay in the same hotels as Agatha Christie did, which he seems to quite enjoy. He almost always is complimentary to the people, the places, the accommodations, everything about the trip.
But also as in the film, Suchet expresses his dismay and sympathy at how native populations were treated by the British, particularly in Australia and Canada. He notes how the New Zealand culture has incorporated Maori culture and heritage as it developed, much more completely and respectfully than in Australia.
The text is credited to David Suchet, and indeed it does read like someone's personal notes of a trip rather than as a professional writer's travel book. The book also includes some of his own photographs, and he makes a point of saying that he brought his own camera with him everywhere and used it extensively throughout the trip.
Suchet includes several side comments about his experiences as an actor portraying Poirot, describing his own attention to the details of Poirot's personality, style of dress, and manner from Christie's books. Some of this seems outside the scope of the trip and the video documentary, but it is interesting and not annoying. After so many years acting as Poirot, it is understandable that this trip would prompt such comments.
All in all, this was an enjoyable book to read, full of beautiful photos, and helped to reinforce the impressions of Agatha Christie from seeing the documentary of her trip, which this trip emulated. We learn about her own experiences on her trip, her evolving role as a budding author, and a few things about her personal life (including her great pleasure in learning to surfboard!).

One thing does puzzle me just a bit: Which photos in the book were taken by David Suchet? The jacket and the text say that the book includes photos he took, and in one or two cases he describes how he took a particular photo. Near the end he lists the specific lenses he used. But the photo credits at the end do not list Suchet. Sources are cited for a handful of specific photos (by page number), and then says "Throughout, Adobe Stock Images." That implies that every photo was from Adobe that was not specifically attributed to another source, does it not? So which ones did Suchet take? Seems to me that his photos should be credited.

[Anne Fabish · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Agatha Christie's murder mysteries, as subtle clues, but hard to guess who did it. A very good crime writer.
I love Hercule Poirot and have read alot of the books and seen all the tv series.
This book Travels with Agatha Christie by David Suchet, follows Agathas journey through the British Empire in 1922.
David Suchet goes to the exact same places Agatha did, and even stays where Agatha did.
An enlightening book into a warm, humorous and adventurous side of Agatha, little known.
Her travels appear in her books.
Also an insight into David Suchet and being Hercule Poirot, who he misses...
A wonderful book, adventure, full of great photos.
Can't wait for it to be on TV and on DVD.
A must have book for all Agatha Christie and Hercule Poirot fans.
I rate this book highly.

[Chris Aylott · Rating 2 out of 5]

Excellent photos and I learned some interesting things about Agatha Christie along the way. But the text rambles, and Suchet introduces us to a lot of people without giving us any real sense of who they are and how he interacted with them. I learned more about his luggage arrangements than the people and places he saw.

(Not sure why this is marked as a Kindle edition. I have a Constable hardcover from the library, but there doesn't seem to be a listing for that.)

[Willie Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an enjoyable read. Brief in terms of text, but rich in character and photography. It reveals more of David (and especially his wife Sheila) Suchet than does the TV show of the same name.