The Bedside, Bathtub and Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie

by Dick Riley (Editor), Pam McAllister (Editor), Bruce Cassiday (Editor)

56 authors on hundreds of titles, including plays and short stories. Lavishly embellished with black-and-white photographs, book covers, and images. Reviews of Agatha Christie works avoid spoilers. Original thoughts on tea, word puzzles, appetite, gender, accumulate to fun times.

Genres: Mystery, Agatha Christie, Nonfiction, Reference, Crime, Books About Books, Murder Mystery

362 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1979

Reviews

[Bookworm007 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoiled Curtain: Poirot's Last Case >;(

This book CLAIMS it doesn't spoil Agatha Christie books...but it does, it does. So only read it if you're prepared for that.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very handy book to have if you're interested in Christie. I had the original paperback of this book back in the early 80s, and read it until it literally fell apart. Some of the information in it is rather dated (it was published originally in 1979) such as the movies and TV series based on her books. You won't find David Suchet's excellent Poirot series in here, for example. However, there are very nice, detailed summaries of all the books and the most important short stories. There are icons next to the title of the book on the summary - a closed book for a novel, masks of tragedy and comedy for a play, a ball of yarn with knitting needles for Miss Marple, etc. - that make it easy to figure out at a glance that, say, "A Murder is Announced" is a Miss Marple Novel, while "Labours of Hercules" is a Hercule Poirot short story collection. Unlike "The Agatha Christie's Who Who," there are very few spoilers here. The only one I can remember is the solution to "Five Little Pigs" and you have to look for that.

This book may be out of print again. I came across it purely by chance on eBay. I have not seen it for sale new anywhere. However, you can pick it up quite cheaply. I paid less than $10, including shipping, for my copy. I recommend getting the hardback ;)

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Oh, Agatha! How could you?" writes Norma Siebenheller at the end of her three page summary of "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd." If you've read "Ackroyd", you probably feel the same way. (And if you haven't, I envy you!) But these ridiculously long summaries are pointless: a paragraph or two would have been sufficient. On the positive side we're served very nice side dishes: the films from her books are discussed (with posters and cast pictures), there are numerous and cleverly written fan letters/articles, there is a "Mousetrap Double-Crostic", and the list goes on. Overall, this is a solid reference book for Christie fans.

[Gail Sacharski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book for the Christie fan--lists of books in chronological, character, genre order. Lots of articles with interesting facts & info, puzzles & challenges, history--so many interesting things. I use it constantly especially since I am re-reading all the books at present. Love it!
******This review is for the updated edition hardcover copy which is essentially the same as the original with added articles written after Christie's death. This book sets a high bar for all the followers writing compilations & critiques of Christie's works. Excellent.

[Ria · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an absolutely fascinating read for a Christie fan, it has a bit of everything.
Her novels, her plays, short stories, delving into the backgrounds and psyches of her characters, her influences, her personal life, murder mystery weekends, the movies based on her books and actors and actresses who starred in them.
Even historical interludes on the history of poison, country house living, lots of fun puzzles, quizzes and games.
This was such a fun and informative read and a true must for any Christie fan.

[Stormcrow Hayes · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an odd book. Let me begin by comparing it to another. Growing up, one of my favorite reference books was The Twilight Zone Companion by Marc Scott Zicree. Once I discovered the Twilight Zone, I couldn't get enough and this book was a great guide in learning about the series, but also letting me know which season each episode aired. I loved the short descriptions which included Serling's opening and closing narration. It gave you everything you needed to know.

Now this book makes it a great point in saying that they won't give away any of the murderers. So you have hundreds of pages (the vast majority of the book is summary of the novels and stories) that ultimately lead nowhere. If the description is supposed to entice you into reading the novel, well, it gives nearly everything away. Everything but the murderer. As a reference book, I feel it therefore fails. (Granted, the reveal would probably be best if it were on a different page or revealed in a section in the back, but it could have been done.)

I've owned this book for many years and the reason I picked it up was after reading a Christie book a few months ago, it reignited my desire to refresh my memory on those books I read in my youth. Alas, these descriptions really didn't do it for me. Nevertheless, I did kind of enjoy going through the book. Hence, my two stars. However, it is for hardcore purists only as the other articles aren't really that interesting. Ultimately, in the age of Wikipedia, there's really no need for this book.

[Quirkyreader · Rating 4 out of 5]

See my review on my book blog: http://quirkyreader.livejournal.com/2...

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Almost aggressively dull. Almost all of it is recapitulation of things the reader would know about already (one imagines this would be read by Agatha Christie fans, not strangers to her work). The interspersed essays are odd, largely recapitulations yet again, and not worth reading.

(Compare to Murder Ink or its sequel for a marvellous example of how to write about crime novels in a way that entices rather than bores).

Normally I think "tastes vary," "art is subjective," but in this case I'm really surprised it has such high rankings in general. Will read them to see what appealed to people. Perhaps it's the thrill of remembering a favourite work without having to do the effort of re-reading it? Like poring over vacation photos. Whatever the reason, it did not work on me.

Note: I have written a novel (not yet published), so now I will suffer pangs of guilt every time I offer less than five stars. In my subjective opinion, the stars suggest:

(5* = one of my all-time favourites, 4* = really enjoyed it, 3* = readable but not thrilling, 2* = actually disappointing, and 1* = hated it. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)

[Preetam Chatterjee · Rating 5 out of 5]

#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads # Dame Christie Birthday, September 15

Reading The Bedside, Bathtub and Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie is like being invited to a vast country house of books, every room holding a different aspect of Christie’s world. It is not a formal biography, nor a single scholarly monograph, but rather a sprawling, generous compendium. Edited by Dick Riley, Pam McAllister, and Bruce Cassiday, it works as both an encyclopaedia and a playful companion, combining summaries of Christie’s novels, essays about her characters and settings, glimpses of adaptations, snippets of trivia, and reflective commentaries.

The title signals its intention: this is a book you keep by your side, not one you read cover to cover in a single sitting. It is designed to be dipped into, like a box of assorted chocolates, each piece offering a different flavour of Christie’s universe.

What strikes you immediately is the warmth of the tone. The editors clearly love Christie’s work, and they assume you do too. This is not the cool, dispassionate voice of academia but the affectionate, sometimes cheeky voice of fellow readers and fans who have been living in her world for years. They also assume you know at least some of her books and characters.

The summaries of novels avoid giving away the identity of the murderer but sketch enough of the set-up that you feel oriented. You can quickly refresh your memory of a book you read years ago, or check which book features which detective or setting. The effect is of sitting in a living room with a few equally obsessed friends, everyone remembering “which one was the vicar?” or “where did Poirot solve the murder at the fancy hotel?” and someone pulling this volume off the shelf to settle the question.

However, it’s more than just a directory. The editors have commissioned essays from a range of contributors, and these short, lively pieces are scattered throughout. Some tackle big themes — Christie’s fascination with the country house, the rituals of English domestic life, the depiction of servants, the social tensions of the interwar years. Others zoom in on characters — Poirot, Miss Marple, Tommy and Tuppence, Ariadne Oliver — exploring what makes them tick, how they evolved across books, and how they reflect aspects of Christie herself. Still others take up the adaptations, from stage plays to film to television, noting how directors and actors have interpreted and sometimes altered her stories. These essays are rarely long, but they are full of observations that nudge you to look again.

One essay, for example, notes how Christie uses servants in her novels. They are often peripheral, glimpsed at the edges of the story, but their presence signals class structures, hidden knowledge, and the possibility of overlooked witnesses. Another essay on the country house as a setting reminds you that this staple of the “Golden Age” mystery is not just a convenient closed circle for suspects but also a microcosm of English society, with hierarchies, secrets, and unspoken codes.

Yet another piece compares the different screen Poirots, reflecting on how actors from Albert Finney to Peter Ustinov to David Suchet each highlighted different aspects of the little Belgian’s persona. Each essay is like a window opening onto a different wing of the mansion.

Because of this structure, the book is both a reference and an invitation. You can use it to look something up, but you can also simply open at random and find a new perspective. The entries and essays are written in clear, accessible prose. There is a sense of fun — puns, playful subheadings, a willingness to include oddities such as recipes or puzzles or lists of Christies adapted for the stage. This lightness makes it enjoyable to browse. It also makes it a good book to give to someone who loves Christie but has not read critical scholarship. It feels like a celebration rather than an academic exercise.

Yet precisely because it aims for breadth and approachability, it sometimes sacrifices depth. Most of the essays are relatively short. They introduce an idea but rarely develop it in a sustained way. You get glimpses of Christie’s social context — the interwar anxieties about class, the impact of world wars on English society, the colonial backdrop of some of her settings — but not deep analysis of how these forces shaped her imagination. You get affectionate portraits of Poirot and Miss Marple but not sustained psychological readings of why these characters resonated with readers or what they reveal about Christie’s views of authority, justice, or gender.

You get notes on adaptations but not detailed case studies of how specific changes reflect shifting cultural attitudes. For a reader who wants a deeper dive, the companion functions more as a starting point than a destination.

Another limitation is time. The book’s most widely available edition dates from the mid-1980s, and although it has been reprinted, its contents have not been extensively updated. That means it lacks coverage of more recent adaptations, such as David Suchet’s later seasons, Kenneth Branagh’s film versions, or new critical approaches from feminist, postcolonial, or race studies perspectives. The essays reflect the scholarship and fandom of their time.

In some cases, this gives them a charming period flavour; in others, it makes them feel dated. Readers interested in how Christie’s work intersects with contemporary debates about race, empire, or gender might find the treatment superficial or absent.

Still, as a portrait of a certain moment in Christie appreciation — the era when she was still mainly seen as the Queen of Crime rather than as a subject of complex cultural analysis — the book has value. It shows how Christie was read and loved by general audiences before the explosion of academic interest in popular fiction. It captures the exuberance of fans mapping her world, making lists, tracing patterns, and swapping trivia. It has the energy of a fandom before the internet made such sharing instantaneous. That gives it a tactile nostalgia: you imagine readers curled up with it, making notes in the margins, cross-checking their Christie shelves.

From the perspective of a teacher or writer, this companion has several uses. It is a rich source of summaries. If you are preparing a class on Christie, you can quickly remind yourself of plots without spoiling endings. If you are writing about a theme across multiple books — say, train journeys or poisonings — you can scan the companion for relevant titles. The essays can also serve as prompts for classroom discussion.

A piece on servants might lead to a student project on class in Christie. An article on film adaptations might spark a debate about fidelity versus reinvention. Even the trivia can be a hook — for example, using a list of Christie’s poisons as a springboard to talk about how forensic science developed.

Another pleasure of the book is the way it underscores the sheer range of Christie’s work. Because it covers not just the famous novels but also the short stories, plays, and adaptations, you appreciate how prolific and versatile she was. You also see patterns — recurring character types, favourite settings, shifts in tone over the decades.

By seeing all her work laid out, you can trace the arc of her career. The summaries often include little notes about when a novel was written, which detective it features, or whether it was adapted for the stage. This contextual information helps you situate each book in her timeline.

The style of the companion is conversational but not sloppy. The editors clearly checked their facts and aimed for accuracy. Yet they allow themselves a certain amount of humour. They are not afraid to be opinionated — praising one book, gently chiding another, highlighting a particularly ingenious twist. This gives the companion personality. It feels like a friend with strong views, not a neutral encyclopedia. That can be refreshing. It can also sometimes frustrate, if you disagree with the evaluations or wish for a more neutral presentation. But it keeps the reading lively.

For all its lightness, there are moments of real insight. A short essay may note, for example, how Christie often builds her mysteries around hidden or mistaken identities, a reflection of the fluidity and uncertainty of the interwar years. Another might point out how she uses travel settings — Egypt, the Orient Express, the Caribbean — to create a sense of glamour and displacement, echoing her own experiences and the British fascination with empire. These glimpses remind you that Christie’s puzzles are not floating in a vacuum but rooted in a world of social change, mobility, and anxiety.

As with any companion, the quality of contributions varies. Some essays are sharp and witty; others feel like filler. But even the lighter pieces have charm. A recipe for a Christie-inspired cocktail or a playful quiz about Poirot’s moustache may not deepen your understanding, but it makes the book feel friendly. This balance of substance and play is part of its identity. It’s a bedside book, a bathtub book, an armchair book — a book meant to be enjoyed, not endured.

If you compare it to other books about Christie, its niche becomes clearer. Laura Thompson’s Agatha Christie: A Mysterious Life offers a psychologically nuanced biography. John Curran’s Secret Notebooks reveals her working methods. Andrew Norman’s The Finished Portrait speculates about her famous disappearance. Gillian Gill’s The Woman and Her Mysteries reads her work through feminist lenses. By contrast, Riley, McAllister, and Cassiday’s Companion is a kaleidoscope rather than a single lens. It is less about explaining Christie than about mapping her universe. That makes it especially good for readers who already love her and want to roam widely.

Reading it now, decades after it was first compiled, you sense how it captures the pre-digital era of fandom. Today, a similar project might be a website or a wiki, constantly updated and linked. Back then, it was a hefty book, something you might keep on a coffee table or by the bed. Its very heft and permanence give it a certain gravitas. It also means that when you open it now, you’re entering not just Christie’s world but also the world of her readers in the 1980s, their priorities, their humour, their style of engagement. There’s a double nostalgia: for the mysteries themselves and for the ways we used to talk about them.

For someone like you, who teaches and writes about literature, the companion can be a springboard. Its essays can be starting points for deeper exploration. Its summaries can be quick refreshers. Its trivia can be fun hooks for students. It is not, and does not claim to be, the final word. But it is a generous first word. It also models a kind of reading community — people who not only consume Christie’s mysteries but also think about them, talk about them, make lists, and delight in the connections. That spirit of shared curiosity is something worth bringing into a classroom.

There is also an underlying message about how readers engage with popular fiction. Christie’s work has sometimes been dismissed as mere entertainment. A book like this implicitly argues otherwise, by showing how rich and multifaceted her world is, how much there is to discuss, how her stories intersect with history, class, gender, and culture. Even in its light tone, it takes her seriously enough to compile hundreds of pages about her. That seriousness, masked by playfulness, is itself a tribute.

If I had to sum up the experience of reading The Bedside, Bathtub and Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie, I would say it feels like wandering through a museum of mysteries curated by enthusiastic docents. There are labels, maps, audio guides, gift shop items, and occasional deep interpretive panels. You can move quickly or linger. You can treat it as background or foreground. You can use it to plan your next reading journey or simply as a companion while you rewatch Death on the Nile. It does not demand a single way of reading; it accommodates many.

And that is perhaps its greatest strength. Christie herself was a master of multiplicity — writing dozens of novels across decades, creating characters as different as Poirot and Miss Marple, moving between genteel English villages and exotic travel settings, crafting puzzles that are simultaneously formulaic and endlessly inventive. A single biography can capture her life. A single critical book can illuminate one aspect. But a companion that is itself multiple, varied, and a little unruly may be truest to her spirit.

For a serious scholar, this book may feel like a starting point rather than an endpoint. For a casual reader, it may feel like a treasure chest. For a teacher, it may feel like a toolkit. For a fan, it may feel like home. It is not flawless, not exhaustive, not cutting-edge. But it is affectionate, knowledgeable, and welcoming. In the end, that makes it a fitting tribute to an author who, despite her reputation as the Queen of Crime, wrote stories that were as much about community and curiosity as about murder.

Reading it now, in an age of instant online information, I found myself slowing down, enjoying the tactile pleasure of a big book full of entries, cross-references, and surprises. It reminded me of how we used to learn about our favourite authors before search engines and fandom sites — by leafing through companions, anthologies, guides. It reminded me of the pleasures of serendipity, of stumbling on an essay about a minor character and then wanting to reread the novel where they appear. It reminded me that literary love is not just about consuming texts but about inhabiting a world, making maps, sharing notes.

That, eventually, is what The Bedside, Bathtub and Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie offers. It is not a sleek, minimalist study. It is a big, generous, sometimes messy, always affectionate guide. It does not replace the novels; it amplifies them. It does not close mysteries; it opens them. It is exactly what its title promises — a companion, ready to sit with you wherever you read, ready to remind you, in case you ever forget, just how vast and intricate the world of Agatha Christie really is.

[Rachel Garber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very interesting book about the books of Ms. Christie, includes books that have been been turned into movies, who was the best Miss Marple and who was the worse, (you'll be surprised at this disclosure) testimony by women mystery writers who claim her as their "mother" A chapter about the disappearance of Ms. Christie for a period of time. Crossword puzzle, Find the Name Double-Crostic; Interview with a Hungarian fan; Christie on the BBC; the longest running play in England; the selling of Christie in the movies (of course the movie stills are based on sex); how the book covers changed in the '80s when the books were published in new editions. The book has an icon on the pages with the review of the books, indicating who is the protagonist, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, etc, which have been made into movies, and so on. I read the books themselves back in the '70s. My late father-in-law had almost the whole collection and I would take several books home at a time, so I don't recall very much about the individual books, couldn't do the Find the Name, just didn't remember the names. I have to re-read the books and enjoy them once again.

[Shana D · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is mostly a synopsis of each Christie novel (some of which do contain spoilers), interspersed with a few crosswords and some occasional trivia or even original fiction inspired by the grand dame. I was hoping this would be more informative of customs, practices, or references that modern readers may have missed but it largely does not add anything to your Christie reading experience. Some of the movie trivia is interesting but again, to say this is a Christie “companion” is a bit much in my opinion.

[Eva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent for anyone who is interested in all things Christy. The only disappointment is that it does not cover the David Suchet films of Agatha Christy. I think he made the best Piorot.

[Erth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it!

[Eileen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm going to review this book although I'm far from done with it. In fact that's the point with this pickup-putdown book, one of many in my personal library. You can read the odd article or two while waiting for water to boil, at the hairdresser's, in line for take out. I've flipped around and read many.

Each article is written by a different person. Each of Christie's books, short stories, plays are reviewed without spoilers. There is at least one interview, a wonderful satirical letter from Hercule Poirot about which rooms to avoid at a country weekend so as not to be murdered, and explanations of British social customs like the drinking and ceremonies of tea. This article is essential for Americans as almost everyone I know does NOT know the difference between afternoon tea and high tea. (It is maddening to me to have to explain the difference to people who continue to ignore what I explain and call what should be afternoon tea as high tea because they think high means fancy! Glad I got that off my chest.)

Reading the preface is a must as it's very helpful with both biographical information about Christie, and hints on how to get the most from the book. In short this really is a delightful book that will guide you in picking the Christie mysteries you will like the best without telling you the solution.

If you love Agatha Christie, and who doesn't, you will want this book.

[Clark Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re an Agatha Christie fan (or just mildly obsessed like me), this book is a must-have. It’s like a literary treasure chest—filled with insights into her works, witty commentary, and enough photos and illustrations to make any Christie enthusiast swoon.

What’s most delightful? The reviews avoid spoilers! That means you can dive into the fun facts, tea-related musings, and even the occasional culinary nod without ruining any of her ingenious twists. It’s like having a chat with fellow fans who just get it.

Why You’ll Love It:

Covers hundreds of titles, including plays and short stories.
Packed with charming photos and original artwork.
Offers clever, spoiler-free perspectives on Christie’s legendary mysteries.
This book isn’t just for die-hard fans—it’s for anyone who’s ever been charmed by a cup of tea, a puzzling clue, or a particularly outrageous plot twist. Plus, it pairs wonderfully with a comfy chair and a cozy blanket.

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖 A delightful, spoiler-free celebration of the Queen of Mystery that’ll leave you wanting to re-read every Christie novel in your collection.

[Lavynia Pereira · Rating 4 out of 5]

The New Bedside, Bathtub & Armchair Companion to Agatha Christie é um livro essencial para fãs da Dama do Crime. Organizado por Dick Riley e Pam McAllister, ele funciona como um guia detalhado sobre a obra e a vida de Agatha Christie, incluindo curiosidades, análises de personagens icônicos como Hercule Poirot e Miss Marple, e até bastidores das adaptações para TV e cinema.

A leitura é envolvente, com um tom descontraído e repleto de insights interessantes, tornando-se um ótimo complemento para quem já conhece bem os livros de Christie ou quer se aprofundar no universo dela. No entanto, por ser um livro mais analítico e de referência, pode não ser tão atrativo para leitores que preferem narrativas ficcionais diretas.

Se você gosta de explorar o contexto das histórias e entender mais sobre a mente por trás dos mistérios, vale muito a pena!

[Jason Schmidt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been reading this over the last several days (I have actually kept it at my bedside, reading it in chunks at night). This is the a perfect “just before bed” book. I’ve read quite a bit of Christie, but I would not call myself a connoisseur of her work (I have read ~ 15 of her novels). I did feel like the summaries of the stories gave away too much (even though the murderers’ identities were not spoiled here, which I appreciated), but, for me, it was the numerous articles written by lovers of Christie, ranging from the origins of tea time, to Christie’s missing 11 days, to Jessica Fletcher from “Murder She Wrote” (I still remember my mother’s love for that show) that really made this book for me. If you love Christie, and you want to step back into the criticism generated through the lens of the ‘70s and ‘80s, this is a solid pick.

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now that I have reached my goal of reading every Agatha Christie novel, I want to give a shout-out to this very helpful handbook! This is a compilation of all things Christie; it includes summaries of each of her books (without spoiling the endings) as well as feature articles on the characters -- and Christie herself. There are commentaries on some of the movies based on the books -- and even a crossword puzzle or two. This handbook helped me organize my reading list, and provided background info that helped me connect characters and books, understand timelines -- and helped me figure out when books were previously published under different names. The index alone helped me tremendously. I would enthusiastically recommend it to any Christie fan.

[Vicki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Used this as a guide as I made my way through all of the Christie works except Curtain. I won't read that one as I want my little Belgian detective to continue to live and solve crimes. Many of the works were published under a different title in the U.S. so it became a bit of a hunt to find some of them. The short story collections often repeated stories already read so, again, a bit of a hunt to find the ones I hadn't read.

This book was an interesting look at how Christie has been perceived by a wide variety of fans - from fellow authors to thespians to Christie scholars. This includes not only her writing, but a deeper dive into the time period in which her stories are set.

[Lisa Pierce · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an amazing resource for any fan of the genre! It provides detailed lists of books in chronological and character order, along with fascinating articles, puzzles, and historical insights. There’s so much to explore, and it’s perfect for anyone diving deep into their reading journey. I’ve found myself using it regularly, especially while revisiting the books. Absolutely love it!

[Marilyn Sue Michel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good for Christie fans. I recognized about 12 of the books. I thought I had read a lot more of Christie than that, but it was many years ago. I will keep the book, because I might be able to find some of her older ones. Her first book was published in 1920, 100 years ago.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A compilation of book, play, short story reviews plus articles about Agatha Christie's life, her main characters, etc.

If you're a fan, you'll like it, but it was done in 1986 so no modern films listed.

[Kris 83 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the must-have compendium for all Christie fans. In addition to the synopses of all Christie works, there are interesting feature articles that will certainly interest her fans.

[Jannewyork · Rating 5 out of 5]

This old go-to is still a must for any serious fan of Agatha Christie.

[Anjola Debbs]

Ohk
How will I read the book

[M.L.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have preferred more analysis of her work, but overall a good read.

[Tambra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book so interesting to read about her. Im a huge AC fan. Plan to share with 2 other friends who will enjoy reading this.

[Sasa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading it, though to be honest, I have skipped some synopsis:) I kind of wish to see a new updated version of it.

[Ellen Donaldson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is very interesting knowledge, what i get from here.