Paige Turner asked V.M. Burns:

I must say, I am a little perplexed that you, a Black woman, have Sam of the Mystery Bookshop series such a huge fan of Agatha Christie who was a big time racist. Christie's book, TEN LITTLE INDIANS, was first titled TEN LITTLE N**GERS and many of her other books referred to Jewish, Black and Asian people in derogatory terms. So, why do you seem to idolize her? You mention Christie in most of your books.

V.M. Burns Samantha Washington is a fan of Agatha Christie because I am a fan of her work. I am aware of the original title of, Ten Little Indians. I am also aware that the original title was taken from a minstrel song from the 1800s. A lot has changed over the century. When I was young, Black people were referred to as Negroes. Then, Colored, Black, African Americans, and now Black. I grew up reading Agatha Christie's books. They were the books that sparked my love of mysteries. Many writers born over a hundred years ago had biases. I, too have biases. However, I have chosen not to allow those biases to diminish my enjoyment of good books. There are writers who portrayed people of color in a negative light out of ignorance. Some did it out of hatred. I choose to give authors the benefit of the doubt until I learn otherwise. Agatha Christie is referred to as the “Queen of Crime Fiction” because of her skill in crafting great mysteries that have withstood the tests of time. While I wouldn’t say that I “idolize” her, I do admire her books. Nearly one hundred years later and her mysteries are still in print. Still being adapted. Still intriguing readers. As a lover of mysteries, I hope to learn from her works and improve my own books to become a better writer.

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