Agatha Christie: International (Wo)man of mystery

Hello again readers! 

As our mystery novel gets closer to publication, we're back with another blog about one of our favorite mystery writers. Last week, it was John D. Macdonald. This week, we're talking about the murder mystery GOAT (greatest of all time)--Agatha Christie (no relation to Chris).

Did you know she's the greatest-selling author of all time, in any genre? With the exception of Shakespeare and the Bible, Agatha Christie is the champ with over 2 billion copies sold. 

Christie was born into a wealthy family in Torquay, England in 1890. The youngest of three kids, Agatha was homeschooled until she was 12. After her father died, she was sent to boarding school. Even at this young age, she was writing poems and short stories. When she finished school, her mother took her to Egypt for the summer, and she fell in love with the location, which she would later use as the setting for multiple stories. 

She was married to Archibald Christie in 1914 after a very brief courtship, and they had one daughter. When WWI broke out, Archie went to fight in France and Agatha worked as a nurse for the Red Cross at an apothecary, where she developed a keen interest in poisons. Archie and Agatha split in 1926 under very, very strange circumstances. Agatha went missing and wasn't found for 11 days. When she was found, she claimed amnesia. To this day, it is not known if this was all Agatha setting up her husband to make him look bad, or if she really suffered some kind of traumatic fugue state. 

 In 1920, Agatha published her first novel, titled "The Mysterious Affair at Styles". This marked the introduction of one of the most famous literary detectives of all time, Hercule Poirot. Christie included maps, pictures of the murder scene, and other clues in the book along with the prose. Her debut was well-received, and Poirot would go on to appear in 33 novels, two plays, and 51 (!) short stories. You could say it was a "Herculean" effort on Christie's part, but we won't resort to bad puns. After the success of her first novel, she named her house "Styles". By the end of her career, Christie resented, even hated Poirot, but felt obligated to give the public what they wanted. 

Christie also created Miss Marple, an amateur sleuth of some years, based on an older relative of hers. Miss Marple would go on to appear in 12 novels, and 20 short stories. Christie's writing style could be considered concise, bordering sparse, and lacking embellishment. This allows the reader to focus on the intricate plots and complex characters she creates. She had a special skill for providing the reader with just enough detail to pique interest and curiosity. 

Christie's most popular (and perhaps best) novel featured neither Miss Marple nor Poirot

By 1930, Christie's popularity exploded. She married her second husband, Max Mellowan, an archeologist, and they set out on several expeditions together. Upon returning to Egypt, Christie developed a fascination with archeology. Christie continued to write, travel, and even surf (!) while spending time with her husband and daughter. Of her second husband, she quipped, "An archeologist is the best husband a woman can have. The older she gets the more interested he is in her." 

She became Dame Agatha Christie after receiving an OBE from the Queen in 1971.  She forayed into the romance genre using a pseudonym and kept writing all the way up to her death in 1976. 

With a career spanning six decades, Christie is the Queen of Mystery. Her keen understanding of human psychology, astute character development, and complicated plots make her stories engaging and stimulating. She excels at misdirection and laces her stories with a dry, subtle wit. But perhaps her true genius lies in her ability to present a puzzle and its solution with elegant simplicity.

Long live the Queen. 

Until next time... 

~2authors