Agatha Christie (1890-1976) is one of the world’s most popular and enduring novelistsher works outsold by only the Bible and the works of William Shakespeare. Over the course of her illustrious lifeChristie wrote 66 detective novels and 15 short story collections that have sold over a staggering two billion copies. Similarlyher famous mystery playThe Mousetrap, opened in London’s West End in 1952 and is still running today.
Known for her eccentric characters such as the Belgian super-detective Inspector Poirot and elderly amateur sleuth Miss MarpleChristie’s novels are also famed for their broad range of dramatic locations and often shocking narrative twists. By the time she died in 1976Christie’s reputation as one of Britain’s – if not the world’s – most famous authors was cemented foreverand her legacy is reflected in the many film and television adaptations of her novels that are still produced today.
Here’s a breakdown of Agatha Christie’s books in orderhighlighting her novels and short stories.
1920
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Christie’s first novel was written during World War One. The book introduces the character of Hercule Poirotand is notable for introducing many of the character typesplot twists and red herrings that would characterise the Golden Age of Detective Fiction.
1922
The Secret Adversary
The book introduces the characters of Tommy and Tuppence who feature in three other Christie novels and one collection of short stories.
1923
Murder on the Links
Christie’s second novel to feature Hercule Poirot. Reviews compared the character to famed author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes.
1924
The Man in the Brown Suit
Following the character Anne Beddingfeldthe novel takes place in EnglandSouth Africa and Zimbabwe.
Poirot Investigates
A collection of 11 short stories starring detective Hercule Poirot. The range of mysteries include a bank robberya kidnapped Prime Minister and an ancient Egyptian curse.
Dust jacket illustration of the first UK edition
Image Credit: Public Domainvia Wikimedia Commons
1925
The Secret of Chimneys
Set over the course of a week at the country house Chimneysthe novel is both a murder mystery and treasure huntand was well-received by critics.
1926
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
A Hercule Poirot mysterythe novel has often been described as Christie’s masterpiece. Known for its controversial and innovative twist endingin 2013 the British Crime Writers’ Association voted it the best crime novel ever.
1927
The Big Four
Another Hercule Poirot mystery that features international crime and espionage. The novel started out as 12 short stories.
1928
The Mystery of the Blue Train
A Poirot mystery that investigates the murder of an American heiress. Christie considered the novel to be one of her worst ever.
1929
The Seven Dials Mystery
Featuring the same characters from The Secret of ChimneysChristie’s novel was criticised for being overly simplistic and having too preposterous an ending.
Partners in Crime
Featuring the characters Tommy and Tuppence Beresford from The Secret Adversary, the collection of short stories are parodies of established mystery novels of the time. All of the stories are linked by one overarching mystery.
1930
The Mysterious Mr Quin
Made up of 12 short storieseach chapter involves the characters of socialite Mr. Satterthwaite and Mr. Quinwhose interactions lead them to solve a range of mysteries. The book was only moderately well-received.
The Murder at the Vicarage
The first of Agatha Christie’s books in order of publication to feature the character Miss Marple in the village of St Mary Meadthe novel features a number of characters and subplots and quickly became a hit.
1931
The Sittaford Mystery (known in the US as Murder at Hazelmoor)
Amateur sleuth Miss Emily Trefusiswho investigates a séance that comes true against the rugged backdrop of Dartmoorwas well-received as a sharp and likeable character.
1932
Peril at End House
A Hercule Poirot mystery set in Cornwallthe novel is one of Christie’s most famous and highly-ratedand has been adapted for stageradiofilmtelevisiongraphic novel and as a computer game.
The Thirteen Problems (known in the US as The Tuesday Club Murders)
These 13 short stories featuring Miss Marple in the village of St Mary Mead are all linked by an overarching plot.
1933
Lord Edgware Dies
A Poirot mystery that focuses on the murder of Lord Edgeware and an American actress. Readers and reviewers praised the booknoting that the solution was particularly ingenious since a key clueunusuallycomes from a stranger.
The Hound of Death (not US)
Made up of 12 short storiesthe novel was the first to only be published in the UKand not the US. Its stories were eventually released in different collections in America. Unusuallymost of the tales are supernatural and fatalisticrather than detective-oriented. From this collectionChristie developed the short story ‘The Witness for the Prosecution’ into an award-winning play that has since been adapted for film and television.
1934
Murder on the Orient Express (known in the US as Murder in the Calais Coach)
Taking place between Istanbul and what was then known as Yugoslaviain Murder on the Orient ExpressHercule Poirot and a range of characters find themselves trapped on a train stuck in snow. Amongst the most famous of Christie’s worksthe novel has been adapted for film and television on numerous occasions.
Dust-jacket illustration of the first UK edition
Image Credit: Public Domainvia Wikimedia Commons
The Listerdale Mystery (not US)
Another of Christie’s works to not have been initially published in the USthe novel is made up of a collection of short stories. The short story Philomel Cottage first appears hereand was later turned into a successful playtwo feature films and two British television series.
Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (known in the US as The Boomerang Clue)
Set between Wales and Hampshirethe novel follows two amateur detectives solving a murder on a golf course.
Parker Pyne Investigates (known in the US as Mr Parker PyneDetective)
Made up of a collection of short storiesthe novel comprises of 12 of Christie’s fourteen stories in total which feature detective James Parker Pyne.
Three-Act Tragedy (known in the US as Murder in Three Acts)
This is the only book where Hercule Poirot collaborates with his friend Mr Satterthwaite to solve the mystery.
1935
Death in the Clouds (known in the US at Death in the Air)
Hercule Poirot solves a mystery while on a plane. The novel was hugely well-received for its innovative twist ending.
1936
The ABC Murders (known in the US as The Alphabet Murders)
A Poirot mysterythe novel is noted for its unusual combination of both first and third-person narrative.
Murder in Mesopotamia
Another Poirot mysterythe novel is set during an archaeological excavation in Iraq. True descriptions from Christie’s visit to the Royal Cemetery at Ur – where she met her second husbandSir Max Mallowan – feature in the story.
Cards on the Table
Yet another Poirot mysterythe murder is solved based upon the psychology of a group of people playing cards. It is considered by some to be one of Christie’s best.
1937
Dumb Witness (known in the US as Poirot Loses a ClientMystery at Littlegreen HouseMurder at Littlegreen House)
A Poirot mysterythis novel was met with a mixed reception amongst Christie fanswho felt that some of the clues were a bit heavy-handed.
Death on the Nile
Arguably Christie’s most famous workthe novel led to a renewed interest in tourism to Egypt. It has since been dramatised on screen many times.
@historyhit Travelling in ! #agathachristie #HolidayModeActivated #historyhit #egyptianhistory #valleyofthekings #deathonthenilemovie #deathonthenile ♬ EgyptianArabianMiddle Eastern ancient civilizationsetc.(992443) – Shinnosuke Shibata
Murder in the Mews (known in the US as Dead Man’s Mirror)
A collection of four short stories featuring Hercule Poirotthe novel was criticised for not embellishing each individual story enough.
The Sofitel Luxor Winter Palace Hotel by the Nile river. Agatha Christie wrote her novel ‘Death On the Nile’ allegedly here
Image Credit: fivetonine / Shutterstock.com
1938
Appointment with Death
A Poirot novel set mainly in Jerusalem and Petra that reflects Christie’s experiences travelling in the Middle East with her husband.
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (known in the US as Murder for ChristmasA Holiday for Murder)
A Poirot mystery that was lauded for its complexity and narrative brilliance.
1939
Murder is Easy (known in the US as Easy to Kill)
Retired police officer Luke Fitzwilliam struggles to discover the identity of a serial killer in a little village. The novel received mixed results.
And Then There Were None (known in the US as Ten Little Indians)
One of Christie’s most famous worksthe book is the world’s best-selling mysterywith 100 million copies soldand the sixth best-selling title of any language.
The Regatta Mystery
This collection of 9 short stories featured Christie’s detectives Hercule PoirotMiss Marple and Parker Pyne. It was first published exclusively in the US – the first time one of Christie’s novels had been released in such a way – but it was later published in the UK as well.
1940
Sad Cypress
Another of the Poirot seriesSad Cypress is partially set in the courtroom with lawyers and witnesses pointing Poirot in the direction of the truth. The title comes from a song in Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night. It was well-received at publicationand was described as being more emotional than most of Christie’s Poirot novels.
OneTwoBuckle My Shoe (known in the US as The Patriotic MurdersAn Overdose of Death)
Another Poirot novelthis text features the last appearance of Chief Inspector Japp. Shortly after visiting his dentistPoirot investigates the death of the very same dentist. The novel was generally praised by critics and the public.
1941
Evil Under the Sun
Poirot is in Devonwhere he must solve the mystery of a young woman’s murder. The novel was lauded by criticsand was later adapted multiple times. A notable film adaptation of 1982 featured Peter Ustinov as Poirot and a cast that included Dame Maggie Smith and Diana Rigg.
N or M?
Featuring the mature versions of the detectives Tommy and TuppenceChristie’s novel is named after a catechism from the Book of Common Prayer. In around 1941-2British intelligence agency MI5 investigated Christie because one of her characters was called Major Bletc