Agatha Christie is an English writer who is famous for her mystery novels. His most popular works are about fictional detectives, namely Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. There are many works by Agatha Christie to read. You can choose based on the location in which the story is set or the characters depicted. Novels whose stories are adapted into films or TV series can also be an option.
In this article, we will provide a list of the best Agatha Christie novel recommendations. One of them is the famous And Then There Were None. Happy mystery book hunting from Agatha Christie!
Agatha Christie's short biography
Before entering the book recommendation, it's a good idea to get to know the figure of Agatha Christie first. What is the summary of his life story? Find it below!
Who is Agatha Christie?
Agatha Christie is a famous British mystery thriller writer. The owner's real name Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in Torquay, Devon, South West England, in 1890. She got the name Christie when she married Archibald Christie in 1914.
Lowest point in his life
In 1928, her marriage to Archibald Christie ran aground. At the same time, Agatha Christie's mother died and brought her to the lowest point of her life.
Get inspired after getting married for the second time
Agatha Christie married an archaeologist named Max Mallowan a second time in 1930. Together with her second husband, Agatha Christie often spends time at various excavation sites that are widely located in Africa. This experience is an inspiration for Agatha Christie.
His first work was released after many rejections
His first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was released in 1920 after six rejections. This novel carries the main character Hercule Poirot, a private detective from Belgium. Agatha Chirstie got the inspiration for the story when she was a nurse during the world war.
His book has won many awards
Many of Agatha Christie's works have won awards. One of his books, And Then There Were None, has sold over a hundred million copies. The book, which was first published in 1939, has been named the best-selling book of all time.
How to choose Agatha Christie's novels?
Because of the many titles of Agatha Christie's novels, you may be confused when choosing. Here are some points that you can consider when choosing Agatha Christie's novels.
Get to know the main character who is written
Unlike Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who is known for his Sherlock Holmes character, Agatha Christie has several detective figures. The following are some of the main characters that appear in the works of Agatha Christie.
Hercule Poirot: Private detective from Belgium
Hercule Poirot is a Belgian private detective who moved to England during the world wars. The character who first appeared in the book The Mysterious Affair at Styles is famous for his thick mustache. Hercule Poirot is also said to have been inspired by many characters, including Sherlock Holmes.
The character appears in 33 novels and more than 50 short stories written by Agatha Christie. The last book to contain this character was Curtain, which was published in 1975.
Tommy & Tuppence: The husband and wife founders of Young Adventure Ltd
The characters Tommy and Tuppence first appeared in 1922 in The Secret Adversary. The two married at the end of the first book and have three children and one adopted child. This husband and wife are the founders of the company Young Adventures Ltd who are willing to accept all jobs without exception.
In the course of their business, they come face to face with international spies, murders, thefts, and so on. For Agatha Christie, the story of Tommy and Tuppence was the most enjoyable story to write.
Miss Marple: An amateur detective who doesn't look like a detective
The character whose real name is Jane Marple is an amateur detective who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead. Unlike the detective character who usually stands out, Miss Marple doesn't seem like a detective at all.
She has a hobby of embroidery, farming, and gossiping like most women. This character is inspired by Agatha Christie's own grandmother, you know.
The character of Miss Marple first appeared in a short story entitled The Tuesday Night Club. The first book Agatha Christie wrote with this character was The Murder at the Vicarage in 1930. Miss Marple last appeared in the book Sleeping Murder, published in 1976.
Other characters: Characters that appear a lot in short stories
Agatha Christie wrote many books so that she created many characters, one of which was Mrs. Ariadne Oliver. Mrs. Oliver is described as a detective novel writer, much like Agatha Christie.
Many people say that this character is Agatha Christie herself. Mrs. Oliver appears in several of Hercule Poirot's books and is a major character in The Pale Horse.
Another character is Mr. Harley Quin and Parker Pyne. Mr. Quin is a mysterious figure who unfortunately only appears in Agatha Christie's short stories. Meanwhile, Parker Pyne is an unhappiness consultant who doesn't want to be called a detective. He also appears in several of Hercule Poirot's books.
Another character that can also be found is Anne Beddingfield in the book The Man in the Brown Suit. This character also plays a major role in three other Agatha Christie novels. In addition, there is also the character of Inspector Battle who is told in the six books of Agatha Christie.
Pay attention to the selected location settings
While writing, Agatha Christie often moves from place to place. This location setting can also be taken into consideration when deciding which Agatha Christie novel you want to read.
Devon, where Agatha Christie was born and lives
Agatha Christie quite often uses her home country, England, as one of the location settings. The places he chose were Essex and Dartmouth. In the book The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Essex is the location where Styles Court is located.
Meanwhile, Dartmouth is the location setting for the book Poirot and the Regatta Mystery. Both are in Devon, England, where Agatha Christie was born and lives.
Imaginative locations, inspired by places that actually exist
Some of the locations used by Agatha Christie in her novels actually exist in the real world. However, there are also those who are imaginative.
Among those imaginative places, there are those located in Devon, for example Sittaford which is described as being located in Dartmoor.
The Dartmoor Plateau is in Devon, but there is no nearby village of Sittaford. Another example is where Miss Marple lives, St. Mary Mead, which is also an imaginative village.
Outside England, countries Agatha Christie has visited
Besides England, Agatha Christie also made several countries she had visited as location settings. For example, you will find Middle Eastern, African and European countries.
South Africa is the location chosen for the novel The Man in the Brown Suit. Several locations in Iraq, such as Baghdad and Basra, served as locations for several other novels.
Egypt seems to be one of the favorite locations for the setting of Agatha Christie's book. Maybe because she had lived in Egypt to follow her husband, Max Mallowan. Her husband had been assigned to Egypt during the world wars. No wonder if Egypt has its own place in Agatha Christie.
Vehicle, the scene of a murder case
A number of Agatha Christie's novels also have a vehicle setting as the location of the incident. Murder on the Orient Express is one of the most famous. Orient Express itself is a fast train that exists in the real world with the Istanbul-Paris route. This train operated from 1883 to 2009.
There are also 4.50 From Paddington and The Mystery of the Blue Train which make the train the setting of the story. Agatha Christie has also described the story of the murder of a young girl with a cruise ship setting in the novel Death On The Nile.
Also consider novels that have adaptations
Many of Agatha Christie's works have been adapted into films or TV series. This can be your consideration to determine the reading. Films adapting the work of Agatha Christie are Murder on the Orient Express and The ABC Murders.
In addition, television series such as the stories of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple have also been shown in England. Novel 4.50 from Paddington and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd have also been made into television series in Japan.
If you are interested in detective-themed shows or films, you can read the recommendations via the link below. You will find the film Murder on the Orient Express which is adapted from the novel Agatha Christie.
Top 10 recommended Agatha Christie novels
Next, we will recommend ten of the best Agatha Christie novels that we have selected based on the voting method above.
These recommendations were carefully selected by taking into account reader ratings and reviews. Our products are sorted by popularity on Goodreads.
1. By the Pricking of My Thumbs
Tommy and Tuppence are the main characters in this novel. As explained earlier, this husband and wife set up a service company for everything. However, in this novel they don't take other people's cases, but get caught up in unwanted cases.
This novel is not only about mystery, but also includes a touch of the supernatural. Tuppence's curiosity about a house leads him into a problem that may be life-threatening. This novel is suitable for those of you who like different mystery stories.
- Publication Year: 1968
- Number of pages: 312
- The main character: Tommy and Tuppence
- Location settings: Sutton Chancellor Village, England
- Rating on Goodreads: 3.78 of 5
2. A Caribbean Mystery
You will get answers to the questions above after reading this novel. Mystery of the Caribbean is a detective novel by Agatha Christie that tells the story of Miss Marple's life. Even though she was old, Miss Marple had a special interest in a case.
This novel tells the experience of Miss Marple's vacation in the Caribbean. Who would have thought, in a hotel where he was staying there was a murder case. With her detective instincts, Miss Marple tries to solve the case. This reading is suitable for those of you who like to think actively and love the mystery genre.
- Publication Year: 1964
- Number of pages: 280
- The main character: Miss Marple
- Location settings:Caribbean
- Rating on Goodreads: 3.83 of 5
3. Death Comes as the End
Do you like historical fiction? The novel, which takes the setting of the ancient civilization of Thebes in 2,000 BC, is worthy of consideration as a reading.
You will be invited to imagine the ancient civilization in Egypt. However, different from historical fiction which usually takes the theme of drama, Agatha Christie sticks to the mystery story.
In this novel, Agatha Christie tells of a serial murder case that occurred thousands of years ago. Even though it is set in a society that believes in mystical things, this novel still relies on logic in solving cases. If you want to know how the ancients solved mysteries, read this novel!
- Publication Year: 1944
- Number of pages: 328
- The main character: No main character detective
- Location settings: Egypt
- Rating on Goodreads: 3.85 of 5
4. The Man in The Brown Suit
The Man in the Brown Suit is a novel suitable for adventure lovers. This book will take you on an adventure in the plains of Africa.
The adventures faced by Anne Beddingfield, the main character, are not for fun. However, this adventure is carried out to uphold justice in a murder case.
This is not the only case that Anne will face. Together with Anne, you will participate in solving cases of diamond theft, accidental deaths, and so on. Are you ready to follow Anne's adventures?
- Publication Year: 1924
- Number of pages: 376
- The main character: Anne Beddingfield
- Location settings: African Plain
- Rating on Goodreads: 3.94 of 5
5. A Murder is Announced
A Murder is Announced is a novel with the main character Miss Marple. The murder in this novel is quite unique because the perpetrator announces each of his criminal plans before acting. Unmitigated, the killer announced it in a newspaper that everyone would read.
Curious how Miss Marple found the culprit? You must read this book! You will see a different point of view from women who are usually considered weak. Not only that, the characterization of Miss Marple as a middle-aged woman is also fun to follow.
- Publication Year: 1950
- Number of pages: 360
- The main character: Miss Marple
- Location settings: Chipping Cleghorn Village, imaginative location
- Rating on Goodreads: 4 of 5
6. The ABC Murders
This novel tells about the serial murders faced by detective Poirot. The order of death in this story occurs alphabetically, both by name and where the victim lives. The point of view of the story is also cleverly played by Agatha Christie so that the nuances of the mystery are even more interesting.
Besides being adapted into films, series, and audio dramas, this novel was also made into a game for Nintendo consoles. So, those of you who play the game might be interested in reading this novel too. Who knows, you will get a clue to finish the game.
- Publication Year: 1936
- Number of pages: 320
- The main character: Hercule Poirot
- Location settings: London, England
- Rating on Goodreads: 4.02 of 5
7. Death on The Nile
Agatha Christie's closeness to Egypt made her create a novel with the setting of a cruise ship sailing down the Nile.
Those of you who like mystery stories with limited scope will definitely love it! Still together with detective Poirot, you will be invited to find out the truth about the murder of a girl.
Agatha Christie herself stated that this novel is one of her favorite stories. This story has also been adapted into film, theater, and various other forms of adaptation. The latest version of the film is also rumored to be released soon. So, it never hurts to read the novel first, right?
- Publication Year: 1937
- Number of pages: 408
- The main character: Hercule Poirot
- Location settings: Cruise ship, Egypt
- Rating on Goodreads: 4.11 out of 5
8. Murder on the Orient Express
The novel, which was first published in 1934, still tells the story of detective Hercule Poirot. This time the murder took place on the Orient Express train that was going to take its passengers from Istanbul, Turkey, to France.
Murder on the Orient Express is a novel by Agatha Christie that gets the best title to date. This novel has also been adapted into many films, TV series, and audio dramas. For those of you who are familiar with Agatha Christie's work for the first time, you must read this novel!
- Publication Year: 1934
- Number of pages: 360
- The main character: Hercule Poirot
- Location settings: Orient Express Vehicles
- Rating on Goodreads: 4.19 out of 5
9. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
This novel with the main character Hercule Poirot is the fourth book that tells about the private detective. In this book, Hercule Poirot plans to retire. However, due to the death of Roger Ackroyd, the plan had to be cancelled.
For readers who like plot twists, this book will be very satisfying. Get ready to be curious until the end of the story by Agatha Christie. You will be taken into a story about the rottenness of the human heart. This novel also contains the message that anyone can be a criminal.
- Publication Year: 1926
- Number of pages: 352
- The main character: Hercule Poirot
- Location settings: King's Abbot Village, imaginative location
- Rating on Goodreads: 4.24 out of 5
10. And Then There Were None
Goosebumps, tense, and terrible are the feelings that will arise when reading this novel. This story is inspired by a poem called Ten Little Soldiers. As per the rhyme that inspired it, ten people are killed one by one in this story exactly as it is written.
The book, which was previously titled Ten Sons of Negroes, has a curious story. Get ready to be surprised by the plot twist given by Agatha Christie. However, don't expect to find a detective figure in this novel, okay?
- Publication Year: 1939
- Number of pages: 296
- The main character: No main character detective
- Location settings: Devon
- Rating on Goodreads: 4.27 of 5
Frequently asked questions about Agatha Christie's novels
In addition to discussing how to choose and provide product recommendations, we also answer popular questions about Agatha Christie's novels. Check out the questions and answers below, yes!
How many novels is Agatha Christie?
Over 50 years, Agatha Christie has written 68 novels. Apart from novels, he has also written more than 150 short stories and 17 plays. In total, he produced more than 200 works. His works are even published in 103 languages around the world.
Are Agatha Christie's novels in sequence?
Agatha Christie's novels have no order. You can read it from any title. This is because each case has been discussed in one book.
Conclusion
As a well-known writer, Agatha Christie has dozens of mystery genre novels. Apart from the novels we recommend above, of course, there are many other works that are no less exciting. His novels are not only suspenseful, they can also spark curiosity.
You can choose a novel by Agatha Christie based on the main character, setting, and adaptation of the novel. Enjoy adventures in the world of Agatha Christie which is full of mystery and surprises. Happy novel hunting!
