Top 5 Agatha Christie mysteries
Agatha Christie, the woman behind legendary characters Poirot and Miss Marple, is right up there with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle when it comes to writing mysteries that stay with us for decades. And, while you can’t go wrong when it comes to choosing one of her novels, there are a few that really stand out. Here are our picks for the top five mysteries by Agatha Christie. How many have you read?
A serial killer is on the loose, and they’re working their way through the alphabet, leaving a calling card beside each victim – the ABC Railway Guide open to the name of the town where the murder occurred. The killer has already struck Andover, Bexhill and Churston, but can Poirot stop them before they reach “D”?
In the village of Chipping Cleghorn, the townsfolk are shaken by an eerie advertisement posted in the local newspaper, reading, “A murder is announced and will take place on Friday October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm.” The villagers, fascinated by the advertisement, gather at Little Paddocks at 6.30pm when, suddenly, the lights go out. But is it a hoax? A practical joke? Or the real thing?
Ten strangers are invited to a mansion located on a remote island off the coast of Devon by the mysterious “U. N. Owen.” At dinner, a recorded message plays, accusing each guest of harbouring a dark secret. By the end of the night, one of them is dead. One by one, the guests are murdered, stranded by a violent storm. But who is the killer? And will anyone live to see the light of day?
2. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
When Poirot retires to a village near the home of his friend, Roger Ackroyd, he soon finds himself back on the case after Ackroyd is found stabbed to death, just one day after his lover, who was being blackmailed about murdering her first husband, commits suicide. It’s down to Poirot to solve the murder, as well as discover the identity of the person blackmailing Ackroyd’s lover.
1. Murder on the Orient Express
Just past midnight, the Orient Express stops in its tracks during a vicious snowstorm. The next morning, a passenger is found dead, stabbed twelve times with his door locked from the inside. All the evidence Poirot has to go off only confuses him further, leading him to believe a criminal mastermind must be behind the murder. But who is it?
Which is your favourite Agatha Christie mystery and why? Let us know in the comment section below.