Agatha Christie

Born in Torquay, England, in 1890, Agatha Christie grew into one of the most successful mystery writers ever published. She wrote dozens of novels and stories, created the detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and also published romance fiction under the name Mary Westmacott.

Her life fed her fiction in memorable ways. During the First World War she worked in nursing and in a dispensary, experience that gave her a precise knowledge of poisons that later became a hallmark of her mysteries. Travel also shaped her work, especially journeys in the Middle East with her second husband, the archaeologist Max Mallowan.

Christie’s books have reached readers across generations because they combine clever plotting with a sharp understanding of human nature. She died in 1976, but her work remains central to detective fiction, and The Mousetrap became famous for its extraordinary long run on the London stage.