Agatha Christie

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The very first Agatha Christie book I ever read had languished in 'the front room' for ages before I took any notice of it. As this room was kept in a state of immaculate and chilly readiness for special occasions such as Christmas, I rarely ventured in, but on that particular day I had just finished my latest Famous Five book and was desperate for something else to read. I was eleven years old at the time and possessed of an unquenchable thirst for reading.

The glass-fronted bookcase that housed my parents' books was a last resort. How could I have known that it contained a slim volume that bore within its pages the seeds of an incurable addiction? 'Three Act Tragedy - with a murder in each act' proclaimed the blurb.'

I selected it without any great expectation of enjoyment, read it within two days and was irrevocably hooked.

Since then I have read many, many crime novels by many different authors but none have affected my heart, mind and psyche as has Agatha Christie. Agatha's brilliant story telling is the yardstick by which other murder mysteries are measured and almost inevitably found to fall short.

Agatha Christie Novels:

For sheer intricacy of plot an Agatha Christie novel is quite simply matchless. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is often, perhaps justifiably, quoted as her masterpiece. But consider Hercule Poirot's Christmas, -I defy anyone not to be astonished at that particular denouement.

Murder on the Orient Express has been filmed so often and seen by so many people, that the ending may have lost some of its 'wow' factor, but when I read it for the first time I was, quite literally, flabbergasted.

And how about Agatha Christie's perhaps most chilling novel which we nowadays call And Then There Were None - absolutely astounding!

Agatha Christie's Detectives:

But there is another factor, which makes Agatha Christie unique amongst crime writers. She created not one famous and infallible detective, but two!

The Belgian Hercule Poirot - precise, dapper and conceited; and Miss Marple, quintessentially English, harmlessly inquisitive and prone to self-deprecation. Two apparently completely different personalities.

However, I believe that it is possible to identify many points of similarity, the most obvious one being that they are both introduced to the reader as elderly people.

It is interesting to speculate on the reason for this. The Murder at the Vicarage, Miss Marple's first case, was published in 1930, ten years after we were introduced to Hercule Poirot in The Mysterious Affair at Styles.

Given the already enduring nature of Poirot's appeal, one might have supposed that Agatha would have realised the problems caused by beginning her characters' careers in the autumn of their lives! Both Poirot and Miss Marple lived to unfeasibly ripe old ages - but who cares? One can only thank heaven that she held back 'Curtain - Poirot's Last Case' for so many years or the world would have been denied many more instances of his brilliance.

Tommy and Tuppence Beresford, on the other hand, start life in The Secret Adversary published 1922 as bright young things, are found to be middle-aged in N or M published 1941 and by the time By the Pricking of My Thumbs is published in 1968, are reintroduced to us as decidedly elderly. Interesting!

Agatha Christie, of course, also wrote several crime/adventure stories, which featured none of the above characters - the previously mentioned And Then There Were None is a case in point.

Universal Appeal

I once heard a discussion on an Arts Programme where one contributor said of Agatha Christie disparagingly 'She doesn't write about people who live in council houses.' 'No' someone replied, 'But she's read by people in council houses.'

And there can't be many homes that have not had an Agatha Christie book on their bookshelves at some time or another.

Just like the one in my mum's front room.

For free and comprehensive information on the life and writing of Agatha Christie visit www.all-about-agatha-christie.com

Hello I'm Mary and I'm a sixty something grandmother and the most important thing in my life is my family, nothing else comes close.

I am a member of a Scrabble club, which meets at least once a week, and I am director of the local amateur dramatic society. And I read a lot. I enjoy all sorts of literature and Dickens, the Brontes and (particularly) Jane Austen are among the esteemed names, which line my bookshelves, but I have a particular liking for murder mysteries, in particular the wonderful novels of Agatha Christie.

To get your regular fix of news from the wonderful world of murder mystery please read my murder mystery Blog.

http://murder--mystery.blogspot.com/

Devon – a Varied Holiday Destination

Devon is a varied county offering diverse landscapes and activities. In Devon's capital Plymouth take a journey through Devon's maritime history right back to the Pilgrim Fathers. Plymouth is crammed with museums and attractions, and has an exquisite quay around the Barbican Harbour area. Move down to the South Hams area to a stunning coastline around Dartmouth and the River Dart, check out Totnes for superb specialist shopping and there's a choice of Devon hotels in South Devon. Calling all walkers, Devon has a network of walking trails around the coast on the South West Coast Path, around Dartmouth on the Dart Way or winding up through the centre via the Two Moors Way or Tarka Trail. Discover Dartmoor National Park, with its many natural granite Tors, or its ancient stones circles and megaliths.

For family holidays in Devon cottages both Torquay and the English Riviera and Ilfracombe and the North Devon Coast are perfect. Devon's north coast has some of the most beautiful long sandy blue flag beaches in the UK, and Woolacombe, Croyde and Westward Ho! are a mecca for the bohemian surfing crowd. North Devon coastal hotspots include Combe Martin and Lynton. Devon's English Riviera has been drawing the holiday crowds for many years. Family friendly Paignton makes the perfect seaside base, or hop on the Agatha Christie trail at Torquay, or take a boat trip to Brixham, with its stunning harbour. It's all here in Devon, heritage and culture and many Devon festivals. Glorious Devon indeed!

Torquay and its sister English Riviera hotspots Brixham and Paignton are the queens of the Devon resort holiday choice. It's all here in these Devon seaside havens including a party atmosphere in Torquay, now increasingly popular as a stag and hen weekend break, theatres, amusements, great beaches, literary heritage with the Agatha Christie trail, family holiday fun in Paignton with its many shops, a great pier and endless sandy beach with lots of amenities and a great promenade. Move to Brixham, once a small fishing village but now a delightful day trip mecca with a picture postcard harbour, lots of exquisite promenade walking and a bustling marina which hosts its own regatta annually.

Across the English Riviera coast you'll discover a choice of superb family holiday beaches and Torquay hotels. Both Torquay and Paignton have Piers, and Paignton Pier is crammed with amusements and rides. There's a selection of family holiday attractions across the region including waterparks, boat trips along the coast between Torquay and Brixham, the Living coasts attraction at Torquay, the Golden Hind recreation of Sir Francis Drake's ship at Brixham and the Paignton & Dartmouth Steam railway which begins at Paignton. Add to this all you'd expect from seaside resorts including a selection of family restaurants, ice cream shops and cafes, bargain holiday shops galore at Paignton, and a good choice of cinemas, leisure facilities and loads of B&Bs, guesthouses and holiday Devon hotels, many with their own in-house entertainment. The English Riviera is a great choice for a Devon family holiday, and don't forget nearby Babbacombe, Dawlish Warren and Teignmouth, ideal family seaside holiday hotspots.

About the Author

Iknow-devon is a comprehensive guide to Torquay hotelsand Devon hotelsbut also tourist information and Devon cottages.

Does anyone have a character guide for The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie?

I need a list of the characters in The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie and descriptions of them.

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Agatha Christie delivers another mystery beyond the grave
Jewels belonging to the murder mystery author Agatha Christie have been discovered in a battered trunk bought for £100.

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