Plaque for the Agatha Christie mile at Torre Abbey in Torquay Edmund Wilson once asked, "Who Cares Who Killed Roger Aykroyd?" Well, if sales and endurance are any indication, there are millions who care. Today, we celebrate Agatha Christie, the "Queen of Crime," who was born on September 15, 1890, to a middle-class family in Torquay, England. In 1920, she published her first novel, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles," and began what would become an astoundingly prolific and successful career as a writer, selling over two billion copies of her works (which have been translated into more than 45 languages) and making her name synonymous with the murder mystery genre. Her method of creativity was unique: She claimed she did all her writing in the bathtub while munching on apples. Regardless of how she worked, she turned out 80 mystery novels, scores of short stories, and even six romance novels (under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott). As well as being a prolific novelist, Christie was also a talented playwright. She wrote sixteen plays including "The Mousetrap," which holds the record for the world's longest continuously running play (eight performances a week in London's West End since 1952). Though many colorful and memorable characters appear within her works, undoubtedly the two most famous are the Belgian detective with the immaculate mustache, Hercule Poirot, and the amateur detective Miss Jane Marple, the clever old lady from the fictional town of St. Mary Mead. Christie died in 1976, but her work continues to endure -- and evolve. A new stage adaptation of "And Then There Were None" opened in 2005 and ran for a brief period of time, and new film and television adaptations of her work are always being produced. Some of her novels have even been translated into computer games. It looks like as long as people want to solve crimes, Dame Agatha will provide the means, motive, and opportunity. Suggested Sites... Agatha Christie's Official Site - exploring everything Agatha Christie. Mystery Hangout - offers a brief biography of Agatha Christie (among other mystery writers), plus games, a discussion board, and other interesting mystery-related content. Christie's Real-Life Mystery - a look into the mystery of Christie's 1926 disappearance. Miss Marple at the MBC - the Museum of Broadcast Communications takes an in-depth look at Christie's favorite detective.

Directory categories: Agatha Christie, Mystery Literature, Mystery Authors, Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple

Archived under: Agatha Christie, Authors, Biographies, Books, Literature, Mysteries, Writers, Writing

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