'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Agatha Christie, often anointed as the "Queen of Mystery," is celebrated for her masterful creation of murder mysteries and crime thrillers. With her timeless tales, readers are immersed in a diverse array of characters and settings, individually adding depth and conspiracy to Agatha Christie's narratives.
As the best-selling novelist of all time, Christie's characters, such as Miss Marple, Hercule Poirot, and Colonel Race, have become household names and central figures in many of her stories. Additionally, Agatha Christie's real-life experiences with murder mysteries and escape rooms further add to her mystique.
Trending
In short, Agatha Christie's influence has left an indelible mark on the genre, inspiring countless authors and fascinating audiences through the art of storytelling.
Disclaimer: This is purely the writer's opinion. We might have missed a few book titles, let us know your views in the comments.
Top 7 Agatha Christie books to dive into in 2024
Whether readers are seasoned fans of Agatha Christie's work or new to her timeless novels, they are bound to find themselves immersed in a world full of anticipation, speculation, and timeless conspiracy. Team Sportskeeda has curated a list of the 7 must-read Agatha Christie books to dive into in 2024.
- The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
- Murder on the Orient Express
- Death Comes as the End
- Sparkling Cyanide
- Crooked House
- The Pale Horse
- Endless Night
1) The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Labeled as ‘controversial,’ The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is hailed as Christie's masterpiece, challenging traditional mystery writing with its innovative and twisted climax. Also, the British Crime Writers' Association, in 2013, anointed it the best crime novel.
In the book, rumors surfaced that a widow's mysterious suicide was the result of Roger Ackroyd blackmailing her. Later, when Ackroyd is found being stabbed to death in his reading chamber, his family enrolls Poirot to unveil the truth.
Price: $20.34 (Amazon)
2) Murder on the Orient Express
Perhaps one of Christie's most famous mystery books, Murder on the Orient Express, is highly regarded among contemporary audiences. Adapted into a famous Hollywood flick in 2017, it stars Kenneth Branagh as Poirot, along with Judi Dench, Michelle Pfeiffer, and Penélope Cruz.
Agatha Christie’s crime-thriller story begins on the Orient Express, a lavish train that ferried people in the 1930s. An assassin grabs the chance to kill one of the passengers while the train gets stopped owing to heavy snowfall. Fortunately, Christie's fictional investigator, Poirot, solves the murder.
Price: $8.99 (Amazon)
Read more: How many Dune books are there? Everything to know about the science fiction series that's trending
3) Death Comes as the End
Noted amongst 1944 Christie's crime thrillers, Death Comes as the End stands out as a captivating blend of historical fiction and a detective story. Set in Thebes, Egypt, in 2000 BC, this novel adapts the twisted tale concept intricately woven by Christie, keeping the readers glued to the end.
As the story unfolds, an Egyptian family’s lives get disturbed when their father adds his new wife, Nofret, into the household. Nofret starts sowing seeds of doubt among all the members before committing suspicious murders. With the family members suspecting a curse upon the house, the climax revolves around the killer being home.
Price: $13.39 (Amazon)
4) Sparkling Cyanide
It's a known fact that to find the killer, establishing a motive is required. In a similar vein, Sparkling Cyanide expands the plot of the 1937 short story Yellow Iris. Featuring Christie's yet another recurring character, Colonel Race tries to untangle the mystery with an edge-of-the-seat climax.
In Sparkling Cyanide, with the Luxembourg bistro, the primary character, Rosemary Barton, crumples and passes at a dinner table. Following this incident, each of the guests around the table is observed desiring Barton's demise. Up until a year later, when her husband, George Barton, also passes away at the same table, the cause of both deaths is unknown.
Price: $9.99 (Amazon)
5) Crooked House
Getting its title from the nursery rhyme, Crooked House is one of Christie’s favorites among her novels, competing with books like Ordeal by Innocence.
The main plot revolves around the three generations of the Leonides family, all of whom live together under the affluent patriarch, Aristide. After Aristide gets poisoned by his eye medicine, the family makes a unanimous decision not to rest until the killer is arrested.
With all fingers pointing toward Aristide’s second wife, Brenda, the prime suspect in having an affair, this crime thriller gives a nail-biting end to its readers.
Price: $12.39 (Amazon)
6) The Pale Horse
Christie's The Pale Horse begins with an immaculate set-up: a bedridden woman counting her last breath, Mrs. Davis, admits to a horrid secret and provides a list of involved names to a Roman Catholic cleric. Before he could take the necessary steps, he was struck dead in a haze. The story develops with the book’s young hero piecing together several related proofs, and it puts the pieces back into their place via an unprecedented path.
Bagging a couple of adaptations, like the ITV and BBC, Christie's The Pale Horse has indeed marked its place on the silver screen. But, as a bibliophile always claims, the book is usually better than a film or TV show—this murder mystery can add to one's 2024 reading bucket list.
Price: $11.28 (Amazon)
7) Endless Night
Born to endless nights and spine-chilling locations, the main plot of Endless Nights is situated amid a thick forest of Gipsy’s Acre’s dark fir trees and sea views, as the main character chooses to ignore the warnings from locals and build a house of his own.
As mentioned, the protagonist, Michael Rogers, is determined to build a house, get married, and live merrily ever after. But fate had something else in store for him. With the shadow of menace looming over Gipsy’s Acre, along with casualties taking place, the question lies in whether Rogers has made the correct decision by going against the locals’ warnings.
Price: $11.99 (Amazon)
In 2024, with these 7 Agatha Christie books suggested above, a bibliophile has plenty of time to get stuck in Christie’s twisted world. With Agatha Christie's works fascinating bookworms across generations to date, it is time to grab the magnifying glass, as these mysteries are yet to be solved!
