Agatha Christie isn't just a well-known mystery author. She's also the best-selling author of all time, with more than two billion copies sold and a huge fan base that still exists after she died. But if you decide to read some of Christie's books, there are more than 60 novels and 14 short story collections. It can be hard to start. You can read about her writing, the best books she wrote, and what to read (and in what order) when you want to read more.

What You Need to Know About Agatha Christie Books

This is what you should know if you want to read an Agatha Christie book.

From the 1920s to the 1970s, Agatha Christie wrote. Her books are mostly set in the upper class of Britain, and they are called "British cozy mysteries."

This isn't the place for a group of different people. Simple, clear prose is what Christie writes. She puts a lot of attention on the plot and dialogue. In fact, they aren't procedurals at all, because they don't usually focus on a police officer or detective who is very good at their job. Even Poirot used to be a detective. Instead, the clues are based on conversations and plot twists that happen in the show.

She has two big series and another one that isn't as well known. Each person or group of people follows the cases of a detective or group of detectives. If you start with the first one, you'll get a better sense of the main character. You don't have to read them in that order, though (s). Many of her books and stories have been turned into TV shows and movies.

Agatha Christie characters

Need a list of people who show up again and again in Agatha Christie novels? Here are the most important ones.

Hercule Poirot

Poirot is best known for his mustaches and for using his "little grey cells" to solve the most difficult cases from the right set of clues, but he also has a lot of other skills. Poirot is a Belgian private detective who used to be a police officer. Captain Arthur Hastings, who is like Holmes' Watson, is often with him, too. Poirot likes to gather all the people who could have been involved in the case and slowly explain how he solved it. In many Poirot mysteries, exotic places and rich people are important parts, because Poirot himself is a rich man who says he's retired. There are more than 30 Poirot books and more than 50 short stories.

Miss Marple

Jane Marple is an amateur detective from the village of St. Mary Mead. She also happens to be a sweet old lady who lives in the same house as her husband. There aren't many people in Miss Marple's family, and she hasn't had to work for money. She isn't what she appears to be, but she likes being able to blend in as a harmless old woman. Most of the books by Miss Marple show you village life with a more typical group of people. This is not the case with this one. For the first half of the book, she may not be there at all. When she does show up, be ready to see her in a pink fuzzy woolen shawl. She first appeared in Christie's short stories, but then she was in a dozen novels.

Tommy and Tuppence

In this case, you might want to read the whole series in order. In the first book, the couple meet as carefree young people and have been married for a long time by the time the last book comes out. Tommy and Tuppence start out after World War I with a lot of excitement but no interesting things to do. They end up in a job looking for adventure and solving crimes. Five novels and one book of short stories are about them, and they appear in all of them.

Other Recurring Agatha Christie Characters

When Poirot is in trouble, Superintendent Battle and Inspector Japp are there to help him. They aren't bumbling police detectives, but they still need Poirot to help them solve the case.

Ariadne Oliver is a well-known mystery writer whose books feature a detective from another country.

hmm, why does that sound like something I know? Unlike Christie, Oliver is not a detective. Instead, she's a fun side character who gets to act as Christie when there's a Poirot book.

The Best Agatha Christie Books

The best Agatha Christie books to read if you only want to read a few of them are the most popular ones that have stayed in the public's mind for a while. People love these books because of the clever plots and endings. They are so popular that they are now part of the canon of literature!

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

This book is my favorite. In this book, which is only the third Poirot book, the author does a great job of telling the story and sleight-of-hand. In a vote by the British Crime Writers' Association, it was voted the best crime book ever.

Make sure you don't read any spoilers before going into it if at all possible

Murder on the Orient Express

A luxury train is the setting for this book's classic plot, but it also has an exotic, exotic setting. Poirot is on his way back to London when he meets a passenger who thinks his life is in danger and wants to hire Poirot to protect him. Poirot says no. It turns out that the man is dead, and Poirot has to figure out who is behind it.

And Then There Were None

This Agatha Christie book is known for its story about people on an island being killed one by one. You may have seen different editions with different titles; there are more than one, but more than one are also racist.

They come from a poem that's a big part of the story, and you might see "Indian" or "Soldier," depending on which version you read.

The A. B. C. Murders

This book is different from what Christie usually does. There are a lot of random murders in this book.

Almost every serial killer book where a detective tries to figure out how the victims are linked is based on this book.

Strong Standalone Agatha Christie Books

You might not know this, but some of the best books by Agatha Christie don't even have any of her best-known characters.

Crooked House

It's a stand-alone mystery that lets you get to know a very weird family very well. It's been a long time since Patriarch Aristide Leonides has been alive, and his much younger wife is the main suspect. But this family is full of secrets and resentments, and even a 13-year-old girl who wants to be a detective. There are strong people in this family. They all become very real to you as a reader. Suspicion is on pretty much everyone in this story, and it has a thrilling ending.

Endless Night

It's one of Agatha Christie's favorite books, and it breaks most of her rules. It has an interesting character, a cursed house, and a love story that doesn't go the way you think it will, but it's still a good book.

The Mousetrap

One of Christie's best-known works and the longest running play in history is this play. For more than 50 years, it has been running in London, and it still is!

If you like plays, you might like some of Christie's short stories and novels that were made into plays. The Witness for the Prosecution, which was also made into a movie, is probably the second most well-known one.

The Best Hercule Poirot Mysteries

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

This is Christie's first book, and it also introduces us to Hercule Poirot, one of her best-known detectives.

It's a good way to learn about the author and her most famous detective, and many people think it's the best place for you to start. She starts off strong and steady.

Death on the Nile

If you've seen the movie or read the book, you know that it takes place on a luxury cruise in Egypt, where an heiress who is beautiful, rich, and perfect finds herself the target of the other passengers' schemes.

Peril at End House

Three people have tried to kill the girl in this book in just a few days or so. The maid is superstitious and there are people from other countries in the guest house.

A very impressive ending in which Poirot does some unusual things with theatrics. Hastings tells the story, which is always a good thing.

Five Little Pigs

Rashomon-style: Poirot is investigating a cold case and all five suspects write up their own stories. I got one twist, but I didn't get the second one. This is one of her simplest and most rewarding stories. It has a small cast of characters and a very clear chain of events that make it easy to follow.

Curtain

This is Poirot's last case, and I think you should save it for the end.

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