Agatha Christie’s impact on literature cannot be overlooked. Her books, short stories, and plays are essential to the mystery genre and continue to intrigue readers the world over. Nevertheless, the sheer size of her catalog can be intimidating to first-time readers, or even to third-, fifth- or eighth-time readers—after all, she wrote 66 novels alone. So we’ve taken on the case and assembled a lineup of the best Agatha Christie books.
It’s a real murderer’s row of mystery thrillers. Whether or not these books are your personal Christie favorites, we guarantee you’ll discover a riveting tale in each selection.
Novel
1. And Then There Were None
On a private island off the coast of Devon, ten strangers convene at the request of the mysterious U.N. Owen. Strangely, upon their arrival, they discover their host is nowhere to be found. And to make things worse, when one of them is found dead, the group realizes that there’s a murderer in their midst, and he — or she — is bound to kill again.
2. The Murder of Roger Akroyd
Still the greatest twist ever in the history of mystery stories, bar none. The controversy over whether Christie plays fair with the reader rages to this day—but anyone arguing that she doesn’t is just dealing with sour grapes after having their mind blown, because a reread will demonstrate that Christie never cheats with this story of a wealthy widower who is murdered in a small English town. Anyone unspoiled reader who claims to guess who the killer is before the final reveal is almost certainly lying.
3. The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Recently settled in the quaint village of Styles St. Mary, Belgian refugee (and brilliant detective) Hercule Poirot tackles the case of Emily Inglethorpe, a wealthy heiress found poisoned in her locked bedroom. With few clues to go by, everybody in the family is considered a suspect… and Poirot must get to the true killer, before they get to him.
4. Death on the Nile
As a wealthy socialite, Linnet Ridgeway has it all: money, looks, and the husband of her dreams. But while on a Nile cruise, the newlyweds’ honeymoon takes a turn for the worse when Linnet is found dead from a shot to the head. Forced to cut his own vacation short, Poirot investigates those onboard the steamer, searching for clues regarding Linnet’s murder — with pressure mounting as more deaths occur on the ship.
5. Crooked House
Aristide, the wealthy patriarch of the Leonides family, has been found poisoned with his own eye medicine. And with three generations of his family living in his sprawling mansion, there’s a multitude of suspects with ample motives and opportunities to commit the crime.
6. Five Little Pigs
Sixteen years after being convicted for the murder of her husband, Caroline Crale writes a letter to her daughter, Carla, pleading her innocence. After her mother’s death, Carla reaches out to none other than Hercule Poirot — in a desperate attempt to discover what really happened the day her father was killed.
7. Peril at End House
It’s hard to imagine a better introduction to Christie’s genre than Peril at End House. Rife with glamour, suspense, and an expertly plotted series of clues, this novel kicks off with a murder during an evening soirée.
8. The A.B.C. Murders
Basically, every serial killer novel and murder-mystery TV series can trace its lineage back to The A.B.C. Murders. The story follows a string of seemingly random (though secretly connected) murders with victims whose names begin with each letter of the alphabet.
9. Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case
This book represents a triumphant end to the adventures of Hercule Poirot, Agatha Christie’s Belgian detective and beloved recurring protagonist. It was the last book published by Christie before her death in 1976, and rather than shy away from it, the novel tackles aging head on. The greying Poirot finds himself back at the country mansion where he solved his first murder. A killer is on the prowl, and Poirot must sniff out the culprit before the final curtain drops.
10. Death Comes as the End
Death may come as the end, but it’s a staple of the beginnings of Agatha Christie novels. This time, though, her novel opens with a reappearance: An Egyptian father returns to his family, albeit with a new concubine in tow. That concubine part makes a bit more sense when you consider that this novel is set in ancient Egypt. That’s an unusual choice for Christie, as is the fact that there are no European characters in this book. All of this makes for a refreshingly unique take on Christie’s trademark mystery format.