15 Best Agatha Christie Books Every Mystery Lover Must Read
Updated: Jul. 10, 2024
We studied the clues to sleuth out the best Agatha Christie books for mystery lovers
Our editors and experts handpick every product we feature. We may earn a commission from your purchases.Learn more.
Essential Agatha Christie books
Ever since I started reading Agatha Christie novels at age 11, I’ve been enchanted by cozy mysteries—the feel-good, lighthearted crime fiction exemplified by the best Agatha Christie books.
But with 66 Agatha Christie novels to choose from, you might wonder: Which are the best books penned by the “queen of whodunits”? To help narrow your options, we’ve rounded up the 15 top Agatha Christie books, which all have a few things in common:Â
- The plot unfurls with perfect pacing.
- The clues sprinkled throughout are enough to keep readers guessing without giving it all away.
- Character development is infused with intelligent psychological know-how.
We chose Christie’s crème de la crème based on recommendations from book experts, reader reviews and the author’s own ranking of her books. Ready to curl up with some great mystery books? Here are the 15 best Agatha Christie novels, from a lesser-known must-read to her absolute best.
Join the free Reader’s Digest Book Club for great reads, monthly discussions, author Q&As and a community of book lovers.
15. A Caribbean Mystery
For fans of:Â Summertime suspense reads
“Every time I pick up A Caribbean Mystery, I feel like I’m on a sunny vacation with Miss Marple,” says Stephy George, founder of the Creative Muggle, an award-winning book blog. “The colorful Caribbean setting mixed with a classic Christie mystery is just perfect. I’ve read it so many times, and the excitement never fades. I always recommend it to anyone looking for some suspense with some sunshine. The way Christie blends the vibrant atmosphere with a gripping mystery keeps you turning the pages. If you love a good puzzle and a bit of tropical escape, this book is a great choice.”
Published in 1964, this cozy beach read was adapted into a made-for-TV movie in 1984, and while it may not be the author’s most recognized title, it’s a must-read for fans and anyone who appreciates well-placed red herrings.
14. Crooked House
For fans of:Â Didn’t-see-it-coming twist endings
Crooked House, published in 1949, is one of Christie’s sleeper hits. It doesn’t feature Hercule Poirot, and there’s no Miss Marple. Instead, it’s a stand-alone mystery about which Christie once wrote, “Writing Crooked House was pure pleasure, and I feel justified in my belief that it is one of my best.” A book recommendation from the author? You can’t go wrong.
The story begins when Aristide, a wealthy businessman living with his family in a massive mansion, is found dead. Most assume the pretty young wife is responsible, but the granddaughter’s whip-smart fiance is interested in solving the murder with facts, not rumors. In 2017, Hollywood adapted this delightful whodunit into a movie starring Glenn Close, Stefanie Martini and Max Irons.
Looking for your next great book? Read four of today’s most compelling novels in the time it takes to read one with Fiction Favorites. And be sure to join the community!
13. The Man in the Brown Suit
For fans of:Â Cozy mysteries with international flair
For many readers, Christie is synonymous with Hercule Poirot. He and Miss Marple starred in so many—but not all!—of her books. Perhaps that’s what makes The Man in the Brown Suit so memorable: Neither appears in this 1924 tale. It’s the first in Christie’s four-book Colonel Race mystery series. The book begins when a spirited young woman named Anne Beddington witnesses a fatal accident at the tube station. But perhaps the death was not as unplanned as it seemed. She finds a note near the platform that pulls her into another murder plot. Soon, she finds herself on a hunt through South Africa and Rhodesia for a mysterious criminal known as the Colonel.
12. The Secret Adversary
For fans of:Â Spy thrillers
This 1922 Agatha Christie novel follows Tommy Beresford and Prudence “Tuppence” Cowley, a starry-eyed young couple with barely a dime to their name. What’s a duo to do except start a new business? Young Adventures Ltd. seems like a grand scheme until their first client sends them on a spy mission that doesn’t seem entirely on the up-and-up.
“The Secret Adversary is a total blast. Tommy and Tuppence are such fun characters. Their chemistry really shines, and the plot keeps you on your toes,” says George. “It’s one of those books that’s hard to put down because you just want to see what happens next. If you’re into adventure and love a mystery with dynamic characters, this one’s for you.”
11. Appointment with Death
For fans of:Â Character-driven mysteries
This Hercule Poirot mystery, published in 1938, will whisk you away to solve a murder most foul atop the historic red cliffs of Petra. It’s slightly more character-driven than other Agatha Christie books, making it a great pick for readers who sometimes find detective novels lacking in the character department.
“Appointment with Death is all about building suspense,” says George. “Christie does an amazing job setting the scene in Petra and creating complex characters. Mrs. Boynton is one of those characters you just love to hate, and the tension is intense. The psychological depth in this book is fascinating, making it more than just a mystery. It’s perfect for anyone who likes a story that goes deep in.”
10. The Body in the Library
For fans of:Â Novels that feel like true-crime books
Christie’s second Miss Marple mystery, published in 1942, begins with the bodies of two young women: one in a library, still dressed for an elegant evening out on the town, and the other in a quarry, nearly burned to nothing. Who are these women? And are the two murders connected by more than just timing? Miss Marple steps in to piece together the clues and gets more than she bargained for—a twisty plot studded with shady characters and an inheritance on the line. Before you dive in to The Body in the Library, be aware: Some Goodreads reviewers warn of a scene uncommonly graphic for a Christie novel.
9. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
For fans of:Â Controversial twist endings
A Top 10 Agatha Christie book as ranked by Goodreads readers, the author’s 1926 hit, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, is another cozy mystery starring Hercule Poirot. The victim is a man named Roger Ackroyd, of course, and he was a victim in more ways than one. The poor man’s lover ended her life with a drug overdose because she was being blackmailed with the truth that she’d killed her first husband. So who was the blackmailer? And could Ackroyd’s killer have been anyone but the same mystery figure?
8. The A.B.C. Murders
For fans of:Â Classic detective fiction
Here’s another of Christie’s top-rated books, this one published in 1936. The A.B.C. Murders is a Hercule Poirot mystery in which the Belgian detective is tasked with solving a series of murders. Interestingly, especially for the time, it delves into the psychology of a serial killer as Poirot races to follow a trail of potentially misleading clues and find the killer before the next victim (in alphabetical order, of course) meets a violent end. In 2018, the BBC released a miniseries of the same name starring John Malkovich as the iconic detective.
7. Death on the Nile
For fans of:Â Mystery novels featuring crimes of passion
Star-crossed lovers. An obsessed ex. Daring, wealthy travelers trapped on the same lavish Nile River cruise. What could go wrong? A murder, of course! Hercule Poirot swoops in to solve the mystery in this 1937 classic that Goodreads reviewers have ranked as one of the Top 10 Agatha Christie books. The 2022 movie adaptation of Death on the Nile features an all-star cast that includes Kenneth Branagh as Hercule Poirot alongside Gal Gadot and Emma Mackey. Christie fans will probably like it … but not as much as the book.
6. A Murder Is Announced
For fans of:Â Cozy, small-town detective stories
A Murder Is Announced, published in 1950, was the first Miss Marple book adapted for the screen. (In 1956, British comedian and singer Gracie Fields starred as Miss Marple in the classic TV show.) So what makes this one of the best Agatha Christie books? Well, it’s a quintessential Marple mystery, for starters. In the village of Chipping Cleghorn, the local newspaper prints an advertisement that reads, “A murder is announced and will take place on Friday, October 29th, at Little Paddocks at 6:30 p.m.” In a quirky twist on the traditional whodunit, the investigators start their detective work before the crime has been committed.
5. The Mysterious Affair at Styles
For fans of:Â All things Hercule Poirot
This early work of Christie’s was the first to feature Hercule Poirot, the beloved Belgian detective who is easily the author’s most famous recurring character. In The Mysterious Affair at Styles, published in 1920, Poirot is a refugee who has recently settled into a new home in England. When his friendly neighbor is murdered, Poirot must put feelings aside and use all his deductive reasoning to solve the crime. Though a quintessential cozy mystery, this book is also rife with themes of how power and wealth complicate life. It’s a great pick for mystery-focused book clubs that prefer meatier discussion questions.
4. The Murder at the Vicarage
For fans of:Â Crime novels with quirky characters
Fancy a murder mystery with Miss Marple? The Murder at the Vicarage, published in 1930, was Christie’s first novel to feature the feisty detective, though she had popped up in a few short stories before that. In a quirky plot twist, this book features multiple suspects who actually confess to the crime. That’s because the victim, Colonel Lucius Protheroe, was such a detestable man that many wished him dead. Miss Marple dissects the personal politics and relationships of the suspects, which keeps most readers guessing until the very last page.
3. Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case
For fans of:Â Cozy reads that pull at your heartstrings
Ah, the last case. Christie penned Hercule Poirot’s last detective story during World War II, but it wasn’t published until 1975, shortly before the author’s death. The fact that she wrote it knowing it would end the book series makes it one of her greatest masterpieces. After all, how many authors take the chance to publicly wish their characters farewell?
In Curtain, you’ll find a different Poirot. He has aged. His health isn’t great. He is vulnerable yet remains oh, so quick-witted. In the story, he and his pal Captain Hastings reunite to solve one more mystery for old times’ sake. If you’ve read the other top Agatha Christie books, the plot will feel familiar—but the ending offers one final, shocking twist.
2. Murder on the Orient Express
For fans of: Locked-room mysteries
“It’s hard not to love Murder on the Orient Express, the most widely read mystery of all time,” says Julianne Buonocore, Â president of the Literary Lifestyle, a virtual reading community for women. “This book exquisitely blends so many elements that make a mystery compelling, from the luxurious train setting to the array of characters with motives and the locked-room nature of the investigation. It’s a master class in mystery writing!”
Detective Hercule Poirot’s race to solve a gruesome murder that took place inside a train car locked from the inside is the consummate “locked-room” mystery, a book genre that plays up the puzzling “how” of a great mystery. The book, which was published in 1934, has been adapted for the screen twice—the 1975 film starred Albert Finney as Poirot, while the 2017 movie featured Kenneth Branagh in the role.
1. And Then There Were None
For fans of: Isolated settings with a murderer on the loose
First published in 1939, this is Christie’s bestselling novel and one of the best Agatha Christie books, according to a list she wrote herself in 1972. Chances are, you’ve heard of this masterpiece even if you’ve never read the book: The tense whodunit was made into a movie in 1945, and it’s the inspiration for countless retellings.
And Then There Were None follows 10 strangers to Soldier Island. They’ve all been invited by a mysterious host who, even more mysteriously, is not present. But the plot thickens when one guest dies and the others start to point fingers. Is there a murderer among them? And if so, who is the next victim? “No one does a locked-room mystery better than Agatha Christie!” says Kerri Wallace, a librarian at Hoboken Public Library. “If you’re a fan of the classic film Clue or the hit film Knives Out, then you must pick up And Then There Were None and challenge yourself to play detective and solve the murder before the end page.”
FAQs
How did we choose the best Agatha Christie books?
We picked the best Agatha Christie books based on several factors, such as:
- The author’s own ranking of her best books.
- Recommendations from book experts, including a librarian, reading community leader and book blogger.
- The story’s popularity over time (paying special mind to books adapted into movies).
- Overall ratings, reviews and commercial success.
How many books did Agatha Christie write?
Agatha Christie is best known for penning 66 mystery novels and 14 short story collections, but she also wrote plays like The Mousetrap, the world’s longest-running play.
What Agatha Christie novel should you start with?
If you want to get hooked on the queen of crime, you can’t go wrong by starting with her bestselling novel of all time: And Then There Were None.
In what order should you read Agatha Christie’s books?
There is no specific way to read Agatha Christie books in order. If you prefer the swagger and wit of Hercule Poirot, start with The Mysterious Affair at Styles, then work your way through the stack of Agatha Christie books that feature the Belgian detective. If you prefer the charm and shrewd observations of Miss Jane Marple, start with The Murder at the Vicarage before devouring the other best Agatha Christie novels that feature her.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more books, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.
About the experts
|
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’ve been sharing our favorite books for over 100 years. We’ve worked with bestselling authors including Susan Orlean, Janet Evanovich and Alex Haley, whose Pulitzer Prize–winning Roots grew out of a project funded by and originally published in the magazine. Through Fiction Favorites (formerly Select Editions and Condensed Books), Reader’s Digest has been publishing anthologies of abridged novels for decades. We’ve worked with some of the biggest names in fiction, including James Patterson, Ruth Ware, Kristin Hannah and more. The Reader’s Digest Book Club, helmed by Books Editor Tracey Neithercott, introduces readers to even more of today’s best fiction by upcoming, bestselling and award-winning authors. For this piece, Leandra Beabout tapped her experience as a longtime journalist who has written dozens of articles about books for Reader’s Digest to ensure that all information is accurate and offers the best possible advice to readers. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
Sources:
- Agatha Christie: “Agatha Christie’s 10 Favourite Books”
- Agatha Christie: “Facts About Hercule Poirot”
- Agatha Christie: “Facts About Miss Marple”
- Agatha Christie: “Crooked House”
- Kerri Wallace, librarian at Hoboken Public Library; email interview, May 2024
- Julianne Buonocore, president of The Literary Lifestyle; email interview, May 2024
- Stephy George, founder of The Creative Muggle; email interview, May 2024
Originally Published: March 14, 2024
