Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became, quite simply, the best-selling novelist in history. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written towards the end of the First World War, introduced us to Hercule Poirot, who was to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since Sherlock Holmes. She is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in over 100 foreign countries. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.

"There is no more cunning player of the murder game than Agatha Christie." Sunday Times "A masterwork of carefully concealed artifice! most stunningly original." Julian Symons "An Agatha Christie triumph." Morning Post "The best thing she has ever written, compact, witty and horribly exciting." Sunday Referee "An entirely original idea." Daily Telegraph "Mrs Christie has invented an entirely new plot for a detective story -- a difficult thing in these days; she is to be congratulated on the perfection of her invention." The Times "Her best yet. Where does she get hold of these brilliant notions?" Bristol Evening Post "Vive Hercule Poirot! He is back again ! and I, for one, am thrilled to the marrow bones ! the most amazing finale for sheer ingenuity that I have ever come across ! Mrs Christie has pulled it off yet again." The Bystander