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 languages. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.

'Establishes firmly her claim to the throne of detection. The plot is as ingenious as ever! the dialogue both wise and witty; while the suspense is maintained very skilfully until the final revelation.' A.A. Milne 'As good as Agatha Christie ever wrote.' Robert Barnard 'In her own sphere there is no one to touch her, and her millions of readers are going to buy A Murder is Announced and like it.' Margery Allingham 'A super-smooth Christie -- three neat murders in an English village, [and] an assortment of her famous red herrings, all beautifully marinaded.' New York Times Book Review