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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 44 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 and saw her work translated into more languages than Shakespeare. Her enduring success, enhanced by many film and TV adaptations, is a tribute to the timeless appeal of her characters and the unequalled ingenuity of the plots.
Think you know Agatha Christie? Think again! To the world she was Agatha Christie, legendary author of bestselling whodunits. But in the 1930s she wore a different hat, travelling with her husband, renowned archaeologist Max Mallowan, as he investigated the buried ruins and ancient wonders of Syria and Iraq. When friends asked what this strange 'other life' was like, she decided to answer their questions by writing down her adventures in this eye-opening book. Described by the author as a 'meandering chronicle of life on an archaeological dig', Come, Tell Me How You Live is Agatha Christie's very personal memoir of her time spent in this breathtaking corner of the globe, living among the working men in tents in the desert where recorded human history began.
A 2014 World Book Night selection. 'It's been hushed up very nicely, hasn't it? But he was murdered, wasn't he?' There are certain things that are best left unsaid. Though tragedy had touched the life of the wealthy Richard Abernethie, his sudden death seemed pretty unremarkable for a man of his age. So why would his sister wait until his funeral to say he had been murdered? When she is savagely killed with a hatchet the next day, her extraordinary remark suddenly takes on a chilling significance. In desperation, the family solicitor turns to Hercule Poirot to unravel the mystery...
A wheelchair-bound Poirot returns to Styles, the venue of his first investigation, where he knows another murder is going to take place...
Agatha Christie's most daring crime mystery - an early and particularly brilliant outing of Hercule Poirot, 'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd', with its legendary twist, changed the detective fiction genre for ever. Roger Ackroyd knew too much. He knew that the woman he loved had poisoned her brutal first husband. He suspected also that someone had been blackmailing her. Now, tragically, came the news that she had taken her own life with a drug overdose. But the evening post brought Roger one last fatal scrap of information. Unfortunately, before he could finish the letter, he was stabbed to death...
Agatha Christie's most exotic murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover to tie in with the highly anticipated film adaptation. The tranquillity of a cruise along the Nile is shattered by the discovery that Linnet Ridgeway has been shot through the head. She was young, stylish and beautiful, a girl who had everything - until she lost her life. Hercule Poirot recalls an earlier outburst by a fellow passenger: 'I'd like to put my dear little pistol against her head and just press the trigger.' Yet in this exotic setting' nothing is ever quite what it seems...
With impeccable timing Hercule Poirot, the renowned Belgian detective, makes his dramatic entrance on to the English crime stage. Recently, there had been some strange goings on at Styles St Mary. Evelyn, constant companion to old Mrs Inglethorp, had stormed out of the house muttering something about 'a lot of sharks'. And with her, something indefinable had gone from the atmosphere. Her presence had spelt security; now the air seemed rife with suspicion and impending evil. A shattered coffee cup, a splash of candle grease, a bed of begonias all Poirot required to display his now legendary powers of detection.
Agatha Christie's ingenious murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. Nick Buckley was an unusual name for a pretty young woman. But then she had led an unusual life. First, on a treacherous Cornish hillside, the brakes on her car failed. Then, on a coastal path, a falling boulder missed her by inches. Later, an oil painting fell and almost crushed her in bed. Upon discovering a bullet-hole in Nick's sun hat, Hercule Poirot decides the girl needs his protection. At the same time, he begins to unravel the mystery of a murder that hasn't been committed. Yet.
Agatha Christie's world-famous Miss Marple mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. It's seven in the morning. The Bantrys wake to find the body of a young woman in their library. She is wearing evening dress and heavy make-up, which is now smeared across her cheeks. But who is she? How did she get there? And what is the connection with another dead girl, whose charred remains are later discovered in an abandoned quarry? The respectable Bantrys invite Miss Marple to solve the mystery... before tongues start to wag.
Agatha Christie's masterpiece, and the best-selling murder mystery book of all time, celebrates its 80th birthday with this gorgeous hardback Special Edition. 'We're not going to leave the island. None of us will ever leave. It's the end, you see - the end of everything...' 1939. Europe teeters on the brink of war. Ten strangers are invited to Soldier Island, an isolated rock near the Devon coast. Cut off from the mainland, with their generous hosts Mr and Mrs U.N. Owen mysteriously absent, they are each accused of a terrible crime. When one of the party dies suddenly they realise they may be harbouring a murderer among their number. The 10 strangers include a reckless playboy, a troubled Harley Street doctor, a formidable judge, an uncouth detective, an unscrupulous mercenary, a God-fearing spinster, two restless servants, a highly decorated general and an anxious secretary. One by one they are picked off. Who will survive? And who is the killer? Copies of an ominous nursery rhyme hang in each room, the murders mimicking the awful fates of its 'Ten Little Soldier Boys'.
The owner of a seaside villa is plagued by strange feelings about its past... Soon after Gwenda moved into her new home, odd things started to happen. Despite her best efforts to modernise the house, she only succeeded in dredging up its past. Worse, she felt an irrational sense of terror every time she climbed the stairs... In fear, Gwenda turned to Miss Marple to exorcise her ghosts. Between them, they were to solve a 'perfect' crime committed many years before.
A young woman investigates an accidental death at a London tube station, and finds herself of a ship bound for South Africa...Pretty, young Anne came to London looking for adventure. In fact, adventure comes looking for her - and finds her immediately at Hyde Park Corner tube station. Anne is present on the platform when a thin man, reeking of mothballs, loses his balance and is electocuted on the rails. The Scotland Yard verdict is accidental death. But Anne is not satisfied. After all, who was the man in the brown suit who examined the body? And why did he race off, leaving a cryptic message behind: '17-122 Kilmorden Castle'?
Agatha Christie's world-famous serial killer mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. There's a serial killer on the loose, bent on working his way through the alphabet. And as a macabre calling card he leaves beside each victim's corpe the ABC Railway Guide open at the name of the town where the murder has taken place. Having begun with Andover, Bexhill and then Churston, there seems little chance of the murderer being caught - until he makes the crucial and vain mistake of challenging Hercule Poirot to frustrate his plans...
Agatha Christie's seasonal mystery thriller in a sumptuous Christmas Special Edition. 'There is, at Christmas, a spirit of goodwill. People who do not feel amiable are putting great pressure on themselves to appear amiable! If you dam the stream of natural behaviour, mon ami, sooner or later the dam bursts and a cataclysm occurs!' It is Christmas Eve. The Lee family reunion is shattered by a deafening crash of furniture, followed by a high-pitched wailing scream. Upstairs, the tyrannical Simeon Lee lies dead in a pool of blood, his throat slashed. But when Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the village with a friend for Christmas, offers to assist, he finds an atmosphere not of mourning but of mutual suspicion. It seems everyone had their own reason to hate the old man...
Agatha Christie's ingenious murder mystery, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. Beautiful Caroline Crale was convicted of poisoning her husband, yet there were five other suspects: Philip Blake (the stockbroker) who went to market; Meredith Blake (the amateur herbalist) who stayed at home; Elsa Greer (the three-time divorcee) who had roast beef; Cecilia Williams (the devoted governess) who had none; and Angela Warren (the disfigured sister) who cried 'wee wee wee' all the way home. It is sixteen years later, but Hercule Poirot just can't get that nursery rhyme out of his mind...
Agatha Christie's most famous murder mystery, reissued with a new cover to tie in with the hugely anticipated 2017 film adaptation. Just after midnight, a snowdrift stops the Orient Express in its tracks. The luxurious train is surprisingly full for the time of the year, but by the morning it is one passenger fewer. An American tycoon lies dead in his compartment, stabbed a dozen times, his door locked from the inside. Isolated and with a killer in their midst, detective Hercule Poirot must identify the murderer - in case he or she decides to strike again.
Agatha Christie's seasonal Poirot and Marple short story collection, reissued with a striking new cover designed to appeal to the latest generation of Agatha Christie fans and book lovers. First came a sinister warning to Poirot not to eat any plum pudding... then the discovery of a corpse in a chest... next, an overheard quarrel that led to murder... the strange case of the dead man who altered his eating habits... and the puzzle of the victim who dreamt his own suicide. What links these five baffling cases? The little grey cells of Monsieur Hercule Poirot!
Agatha Christie's seasonal Poirot and Marple short story collection in a new hardback special edition. First came a sinister warning to Poirot not to eat any plum pudding... then the discovery of a corpse in a chest... next, an overheard quarrel that led to murder... the strange case of the dead man who altered his eating habits... and the puzzle of the victim who dreamt his own suicide. What links these five baffling cases? The little grey cells of Monsieur Hercule Poirot!
An all-new collection of summer-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the holiday season. Summertime - as the temperature rises, so does the potential for evil. From Cornwall to the French Riviera, whether against a background of Delphic temples or English country houses, Agatha Christie's most famous characters solve even the most devilish of conundrums as the summer sun beats down. Pull up a deckchair and enjoy plot twists and red herrings galore from the bestselling fiction writer of all time. INCLUDES THE STORIES: The Blood-Stained Pavement The Double Clue A Death on the Nile Harlequin's Lane The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman Jane in Search of a Job The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim The Idol House of Astarte The Rajah's Emerald The Oracle at Delphi The Adventure of the Sinister Stranger The Incredible Theft
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Esprios Classics) by Agatha Christie
Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These carefully adapted versions are shorter with the language targeted at upper-intermediate learners (CEF level B2). Each reader includes: Audio with a reading of the adapted story Helpful notes on characters Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot A glossary of the more difficult words Recently, there have been some strange things happening at Styles, a large country house in Essex. Evelyn Howard, a loyal friend to the family for years, left the house after an argument with Mrs Inglethorp. Mrs Inglethorp is then suddenly taken ill and dies. Has she been poisoned? It is up to the famous Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, to find out what happened.
Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These readers have been carefully adapted using the Collins COBUILD grading scheme to ensure that the language is at the correct level for an intermediate learner. This book is Level 3 in the Collins ELT Readers series. Level 3 is equivalent to CEF level B1 with a word count of 11,000 - 20,000 words. Each book includes: * Full reading of the adapted version available for free online * Helpful notes on characters * Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot * A glossary of the more difficult words * Free online resources for students and teachers at www.collinselt.com/readers The plot: Poirot is on his way home to London on the famous Simplon Orient Express when a murder is committed. It is clear that no one entered or left the train, which means one of Poirot's fellow passengers must be guilty - but which one? And why would they have murdered a man they didn't know? Soon to be released as a major motion picture with stars including Kenneth Branagh, Johnny Depp, Judi Dench, Penelope Cruz and more About Collins ELT Readers Collins ELT Readers are divided into 7 levels: Level 1 - elementary (A2) Level 2 - pre-intermediate (A2-B1) Level 3 - intermediate (B1) Level 4 - upper- intermediate (B2) Level 5 - upper-intermediate+(B2+) Level 6 - advanced (C1) Level 7 - advanced + (C2) Each level is carefully graded to ensure that the learner both enjoys and benefits from their reading experience.
An all-new collection of winter-themed mysteries from the master of the genre, just in time for the festive period. There's a chill in the air and the days are growing shorter... It's the perfect time to curl up in front of a crackling fireplace with this winter-themed collection from legendary mystery writer Agatha Christie. But beware of deadly snowdrifts and dangerous gifts, poisoned meals and mysterious guests. This compendium of short stories, some featuring beloved detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, is an essential omnibus for Christie fans and the perfect gift for mystery lovers. INCLUDES THE STORIES: The Chocolate Box A Christmas Tragedy The Coming of Mr Quin The Mystery of the Baghdad Chest The Clergyman's Daughter The Plymouth Express Problem at Pollensa Bay Sanctuary The Mystery of Hunter's Lodge The World's End The Manhood of Edward Robinson Christmas Adventure
Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These readers have been carefully adapted using the Collins COBUILD grading scheme to ensure that the language is at the correct level for an intermediate learner. This book is Level 4 in the Collins ELT Readers series. Level 4 is equivalent to CEF level B2 with a word count of 20,000 - 26,000 words. Each book includes: * Full reading of the adapted version available for free online * Helpful notes on characters * Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot * A glossary of the more difficult words When famous actress Marina Gregg buys Gossington Hall, she wastes no time in introducing herself and her husband to their new neighbours by throwing a charity fete. Everyone is enjoying seeing around the beautiful house and gardens, until tragedy strikes - Heather Badcock has been poisoned. But who would want to kill Heather? And how, in the middle of a busy party, did they do it?
Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These readers have been carefully adapted using the Collins COBUILD grading scheme to ensure that the language is at the correct level for an intermediate learner. This book is Level 4 in the Collins ELT Readers series. Level 4 is equivalent to CEF level B2 with a word count of 20,000 - 26,000 words. Each book includes: * Full reading of the adapted version available for free online * Helpful notes on characters * Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot * A glossary of the more difficult words Hercule Poirot is enjoying a relaxing holiday when a glamorous actress arrives to join their group - then just two days later she is found murdered on a quiet, shaded beach. In his search for her murderer, Poirot quickly learns that beautiful Arlena Stuart was popular with men but mistrusted by women - he believes this murder was planned. It will take Poirot's mind to uncover the evil that happened on the beach that day.
Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These readers have been carefully adapted using the Collins COBUILD grading scheme to ensure that the language is at the correct level for an intermediate learner. This book is Level 4 in the Collins ELT Readers series. Level 4 is equivalent to CEF level B2 with a word count of 20,000 - 26,000 words. Each book includes: * Full reading of the adapted version available for free online * Helpful notes on characters * Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot * A glossary of the more difficult words Ten strangers are invited to a tiny island, each for a very different reason. Over dinner on the first night, a recorded message accuses each of the guests of a serious crime, all of which they deny. Then, by the end of that evening, one of the group is dead. A storm rises - now no one can come or go from the island. Then another dies, and another. The killer has to be one of them - but which one?
Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These readers have been carefully adapted using the Collins COBUILD grading scheme to ensure that the language is at the correct level for an intermediate learner. This book is Level 4 in the Collins ELT Readers series. Level 4 is equivalent to CEF level B2 with a word count of 20,000 - 26,000 words. Each book includes: * Full reading of the adapted version available for free online * Helpful notes on characters * Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot * A glossary of the more difficult words Poirot has a new challenge on his hands. The A B C murderer killed Mrs Ascher in Andover, then Betty Barnard in Bexhill, then moved on to Sir Carmichael Clarke in Churston - his pattern is clear. A B C even likes to write to Poirot and tell him where and when the next murder will be. So it should be easy to catch him, shouldn't it? 'Let us see, Mr Clever Poirot, just how clever you can be.'
Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Collins brings the Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, to English language learners. Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time and in any language. Now Collins has adapted her famous detective novels for English language learners. These readers have been carefully adapted using the Collins COBUILD grading scheme to ensure that the language is at the correct level for an intermediate learner. This book is Level 4 in the Collins ELT Readers series. Level 4 is equivalent to CEF level B2 with a word count of 20,000 - 26,000 words. Each book includes: * Full reading of the adapted version available for free online * Helpful notes on characters * Cultural and historical notes relevant to the plot * A glossary of the more difficult words An advertisement in the local newspaper announces that there is going to be a murder this evening at Little Paddocks - but this is news even to the people who live at Little Paddocks! Interested villagers and friends appear that evening - perhaps it's a game, they think The lights go out, there is silence, and then a gun is fired... It seems this was no game. Someone really has been murdered!
Marking exactly 100 years since the publication of Agatha Christie's first novel, this new edition includes a previously deleted chapter and a newly discovered essay, 'Drugs and Detective Stories', in which Agatha Christie reminisces about the inspiration for Poirot's first case. 'Beware! Peril to the detective who says: It is so small - it does not matter... Everything matters.' After the Great War, life can never be the same again. Wounds need healing, and the horror of violent death banished into memory. Captain Arthur Hastings is invited to the rolling country estate of Styles to recuperate from injuries sustained at the Front. It is the last place he expects to encounter murder. Fortunately he knows a former detective, a Belgian refugee, who has grown bored of retirement... 'Agatha Christie is the gateway drug to crime fiction thanks to her storytelling skills. Just one book is never enough...' VAL McDERMID 'What a writer. A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow.' ANDREW TAYLOR 'Agatha Christie must surely be the most imitated author in the entire canon of literature - what greater acclaim could there be?' PETER JAMES
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