Agatha Christie....where to start?

[aperolspritzbasicbitch]

I'm thinking of reading my first Agatha Christie - any recommendations for what you would consider to be her 'best' book?

By the Pricking of my Thumbs as well. Creeeepy

We have all the books, very old editions.
(Also live in a little village of about 25 houses that has seen 4 murders over the last 100 years. I feel like that is quite a proportionally high amount.Very relate to Marple).

Which one is this?

I was hesitant about Miss Marple as I don't like the character on TV

Which tv version? Joan Hickson is the definitive Miss Marple. The others aren't a true representation of the character Agatha Christie wrote.

Another vote for sleeping murder. It’s very clever. Once you’ve read it the Joan Hickson BBC adaptation is also really good.

Murder in the Vicarage.

Which tv version? Joan Hickson is the definitive Miss Marple. The others aren't a true representation of the character Agatha Christie wrote.

Joan Hickson is the one I've seen and don't enjoy.

The first Poirot is The Mysterious Affair at Styles

@ChonkyRabbit you might enjoy one of the others then as they are very different. My favourite is Joan Hickson but my second favourite is Geraldine McEwan. Third is Julia McKensie.

And I adore David Suchet as Poirot.

I’m nearly done with The Big Four. Why on earth has no one made it into a film?!!?? It’s so good! I’m working my way chronologically through the Poirot books on Audible which is slightly cheating I know but they are such a good listen

Agree with the Mysterious Affair at Styles. It is the first Poirot and excellent!

I have read quite a few of her books and have a nice collection - I love kitsch covers and have a few Crime Club ones.

This year I am starting from the beginning - I was strictly Poirot but have done Murder at the Vicarage and am on The Body in the Library.

I have been trying audible for these (and for Sherlock Holmes) and have not been disappointed - so far I’ve had Richard E Grant and Stephanie Cole for the Marples and it’s been wonderful.

I am even doing some organised Agatha Christie events this year in Torquay which is very exciting.

That does sound exciting @AgualusasLover. Hope you have a good time. I've been to her beautiful house, Greenway.

@AgualusasLover I would love to go to the Agatha Christie festival. Let us know hiw it goes and whether you'd recommend. Have you listened to the Singing Christie's podcast? You might like that. The books about Agatha Christie by Mark Aldridge are very good.

For Miss Marple I love: The Moving Finger, Sleeping Murder, 4:50 from Paddington

For Poirot: Death on the Nile (which is my favourite of ALL her books), Murder on the Orient Express, Cat among the pigeons, Evil Under The Sun

Then, like many others, I think ‘And then there were none’ is a must read.

@Mylittlebobble i think those podcasters might be there actually. I was too intimidated by theme full festival in Sept (plus it clashes with the Jane Austen festival) but they have a nice one day event in Spring.

I have no idea at all what to expect.

My first was The Body in the Library, which is brilliant. The others that stick in my mind as awesome are The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, The Mysterious Affair at Styles and Murder in Mesopotamia.

Although now, about 35 years on, I couldn't tell you much about what happened in them 😂 Fingernails were significant.

That's the first one I ever read! I was totally gripped!