There’s also a less-than-subtle dig at Jews in Lord Edgware Dies (1933). The host of a lavish party he attended, Lord Caterham, made a casual reference to the “curious names these people have” and started calling him “Nosystein.” Other guests immediately followed suit, although they shortened the offensive moniker to “Nosy.” He’s a stereotypical Jewish financier with a large nose. The Secret of Chimneys (1925), for instance, included a supporting character named Herman Isaacstein. Unfortunately, there’s always been a questionable element to Christie’s writing, as she makes numerous references to Jews, Arabs, Catholics, blacks and others that are less than salient. Poirot’s appearance and proclivities made him stand out in a crowd, but his reputation proceeded him – and his detective skills were par excellence. James Japp, who help him on his adventures. He uses intelligence, human nature and logic to solve mysteries. Hercule Poirot, a brilliant, quirky and obsessive-compulsive Belgian detective, is the main character. The first Christie novel I ever read was Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (1938). It’s an intriguing tale of a murder that occurred on Christmas Eve. Her 1939 masterpiece, And Then There Were None, remains the world’s best-selling mystery novel, with over 100 million copies sold, and the play, The Mousetrap, has run continuously on London’s West End stage since 1952. Books involving her two most famous characters, Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple, are among the most widely read on any continent. But when her first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, came out in 1920, she never looked back.Ĭhristie’s 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections have sold over two billion copies and have been translated into 103 languages. Adam Dalgliesh) and, of course, Agatha Christie.Ī talented writer born into an upper-class British family in 1890, it took Christie seven attempts to become a published author. This includes the work of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (Sherlock Holmes), G.K.

Although I primarily read works of non-fiction, I’ve always had a soft spot for British mystery novels and detective fiction.

Carlotta adams poirot