Earl Grey Books

Today, September 15th, is Agatha Christie’s 130th birthday, and so to celebrate I thought I share my favourite books of hers so far.

I’ve been reading Christie since 2012, and so far I’ve read twenty of them so far with the hope of knocking a few more out this year. She’s my most-read author, and obviously, a favourite. She’s also a distant relative of mine through my Grandma, which is something I will brag about until the day I die.

But that’s not what today’s post is about, so let’s actually get into it.

And Then There Were None and Murder on the Orient Express

I’m combining these two together today because I talk about them all the time. They’re my two absolute favourites by Christie, and of course, they’re two of her best known as well. I always recommend that people start with one of these because I think they’re kind of the gateway into a full-blown Christie obsession. These both showcase her at her absolute best, but they also have a more nostalgic meaning to me as well. And Then There Were None was my first of hers, so it’s always going to have a special place.

Lord Edgware Dies

I want to preface the rest of this post by saying that I’ve been working through Poirot in order, so these are mostly about him (rather than Marple) and mostly the early ones. For me, a perfect Poirot book means a lot of him and Captain Hastings, who is legit one of my favourite characters in literature. I don’t know why I love him so much, but he provides me with endless entertainment. I adore the friendship between the two of them and this one is filled with some of their best moments so far. Plus, there’s a whole section in this book where Hastings pauses the narrative to go on this huge spiel about ladies hat and how much he knows about them. This is what I’m here for.

Peril at End House

This is the previous book in the series, but I consider it to be one of my top five Poirot’s so far. This has some of my favourite things to read about—it’s set in Cornwall and has a sort of creepy, Gothic house and feel to the whole story. I’m completely sold on all of that. Add in again those wonderful Poirot and Hastings moments and this almost my perfect book. It’s another one where Christie was really at the height of her powers, and while I’m not sure I’d recommend starting with this one, it’s definitely a good one to pick once you’re hooked on Christie.

The ABC Murders

The fact that so many Goodreads reviews of this (including my own) are just people cursing Christie for tricking them once again should let you know how good this one is. Christie doesn’t really do a lot of serial killers, at least not in the way you’d see on Criminal Minds or whatever these days, but this is probably her best. I have to admit it’s been almost six years since I read this one, so I’m a little blurry on the details but I just remember being blown away by it (and annoyed that she caught me again). This is one that I’ll be rereading next month as I continue by Poirot journey, so here’s hoping I enjoy it just as much this time around.

And there we are! Which Agatha Christie’s have you read?