No one writes a murder plot better than Agatha Christie. She’ll keep you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out who did it.
You’ll flip through the book until the pages wear out and your eyes ache, but the end will be worth it.
The best selling novelist of all time and her popular detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple will take you on some thrilling rides.
Whether it’s your first time or you’re a frequent Christie reader, there are some books that you don’t want to miss. Let’s check them out.
1. The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Knowing too much can get you in a grave.
That’s what Roger Ackroyd wished he knew earlier. He never expected that his fiance would get blackmailed into committing suicide. And he definitely didn’t expect that someday, he’d be the victim of a murder crime.
Yet, he should’ve known that life is unpredictable. He learned his lesson the hard way when he was stabbed in the neck while sitting in his study.
The situation quickly escalated, and our favorite detective was called to town to solve the mystery.
When Hercule Poirot arrives, he declares everyone guilty until proven otherwise. The town is knocked off its feet, and the truth unravels.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd was voted as the ‘Best Crime Novel of all Time’, and it’s totally worthy. Although it’s only Poirot’s third case, the stunning ending of this mystery labeled it as one of Christie’s masterpieces.
2. Endless Night
When a fortune-teller warns you against a cursed land, you should pack your things up and leave. That’s what Michael Rogers and his wife, Ellie Gutman didn’t do. And it’s what they wished they did.
All it takes is one unfortunate couple ignoring a warning, and all hell breaks loose. When a series of murders occur, Rogers starts thinking they should’ve listened, but it’s already too late.
Endless Night is one of Christie’s last books. She was well into her seventies when she wrote it, but it didn’t affect her ability to create an interesting crime a bit. This time, she took the story in a different direction and included a love story to spice things up.
Christie claimed this book as her favorite, although she broke her rules and didn’t start the crime until the middle of the book.
We understand where she’s coming from, though. The plot twist towards the end of the book had us all astonished.
3. Peril at End House
Detective Poirot thought that he’d have a peaceful vacation at Cornwall. He didn’t think he’d spend his time investigating a murder that was yet to occur. However, life had other plans for him.
Our favorite detective met Magdala Buckly during his vacation. Seeing how she was exposed to a series of unfortunate events, Poirot became sure that someone was out to get her. That’s why he accompanied her to her private estate, the End House.
Magdala hosts a party, and a murder occurs. But is it the one they expected? You’ll be surprised.
Once again, Agatha Christie pulls us into a novel of smart misdirection. She drops subtle clues, and when you think you’ve got Peril at End House all figured out, she stuns you with the truth.
4. The ABC Murders
The ABC Murders’ killer was different from his predecessors. He took a methodical approach to his crime; targeting victims according to the alphabetical order of their initials.
In addition to that, he refused to commit his crime out of nowhere. Instead, he sent a letter with the time and location of his next murder.
Did it prevent the crime from happening, though? You should know the answer by now.
Poirot was racing time to prevent the D murder, after A, B, and C were murdered.
Not only that, but he also wanted to score a win in the challenge thrown to his face. As always, he’ll turn out to be cleverer than all of us.
Christie’s books teach you to stay on guard against your mind’s assumptions. No matter how much you think about it, the solution is always unexpected, yet totally logical.
The ABC Murders wasn’t just a crime story, it was the cornerstone for all the serial killer stories that would later follow.
5. Five Little Pigs
This crime was different, even for Hercule Poirot. Instead of investigating a murder, he finds himself trying to prove the innocence of a woman who’s already dead.
In addition, to make it harder on him, there were five witnesses on the case.
Carolina Crale spent a lifetime in prison; convicted for killing her husband. After her death, her daughter bled her mother’s innocence and urged Poirot to look into the matter.
Afterward, the five witnesses took it to themselves to write their own versions of what happened.
Poirot doesn’t know why he can’t keep the ‘five little pigs’ nursery rhyme out of his head, and it turns out to be the keystone in solving the mystery.
In Five Little Pigs, Agatha Christie managed to amaze the readers without the need for a complicated storyline. It only took her a limited selection of characters, a nursery rhyme, and one genius detective.
6. And Then There Were None
Ten strangers on an island, alone. Each with a hidden dark secret, and a murderer set loose between them. How do you think this should end?
Upon arriving, they expect to find their host. Instead, they’re met with an abandoned place. To their horror, they start dying one by one. Then, there were none.
Will the murderer be unmasked before they all die? The ending will knock you off your feet.
The book has gained much popularity for a reason. Christie’s narration of the plot will make you feel as if you’re seeing it eye to eye. Plus, the uncanny urge to get an explanation will keep you thrilled.
Christie took a different approach to this book, writing every murder in intricate details. She stated that And Then There Were None was one of the hardest books to write because the buildup took a lot of thinking.
However, it resulted in a masterpiece that’s considered one of her best storylines.
7. Murder on The Orient Express
A speedy train, a homicide case, and twelve passengers; each with a motive for murder. Agatha Christie needed no more to create a perfectly paced crime plot.
On its second night, the Orient Express witnessed a gory murder on-board. Mr. Ratchet was stabbed by a knife multiple times in his own bed.
Not only that, but the door to his cell was also closed from the inside. Spooky, isn’t it?
To add to the mystery, the train had to stop for the night because of a heavy snowfall.
So, with no way through, Hercule Poirot starts investigating the matter, hoping to find a clue of the murderer on-board.
Murder On The Orient Express, in particular, is one of the most unique works of Christie. It adopts an interesting lifestyle of train travel. Plus, its ending is one of Christie’s most remarkable surprises.
8. A Murder is Announced
A mysterious announcement states that a murder is to happen at Mrs. Blacklock’s house at a specific time. Curiosity killed the cat, but it didn’t prevent the villagers from going to the pre-assigned crime scene.
Without warning, the lights go out, and a shot fires. Then, the guests find themselves witnesses to a chilling murder.
Miss Marple joins the perplexed villagers in solving the crime. And when they think the murderer had enough, more killings occur, steering the plot into an even more interesting direction.
Christie’s 50th novel was a true masterpiece. A Murder is Announced still stands today as one of the best crime novels, even though it was written 70 years ago.
It also contains some of the most shocking red herrings of her novels.
9. The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Christie’s debut into the literary world had to be special. The Mysterious Affair at Styles gets more interesting as motives unravel and truths come to light.
The plot leads you to an unexpected turn of events that involves an affair, a family suspect, and a poisoned woman.
Mrs. Emily Inglethorpe was poisoned in her own room. Yet, the killer wasn’t completely heartless. He/She left some clues for Hercule Poirot to work on.
Will they make his mission easier, though? We know better than that.
Poirot gets into a race with time, trying to get to the murderer before losing his own life in the process. Then, as usual, he has us stunned by an unpredictable ending.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles proved to be a huge success for Poirot’s character, who became a major part of Christie’s legacy later on. And as usual, Christie made great use of her red herrings.
10. Curtain
Christie leads an old, immobile Hercule Poirot to a final showdown. Will his last case be as remarkable as his first one? It won’t stray far from it.
Curtain has an interesting back story. Christie wrote it during World War II, fearing that she’d die amid the bombing. Not only that, but she also decided to make it Poirot’s last case, setting its events at Styles; the same place as his first one.
She locked the novel in a vault until she decided to take it out only one year prior to her death. So, while people waited for a mediocre book from the aging woman, she knocked them senseless with a new masterpiece.
The book has a sentimentality to it, known to contain Poirot’s last work before his death. However, this didn’t take the attention away from the series of murders that take place in the story, carried out by Mr. X.
Poirot makes it his last mission on earth to catch the anonymous Mr. X. And he does a great job at it.
The Complete List of Agatha Christie’s Novels
Hercule Poirot
● The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920)
● The Murder on the Links (1923)
● The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926)
● The Big Four (1927)
● The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928)
● Black Coffee (1930)
● Peril at End House (1932)
● Lord Edgware Dies (1933)
● Murder on the Orient Express (1934)
● Three Act Tragedy (1934)
● Death in the Clouds (1935)
● The ABC Murders (1936)
● Murder in Mesopotamia (1936)
● Cards on the Table (1936)
● Death on the Nile (1937)
● Dumb Witness (1937)
● Appointment with Death (1938)
● Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (1938)
● One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (1940)
● Sad Cypress (1940)
● Evil Under the Sun (1941)
● Five Little Pigs (1942)
● The Hollow (1946)
● Taken at The Flood (1948)
● Mrs. McGinty’s Dead (1952)
● After the Funeral (1953)
● Hickory Dickory Dock (1955)
● Dead Man’s Folly (1956)
● Cat Among the Pigeons (1959)
● The Clocks (1963)
● Third Girl (1966)
● Hallowe’en Party (1969)
● Elephants Can Remember (1972)
● Curtain (1975)
Miss Marple
● The Murder at the Vicarage (1930)
● The Body in the Library (1942)
● The Moving Finger (1942)
● A Murder is Announced (1950)
● They Do it With Mirrors (1952)
● A Pocket Full of Rye (1953)
● 4:50 From Paddington (1957)
● The Mirror Crack’d (1962)
● A Caribbean Mystery (1964)
● At Bertram’s Hotel (1965)
● Nemesis (1971)
● Sleeping Murder (1976)
Tommy and Tuppence
● The Secret Adversary (1922)
● Murder is Easy (1939)
● N or M? (1941)
● By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968)
● Postern of Fate (1973)
Stand-Alone
● The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)
● Giant’s Bread (1930)
● The Sittaford Mystery (1931)
● Unfinished Portrait (1934)
● Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? (1934)
● And Then There Were None (1939)
● Absent in the Spring (1944)
● Death Comes as the End (1944)
● Sparkling Cyanide (1945)
● The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948)
● Crooked House (1949)
● They Came to Baghdad (1951)
● A Daughter’s Daughter (1952)
● Destination Unknown (1954)
● The Burden (1956)
● Ordeal by Innocence (1958)
● The Pale Horse (1961)
● Endless Night (1967)
● 13 at Dinner (1969)
● Passenger to Frankfurt (1970)
● The Murder at Hazelmoor (1984)
Closing Thoughts
Agatha Christie managed to amaze us in every single one of her books. You grab any book with her name on it; you know that you’ll have the time of your life trying to reveal a mystery.
Additionally, even though many of her books adapt the same misleading style, you find yourself getting tricked every time, with no clue of the real murderer.
Out of all her published novels, the ten books on our list contain her most thrilling storylines. You won’t regret grabbing any of them to read during your time off.