Agatha Christie was a famous British crime writer born in 1890 who created two iconic detective characters, Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. She wrote 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections featuring these characters between 1920 and 1976. Poirot was a neat and orderly Belgian detective who preferred to use logic and reasoning to solve crimes, while Marple was an elderly woman living in the English village of St. Mary Mead who used her observations of human nature to solve mysteries. Christie is considered the most important writer in the detective genre and her books have sold over 4 billion copies worldwide, more than any other author.

1. Agatha Christie

2. Contents Introduction Life story Creation Hercule Poirot Miss Jane Marple

3. Introduction Agatha Christie was an British crime writer 15. september 1890 – 12. january 1976 She is remembered for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections (Hercule Poirot, Miss Jane Marple) Pen name – Mary Westmacott She is considered the most important and innovative writer in the detective genre

4. Agatha Christie

5. Lifestory She was born in England, maiden name Agatha May Clarissa Miller Educated by her mother, learned how to read on her own During World War I, she worked as a Red Cross nurse Married to Archibald Christie in 1914, they had one daughter but they devorced shortly Met Max Mallowan and lived happily together for 46 years

6. Lifestory To honour her many literary works, she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1956 In 1957 she became the President of the Detection Club From 1971 to 1974, Christie's health began to fail She died at the age of 85, buried in the yard of St Mary's, Cholsey An autobiography of Agatha Christie was published in 1977

7. Agatha Christie with Max Mallowan

8. Creation First novel – „The Mysterious Affair at Styles“ was published in 1920. The book included the character Hercule Poirot The other well-known character Miss Marple was introduced in „The Tuesday Night Club“ in 1927 During the Second World War she wrote two novels - „Curtain“ and „Sleeping Murder“ Several of her works were made into successful feature films, the most notable being „Murder on the Orient Express“ (1974) Her work has been translated into more than a hundred languages

9. Creation In all, she wrote over 66 novels, numerous short stories and screenplays, and a series of romantic novels Her books have sold about 4 billion copyes Signature

10. Creation

11. Hercule Poirot It's Agatha Christie's best known character Poirot is a very neat and orderly man, and he has a habit of straightening things. In solving a case, Poirot prefers not to hunt around on his knees Sherlock Holmes-style, but rather, to sit and use his "little gray cells." Hercule Poirot is appearing in 33 novels and 51 short stories By 1930, Agatha Christie found Poirot "insufferable", and by 1960 she felt that he was a "detestable, tiresome, ego-centric little creep". Yet the public loved him, and Christie refused to kill him off, claiming that it was her duty to produce what the public liked.

12. Hercule Poirot In the novels, Poirot was described as a short man, with an egg-shaped head and a big black mustache. He was extremly neat- he's friend captain Hastings said that a peck of dust on Poirot's shit would've worried him more than a bulletwound David Suchet as Hercule Poirot

13. Miss Jane Marple Fictional character who appears in 12 of Agatha Christie's crime novels and in 20 short stories Miss Marple is based on Christie's grandmother She is an elderly woman who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur but skillful detective Jane Marple in the first Miss Marple book, „The Murder at the Vicarage“, is different from how she appears in later books. This early version of Miss Marple is a gleeful gossip and not an especially nice woman. In later books she becomes more modern and a kinder person.

14. Miss Jane Marple Although she looks like a sweet, frail old woman, Miss Marple is not afraid of dead bodies and is not easily intimidated Joan Hickson as Miss Marple