Agatha Christie was a famous English writer known for her detective novels and plays. She created two iconic sleuths - the eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and elderly amateur sleuth Miss Marple. Poirot first appeared in 1920 and relied on his "little grey cells" to solve crimes, often assisting Scotland Yard's Inspector Japp. Miss Marple lived in the village of St. Mary Mead and drew on her observations of human nature to solve cases in 12 novels and 20 short stories. Christie published over 80 detective novels and stories during her career, becoming the best-selling novelist of all time with works like Murder on the Orient Express.