In addition to many Christie-inspired spoofs and pastiches, from Murder by Death to Knives Out, Agatha Christie’s work has also influenced multiple serious detective stories. Christie popularised the country house mystery, and the trope of gathering all the suspects together in one place for the denouement is strongly associated with Christie’s work.

But who was Agatha Christie? Who was Agatha Christie?Īgatha Christie’s work was hugely influential, not only on the detective genre, but on broader popular culture she’s been parodied in everything from The Simpsons to Muppets Tonight. I’ve loved Agatha Christie’s work ever since I watched my first episode of Poirot starring David Suchet (one of the best castings in literary adaptation history), and spent lockdown rereading my favourite Christie mysteries. In her long and prolific career, Christie wrote 66 novels and 14 short story collections, as well as several plays, one of which, The Mousetrap, is the longest-running play in history.

With its tense atmosphere and unexpected twists, Chapter 1 of 'The Unexpected Guest' is a strong opening to this classic Agatha Christie mystery.The Queen of Crime, the creator of Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple, the best-selling novelist of all time - even people who don’t read detective novels know the name Agatha Christie. The chapter sets the stage for the mystery to unfold and provides an introduction to the key players in the story. In the following pages of the chapter, we see Richard struggling to clear Laura's name and prove her innocence, as he tries to piece together the events of the evening and determine who the real culprit could be. He comforts her and calls the police, but when they arrive, they suspect Laura of being the murderer. Richard is initially stunned by the sight but soon realizes that the woman, Laura Welman, is in a state of shock and requires his help. He finds the front door open and walks into a room where he discovers a woman standing over the body of her dead husband, Gregory Banks. Get this Audiobook for FREE NOW! 🎁 30-Day Free Trial → Click Here: Ĭhapter 1 of 'The Unexpected Guest' by Agatha Christie opens with the introduction of the main character, Richard Abernethie, who has just arrived at a house in the countryside of England, under mysterious circumstances.

4 by Agatha Christie