Widely perceived as a writer of cosy, old-fashioned mysteries rooted in the interwar years, Agatha Christie was in fact one of the most culturally engaged authors of the 1960s.Far from being a relic of a bygone era, Christie lived at the heart of Swinging London, travelled the world into her seventies, and produced novels that responded directly to the decade's most seismic events: the Cold War, decolonisation, the sexual revolution, youth culture, nuclear ...

A new investigation from Dr Mark Aldridge, exploring a lifetime of Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple.Winner of the 2025 H.R.F Keating Award for the best 2024 biography or critical book related to crime fiction.In Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness,‘Agathologist’ Dr Mark Aldridge looks at nearly a century of St Mary Mead’s most famous resident and uses his own detective skills to uncover new information about Miss Jane ...

From the very first book publication in 1920 to the recent film release of Death on the Nile, this investigation into Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world’s favourite fictional detective.This book tells his story decade-by-decade, exploring his appearances not only in the original novels, short stories and plays but also across stage, screen and radio productions.Poirot has had near-permanent presence in the p...

This book is a comprehensive exploration of 90 years of film and television adaptations of the world’s best-selling novelist’s work. Drawing on extensive archival material, it offers new information regarding both the well-known and forgotten screen adaptations of Agatha Christie’s stories, including unmade and rare adaptations, some of which have been unseen for more than half a century. This history offers intriguing insights into the discussions and debates that surrounded many of these...

Reprinted for the first time in almost 90 years, this original novelisation of the very first Agatha Christie film is a unique record of the Queen of Crime’s movie debut and a bold attempt to turn one of her favourite short stories into a thrilling silent movie.Who poisoned the cruel and sinister Professor Appleby? Derek Capel, his neighbour, in love with the Professor’s wife, Eleanor? Vera, the house-parlourmaid, Appleby’s mistress? Or was it Eleanor Appleby herself? All three cou...

Widely perceived as a writer of cosy, old-fashioned mysteries rooted in the interwar years, Agatha Christie was in fact one of the most culturally engaged authors of the 1960s.Far from being a relic of a bygone era, Christie lived at the heart of Swinging London, travelled the world into her seventies, and produced novels that responded directly to the decade's most seismic events: the Cold War, decolonisation, the sexual revolution, youth culture, nuclear ...

From the very first book publication in 1920 to the recent film release of Death on the Nile, this investigation into Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world’s favourite fictional detective.This book tells his story decade-by-decade, exploring his appearances not only in the original novels, short stories and plays but also across stage, screen and radio productions.Poirot has had near-permanent presence in the p...

A new investigation from Dr Mark Aldridge, exploring a lifetime of Agatha Christie’s Miss Jane Marple.Winner of the 2025 H.R.F Keating Award for the best 2024 biography or critical book related to crime fiction.In Agatha Christie’s Marple: Expert on Wickedness,‘Agathologist’ Dr Mark Aldridge looks at nearly a century of St Mary Mead’s most famous resident and uses his own detective skills to uncover new information about Miss Jane ...

There's so much more to Ray's on-screen tough-guy image, and his path to the top has been anything but plain sailing. He was every inch the rebel in his youth and was even a London schoolboy boxing champion; but he always had an affinity for acting. Deciding to pursue his dream through drama school, he soon found himself an outsider and was expelled. But he managed to blag his way into an audition for what would prove to be his big break -- his cocky, aggressive boxer's gait making him per...

In the summer of 2013 David Suchet will film his final scenes as Hercule Poirot. After 24 years in the role, he will have played the character in every story that Agatha Christie wrote about him (bar one, deemed unfilmable) and he will bid adieu to a role and a character that have changed his life.In Poirot and Me, David Suchet tells the story of how he secured the part, with the blessing of Agatha Christie's daughter, and set himself the task of presenting the most authen...

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a gothic novella by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson first published in 1886. The work is also known as The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, or simply Jekyll & Hyde. It is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll, and the evil Edward Hyde. The novella's impact is such that it has become a part of the language, with the ver...

A unique memoir by Sir Michael Parkinson, reflecting on 100 of the most legendary encounters by the man who has met everyone who is someone.Sir Michael Parkinson occupies a unique place in the public consciousness. For many he is the chronicler of a generation. Through his onscreen work and his intelligent, thought provking journalism, he has introduced millions of people to the major names of sport of showbiz over the past five decades. In Parky's People, Parkinso...