Agatha Christie

Ten houseguests, trapped on an isolated island, are the prey of a diabolical killer. A famous nursery rhyme is framed and hung in every room of the mansion: Ten little Indian boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine ... When they realize that murders are occurring as described in the rhyme, terror mounts. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale?

A superb example of Christie drawing on real life events for her inspiration. Inspired by the horror of the true life serial killer Jack the Ripper, Christie sought to reduce the violence in The ABC Murders. She was more interested in mystery than horror. Was she wrong to do this? Would the book be better if the truly savage crimes of a serial killer were described in more detail? An ever changing society is depicted through the use of the railways....

"Miss Jane Marple has checked into Bertram's Hotel in London for a much-needed vacation. The last thing she expects is that this elegant establishment, know for its service and old-world charm, could be embroiled in scandal. But after a series of strange events--including the disappearence of a fellow guest, the arrival of a notorious celebrity bad boy, and finally, a shocking murder--she finds herself drawn into a multifaceted mystery. The hotel...

"Ablinding snowstorm - and a homicidal maniac - traps a small party of friends in an isolated estate. Out of this deceptively simple setup, Agatha Christie fashioned one of her most ingenious puzzlers, which in turn would provide the basis for The Mousetrap, the longest-running play in history ..."--

"Hercule Poirot rushes to France in response to an urgent and cryptic plea from a client. But the Belgian detective arrives just too late: the man who had summoned him is found dead on a golf course, stabbed in the back with a letter opener and wearing an ill-fitting coat with a mysterious love letter in its pocket. Strange circumstances multiply, culminating in the discovery of a second body stabbed with the same murder weapon. While the local authorities...

Hercule Poirot is summoned to solve a case involving the murder of a seductive woman accompanying a scientific party investigating the secrets of ancient Babylon.

After boarding a train at Paddington Station, Elspeth is certain she saw a man strangling a woman in an adjoining train. No one else believes it ever really happened-- except her friend Miss Jane Marple. And the indomitable sleuth is returning to the scene of the crime to discover just exactly what Elspeth saw.

When a shrewish stage star is found strangled at a posh island resort, detective Hercule Poirot is called in to investigate.

"Miss Marple senses danger when she visits a friend living in Stoneygates, a rehabilitation center. Her fears are confirmed when someone shoots at the administrator. Although he is not injured, a mysterious visitor is less fortunate--shot dead simultaneously in another part of the building. Pure coincidence? Miss Marple thinks not, and must use all her cunning to solve the riddle of the stranger's visit... and his murder"--Back cover.

Hercule Poirot, along with three other top detectives, is invited to a bridge party where they are challenged to spot four murderers.