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Agatha Christie has sold over two billion books worldwide, more than any other fiction writer in history. In fact, the only things that have outsold her are the Bible and the collected works of Shakespeare. There’s a good chance you’ve read one of her stories already, even if you can’t quite remember which.
She wrote her first novel on a bet with her sister and went on to build a career spanning more than 50 years, with 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections to her name.
If you’re new to her work, or just not sure which books are actually worth reading, this guide is a good place to start. We’ve ranked her ten best, broken down what makes her writing so addictive, and highlighted which editions might be sitting quietly on your shelves worth more than you think.
Agatha Christie was a British crime writer born in 1890 in Torquay, Devon, and is still the best-selling fiction author of all time.
She is best known for creating two of the most iconic detectives in literature: Hercule Poirot, a meticulous Belgian detective with a sharp eye for detail, and Miss Marple, an observant village woman who quietly unravels even the most complex cases.
Writing during what is now known as the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, Christie helped shape the modern mystery novel. Her books are known for clever twists, misdirection, and endings that are almost impossible to guess.
She was awarded a damehood in 1971, and according to Guinness World Records, her books have sold over two billion copies worldwide. Not bad for someone who reportedly wrote her first novel on a bet with her sister.
Christie’s writing style is one of the main reasons her books have never gone out of fashion. Her stories are easy to read, cleverly structured, and almost impossible to predict. There are a few things she does consistently well that set her apart from most other crime writers.
Christie doesn’t waste words. Her writing is clear and readable without feeling basic, which means even her longer novels rarely drag. Most can be read in a day or two, making them perfect for holidays or a quiet weekend.
This is what makes her stories so satisfying. Every clue you need is there on the page, but she’s so good at drawing your attention elsewhere that most readers miss them. The ending feels both shocking and obvious at the same time, which is much harder to pull off than it looks.
Christie was one of the first crime writers to really play with the idea that the narrator might not be telling the full truth. Some of her most famous novels rely on this completely, and it still catches readers off guard today.
Her stories aren’t driven by action. The tension comes from character, psychology, and the slow unravelling of secrets. Her detectives solve crimes by observing and thinking, which is part of what makes them so distinctive.
Many of her best books take place in settings where the suspects can’t leave, whether that’s a remote island, a snowbound train, or a country house. It creates a contained, high-pressure environment that keeps the tension building.
All of these elements are what make Christie’s books so memorable. The twists feel earned, the characters stay with you, and even when you think you’ve worked it out, she usually manages to prove you wrong. With that in mind, some of her novels stand out more than others.
With 66 detective novels to her name, Christie’s back catalogue can feel a little overwhelming. Some are stone-cold classics that have sold tens of millions of copies and never gone out of print. Others are quieter fan favourites that don’t always get the headlines but are loved by anyone who comes across them. And yes, a few are ones even her most devoted readers will quietly admit are not quite up to her usual standard.
The ten below are the ones that have stood the test of time. They’re still widely read, passed around between friends, and a big part of why Christie has stayed on bookshelves for over a century.
Top 10 Agatha Christie Books, Ranked
Best for: first time Christie readers who want to start with her very best
Ten strangers are invited to a remote island off the Devon coast by a mysterious host who never shows up. One by one, following a dark nursery rhyme, they begin to die. Nobody can leave. The killer is among them.
Often seen as Christie’s masterpiece, it’s easy to understand why. The plotting is tight, the tension builds steadily, and the ending still catches people off guard even if they think they’ve worked it out. It’s also a standalone, so you don’t need any prior knowledge of Poirot or Marple.
If you only ever read one Agatha Christie book, make it this one.
Best for: a twist you won’t see coming
This is the book that really made Christie’s reputation, and it still holds up as one of the boldest mysteries ever written. Roger Ackroyd is found stabbed in his study, and Poirot, now living quietly in the village, is drawn into the investigation.
What Christie does with the narrator here isn’t something we’re going to spoil, but the ending really does catch you off guard. All the clues are there from the start, and once you see it, you’ll want to go back and read it again with fresh eyes.
Best for: fans of a classic whodunit with one of the most famous twists in crime fiction
This is probably the Christie book most people recognise, even if they have never actually read it, thanks to the countless film and TV adaptations over the years. Poirot is travelling on the Orient Express when the train gets stuck in the snow and a passenger is found stabbed in his compartment. Everyone on board is a suspect and nobody is going anywhere.
The twist is one of the most famous in crime fiction and it still lands just as well today as it ever did. If you can, read the book before you watch any of the adaptations. There is something about Christie's writing that no film has ever quite managed to capture.
Best for: readers who want glamour, sunshine and a properly tangled plot
Poirot is on holiday in Egypt, cruising along the Nile, when a young woman is shot dead on board the boat. The problem is that almost everyone on the cruise had a reason to want her dead.
This is Christie at her most atmospheric. The Egyptian setting gives the whole book a rich, cinematic feel and the cast of suspects is one of her best. A love triangle sits at the heart of it and Christie uses it to build tension slowly before everything unravels in spectacular fashion.
Best for: readers who want something emotionally deeper than the average whodunit
This one is different from most Christie novels and all the better for it. A young woman hires Poirot to investigate the murder of her famous painter father, who died in prison sixteen years earlier after being convicted of poisoning his wife. She believes her mother was innocent.
Poirot investigates by interviewing five people who were present that summer and each of them tells the story differently. Christie gives us five unreliable accounts of the same events and asks the reader to work out what really happened. The ending is one of the most emotionally devastating she ever wrote.
Best for: miss Marple fans and anyone who has not yet read her
If And Then There Were None is the essential standalone and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd is the essential Poirot, then A Murder Is Announced is the essential Miss Marple. An unusual notice appears in the local paper announcing that a murder will take place at a specific address at a specific time. Curious neighbours turn up expecting a parlour game. What happens instead is considerably more serious.
Miss Marple is at her best here, quietly observant and several steps ahead of everyone else in the room. A great entry point for anyone who has not yet spent time with Christie's other great detective.
Best for: readers who want something darker and more unsettling
Christie herself said this was one of her personal favourites and it is easy to understand why. An elderly Greek millionaire is found poisoned in his vast family home and every member of his household has both motive and opportunity.
What makes this one stand out is the family at its centre. They are a strange, compelling group, and the darkness running through the book feels different from Christie’s usual tone. The ending is one of her most memorable, and more than a little disturbing.
Best for: readers who enjoy a serial killer thriller with a proper puzzle at its heart
A serial killer is working their way through the alphabet, leaving a copy of the ABC Railway Guide beside each body. The first victim was killed in Andover, the second in Bexhill, the third in Churston. Poirot receives warning letters before each murder and cannot stop them from happening.
This is one of Christie’s most gripping reads. It feels more modern than many of her other books and moves at a real pace. The solution plays a clever trick on the reader, and it all comes together in a very satisfying way.
Best for: long-time Poirot fans who want a proper send-off
Christie wrote this during the Second World War and locked it away for decades, asking that it only be published after her death. It was finally released in 1975, shortly before she died, and it caused a sensation.
Poirot and Hastings return to Styles, the country house where they met and solved their very first case together, now converted into a guest house. A series of apparent accidents has Poirot convinced that a murderer is at work, and what follows is one of the most quietly devastating stories Christie ever told. It is essential reading for anyone who has followed Poirot across his career, but do not read it until you have read several of the others first.
Best for: readers who want something completely different from Christie
This is not a Poirot novel. It is not a Marple novel. It is a standalone psychological thriller and it is unlike anything else Christie wrote. A young man with big dreams and no money falls in love with an heiress and together they build their dream house on a piece of land with a dark local reputation.
Christie herself considered this one of her best books and it deserves more attention than it usually gets. The tone is darker and more unsettling than her cosy mysteries and the ending will stay with you. If you have read most of the classics already, this is the one to pick up next.
A big fan of mystery novels? You might also enjoy our guide to some of the best mystery books.
You don’t need to read Christie in any strict order, and most of her books work as standalones. That said, it does make sense to leave certain ones until later, especially books like Curtain, which is Poirot’s final case.
If you’re not sure where to begin, here are a few easy starting points:
Agatha Christie books can be valuable, but it really depends on the edition. Most paperbacks you’ll come across aren’t especially rare, but some older copies can be worth more than you might expect.
If you’ve got older Christie books on your shelves, it’s worth checking a few things before assuming they’re just standard copies:
Early first editions with original dust jackets from the 1920s and 1930s can be worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds, but some particularly rare Christie books can be worth much more.
One of the most rarest is The Secret Adversary, Christie’s second novel, published by John Lane at the Bodley Head in 1922. A copy without its original dust jacket can be worth around £5,000, depending on its condition, while a copy with the original dust jacket has been estimated at around £80,000. The £80,000 figure is a professional estimate rather than a recorded auction price, so if a copy with its original dust jacket ever came to auction, it could potentially sell for even more.
The dust jacket can make a huge difference to the value of an early book. In the 1920s, dust jackets were generally made to protect the book rather than as something to keep, so many were thrown away. This makes surviving examples particularly rare. No copies of The Secret Adversary with its original dust jacket are currently known to be publicly available, although some are believed to be held in private collections.
For comparison, Charlie Watts, drummer of the Rolling Stones, sold his collection at Christie’s, where his copy of The Thirteen Problems with its dust jacket sold for £60,000.
Christie’s first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, is also extremely rare with its original dust jacket, with no known examples currently recorded. With some copies of The Secret Adversary and its original jacket known to exist in private collections, it is sometimes described as the “Holy Grail” of Agatha Christie books.
If you want to find out more about identifying first editions and what to look for, take a look at our guide on how to tell if a book is a first edition and what it could be worth.
And Then There Were None is a good place to start if you're new to Agatha Christie. It's a standalone mystery, so you don't need to know any of her characters or previous stories.
Murder on the Orient Express is one of Agatha Christie's most famous novels and features her detective Hercule Poirot. It has also been adapted for film and television several times.
And Then There Were None is widely regarded as Agatha Christie's best-selling novel and is one of the best-selling mystery novels of all time.
The value of an Agatha Christie book depends on factors including the edition, age, condition, whether it's a first edition, whether it's signed and whether it still has its original dust jacket. Particularly rare early editions can be worth thousands of pounds.
Some early Christie editions are exceptionally rare, particularly when they still have their original dust jackets. The Secret Adversary, her second novel, is one particularly rare example, with a copy retaining its original dust jacket professionally estimated at around £80,000.
For most of Christie's novels, no. Many of her books are standalone mysteries, so you can read them in almost any order. However, some books are better saved until later if you want to follow a detective's story, such as Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, which is Poirot's final case.
Agatha Christie books have a habit of multiplying on shelves. You pick one up, love it, grab another and suddenly you have got a whole collection you are not sure what to do with. Sound familiar?
If you are having a sort out, most standard Christie paperbacks are easy to sell and worth a quick check on the WeBuyBooks app. Just scan the barcode and you will get an instant valuation. And if you think you might have something a bit older or more unusual sitting in the pile, get in touch with our team directly. You might be surprised what it is worth.
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