What does the name 'Agatha Christie' mean? To many people, it means a book about a murder mystery - a 'whodunnit'. 'I'm reading an Agatha Christie,' people say. 'I'm not sure who the murderer is - I think it's ...' But they are usually wrong, because it is not easy to guess the murderer's name before the end of the book. But who was Agatha Christie? What was she like? Was her life quiet and unexciting, or was it full of interest and adventure? Was there a mystery in her life, too?

Many people enjoy reading murder mysteries, because they are puzzles. Can we guess the murderer's name before the detective tells us at the end of the book? Was the broken chair an accident, or is it an important clue? How did the murderer get into the house? Did he (or she) have a key? Why were there three coffee cups on the table? Agatha Christie's murder mysteries are famous all over the world. She wrote more than seventy books and they have sold millions of copies. There have been many television plays and films of her stories. Her detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, are famous too—a short round Belgian with a black moustache, and a dear little old lady, who sees, hears, and remembers everything.This is a story about Agatha Christie's life. What kind of person was she? How much do we know about her? She was rich, famous, and twice married. And there was a mystery in her life, too...

John Escot was born in the west of England, he has written a number of the books for readers of all ages, specializing in the creation gangster class and suspense stories. Apart from writing, he enjoys visiting used bookstores, watching old Hollywood movies, or take a walk on the empty beach.