Crime always pays, or at least, it did for Agatha Christie. Over 2 billion of her books have been sold, putting her behind only the Bible and Shakespeare. Being beating into third place by God and the greatest British writer ever – that’s not bad, is it?
It’s no surprise that fans are marking the 125th anniversary of Agatha’s birth with an International Agatha Christie Festival. On right now in her Torquay birthplace, there’s a stunning programme of readings, plays and walks based around her work. It’s open to all, and on for another week, so get down there if you can.
Agatha continues to attract devoted readers because her fiction has stood the test of time. While every book is a period piece, describing a slower, upper crust world that has long disappeared, her witty descriptions and twisting, fast-paced plots are a joy. I’ve devoured her books and derived inspiration from her writing, and I’m not the only one. The next generation of crime authors are flocking to the festival. Of all the talks lined up next week, perhaps the most interesting is Martin Edwards’ spotlight on the Golden Age of Murder (buy tickets here). Although Martin writes crime fiction himself (I love his series about Harry Devlin, a sardonic criminal lawyer), he also adores the detective fiction of the 20th century. Expect him to speak eloquently about Agatha Christie, Dorothy L Sayers and more. His book, also titled the Golden Age of Murder, is well worth reading if you can’t manage his talk in Torquay on Wednesday 16th September.
Agatha proved conclusively that women write great crime, so expect the Killer Women to host an entertaining debate on Saturday 19th September. They’re a group of bestselling female crime writers, including the inestimable Louise Voss – her suspenseful psychological thrillers are simply superb. Book tickets here.
At least if you can’t make it to Torquay, the looming Autumn nights are ideal for curling up on the sofa with a crime thriller, so why not revisit one of Agatha’s? My absolute favourite is Murder on the Orient Express. What’s yours? Let me know on Twitter – @AAAbbottStories!
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Inspired by Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, Kate Atkinson and more crime writers too numerous to mention, I’m a British writer of crime thrillers. You can read my short stories, and more, free here.
