Anyone’s who’s read a detective story of the modern murder mystery will recognize a scenario where a body drops and the puzzle regarding who committed the crime in the book is the main focus. Nobody does a scintillating twist in a whodunit narrative quite like Agatha Christie (1890-1976). So much so that experts have analyzed the method, motive, and location in her books to work out how to deduce the killer before detectives from her much-loved works even do. Only a few have managed the feat.
Every time you look for words to aptly describe the “Queen of Crime,” you fall short. Before her demise, the prolific English novelist and playwright had written 80 novels, 66 of which were detective novels and 14 were collections of short stories. Christie also wrote 14 plays and six romance novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. Agatha Christie was the first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award.
Diehard fans of Agatha Christie delight in stories of intrigue, adventure, and mystery. Her twisted tales revolve around 2 of the most enduring figures in fictional crime: detectives Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot. Christie’s previous works at hospital pharmacies during world war 1 heavily influence most of her written work which features murder through poison. Although murder mystery is still a well-explored genre today, it’s the golden age of the murder mystery genre that catapulted her to fame.
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What is Agatha Christie’s best selling book?
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the very accomplished Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie is the best selling author of all time and the best selling writer of any kind, along with William Shakespeare. She’s the most translated individual author, having sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation.
And Then There Were None is Agatha Christie’s best selling title with approximately 100 million copies sold to date, making it the world’s best selling mystery ever and one of the best selling books of all time. As one of the most widely read novelists in history, Agatha Christie remains an inspiration for several of today’s best selling writers who’ve dared follow in her illustrious footsteps.
Who narrates Agatha Christie?
A star-studded team of narrators, actors, and performers narrate audiobooks by Agatha Christie, which are already plenty to choose from her extensive catalog. However, there are key narrators you cannot afford not to mention. The productions are either dramatized or unabridged versions.
If you want to enjoy the full unabridged versions, Hugh Fraser (English actor, theatre director, and author) performs over 60 of Christie’s stories of murder and mayhem. Hugh Fraser is known for his role as Captain Hastings on the television series adaptation Agatha Christie’s Poirot. It’s not an easy feat. He attributes his astonishing performances to Christie’s exceptional writing.
Captain Hastings would solve crimes with eponymous detective Hercule Poirot who David Suchet played in the series. David Suchet, who’s really the star of the Tv series, also narrates many of the unabridged Poirot novels and there have been more recent productions well read by narrators such as Emelia Fox.
Notably, BBC Radio produces her most dramatized productions, including the Poirot and Marple novels and other mystery novels she produced. John Moffatt is at the center of it as Hercule Poirot, while June Whitfield delivers a compelling performance as Miss Marple. These dramatized productions are great if you want a delightful distraction while doing chores. We’ll talk more about the narrators below.
Which Agatha Christie audiobooks are a must-listen?
It isn’t easy to pick out the best Agatha Christie audiobooks for a simple reason; they’re really good. Agatha Christie ensured that with each title release, she continues to engross audiences. We’ll try to, though.
These are our best Agatha Christie audiobook recommendations:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Where it all started. If you’re on the hunt for your next supremely satisfying whodunnit, Christie’s first published title comes highly recommended. Agatha Christie introduces us to the well-respected and eccentric Belgian investigator Hercule Poirot, his friend Captain Hastings, and a tangled plot. The Belgian refugee has just moved to England and settling near the home of Emily Inglethorp, an elderly owner who helps him with his new life. The household at Styles Court, where Captain Hastings now stays, wakes to the tragic discovery that owner Emily Inglethorp has been poisoned to death.
Length: 6 hours 16 minutes
Where it all started. If you’re on the hunt for your next supremely satisfying whodunnit, Christie’s first published title comes highly recommended. Agatha Christie introduces us to the well-respected and eccentric Belgian investigator Hercule Poirot, his friend Captain Hastings, and a tangled plot. The Belgian refugee has just moved to England and settling near the home of Emily Inglethorp, an elderly owner who helps him with his new life. The household at Styles Court, where Captain Hastings now stays, wakes to the tragic discovery that owner Emily Inglethorp has been poisoned to death.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles is told from Hasting’s point of view, whose character is lively and endearing. Hastings enlists the help of his friend, who has a knack for getting embroiled in a mystery, to solve this murder. The Belgian discovers that the suspects in the household are plentiful and have every motive to murder Emily so as to inherit her vast amount of wealth. The secrets they desperately wish to remain hidden unfold as Poirot tackles them one by one.
In the more recent version, Richard Armitage’s rendering of the incredible plot twists and how his voice changes easily from character to character is amazing to listen to. But it’s the introduction to Hugh Fraiser in Agatha Christie audiobooks that stands out. His expert reading adds to the growing suspense. This novel explains why Agatha Christie’s audiobooks have earned her a well-deserved reputation as the queen of mystery.
And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie’s murder mystery stories never get old. This book sits right at the very top in terms of breathtaking content and the world’s best seller rankings. Agatha Christie introduces us to a baffling mystery, suspense, and downright frightening tale of 10 strangers whose very many red herrings and plot twists will lodge themselves into the very darkest corner of your mind.
Length: 6 hours 1 minute
An assortment of 10 unsuspecting strangers is lured to a private island as weekend guests by a mysterious someone. Why would they go?? As they try to figure out the connection between them, the scene is soon littered with bodies. What you’ll have to figure out is the order of the 10 deaths and the murder weapon. The murders match the lines of a famous nursery rhyme framed and hung in every room of the mansion. Terror mounts, alliances shift, and hidden secrets come to the fore. And only the dead are above suspicion.
In typical Agatha Christie audiobooks fashion, you develop a very distinct opinion on which character was right and who was wrong in this wonderful tale. The masterful reading by Dan Stevens (who also narrates the classic Murder on the Orient Express) makes the listener understand the connections and the reason behind the killings. You’ll hang on to every word Dan Stevens voices through this astonishing performance.
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Billed to be one of her most controversial mysteries, The Murder of Roger Ackroyd breaks all traditional rules of mystery writing and establishes itself as a classic of its genre. The striking plot of this genre-bending intrigue surprises each new generation of Agatha Christie audiobooks listeners.
Length: 6 hours 54 minutes
Christie is known for hiding her plot secrets in plain sight and her artful misdirection of the reader to latch onto and create their own hypotheses has earned her a legion of fans. Some critics argue that the author had no idea who the killer was and just made up the innovative twist ending at the last moment. But to her defense, Agatha Christie had deftly provided just enough hints of the killer’s identity for the listener to work out the solution. Her fanbase and publishers alike have been careful to guard the identity of the murderer…
Hercule Poirot comes out of retirement as the lead detective where the death of Roger Ackroyd stuns the village of King Abbot. It’s barely 24 hours since the wealthy widow, Mrs. Ferrars, whom Roger had relations with, unexpectedly commits suicide after being blackmailed for her husband’s death. Ackroyd confides in James Sheppard about the blackmail, but just when he’s about to reveal the blackmailer from the contents of a suicide note, he puts the letter aside to read alone. Before he even finishes reading it, Ackroyd is stabbed to death. Later that night, Sheppard allegedly receives a call from Ackroyd’s butler, informing him of Ackroyd’s gruesome murder.
Sheppard details the whole story in the first person, ostensibly writing an account of the case for Poirot’s use but carefully leaves out gaps for the listener to fill. The complex case revolves around sprawling characters who give detective Hercule Poirot “little grey cells” a hard time before he finally arrives at the startling conclusion.
Hugh Fraiser’s wonder range to his voice is a treat that continues to dazzle listeners. He brilliantly captures the complex characters in such a soothing manner. John Moffatt narrates the dramatized version.
Death on the Nile
Death on the Nile is a story of love, jealousy, and betrayal that has been adapted to Tv, radio, a graphic novel, and soon to be a major motion picture sequel to Kenneth Branagh’sMurder on the Orient Express.
Length: 7 hours 59 minutes
The story by Agatha Christie follows the egotistic and eccentric Belgian detective Hercule Poirot to Egypt for an adventure of a lifetime. As previously mentioned, Christie frequently used familiar settings for her stories and this audiobook draws inspiration from her own trips to Egypt. Wealthy socialite Linnet Ridgeway is shot and killed during a cruise along the Nile. She’s just married her friend’s fiancee’ and headed off on their honeymoon to Egypt. Poirot has to cut his own vacation short to investigate Linnet’s murder on the same ship. But pressure mounts as more bodies pile on.
David Suchet is the best Poirot portrayer by far. And since David Suchet knows his character so well, his masterful narration of the incredible Death on the Nile is heaven.
The Murder at the Vicarage
The clues are all there in the book, but you will miss them. Except you are the beloved detective Jane Marple. She makes her debut in The Murder at the Vicarage, but you can listen to Miss Marple’s audiobooks in any order. All original Miss Marple murder mystery novels by the author were adapted into the British Tv series Miss Marple which Joan Hickson starred in.
Length: 8 hours 12 minutes
The audiobook Murder at the Vicarage details the story of the murder of Colonel Lucius Protheroe, who is loathed by all and sundry. But the most likely suspect is the clergyman because it happens at the vicarage. Also, the man of the cloth had made a careless remark wishing upon the colonel’s death just a few hours prior to his murder. Words that would come back and haunt the clergyman. Miss Marple makes it clear that there’s no shortage of suspects as multiple people had previously taken great pleasure in describing how they would kill Protheroe.
Raise your glass of something to the great Richard E Grant cozy stand-out rendering. His incredible command of distinctive voices that give so much life to each character in this Agatha Christie book cements him as one of the all-time greats.
A Murder Is Announced
An announcement of where and when a murder will occur is advertised in Chipping Cleghorn’s local gazette leaving the villagers curious enough to mark attendance. The villagers couldn’t resist the invitation to show up at Little Paddocks, and true to the ad’s warning, a murder does happen. At exactly 6.30 p.m. on a fateful evening, lights go out and a gun goes off. Panic ensues and when the lights return, the man with a gun is dead. The police declare the mysterious death of Rudi Scherz as suicide or robbery that goes wrong. But not everyone is convinced. And so Jane Marple is called in to solve the mysterious events.
Length: 8 hours and 56 minutes
Some of the author’s clues are clear but more subtle. The rich plot pulls you along right to the dramatic reveal at the end. It’s a treat!
Emilia Fox narrates the misdirections and red herrings that are too many to keep up with but enough to keep you guessing. The tones and inflections match the attitude of the cast of characters developed by Agatha Christie at different times.
There’s more…
There are still innumerable audiobooks weaved by author Agatha Christie that couldn’t make the list but still classics in their own right. Books that get you hooked on either the protagonist, the antihero, the assembled cast of compelling, unique characters, or the powerful reading by elite narrators who will have you listening at the edge of the seat. If you can’t get enough of “The Queen of Crime” at her dazzling best, here’s more.
Agatha Christie continues to delight fans in:
- The ABC Murders – The form of the novel is unusual, combining 1st person narrative and 3rd person narrative. It’s known for the birth of serial killer plots. Hugh Fraser delivers outstanding performance, as usual.
- Sleeping Murder: Miss Marple’s Last Case – The story of newlywed Gwenda Reed who decides to buy a home but discovers odd things happening in the house. Miss Marples comes to investigate. English actor Stephanie Cole narrates delights listeners with her various accents. The book was published posthumously.
- Miss Marple’s Final Cases – Six gripping cases that focus on an elderly Miss Marple. Joan Hickson breathes life into one of her final compelling works.
- The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories– A short story that makes for a perfect weekend as Hugh Fraser and Christopher Lee team up for a majestical reading.
- The Secret Adversary– Agatha Christie introduces a young Brit couple engaged to marry, whom she features in three other audiobooks and one collection of short stories. Hugh Fraiser superbly portrays the characters of detectives Tommy and Tuppence as they venture to uncover the disappearance of Jane Finn.