An Alibi for 2024: A Year with Agatha Christie
by Jessica Jones
As the new year unfolds, I'm embarking on an extraordinary literary journey, a tribute to both the genius of Agatha Christie and the cherished bond I share with my grandmother. Last year, in a beautiful testament to our shared love for literature, she passed down her treasured leather-bound complete collection of Agatha Christie's works. It's a gift that holds immense sentimental value, a symbol of our mutual adoration for the Queen of Crime's masterful storytelling. This year, I'm dedicating myself to delving into every novel, and short story collection she ever penned— an ambitious yet exhilarating challenge I'm eager to undertake.
The plan is to read through Christie's works immersing myself in the cunning plots, charming detectives, and unforgettable characters that have made her works a cornerstone of the mystery genre. Here's a month-by-month breakdown of the reading schedule I'll be following, navigating the extensive list of titles that constitute Christie's literary legacy:
January (6 Titles)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920) - Hercule Poirot
The Secret Adversary (1922) - Tommy and Tuppence
The Murder on the Links (1923) - Hercule Poirot
The Man in the Brown Suit (1924)
Poirot Investigates (1924) - Short Stories
The Secret of Chimneys (1925)
February (6 Titles)
The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) - Hercule Poirot
The Big Four (1927) - Hercule Poirot
The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) - Hercule Poirot
Partners in Crime (1929) - Tommy and Tuppence, Short Stories
The Seven Dials Mystery (1929)
The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930) - Short Stories
March (6 Titles)
The Murder at the Vicarage (1930) - Miss Marple
The Sittaford Mystery (1931)
Peril at End House (1932) - Hercule Poirot
The Thirteen Problems (1932) - Miss Marple, Short Stories
Lord Edgware Dies (1933) - Hercule Poirot
Murder on the Orient Express (1934) - Hercule Poirot
April (6 Titles)
Why Didn't They Ask Evans? (1934)
Three Act Tragedy (1935) - Hercule Poirot
Death in the Clouds (1935) - Hercule Poirot
The A.B.C. Murders (1936) - Hercule Poirot
Murder in Mesopotamia (1936) - Hercule Poirot
Cards on the Table (1936) - Hercule Poirot
May (6 Titles)
Murder in the Mews (1937) - Hercule Poirot, Short Stories
Dumb Witness (1937) - Hercule Poirot
Death on the Nile (1937) - Hercule Poirot
Appointment with Death (1938) - Hercule Poirot
Hercule Poirot's Christmas (1938) - Hercule Poirot
Murder is Easy (1939)
June (6 Titles)
The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (1939) - Short Stories
And Then There Were None (1939)
Sad Cypress (1940) - Hercule Poirot
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe (1940) - Hercule Poirot
Evil Under the Sun (1941) - Hercule Poirot
N or M? (1941) - Tommy and Tuppence
July (6 Titles)
The Body in the Library (1942) - Miss Marple
Five Little Pigs (1942) - Hercule Poirot
The Moving Finger (1942) - Miss Marple
Towards Zero (1944)
Death Comes as the End (1944)
Sparkling Cyanide (1945)
August (6 Titles)
The Hollow (1946) - Hercule Poirot
The Labours of Hercules (1947) - Hercule Poirot, Short Stories
Taken at the Flood (1948) - Hercule Poirot
Crooked House (1949)
A Murder is Announced (1950) - Miss Marple
They Came to Baghdad (1951)
September (6 Titles)
The Under Dog and Other Stories (1951) - Hercule Poirot, Short Stories
Mrs McGinty's Dead (1952) - Hercule Poirot
They Do It with Mirrors (1952) - Miss Marple
A Pocket Full of Rye (1953) - Miss Marple
After the Funeral (1953) - Hercule Poirot
Destination Unknown (1954)
October (6 Titles)
Hickory Dickory Dock (1955) - Hercule Poirot
Dead Man's Folly (1956) - Hercule Poirot
4.50 from Paddington (1957) - Miss Marple
Ordeal by Innocence (1958)
Cat Among the Pigeons (1959) - Hercule Poirot
The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (1960) - Hercule Poirot, Short Stories
November (6 Titles)
Double Sin and Other Stories (1961) - Short Stories
The Pale Horse (1961)
The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side (1962) - Miss Marple
The Clocks (1963) - Hercule Poirot
A Caribbean Mystery (1964) - Miss Marple
At Bertram's Hotel (1965) - Miss Marple
December (Remaining Titles)
Third Girl (1966) - Hercule Poirot
Endless Night (1967)
By the Pricking of My Thumbs (1968) - Tommy and Tuppence
Hallowe'en Party (1969) - Hercule Poirot
Passenger to Frankfurt (1970)
Nemesis (1971) - Miss Marple
The Golden Ball and Other Stories (1971) - Short Stories
Elephants Can Remember (1972) - Hercule Poirot
Postern of Fate (1973) - Tommy and Tuppence
Poirot's Early Cases (1974) - Short Stories
Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (1975) - Hercule Poirot
Sleeping Murder (1976) - Miss Marple
Westmacott Novels:
Giant's Bread (1930) — To Read in January 2024
Unfinished Portrait (1934) — To Read in February 2024
Absent in the Spring (1944) — To Read in March 2024
The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948) — To Read in April 2024
A Daughter's a Daughter (1952) — To Read in May 2024
The Burden (1956) — To Read in June 2024
As I turn each page, these books will serve as a conduit, not just to the thrilling worlds Christie created but also to the memories and legacy my grandmother bestowed upon me. It's a deeply personal endeavor, reading these stories from the very collection that she herself cherished and enjoyed.
Throughout this year, as I share my journey on the blog, I'll reflect not only on the ingenuity and allure of Christie's mysteries but also on the sentimental journey of reading books that have been lovingly passed down through my family. Each novel and story will be a step further in my quest, and a nod to the timeless bond between my grandmother and me, fortified by our shared passion for the captivating world of Agatha Christie.
Here's to a 2024 filled with intrigue, suspense, and a touch of familial love, one Christie novel at a time.
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