CHAPTERONE

'Whydon'tyouwriteastory?'

AgathaMaryClarissaMillerwasbored.Itwasawintermorningin1908,andshewasinbedbecauseshewasill.

'I'mfeelingmuchbettertoday,'shesaidtohermother,Clara.'IthinkI'llgetup.'

'You're still ill,' saidClara. 'The doctor told you to stay in bed andkeepwarm.Andthat'swhatyou'regoingtodo!'Agathawaseighteenyearsoldatthistime,but in thosedaysdaughtershad todowhat theirmothers told them. 'ButI'mbored!'

'Well,dosomething,then,'saidhermother.'Readabook.Orwriteastory.Yes,whydon'tyouwriteastory?''Writeastory?'saidAgatha,surprised.

'Yes,'hermothersaid.'LikeMadge.'

MadgewasAgatha's sister.Shewaselevenyearsolder thanAgatha,andsometimeswroteshortstoriesformagazineslikeVanityFair.

'Idon'tthinkthatIcanwritestories,'saidAgatha.

'Howdoyouknow?'saidhermother.'You'venevertried.'Andshewenttofindapencilandpaper.

Soonafter,Agathasatupinbedandbegantowriteastory.ItwascalledHouseofBeauty,astrangestoryaboutdreams.

Itwasn't a very good story. She typed it onMadge's old typewriter, andsent it off to a magazine. But they sent it back with a letter: Thank you forsendingusyourstory.Weareafraidwecannotpublishit...

'You must try again,' said her mother. Clara was always sure that herdaughterscoulddoanything.

SoAgathawentonwriting stories, and sending themout tomagazines -

buttheyallcameback.Shewasalittledisappointed.

'I'lltrywritinganovel,'shedecided.

An ideacame toher.She remembered seeingabeautifulyounggirl in ahotelinCairowhenshewasvisitingEgyptwithClara.Thegirlwasalwayswithtwomen,oneoneachsideofher.Oneday,Agathaheardsomeonesay,'Thatgirlwillhavetodecidebetweenthemsometime.'

ItwasallthatAgathaneededforanidea,andshebeganwriting.Itwasnotadetectivenovel.ItwasthestoryofayounggirlwholivedinCairo,anditwascalledSnowUpontheDesert.Itwasreallytwolongstoriesputtogethertomakeabook.Whenitwasfinished,Agathasentittothreeorfourpublishers,buttheyallsentitback.

'Ohdear,'saidAgatha.'WhatshallIdonow?'

'Whydon'tyoushowittoEdenPhillpotts?'saidClara.EdenPhillpottswasa writer who lived near the Millers. During his life, he wrote more than ahundred popular novels, and many plays for the theatre. Agatha was a littleafraidofsendinghernoveltothisfamousman,butsheagreedtodoitandsentitoff.

MrPhillpottswas a goodwriter, and also a kindman.He readAgatha'snovelcarefullyandwroteheraletter.

Someofyourwritingisverygood,soIamsendingyoualettertotaketomyagent,HughesMassie...

Agatha-stillonlyeighteenyearsold-wenttoLondononthetrain.Itwasalongjourney-morethan200milesfromherhomeinTorquayinDevon,andthetrainswerenotsofastinthosedays.

Shewasveryshy,andHughesMassiewasabig,frighteningman.AgathagavehimtheletterfromEdenPhillpotts.Massiereadit,talkedwithAgathaforawhile,thenkeptherbooktoread.

Agathawenthometowait.

Somemonthslater,MassiereturnedSnowUpontheDeserttoher.Idonot

thinkthatIcanfindapublisherforit,hewrotetoher.Thebestthingistostopthinkingaboutitanymoreandtowriteanotherbook.

Agatha was disappointed. She did write another book, but some otherimportantthingshappenedinherlifefirst.

CHAPTERTWO

Ashyyoungman

Agatha's father,Frederick, died in 1901,whenAgatha,was elevenyearsold.Hewas anAmerican, andwas ten years older thanClara.After he died,Clarabegantotravelalot,andoftentookAgathawithher.

In1911,whenAgathawastwenty-one,Clarawasill.

'Youneedtogosomewherewarmandsunnytogetbetter,'Clara'sdoctortoldher.

SoClaradecidedtogotoEgyptagain,andshetookAgathawithher.Theystayed in a hotel inCairo. Therewere someEnglish soldiers staying near thehotel,andtheyoftencametothehoteldances.

Agathawasashyyoungwoman,butshelovedtodance.DuringherstayinCairo,shewenttofiftydances.Shemetalotofexcitingyoungmenandhadawonderfultime.

When she came back to England, she was soon getting invitations togardenparties,tennisparties,dances,andtocountryhousesfortheweekend.

Then a young army officer called Reggie Lucy came home from HongKong.AgathawasafriendofReggie'sthreesisters,andoftenplayedtenniswiththem.ButshedidnotknowReggie.Hewasaveryshyyoungmanwhodidnotgooutverymuch.Helikedtoplaygolfbutdidnotlikepartiesordances.

'Iliketoplaygolf,butI'mnotverygoodatit,'Agathasaidwhenshemethim.

'I-Icouldhelpyou,'saidReggie,shyly.Hehaddarkhairandbrowneyes.Agathalikedhim.

So,whileReggiewasinEngland,heandAgathaplayedgolfnearlyeveryday.

Oneverywarmday theyplayedgolf fora littlewhile, thenAgathasaid,'I'mhot,Reggie!Shallwehavearest?'

Theysatundera tree,outof thesun,andtalked.Then,suddenly,Reggiesaid,'Iwanttomarryyou,Agatha.Didyouknowthat?Perhapsyoudid.Butyouarestillveryyoung,and-'

'No,I'mnot!'saidAgatha.'Notveryyoung.'

'Ofcourse,aprettygirllikeyoucouldmarryanybody,'saidReggie.

'Idon'tthinkIwanttomarryanybody,'Agathasaid.'I-yes,IthinkI'dliketomarryyou!'

'IhavetogobacktoHongKongintendays'time,'saidReggie.'AndI'llbetherefortwoyears,ButwhenIcomeback,ifthereisn'tanybody...'

'Therewon'tbeanybody,'saidAgatha.

SoReggiewentbacktoHongKong.

Agathawroteletterstohim,andhewrotetoher.Itwasallagreed.WhenReggiecamehomeagain,theywouldgetmarried.

CHAPTERTHREE

Teaattherailwaystation

OnOctoberthe12th,1912,whenAgathawastwenty-two,shewenttoadanceatthehomeofLordand

LadyClifford.TheylivednearChudleigh,twelvemilesfromTorquay,andthereweremanyyoungpeoplethereforAgathatotalkto.

Duringtheeveningayoungarmyofficercameuptoher.

'Willyoudancewithme?'heaskedAgatha.

'Me?'saidAgatha.'Oh,yes,allright.'

Hewastallandgood-looking,withfriendlyblueeyes,andhisnamewasArchibaldChristie.Agathalikedhimimmediately.Theydancedtogethermanytimesthatevening,andArchietoldherhisplans.

'Iwanttofly,'hesaid,'andI'mtryingtogetintotheRoyalFlyingCorps.'

'Howexciting!'saidAgatha.

Aweek later, shewas having teawith some friends at a house oppositeAshfield,herhome,whentherewasatelephonecallforher.Itwashermother.

'Comehome,willyou,Agatha?'saidClara.'There'sayoungmanhere.

He'sjustarrivedandI'mgivinghimtea.Idon'tknowhim,andIthinkhewantstoseeyou.'

Agatha had to leave her friends and hurry home, so she was not verypleased.Butwhenshegothome,shefoundArchieChristiewaitingforher.

'Hello,'hesaid.'IwasinTorquayand-andIthoughtthatperhapsitwouldbenicetoseeyou.'Hisfacewasredandhelookedathisshoes.

Agathasmiled.

Archie stayed for the rest of the afternoon, and for supper that evening.Whenitwastimeforhimtoleave,hesaid,'WillyoucometoaconcertinExeterwithme,Agatha?WecangototheRedcliffeHotelforteaaftertheconcert.'

'I'dloveto,'saidAgatha,thenlookedatClara.'CanI,mother?'

'Aconcert,yes,Agatha,'saidClara.'Butteaatahotel?No,Idon'tthinkso.Notahotel.'

'PerhapsIcouldtakeAgathatoteain-intherestaurantatExeterrailwaystation!'saidArchie.

Agatha tried not to smile, but hermother agreed. SoAgatha andArchiewenttotheconcert-andthenhadteaatExeterrailwaystation!

'There's a NewYear's dance in Torquay on the second of January,' saidAgatha,whenArchietookherhomelater.'Willyoucome?'

Hesmiled.'Ofcourse,'hesaid.'IwanttoseeyouasoftenasIcan.'

ButwhenArchiecametotheNewYear'sdancehewasveryquietanddidnot seem happy. He seemed to be worried about something, but Agatha saidnothing. Two days later, on the 4th of January, 1913, they went to anotherconcerttogether.Archiewasstillveryquiet,andaftertheconcertAgathaasked,'What'swrong,Archie?'

'TheRoyal FlyingCorps have said "yes" tome,' saidArchie. 'I have toleave Exeter in two days' time. I have to go to Salisbury.' He looked at her.'Agatha,you'vegottomarryme!Therewillneverbeanyoneforme,onlyyou!I'veknownthatsinceourfirsteveningtogether,attheCliffords'dance.'

Agathawas very surprised. 'But-but I can't marry you. I've already toldReggiethatI'llmarryhim.'AndthenshetoldhimaboutReggieLucy.

'You didn'tmarry him before hewent away,' saidArchie. 'Why not? It'sbecause you don't really love him!' 'We thought it was better to wait-' beganAgatha.

'Iwon'twait,'saidArchie.'Iwanttomarryyounextmonth,orthemonthafter.'

'Wecan't!'saidAgatha.'Wehaven'tgotanymoney.Howwillwelive?'

ButshedidwanttomarryArchie.

'Archiehasaskedmetomarryhim,andIwant to.Iwant toverymuch!'shetoldhermother.

Clarawasverysurprised.'Youmustwait,'shetoldthemboth.'Ilikeyou,Archie, but you are only twenty-three years old, and neither of you has anymoney.'

SoArchiewent toSalisbury,andheandAgathawaited.Agathawrote toReggieLucy.Itwasadifficultlettertowrite,butReggiewroteaverykindletterbacktoher.'Don'tworryaboutit,'hetoldher.'Iunderstand.'

***

InAugust1914,EnglandwassuddenlyatwarwithGermany.ArchiewenttoFrancewiththeRoyalFlyingCorps,andAgathawenttoworkasavolunteernurseattheTorbayHospitalinTorquay.

ArchiecamebacktoEnglandforfivedaysinDecember,andAgathawentuptoLondontomeethim.Thenthetwoof themwentdowntoBristol,whereArchie's mother lived. They could not wait any longer. They wanted to getmarried.

Archie'smotherwas not happy about this, butClara thought differently.'Yes, get married now,' she said. 'There's a war on. Who knows what willhappen?Behappywhileyoucan.'

SoAgathaandArchieweremarriedatlastonthe24thofDecember,1914.Twodayslater,Archiewentbacktothewar,andAgathadidnotseehimagainforsixmonths.

***

Duringthesummerof1915,Agathawasillandcouldnotdoanynursing

workatthehospitalforthreeorfourweeks.Then,whenshereturned,shewenttowork in thehospitaldispensary.Andhereshe learnedsomethingwhichwasveryusefulforawriterofdetectivestories.Shelearnedaboutpoisons.

CHAPTERFOUR

Adetectivestory

One day, sometime before the war, Agatha was talking with her sister,Madge, about detective stories. They both enjoyed reading this kind of bookverymuch.

'I'dliketotryandwriteadetectivestorymyself,'saidAgatha.

'Youcouldn'tdoit,'saidMadge.'They'reverydifficulttodo.I'vethoughtaboutit.'

'Well,onedayI'mgoingtotry,'saidAgatha.

TheideastayedinAgatha'shead,andshewantedtoshowMadgethatshecoulddoit.Andwhen,yearslater,shewenttoworkinthehospitaldispensary,sheagainbegantothinkaboutwritingadetectivestory.

'Theremustbeamurder in it,ofcourse,' she thought.Thequestions ranbusilyaroundinsideherhead.'Butwhatkindofmurder?Adeathbypoisoning?Who will die?Who will the murderer be?When? How?Why?Where? Andwhataboutadetective?'

There were some Belgian people living in Torquay, who were therebecauseofthewarinBelgium.Clara,likeeveryoneinthetown,wasverykindandhelpfultothemwhentheyarrived.Shegavethemchairsandbedsfortheirhomes, and tried to make them feel happy and comfortable. Now, Agathasuddenlyrememberedthem.

'What about a Belgian detective?' she thought, and began to build thecharacterinherhead.'He'llbeaveryclever,verytidylittleman.ButwhatshallIcallhim?Iknow,I'llcallhimHercules!'Shesmiled.'It'sagoodnameforasmallman.Andhissecondname?Poirot.Hercules-no,HerculePoirot!Yes,that'sit.'

Agathathoughtaboutherdetectivestoryduringeveryquietminuteinthedispensary.Sheknewalotaboutpoisonsnow.Sheknewwhichpoisonsworked

quickly, and which worked slowly. She knew how much to give, and whatdifferentpoisonssmeltandtastedlike.Sheknewhowpeoplediedfrompoisons-didtheirfacesturnblue?Didtheydieintheirsleep,ordiescreaminginpain?A good detective - and a good writer of detective stories - must know thesethings.Shebegan towriteherstoryathome,andusedMadge'sold typewriteragain.

'Whatareyoudoing?'Claraaskedheroneday.

'I'mwritingadetectivenovel,'saidAgatha,'Iwanttofinishit,butit'sverydifficult.'

'Why don't you finish it during your holiday?' said Clara. 'Go awaysomewhere nice and quiet, and take it with you.Where do you want to go?Dartmoor?'

'Yes!'saidAgatha.'Dartmoor!'

Dartmoor was a beautiful, lonelymoor in Devon. Agatha tookMadge'stypewriterwithherandstayedattheMoorlandHotelatHayTor.Itwasalargehotel with a lot of rooms, but not many people were staying there. For twoweeksshewroteinherroomeverymorning,thenwentforlongwalksaloneonthe moor in the afternoons. Everything went well. The characters seemed tocomealiveinsideherhead,andduringherwalkssheplannedherwritingforthenextday.

Shefinishedthelasthalfofthebookduringherholiday,andsoonaftershesentittoapublisher.Theyreturnedit,butAgathawasnotsurprised.Shesentitoutagain,butitcamebackoncemore.Shesentittoathirdpublisher,buttheyreturnedit,too.ThenshesentittoTheBodleyHeadpublishingcompany-andforgotallaboutit.

Twoyearswentby.ArchiecamebacktoworkinLondon,thewarended,andAgatha had a baby -Rosalind. The three of themwere living in a flat inLondonwhenaletterarrivedonemorningin1919.

ItwasfromTheBodleyHead.Agathaquicklyopenedtheletter,andsawthewords:

...willyoucallatouroffices?...wewouldliketotalkaboutyourbook...

'It'saboutmybook-TheMysteriousAffairatStyles,' she toldArchie. 'Ithinktheywanttopublishit!'

'Thenyoumustgoandseethematonce!'saidArchie.

Agatha went to the publishers' office. Shemet John Lane, a small manwithwhitehair.

'Do sit down,' he said. He had a kind voice, and blue eyes that lookedcarefullyatAgatha.'Someofmyreadersthinkthatwecouldpublishyourbook.But youwill need to change the last chapter.And there are a fewother smallthings...'

Agatha was too excited to listen. She was happy to do anything. TheMysteriousAffairatStyleswasherfirstdetectivestory,andshewantedtoseeitinthebookshops.Soshewroteadifferentendingforitandchangedoneortwomoresmallthings,andatlastJohnLanewaspleasedwithit.

CHAPTERFIVE

Agooddetective-storywriter

Agatha's first book, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in1920.Butbeforethis,shebeganwritinganotherbook.

ItwasArchie'sidea.

'Mother is finding itdifficult topayall thebillsatAshfield,'Agatha toldhim.

'Whydoesn'tshesellAshfield?'Archiesaid toAgatha. 'Thehouse is toobigforjustoneperson.Thenshecanbuysomethingsmaller.'

'Sell Ashfield?' said Agatha. 'Oh, no! She can't! I love it - and it's ourfamilyhome.'

'Thenwhydon'tyoudosomethingaboutit?'saidArchie.

'Dosomething?Whatdoyoumean?'

'Whydon'tyouwriteanotherbook?' saidArchie. 'Perhaps itwillmakealotofmoney.'

Agathathoughtaboutit.Ashfieldwasherfamilyhome,anditmuststayinthefamily.Couldshedoanythingtohelp?

'Perhaps I could write another book,' she thought. 'But what can it beabout?'

The answer came one daywhen shewas having tea in a tea-shop. Twopeople were talking at a table near her. Agatha heard a name - and began tolisten.TheyweretalkingaboutsomebodycalledJaneFish.

'Whatastrangename,' thoughtAgatha. 'Butwhatagoodbeginningforastory!Somebodyhearsastrangenameinatea-shop.Andthen...?Wait,perhaps"JaneFinn"willbebetter.Yes!Now,letmethink...'

And before Agatha left the tea-shop, an idea for a story was runningaroundinsideherhead.Shewenthomeandbeganitimmediately.

ShecalleditTheSecretAdversary,andthebookwaspublishedin1922.

ThestorydidnothavetheBelgiandetectiveHerculePoirot in it,buthernextbook,MurderontheLinks,did.ReaderslovedPoirot.Hewasaveryshort,tidy little man, with green eyes, black hair, and a beautiful black moustache.And,likeanotherfamousdetective,SherlockHolmes,hewasvery,veryclever.Hewasnotshyaboutthis,andwasalwaystellingothercharacters inthestoryjusthowcleverhewas.

Otherbooksfollowed,somewithPoirot, somewithout -TheMan in theBrownSuit,PoirotInvestigates,andTheSecretofChimneys.

HughesMassie, the agent, was helping Agatha now. 'You need anotherpublisher,' he told her. 'A publisher whowill pay youmore than The BodleyHead. You're a good detective-story writer, Agatha, and your books arebeginningtosellwell.'

SoMassie sentAgatha'snextbook -TheMurderofRogerAckroyd - toWilliamCollins'publishers.ItwasanimportantbookforAgatha.

TheMurderofRogerAckroydcameoutinthespringof1926-andpeoplebegantotalkaboutitimmediately.

Whatdidtheytalkabout?Thebigsurpriseattheendofthebook!

'That'scheating!'somepeoplesaid,whentheygottotheendandfoundoutthenameofthemurderer.

'No,it'snot,'saidotherreaders.'It'saverycleverstory.'

'What'sthematterwitheverybody?'AgathasaidtoArchie.'Ididn'tcheat.It'swrongtosaythat.Peoplemustreadthestorycarefully.'

Andshewasright.Alltheclueswerethereinthestory,andaverycleverreadercouldguessthenameofthemurderer.Butmostpeoplecouldn't.

(Sowhatwasthesurpriseattheend,andwhowasthemurderer?Theonly

waytofindoutistoreadthebook!)

AfterTheMurderofRogerAckroydwaspublished,moreandmorepeoplebegantobuyAgatha'sbooks,andAgathahadmoremoneytospend.

The Christies bought a house at Sunningdale, about thirty miles fromLondon.

'Whatshallwecallit?'saidAgatha.

'Styles,'saidArchie,'afteryourfirstbook.'

And they put a picture of the front cover of the book, TheMysteriousAffairatStyles,onthewall.

But not long after theymoved to Sunningdale, something happened thatputAgatha'snameonthefrontpagesofeverynewspaperinEngland.

Shedisappeared.

Peoplethinkthatithappenedbecauseshewasveryunhappyatthistime.First,hermotherdied.AndthenAgathafoundoutthatArchiewasinlovewithayoungwomancalledNancyNeele.

CHAPTERSIX

Agathadisappears

OnthemorningofFriday, the3rdofDecember,1926,Archie leftStylesand went to stay with some friends for the weekend. Nancy Neele was alsostaying at this house for theweekend.PerhapsAgatha knew this, perhaps shedidn't-wecan'tbesure.

NobodyknowswhatAgathawas thinking, late thatdarkwinter evening.Rosalind,nowsevenyearsold,wasinbed.TheChristies'twohousemaidswereinthekitchen.Butweknowthis.Atabouteleveno'clockthatevening,Agathawentoutanddroveawayinhercar.

Shedidnotreturnhomethatnight.

***

On Saturday morning, a woman arrived by taxi at the Hydro Hotel inHarrogate,Yorkshire.TheHydrowasoneofHarrogate'sbiggestandbesthotels,nearthecentreofthetown.

'CanIhavearoom,please?' thewomanasked.Shewascarryingasmallsuitcase,andshelookedverytired.

'Yes,ofcourse,'saidthemanbehindthehoteldesk.'There'saniceroomonthefirstfloor-roomnumberfive.Ithashotandcoldwater,andthecostissevenpoundsforaweek.'

'Thankyou, thatwill be all right,' said thewoman. 'Whatname,please?'askedtheman.

'MrsTeresaNeele,'saidthewomanwiththesuitcase.

***

Also on that coldSaturdaymorning inDecember, a fifteen-year-old boy

was walking beside a lake called the Silent Pool. This was at a place calledNewlandsCorner,aboutfourteenmilesfromSunningdale.Theboy'snamewasGeorgeBest.

Suddenly,Georgesawacar.Itwasofftheroad,downbythelake,butthelightswereon.

'That'sstrange,'hethought. 'Whyis thatcardownthere,andwhyarethelightson?'Andhewenttohaveabetterlook.

Thecarwasempty,butthedriver'sdoorwasopen.Georgelookedinside.Hesawacoat,andanopensuitcase.Half-outofthesuitcasewerethreedresses,someshoes-andsomepaperswiththename'MrsAgathaChristie'onthem.

Georgequicklywenttofindapoliceman.

***

Thenewspapersweresoonfullof thestory,andAgatha'spicturewasonthefrontpages.Wherewas thedetective-storywriter?Wasshedead?Wasshemurdered?Didshekillherself?

The Daily News wanted answers to these questions, and said, onDecember the 7th, that it would give 100 pounds to the first personwith theanswers.Bythenextweekend,hundredsofpolicemenandthousandsofpeoplewerelookingforher.

'Didyourwifeevertalkaboutdisappearing?'aDailyMailreporteraskedArchie.

'Yes,'saidArchie. 'Sheoncetoldhersister,"IcoulddisappearanytimeIwanted to. Iwouldplan it carefully, andnobodywould findme."Perhaps thishappened.Orperhapsshe'sillandcan'trememberwhosheis.'

ThepoliceaskedArchielotsofquestions,watchedhishouse,andfollowedhimtohisoffice.

'TheythinkI'vemurderedAgatha,'hetoldafriend.

***

Thewomanat theHydroHotelhadbreakfast inherroomeachmorning,and sat quietly reading in the hotel sitting- room in the afternoons. She said'Goodmorning' and 'Goodafternoon' tootherpeople in thehotel, and seemedworriedbecausetherewerenolettersforher.

ButoneofthechambermaidswenttoseeMrsTaylor,thewifeofthehotelmanager.

'Mrs Neele looks like the woman in the Daily Mail picture,' said thechambermaid.'Youknowtheone-AgathaChristie!'

MrsTaylorspoketoherhusbandaboutit,buttheydecidedtosaynothing.Theydidnotwantanytroubleatthehotel.

But twomore people at theHydroHotel were also looking carefully at'MrsTeresaNeele'.

BobTappinandBobLeemingplayedmusicinthehoteleachevening,andbothofthemwatchedthequietwomaninthecorneroftheroom-andbegantothink.

'I'm sure that Neele woman is Agatha Christie,' Bob Tappin said to hisfriendoneevening.

'Ithinkyou'reright,'BobLeemingagreed.'Whatshallwedoaboutit?'

Andthenextdaytheywenttothepolice.

ThepoliceimmediatelytoldAgatha'shusband,andArchieChristiearrivedattheHydroHotelat6.45pmonTuesday,the14thofDecember.Whenhiswifewalkedoutofthesitting-room,Archiesawherandwentuptoher.

'Hello,Agatha,'hesaid.

Shelookedathimcarefully,butdidnotseemsurewhohewas.'Hello,'shesaid.

***

Thehotelwassoonfullofnewspaperreporters.

Archietoldthemlater, 'Idon't thinkthatmywifeknowswhosheis.Shedoesn'tknowme,andshedoesn'tknowwheresheis.'

He and Agatha left the hotel the next day. There were reporterseverywhere. They followed the Christies to the railway station, trying to getpictures of the frightenedAgatha,whowas hiding her face behind her hands.Shelookedthinandherfacewaswhite.

AndinLondon,hundredsofpeoplewerewaitingatKing'sCrossStationforthetrainfromHarrogate.Everyonewantedtoseethe'womanofmystery'andher husband. Their lives now seemed to be like something out of one of herdetectivestories.

Archiehelped thesilent, frightenedAgatha through thecrowd.Reportersshoutedquestionsatthemandtookpictures,butneitherArchienorAgathasaidaword.

Andfortherestofherlife,AgathaneveragainspokeaboutHarrogate,theHydroHotel,or'TeresaNeele'.ButwhatreallyhappenedthatnightaftersheleftStyles?Whydidsheleavehercar?HowdidshegettoHarrogate?Itwasalwaysamystery.Itstillis.

CHAPTERSEVEN

Ayoungarchaeologist

Duringthefirstweeksof1927,AgathawenttostaywithMadgeandherhusbandinCheadle,nearManchester.ArchiestayedatStyles,buthewantedtomarryNancyNeele,andheaskedAgathaforadivorce.Atfirstshewouldnotagree,butat lastshesaidyes,and theyweredivorced inApril1928.RosalindlivedwithAgatha.

'Idon'twanttousethename"Christie"again,'Agathatoldherpublishers.'Iwill think of another name to use.' 'But you can't change it now,' they said.'Yourreadersknow"AgathaChristie"- that'swhytheybuyyourbooks.Ifyouchangeyourname,nobodywillknowwhoyouare!'Intheend,AgathaagreedtokeepthenameChristie,butshewasnothappyaboutit.ButWilliamCollinswasright. Thousands of people in England (and America) were reading Agatha'sbooksnow.

Then, in the autumn of 1928, Agatha decided to visit the West Indies.Rosalind was at school, and Agatha wanted a holiday in the sun, so she gotticketsforashiptoJamaica.

Two days before she left England, Agatha went to dinner with somefriends.Duringtheevening,shetalkedtosomepeoplewhowerejustbackfromBaghdad,inIraq.TheirnameswereCommanderandMrsHowe.

'PeoplealwayssaythatBaghdadisaterribleplace,'saidMrsHowe. 'Butwelovedit.'

Shewentontalkingaboutthecity,andAgathalistenedwithgreatinterest.ShesoondecidedthatshewantedtoseeBaghdadforherself.

'Howdoyougetthere?'shesaid.'Bysea?'

'Youcangobytrain,'saidMrsHowe.'OntheOrientExpress.'

'The Orient Express!' said Agatha. 'I've always wanted to ride on that

famoustrain.I'llgotoBaghdad,nottheWestIndies!'

TheHowe'swere very helpful andwrote down the names of interestingplacesforAgathatovisit.'AndyoumustgotoUr,'CommanderHowesaid.

Next day, Agatha changed her tickets for theWest Indies for tickets toIstanbulbytheOrientExpress,andthenonacrossthedeserttoBaghdad.

Itwasanexcitingjourneyforher, travellingaloneforthefirst time.Andlateritgavehertheideaforanotherofhermostfamousbooks-MurderontheOrientExpress.

WhileshewasstayinginBaghdad,sherememberedCommanderHowe'swords,'YoumustgotoUr.'

Archaeology was something that interested Agatha very much, andLeonardWoolley,thearchaeologist,andhiswifewereworkingatUr.

KatherineWoolleywasveryhappytomeetAgatha.

'Iloveyourbooks!'shetoldAgatha.'I'vejustfinishedreadingTheMurderofRogerAckroyd.Itwaswonderful!'

AgathabecametheWoolleys'specialvisitor.ShelovedUr,andshelovedwatchingthearchaeologists. Itwasslow, tiringwork,andtheyhadtodigverycarefully. Sometimes they foundnothing for hours, and sometimes they foundold pots or knives. It was always exciting when one of the workers foundsomethingthatwasthousandsofyearsold.

'Youmustcomebackagainanotheryear,'KatherineWoolleysaid.

SoAgathadid.ShewentoutinMarch1930,theweekbeforetheWoolleysplannedtocomeback toEngland.Theplanwas thatAgathacould travelbackwiththemthroughSyriaandGreece.

A young archaeologist called Max Mallowan was working with theWoolleys.Hewastwenty-fiveyearsold,andaquietyoungman.

'I've toldMax to show you Nejef and Kerbala,' KatherineWoolley toldAgatha.'Nejefistheholycityofthedead,andKerbalahasawonderfulmosque.

WhenweleavehereandgotoBaghdad,he'lltakeyouthere.YoucanseeNippurontheway.'

'Oh,hutdoesn'tMaxwant togo toBaghdadwithyou?'saidAgatha. 'HewillhavefriendstoseetherebeforehegoeshometoEngland.'

'Ohno,'saidKatherine.'Maxwillbepleasedtotakeyou.'

The young archaeologist was pleased to take Agatha. He liked herimmediately,andAgathalikedhim.Theytalkedandlaughedandenjoyedeveryminuteoftheirtimetogether.

They met the Woolleys in Baghdad, and the four of them travelled toGreece together.Butwhen theygot to their hotel inAthens, therewere seventelegramswaiting forAgatha. They all said the same thing. Rosalindwas ill.Agathamustcomehomequickly.

'I'llgowithyou,Agatha,'saidMax.

'Oh,thankyou,Max,'saidAgatha.'Buthaven'tyougotplansto-?'

'I'vechangedmyplans,'saidMax,quietly.'I'mcomingwithyou,Agatha.'

So they travelled home together. When they arrived, they found thatRosalind was much better, so that was one happy ending. Soon, there wasanother.

Agathawas fourteenyearsolder thanMax,butduring the journeyhomeMax decided to ask her an important question. And when they were back inEngland,heaskedAgathatomarryhim.

They were married on the 11th of September, 1930, in Edinburgh, inScotland.

***

1930 was also the year when Agatha's other famous detective firstappeared-inTheMurderattheVicarage.HernamewasMissJaneMarple-alittleoldwomanwholivedinthequietEnglishvillageofStMaryMead.MissMarple looked like somebody'sgrandmother, anicekindwomanwhoenjoyed

cooking and gardening. But she also had very good eyes and ears. She saw,heard,andrememberedeverything-names,faces,thetimesoftrainsandbuses,thecolourofashirt,thesoundofadoorshutting.Andshealwaysfoundoutthenameofthemurdererbeforethepolicedid.

Readers loved theMissMarple stories, and shewas soon as popular asHerculePoirot.Butwasshearealperson?Wheredidtheideaforthecharactercomefrom?

'Where?Icanneverremember,'Agathaalwayssaid.

CHAPTEREIGHT

DameAgatha

For the next twenty-five years, Agatha went with Max on all hisarchaeologicaljourneys.Shelovedtravelling,andthosewerethehappiestyearsofherlife.Itwasagoodtimeforwriting,too.

'It'sniceandquiet,'Agathaalwayssaid.'There'snotelephone!'

Andvisiting these interestingplacesgaveher ideas for someofherbestbooks -Deathon theNile,AppointmentwithDeath,Murder inMesopotamia,TheyCame toBaghdad.Shewasnowoneof themostpopulardetective-storywritersintheworld.

One of the many people who enjoyed her books was QueenMary, themotheroftheKingofEngland.Oneday,in1946,AgathahadaletterfromtheBritishBroadcastingCorporationinLondon.

'Theywantme towriteaplay forQueenMary's80thbirthday!' she toldMax.'Aplayfortheradio.'

'Thenyoumustdoit,'saidMax.

Agatha'splayforradiowascalledThreeBlindMice.Later,shewrotetheplayagain,foraLondontheatre.Thistimeitwasmuchlonger,andshegaveitanewname:TheMousetrap.

Itisaveryfamousplay.Itopenedin1952,andhasbeeninoneorotheroftheLondon theatres ever since then. In 1997, 45 years later, peoplewere stillgoingtoseetheplay.

Why?It'saverygoodmurdermystery,ofcourse,butthereisanotherstoryaboutTheMousetrap,too.Everynight,attheendoftheplay,oneoftheactorstalkstothepeopleinthetheatre,andsays,'Pleasedon'ttellyourfriendswhodidthe murder in this play. They must come to the theatre and see the playthemselves!'

Andeverybodykeepsthesecretofthemurderer'sname-andsomoreandmorepeoplegotoseetheplay.

***

In 1971,QueenElizabethmadeAgatha aDame of theBritishEmpire-averyhighhonourforawomaninBritain.

ButwhywasAgathaChristiesofamous?Perhapsitisbecauseshewasawonderfulstory-teller.Sheplannedhermurdermysteriesverycarefully,puttingacluehere,acluethere.Andtheyarecleverclues,soitisnoteasytoguessthenameofthemurderer.Whodidit?Wewanttoknow,andbytheendofthebook,everything falls tidily intoplace - andwehave the answer.Andof course thestoriesarenotreallyaboutmurderanddeath-theyarepuzzles,withcomfortableendings, because it is pleasing to read that the detective always catches thecriminal.Foranhourortwo,wecanescapefromreallife,whichisoftenneithertidynorcomfortable.

Agatha Christie died on the 12th of January, 1976. During her life, shewrotesixty-sevendetectivenovels,tenbooksofshortstories,thirteenplays,sixnovelsthatwerenotaboutcrime(usingthename'MaryWestmacott'),andtwobooksabouther life.Manyfilmsweremadefromherbooks; themost famousoneisMurderontheOrientExpress,madein1974.

Today,millionsofherbooks, inmore than fortydifferent languages, arestill sold in every country of the world, from China to Nicaragua. AgathaChristiewas,perhaps,thegreatestdetective-storywriterofalltime-awomanofmystery,bothinbooksandinlife.

-THEEND-

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