Agatha Christie Quiz


By: Staff

4 Min Quiz

Image: refer to hsw

About This Quiz

She's the best-selling mystery writer of all time. How much do you know about Agatha Christie? Take our quiz to test your knowledge of her life and legacy.

Where was Agatha Christie born?

Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller was born in England on Sept. 15, 1890.


True or false: Christie's parents encouraged her to read and write at a young age.

Despite the fact that her mother didn't want her to learn to read until age 8, Christie taught herself to read at age 5.


What was Christie's first published novel?

Agatha Christie's "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" was published in 1919. She had also published numerous poems and short stories before this time.


Which Christie character was featured in "The Mysterious Affair at Styles"?

Christie's first full novel starred suave Belgian detective Hercule Poirot.


What was the name of Christie's only child?

Christie and husband Archie had their daughter Rosalind in 1919, the same year Christie published her first novel.


True or false: Agatha Christie was kidnapped in 1926.

After discovering her husband was having an affair, Christie disappeared for 11 days in 1926 and was found in a hotel spa.


What Christie novel later became a play called "Alibi"?

Christie released "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd" in 1926. A few years later, it was transformed into a play, then a film named "Alibi."


Where did Agatha Christie meet her second husband?

Christie met Max Mallowan on an archaeological dig. The couple married in September 1930.


What year did Agatha Christie die?

Christie died on Jan. 12, 1976 at age 85.


How long did it take Christie to write each book?

The author spent just three months writing each book, though she often spent months dreaming up the plot prior to writing.


What type of books did Christie write under a pen name?

Agatha Christie wrote six romance novels under the pen name Mary Westmacott.


How many novels did Christie publish in her lifetime?

Christie not only published 66 novels, but also wrote 19 plays and more than 150 short stories.


How many Agatha Christie novels feature Hercule Poirot?

The beloved detective stars in 33 novels, half of the full-length novels written by Agatha Christie.


What was the title of the final Poirot novel?

Christie wrote the final Poirot novel "Curtain" in the 1940s, but it wasn't published until 1974. His death merited an obituary in The New York Times.


What detective is featured in "The Murder at the Vicarage"?

The much-loved Miss Marple first appeared in the 1930 novel "The Murder at the Vicarage."


True or false: Miss Marple only appeared in three Agatha Christie novels.

Though not as prevalent as Poirot, Miss Marple appeared in 12 novels and 20 short stories.


Where did Miss Marple reside?

The character, who was inspired by Christie's own grandmother, lived in the small enclave of St. Mary Mead.


Who were the Young Adventurers?

The Young Adventurers Tommy and Tuppence appeared in four Christie novels and several short stories.


What year was the first Tommy and Tuppence book published?

The first novel featuring the pair, who marry at the end of the book, was the 1921 tomb "The Secret Adversary."


What was Ariadne Oliver's profession?

Oliver was a detective/novelist who accompanied Hercule Poirot on many adventures.


What author was chosen to continue the stories of Poirot following Christie's death?

Christie's estate gave their blessing for Sophie Hannah to release "The Monogram Murders" — a Poirot story — in 2014, followed by "Closed Casket" in 2016.


True or false: "And Then There Were None" was voted the best Agatha Christie book of all time in 2015.

Fans chose the locked-room mystery as their favorite Christie book, followed by "The Murder of Roger Ackroyd."


What year was "And Then There Were None" released?

The much-loved and copied novel was released in 1939 under a less-than-politically-correct title by modern standards.


How many strangers are lured to an island in "And Then There Were None"?

Ten strangers visit a lonely island in the novel and are killed off one by one.


What location did Christie choose for "Death Comes at the End," her only historical mystery?

Christie set the 1944 novel in Thebes, Egypt, in 2000 B.C.E. The setting was likely inspired by her visits to her husband's archaeological dig sites.


What was the Orient Express?

In the 1934 novel "Murder on the Orient Express," a group of passengers learns that a murderer is in their midst while trapped on a snowbound train.


True or false: "N or M?" is set in the American Revolution.

The 1941 Tommy and Tuppence novel is set during World War II and features Nazi spies.


Who is the first victim in "The ABC Murders"?

In the 1936 novel, a killer chooses his victims based on the alphabet, starting with Mrs. Ascher of Andover.


What book became the 1946 play "Hidden Horizons"?

The 1937 Christie book "Death on the Nile" later became a play called "Hidden Horizons." Christie removed Poirot from the play so the audience would focus on the story rather than the character.


What year did Christie publish her first romance novel?

Christie published six romance novels between 1934 and 1948 but quit the genre when the media discovered her pen name.


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