Agatha Christie a long-running character in Christie's works, appearing in 33 novels and 54 short stories. Miss Jane Marple, introduced in the short-story collection "The Thirteen Problems" in 1927, was based on Christie's grandmother and her "Ealing cronies". Both Jane and Gran "always expected the worst of everyone and everything, and were, with almost frightening accuracy, usually proved right." Marple appeared in 12 novels and 20 stories. During the Second World War, Christie wrote two novels, "Curtain" and "Sleeping Murder", intended as the last cases of these two great detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Both books were sealed in a bank
Agatha Christie vision and to protect the integrity of her creations" and disapproved of "merchandising" activities. Upon Hicks's death on 28 October 2004, both the Society and the Greenway Estate passed to Christie's grandson, Mathew Prichard. After his parents' deaths, Prichard donated Greenway and its contents to the National Trust. The Society is now chaired and managed by Agatha Christie's great-grandson James Prichard. Christie's family and family trusts, including James Prichard, continue to own the remaining 36% stake in Agatha Christie Limited, and remain associated with the company. James Prichard became the company's chairman in October 2015. The development of Christie's work