This episode originally appeared on Short History Of… read by John Hopkins. If you like what you hear, search ‘Short History Of’ in your podcast app and hit follow or weekly episodes. Detectives Don’t sleep will be back next week.

Retaining the title of the “Queen of Crime” to this day, Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time. Across 66 novels, 14 short-story collections, and 20 stage plays, she depicted the evil lurking in the hearts of ordinary people. But how did this homeschooled daughter of a privileged English family learn so much about poisons, psychopaths and murder? What in her personal life informed such a suspicious view of ordinary people? And how did she trigger a real-life mystery in 1926 that saw the whole country turn amateur detective?

Written by Jo Furniss. With thanks to best-selling crime writer Sophie Hannah.

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