John Curran: Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks

Poirot Investigates 32, 354, 370, 454

Poirot’s Early Cases 454

Postern of Fate 22, 36, 53, 160, 373

‘A Pot of Tea’ 308

‘Problem at Pollensa Bay’ 265, 266

‘Problem at Sea’ 52, 72, 167, 195, 205-6, 316

‘The Rajah’s Emerald’ 287, 288, 291

The Rats (play) 97, 179, 181, 287, 288, 289-10, 296

‘The Red House’ 172

The Regatta Mystery 174

‘The Regatta Mystery’ 364

The Rose and the Yew Tree 258

Rule of Three (play) 286, 287-95

‘S.O.S.’ 288

Sad Cypress 52, 56, 68, 104, 159, 167, 249, 250, 275, 310, 313, 316, 319, 322, 373, 374-80, 387, 456

‘Sanctuary’ 258

The Scoop 61, 64

‘The Second Gong’ 80, 454, 456

The Secret Adversary 45, 164, 195

The Secret of Chimneys 44, 80, 81, 287, 359

The Seven Dials Mystery 44

‘The Shadow on the Glass’ 78, 79

‘The Sign in the Sky’ 370

‘Sing a Song of Sixpence’ 81, 103, 105, 106, 107-8, 217, 244, 248

The Sittaford Mystery 67, 277, 312, 362, 369, 372

Sleeping Murder 23, 25, 130, 180, 217, 249-56, 258, 356, 389, 392, 398

Snow Upon the Desert 25, 209

Sparkling Cyanide 49, 80, 82, 118, 204, 217, 222-9, 258, 346, 354, 371

Spider’s Web (play) 91, 96, 104, 162, 173, 181-4, 258, 296, 372

‘Strange Jest’ 96, 104, 118, 162, 172-3, 182, 372

‘The Stymphalean Birds’ 348, 349, 350, 358-9

‘The Submarine Plans’ 80

Taken at the Flood 50, 54, 68, 131, 159, 238, 249, 258, 313, 340, 341, 346, 354, 362, 371, 373, 387, 391-8

‘Tape-Measure Murder’ 173, 372

Tea for Three (play) 288

Ten Little Niggers 24, 29, 45, 81, 105, 106, 110-16, 182, 286, 307, 362, 371, 401, 412

They Came to Baghdad 36, 45, 175, 259

They Do It with Mirrors 22, 52, 81, 97, 148-9, 180, 191, 247, 304, 318, 392, 456

‘Third Floor Flat’ 78

Third Girl 49, 60, 87, 90, 109, 161, 193, 362

The Thirteen Problems 85, 96, 148, 173, 174, 207, 264, 307, 323, 354, 360, 370

Three Act Tragedy 72, 81, 159, 160, 168, 197, 204, 224, 258, 313, 318, 346, 354, 371, 457

Three Blind Mice (play) 49, 106, 139-42, 179, see also The Mousetrap

‘The Thumb Mark of St Peter’ 360

Towards Zero 21, 22, 54, 79, 83, 159, 160, 214, 310, 329-35, 382

‘Triangle at Rhodes’ 124, 197, 208, 259, 266-9, 316, 322

‘The Tuesday Night Club’ 81, 105, 148

‘The Unbreakable Alibi’ 64

‘The Under Dog’ 372

The Unexpected Guest (play) 50, 54, 96, 181, 212, 288, 296

Verdict 181, 296

Vision 32

‘While the Light Lasts’ 163

Why Didn’t They Ask Evans? 162, 164, 171, 272, 277, 370

Witness for the Prosecution (play) 29, 39, 49, 50, 264, 370

‘Witness for the Prosecution’ 264, 370

‘Yellow Iris’ 80, 223

Accredited by Guinness World Records as the thickest book in the world, measuring 32.2 cm wide and weighing 8.18 kg, this unique publication presents every Miss Marple novel and short story in the order in which they were written and published.

Described by her friend Dolly Bantry as ‘the typical old maid of fiction’, Miss Marple has lived almost her entire life in the sleepy hamlet of St Mary Mead. Yet, by observing village life she has gained an unparalleled insight into human nature—and used it to devasting effect. As her friend Sir Henry Clithering, the ex-Commissioner of Scotland Yard has been heard to say: ‘She’s just the finest detective God ever made’—and many Agatha Christie fans would agree.

From the first Miss Marple novel, The Murder at the Vicarage published in 1930, her crime-fighting career spanned over forty years by the time Agatha Christie wrote her final case Nemesis in 1971. With every tale flawlessly plotted by the Queen of Crime, this remarkable edition provides a feast for Agatha Christie fans as well as those who have grown to love the detective through her continuing film and television appearances, with Julia McKenzie now the seventh actress to star in the role.

Strictly limited to 500 copies worldwide, this 4,032-page book is hand-bound in dark red leather and includes a unique flexible spine that allows it to be read from cover to cover. Including a new full-colour official map of St Mary Mead and introductions by Agatha Christie’s grandson Mathew Prichard and the award-winning bestselling author Kate Mosse, the one foot-thick book comes housed in its own wooden case adorned with brass fittings and with a leather handle, and is sure to be a major talking point amongst Agatha Christie fans and book collectors everywhere.

Find out more at www.agathachristie.com

This book has benefited greatly from the encouragement and assistance of many people whose names do not appear on the title page.

First and foremost, my thanks go to Mathew Prichard and his wife Lucy. The very existence of this book is due to Mathew’s generosity. He unhesitatingly agreed to my writing about the Notebooks when I first approached him. And he not only granted me complete and unfettered access to all of his grandmother’s papers but he and Lucy also extended me limitless hospitality on the many occasions when I studied them.

David Brawn, HarperCollins, for his faith in the project and Steve Gove for his eagle-eyed editing.

My brother Brendan read an early draft and his positive words gave much encouragement; and with his wife, Virginia, he provided me with a home-from-home (but with superior technical backup!).

My friend and fellow Christie devotee, Tony Medawar, made many helpful suggestions as well as sharing his research with me.

Felicity Windmill, HarperCollins Archivist; Dr Christine Faunch and her staff in Exeter University Library; Tamsen Harward and Jemma Jones at Agatha Christie Ltd.

David Headley of Goldsboro Books for his invaluable help and advice.

My many colleagues and friends in Dublin City Council for their support, especially Michael Sands, Press Officer and Jane Alger, Divisional Librarian, Readers’ Services.

And, for various reasons, my thanks also to Eurion Brown, Pete Coleman, Julius Green, John Perry, John Ryan, John Timon, Andy Trott and Nigel Wollen.

1. The Hollow

2. Five Little Pigs

3. Five Little Pigs

4. Sparkling Cyanide

5. Cat among the Pigeons

6. Ordeal by Innocence

7. ‘Sanctuary’

8. Hercule Poirot’s Christmas

9. Sleeping Murder

10. A Murder is Announced

11. Fiddlers Three

12. The Hollow

13. Dead Man’s Folly

14. Hallowe ‘en Party

15. Ordeal by Innocence

16. N or M?

17. The Moving Finger

18. Spider’s Web

19. Taken at the Flood

20. Ordeal by Innocence

21. Ordeal by Innocence

22. The Rose and the Yew Tree

23. The Moving Finger

24. ‘The House at Shiraz’

25. Three Act Tragedy

26. A Caribbean Mystery

Unlike the collected version, which is set unequivocally in London, the previously unpublished version has, like many other Labours, an international flavour. From the first sentence we are ‘abroad’ and, for the third time in the Labours, in Switzerland (perhaps significantly a neutral country). Poirot has already visited the country during ‘The Arcadian Deer’ and ‘The Erymanthian Boar’.