Marking exactly 100 years since Agatha Christie wrote THE MYSTERIOUS AFFAIR AT STYLES, this special edition brings together the first Poirot novel with her last, and includes new cover paintings by Tom Adams, special introductions, and a unique letter from Hercule Poirot himself never before published in the UK. CURTAIN, written 25 years later but not published until 1976, takes the elderly Belgian detective and his old friend Captain Hastings back to Styles, the rambling country house where they solved their first murder together – and where history seems determined to repeat itself. CURTAIN was the last Poirot novel until Sophie Hannah’s hugely successful continuation novels, THE MONOGRAM MURDERS and CLOSED CASKET. This limited edition boxed set includes: • A unique pull-out letter written by Agatha Christie in 1936 in which Hercule Poirot introduces himself to his editor, never before published outside the USA • A newly discovered article by Agatha Christie, Drugs and Detective Stories, written for University College Hospital Magazine in 1941, in which she reminisces about the inspiration for her first book • Agatha Christie’s original unpublished courtroom ending to The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introduced by Christie expert Dr John Curran • Brand new cover paintings and an introduction by Tom Adams, Christie’s celebrated cover artist from the 1960s onwards
Author
Agatha Christie is the top-selling author of all time, with a legacy spanning 66 crime novels, 14 plays, and six romance novels under a pseudonym. Her works have sold over two billion copies globally, translated into at least 103 languages, making her the most translated author. She introduced the world to iconic characters Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple, and wrote *The Mousetrap*, the record-holding longest-running play in modern theater. The youngest in the Miller family, her experience as a nurse during WWI and later roles in pharmacies during both World Wars deeply influenced her mystery novels, often featuring poisons. Christie’s writing career launched in 1920 with *The Mysterious Affair at Styles*. Her life was as captivating as her fiction, notably her 1926 disappearance after her first husband’s affair became public, sparking a nationwide search. Christie's second marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan enriched her life and work, with travels and homes like the Greenway Estate and Abney Hall providing settings for several novels. Her marriage to Mallowan lasted until her death in 1976. Christie's contributions to literature earned her the title Commander of the Order of the British Empire, solidifying her place in literary history.
