Agatha Christie is known as the Queen of Crime for good reason—her contributions to the mystery and thriller genres are unparalleled, and her work continues to influence writers and fans of detective stories and crime fiction alike. During the course of her long career, she wrote 66 novels and 14 short story collections as well as several plays. She's best known for creating two of the world's favorite detectives, Miss Marple and Hercule Poirot, both of whom continue to charm, delight, and amuse listeners to this day.
Over the 100-plus years since the debut of her first novel, , Christie has truly never gone out of style—her books remain beloved by so many. And her masterful use of suspense, wit, adventure, and cunning plot twists paired with her deep understanding of human nature keeps audiences coming back for more. Her work is also some of the most widely adapted of the 20th century. Her stories have been made into Agatha Christie movies and TV shows, radio dramas and stage plays, graphic novels, and even video games.
A brand-new film adaptation is coming out this fall, the third in actor and director Kenneth Branagh's Christie film universe. A Haunting in Venice, based on , hits theaters on September 15. In the meantime, there's a whole world of Christie adaptations to explore. From the classic BBC television series and radio dramas and the critically acclaimed films of the 1940s and 1950s to several newer miniseries and movies, here are 20 of the very best Agatha Christie adaptations.
