Agatha Christie A to Z: The Essential Reference to Her Life and Writings

Over 2,500 entries examine the author's life and work

This impressive, scholarly guide to Agatha Christie will not likely be surpassed for some time. Though, as Mathew Prichard writes in the introduction, "none of the solutions of the plots are revealed," although Dawn Sova has provided just about every other essential piece of information about Christie's works. The book begins with a short biography, then enters an alphabetically arranged section that contains all of Christie's writings, including cross-referenced character names and story titles. One small drawback of the book is that place names are not included. In the entries for books, Sova uses the British title, but the "Publishing and Dramatization History" for each includes all forms under which the story was published. Each tale also has a list of characters and, where appropriate, a chapter-by-chapter plot synopsis. The "Categorical Appendix" offers some final amusement. In addition to the expected listing of books by detective (and Sova has even marked out Poirot books featuring Hastings or Chief Inspector Japp), the author provides an index to "Means of Murder or Attempted Murder." Can you name the two Christie novels featuring electrocution? How about the one hit-and-run automobile accident? With Sova's help, you can. --Patrick O'Kelley