The Crimes That Inspired Agatha Christie (Hardback)

The Crimes That Inspired Agatha Christie is a well researched and engaging monograph curated and written by Drs. Jonathan Oates and Anna-Lena Berg.

Well written and annotated, this is a collection of true-crime histories which influenced Agatha Christie (and other authors). Some, like Jack the Ripper, Lizzie Borden, and Dr. Crippen, are still quite famous and well known down to the modern day, whilst some of the included stories (notorious in their day) have faded and will be unfamiliar.

The authors have done a good job of setting the real-life history in context, with contextual quotes from relevant works in Christie's oeuvre for readers to search up on their own.

NetGalley, Annie Buchanan

Whether you love true crime or are a fan of the works of Agatha Christie, this is a must read. The author has clearly dedicated a lot of time to painstaking research both by combing through Christie novels and digging in archives and police records.

The book is broken down into short chapters which give you enough detail to understand the case and then relates it to the specific Christie works in which the crimes are referenced. I loved the variety of cases referenced - although there were a few I had some knowledge of, the majority were brand new. I also loved that there was a big historical range of crimes referenced, there were around 200 years worth of murders and misdemeanours drawn on.

NetGalley, Kelly Lake

I found the true life crimes, and the glimpses at how the legal system and crime investigation functioned at the time, fascinating. What was acceptable at trial and what has changed since then made me wonder how our current norms will someday be viewed.

The descriptions of the crimes and trials are brief and to the point, which is necessary to keep the book readable. I thought the addition of sources for further reading after the chapters gave the reader the chance to read more about the ones that piqued their curiosity. I also looked some information up online just to supplement what was written. The book is very good and using it to direct further searches makes it even better.

Certainly any Agatha Christie fan will enjoy this but I think those with an interest in criminology will also find many points worth their time and might even spur them into doing more research in a different direction than crime novels.

NetGalley, Miles Landry

This is the perfect book for any Agatha Christie fan that wants to do a true crime deep dive based on her books.

NetGalley, Jacqueline Nisbet

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

One of the questions I always ask when I've finished a really good book is, 'How did they think of that?' Agatha Christie is often referred to as the Queen of Mystery. This book answers my question in several stories; she pulled the idea from true crimes. Christie took these crimes and gave them a few twists and some surprising reveals to keep her legions of fans reading her books. THE CRIMES THAT INSPIRED AGATHA CHRISTIE is a fascinating actual crime book that draws extra attention from Christie's use in her novels. This is definitely a 5 star read.

NetGalley, Denice Langley

This was great! I am an avid reader of murder mysteries, both fiction and true crime, and there were a couple of cases here that were new to me. I also never realised that so many of them were the inspiration behind Dame Agatha's wonderful tales. A fascinating collection for fans of Agatha Christie and true crime.

NetGalley, Mellissa Bushby

I’ve read a handful of Agatha Christie books, and while I’m more a fan of Poirot than Ms. Marple, I have read and enjoyed both. For people who have read — or who are going to read — Christie’s book, this is a fun companion, adding just a little more depth and flavour. In a combination of cold case files (some of these were never solved, like Lizzy Borden or Margeurite Steinheil) and murders, you can get a glimpse of the world Christie and her characters lived in. The social structure, the education expected of young women of standing, how people treated and reacted to one another. It’s a fascinating glimpse into the past, with the added sprinkle of mystery.

Each chapter lets you know not only the name of the person at the center of the crime, but the stories that drew influence from it. Some, like Dr. Crippen, are referenced in over a dozen books; others are simply an influence for a scene or two. This is helpful for people who haven’t read those stories yet, either giving away the twist or the murder or letting them know to wait on this chapter until they’ve read those books.

I recommend this to any fan of mystery and murder — not just fans of Agatha Christie. The writing is conversational, and everything is laid out cleanly. The author’s clearly had a passion for this book, and it shows.

NetGalley, E Horn

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Not only was Agatha Christie one of the most clever authors of all time, she also knew true crime cases and incorporated quite a few of them into her stories. There are poisonings, swindlers, espionage and kidnapping. I have read all of her mysteries a minimum of five times (except for my two least favourites) and feel a kinship with her. She practically feels like family. The authors emphasize they exclude spoilers from this wonderful book. So, do not be afraid to dig deep! Plentiful photos and illustrations at the back bring the details to life, many recognizable, others less so.

Agatha Christie sometimes used true criminal names and at other times referred to elements of crimes. In reading her novels, I have been able to identify probable references from her words. True crime cases add a layer of intrigue and insight and some such as Dr. Crippen obviously affected her significantly as she referred to him in at least twelve of her novels. She also included mentions of the cases of Elizabeth Canning, Charles Bravo (it was recognized that the guilty are far less important than the innocent), Madeleine Smith, Dr. Cream, and possible allusions to the Lindbergh case to name a few. Mystery still swirls around motives like the Lizzie Borden case. As in real life, Christie dangled red herrings galore.

All Agatha Christie and/or true crime lovers, this book is absolutely not to be missed. Though I was familiar with most of the cases here, I inhaled new-to-me details with great enthusiasm and gained further insight into one of my most beloved authors. The information could not be more riveting. This book endears me to her even more, if that's possible!

NetGalley, Brenda Carleton

This tome for Christie fans meets the brief exactly ... and - more importantly - concisely!

Authors Oats and Berg highlight all true crime references in Christie's books, providing concise summaries of these cases, and then discuss how they were used in the fictional stories.

Definitely one for true Agatha Christie fans! And all ready for adding into my own personal Agatha Christie library upon publication!

NetGalley, Melisende d'Outremer

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a fascinating and compelling read at a number of levels. Great if you’re a Christie fan, it’s an ideal companion volume giving insight into many of her books and characters. Great for lovers if true life crime; many will be familiar with some of these high profile cases and interested to see how they influenced an author. And as a standalone, it’s so well written I suspect it will draw any reader into more true life crime and Christie’s books.

I haven’t read many of her books, but recently after a couple of biographies, I’ve come to understand that she was a complex individual with an amazing life and many of her titles drew on her own experiences. In that context, this adds even more context to some of her characters and plots. She was clearly a keen observer if people and events and I found this an easy and fascinating read.

NetGalley, Anita Wallas

A great book to have for fans of Agatha Christie and true crime! I have read many of Agatha Christie's books and it was fun reading about the true crimes that may have inspired her. I liked how the true crime was detailed first and then compared the crimes to Christie's books. Definitely worth the read.

NetGalley, Joni Luciano

Agatha Christie always claimed that she didn't base her character's on real people, beyond a glimpse of say a man in a wheelchair with a family inspiring the family from the Body in the Library. Perhaps that is true, but when it comes to the crimes, she was clearly more inclined to draw from the real world. Here is a comprehensive list of cases referred to in her books.

Some of these I already knew about - The acid bath murders, the Kent murder, Lizzie Bolden etc. Some I vaguely knew of and plenty were brand new to me. It was fascinating to read about these long forgotten cases, and get some context for books I've read countless time. I'd never known the story behind the murder on the links book for example, and I loved getting that more complete picture, it will give it added flavour the next time I return to it.

The author is clearly a huge fan of Christie and has worked hard to create compelling narratives covering ever case they can find... this was a complete delight to read, both as a fan of Agatha Christie and of older true crime cases. It's an easy recommendation for anyone who falls into either of those camps, pick it up because you will enjoy yourself.

NetGalley, Sarah Aspden

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

I love the books by Agatha Christie and read them over and over. Knowing the information in this book explained much. Informative and interesting…don’t miss this one.

NetGalley, Brenda Burke

The Crimes That Inspired Agatha Christie is a fascinating dive into the real-life events that shaped one of the greatest crime writers of all time. Dr. Anna-Lena Berg and Dr. Jonathan Oates clearly did their research, and the book is packed with intriguing cases, historical context, and surprising connections to Christie’s stories.
I especially appreciated how accessible the writing is—scholarly yet readable... it’s a compelling exploration of the intersection between real-life crime and classic mystery fiction.
Overall, it’s enlightening, engaging, and a must-read for fans of Agatha Christie and true crime history alike.

NetGalley, Moira Frederickson

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is the perfect book for any fan of Agatha Christie's works or even someone who loves to read true crime. Bonus points if you like both! Since I haven't read all of Christie's works (one of these days, just there are so many other books to read first), I did have to be careful of what I was reading, since there were spoilers. It's a good thing my memory is horrid and won't remember any of them, anyway.

I did love the real life crimes were connected to the novel, and there were examples of how the characters differed from the real-life counterparts. For example, one was pregnant, and the other wasn't...

I was very glad there weren't any gruesome crime scene photos. I have absolutely no idea why people would want those pictures included.

Definitely would recommend this book!

NetGalley, Rebecca Stewart

This is the best book to read as a companion to Agatha Christie. If you wish to learn more about the possibilities of what inspired Christie (cause let’s be honest the woman was an enigma) to write her iconic books. This is the right book for you. it gives details of the crimes and ties them to Christie’s books at the end of each chapter. If you wish to expand into learning more about the legend herself, this book is a good resource.

NetGalley, Jarrett Connolly

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Absolutely fascinating book. I've never been much of an Agatha Christie fan, but I have always been interested in crime and how it shapes books we read, laws, etc., and why people do what they do. This book definitely was brilliant to read.

NetGalley, Karen Bull

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

This is a new and really successful approach to examining both true crimes and their influence on literature. The accounts of the crimes themselves are fascinating but it is the linked analysis of how they informed Christie’s work which really sets this book apart. It’s nicely written - not at all dense or overdone, but to the point and pithy. Some of the cases covered are very well known and even these bear re-examination with this new perspective.

NetGalley, Louise Gray