SLEEPING MURDER - BIO ON AGATHA CHRISTIE

SLEEPING MURDER - BIO ON AGATHA CHRISTIE

I don't know about you, but I am so excited about diving into this fantastic mystery! I grew up watching Agatha Christie's mysteries come to life on the show Mystery on PBS. I was hooked on the elderly spinster, Miss Marple, and the quirky French detective, Hercule Poirot, who were the leading characters in many of her mysteries.

Agatha Christie was born on September 15, 1890 (tomorrow would be her birthday!) in the UK to an American father and Irish mother. She was homeschooled by her father and for some reason her mother did not want her to learn to read until the age of 8, but Agatha, who was a precocious child , taught herself to read by the age of 5.

The family eventually moved to France and Agatha began writing short stories during a period of illness. A family friend, author Eden Philpotts, gave her some valuable advice during that time. "The artist is only the glass through which we see nature and the clearer and more absolutely pure that glass so much the more perfect picture we can see through it. Never intrude yourself."

During the First World War Christie worked in a hospital dispensary back in England. She became very knowledgeable about lethal amounts of drugs as prescriptions were mixed by hand. She also gained an education about poisons which would be invaluable to her writing career.

After a quick romance, Agatha married Archie Christie. A daughter they named Rosalind was born. Unfortunately, Archie began an affair with a friend of the family. This led to one of the greatest mysteries of Christie's personal life. One night in December, Agatha left the house. Her car was found several miles away, but Agatha was missing. The entire country began a hunt for the famous authoress. She disappeared for 11 days. Found at a hotel under a different name, Christie never explained to anyone her reasons for the disappearance.

With a divorce now settled, Christie began traveling. Eventually, in 1930 while in Ur, she met archaeologist Max Mallowan. They were later married, and Agatha sometimes accompanied him on his trips. This led to even more material for her novels.

Christie led a fascinating life. I could go on and on, but I think you get the idea where her material came from to be able to craft the works she did. For more info you can check out www.agathachristie.com.

 I'll leave you with this. Christie died January 12, 1976. Her final mystery, the one you are about to read, was published the same year. Her works have sold 1 billion copies in English and 1 billion copies in other languages. She is outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her works include 80 mysteries and short stories, 19 plays, and 6 novels.

And now if we could dim the lights and pull back the curtains, it's time for Agatha Christie's The Sleeping Murder.