Dame Agatha Christie, known as the “Queen of Mystery,” is one of the bestselling authors of all time, outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible. A prolific writer known for her well-crafted puzzles, Christie is a hugely significant figure who helped shape and define the mystery genre.

Born September 15, 1890 in Torquay, England, Agatha was the youngest of three children. She enjoyed years of homeschooling, being taught by both her mother and father, who encouraged her to write. During her time as a nurse during WWI, she began writing, inspired by the Sherlock Holmes detective novels of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. She attempted to publish several novels and short stories, though she was unsuccessful with these initial attempts. She finally broke through with The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1920, beginning her juggernaut career as a mystery writer.

Her prose style is clear and straightforward. Her novels build complex puzzles through the perspective of an investigator, most frequently Hercule Poirot, whose mustachioed visage is emblematic of Christie’s work. Her novels feature exotic locales, drawing inspiration from her own extensive travels. Though best known for her collection of over 60 detective novels, she wrote dozens of plays and over a hundred and fifty short stories, and under a pseudonym, wrote several romance novels. The legacy of this prolific writer is impressive, though not entirely untarnished. Some of her work has come under fire for her representations of other cultures and her use of racist language and slurs, which has prompted several novels to be retitled.

Today, over two billion copies of her novels have been sold. Her books have also been extensively adapted, with over 40 adapted for movies and 50 for television. She was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1971. Christie passed away on January 12, 1976 in Wallingford, England.