Stop off at the Torquay Museum to delve deeper into Christie’s life and the stories she told. Later transferred to the dispensary, it was here that she acquired her knowledge of poisons, and where she treated the many Belgian refugees that inspired the inimitable Hercule Poirot.
He sat down and opened the paper.” The ABC MurdersĪfter breakfast, take a stroll to Torquay Town Hall, where Christie worked as part of the Voluntary Aid Detachment during World War I. “Entering the Princess Gardens, he slowly made his way to a shelter facing Torquay harbour. Continue onwards to discover the Agatha Christie Bust, which commemorates the writer’s 100th birthday, before dipping your toes in the crystal-clear turquoise waters of Beacon Cove, one of the Christie’s favourite swimming spots. Brimming with blooms, palm trees and perfectly manicured lawns, the gardens made a cameo in The ABC Murders. Alternatively, soak up the scenery at Princess Gardens. Populated with many of the menacing flora that provide the poisons and cures featured in her books, the Potent Plants Garden is a fragrant ode to her greatest works. Discover the heady scent of hundreds of flowers on a trip to Torre Abbey. Stretching between the two hotels, the path unveils many of her favourite spots along the seafront, including the Pavilion where she and Archie got engaged. Once you’ve settled in, follow in the author’s footsteps with a stroll along the Agatha Christie Mile. Alternatively, book a room at the Grand Hotel – a romantic Victorian gem where Agatha honeymooned with her husband Archibald in 1914.
On arrival, you could check into the Imperial Hotel Torquay, which featured as both the Majestic Hotel in The Body in the Library and the Imperial Hotel in Sleeping Murder. Known as the English Riviera, the coastal beauty of Torquay and its surroundings influenced many scenes from Christie’s works. From here, jump aboard the train and enjoy the scenic journey to Christie’s birthplace, Torquay. Originally designed by ground-breaking architect Isambard Kingdom Brunel, it’s one of London’s grandest transport hubs and played a starring role in Christie’s 1957 work, 4.50 from Paddington. Though she also wrote romance novels like Unfinished Portrait (1934) and A Daughter's a Daughter (1952) under the name Mary Westmacott, Christie's success as an author of sleuth stories has earned her titles like the "Queen of Crime" and the "Queen of Mystery." Christie can also be considered a queen of all publishing genres as she is one of the top-selling authors in history, with her combined works selling more than 2 billion copies worldwide.After a leisurely breakfast, make your way to Paddington Station. Writing well into her later years, Christie wrote more than 70 detective novels as well as short fiction. Other notable Christie characters include Tuppence and Tommy Beresford, Colonel Race, Parker Pyne and Ariadne Oliver.
Miss Marple has been featured in books like The Moving Finger (1942) and A Pocket Full of Rye (1953), and been played on screen by actresses like Angela Lansbury, Helen Hayes and Geraldine McEwan. Poirot made the most appearances in Christie's work in titles that included Ackroyd, The Mystery of the Blue Train (1928) and Death in the Clouds (1935). Poirot and Marple are Christie's most well-known detectives, with the two featured in dozens of novels and short stories. The year of her new nuptials also saw the release of Murder at the Vicarage, which became another classic and introduced readers to Miss Jane Marple, an enquiring village lady. In 1930, she married archaeology professor Max Mallowan, with whom she traveled on several expeditions, later recounting her trips in the 1946 memoir Come, Tell Me How You Live. Christie would recover, with her and Archibald divorcing in 1928.