The A.B.C. Murders

Author: Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie, truly considered the greatest crime novelist, reached a level rarely surpassed, according to one critic. Yet, year after year, book after book, her genius grew, her capabilities as a novelist developed, and her intellect became sharper. In this story, considered one of Agatha Christie's masterpieces of detective fiction, we find Agatha leaving her mark on the history of detective stories. The idea of the story is no less brilliant than its plot. The killer in this story is an obsessed individual who commits his crimes according to the alphabetical order of his victims' names, starting with the letter "A" to kill Mrs. Ascher in Andover, then the letter "B" to kill Miss Betty Barnard on Bexhill beach, and for the letter "C," his victim is Sir Carmichael Clarke from Churston. As a hallmark of his method, the killer would leave an ABC railway guide open to the name of the place where the murder occurred next to the body. How far will this criminal go through the alphabet? He committed many crimes to the point where it seemed no one would be able to catch him, but he made a mistake, the mistake all criminals make – when, driven by sheer arrogance, he challenged Mr. Poirot's ability to thwart his plans. If you recommend this story to your colleagues, do not hint at anything that might spoil their pleasure in reading it.