Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, was an English author renowned for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those featuring the iconic detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Known as the "Queen of Crime," Christie is the best-selling fiction writer of all time, with over two billion copies of her works sold. She also wrote the world's longest-running play, The Mousetrap, which has been performed in the West End of London since 1952.

Born on 15 September 1890 in Torquay, Devon, Christie was largely home-schooled. She married Archibald Christie in 1914, with whom she had one child, before their divorce in 1928. In 1930, she married archaeologist Max Mallowan and spent considerable time on archaeological digs in the Middle East, which inspired many of her novels.

Christie's first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, was published in 1920, introducing Hercule Poirot. Despite early rejections, Christie became a prominent figure in the "Golden Age of Detective Fiction." Her works have been translated into over 100 languages, making her the most-translated individual author according to UNESCO's Index Translationum.

During her career, Christie wrote six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was made a Dame by Queen Elizabeth II for her contributions to literature. Her enduring legacy includes adaptations of her works for television, film, radio, and stage.

Significant works: And Then There Were None, among the top-selling books of all time with 100 million copies sold, and The Murder of Roger Ackroyd, voted the best crime novel ever by the Crime Writers' Association in 2013.