These five early stories, unpublished since their first magazine appearances in the '20s and '30s, were finally unearthed 21 years after Agatha Christie's death. Smartly jacketed in the contemporary Agatha Christie liverie, all show the deft touch of the Queen of Crime in the making. While the Light Lasts The Actress The House of Dreams The Edge Within a Wall Like many of her contemporaries, Agatha Christie wrote stories for a variety of magazines in the 1920s and '30s, and most of these eventually found their way into her books of short stories. Now, 21 years after her death, detective work worthy of Agatha Christie herself has unearthed 'new' stories, most of which have never been published anywhere in the world since their orginal appearances. In this new collection the author observes the tragic flaws in human nature, providing a glimpse of the Queen of Crime in the making. Anyone who has ever read Agatha Christie will enjoy every story for her skill at characterisation and her ability to deliver an unexpected twist in the tail...

About the Author

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became, quite simply, the best-selling novelist in history. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written towards the end of the First World War, introduced us to Hercule Poirot, who was to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since Sherlock Holmes. She is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in 100 foreign languages. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Prizes

Some of Agatha Christie's earliest stories - including her very first - which show the Queen of Crime in the making... A macabre recurring dream ... revenge against a blackmailer ... jealousy, infidelity and a tortured conscience ... a stolen gemstone ... the haunting attraction of an ancient relic ... a race against time ... a tragic love triangle ... a body in a box ... an unexpected visitor from beyond the grave... Nine quintessential examples of Agatha Christie's brilliance are contained in this new collection of early short stories - including the very first one she ever wrote - and provide a unique glimpse of the Queen of Crime in the making. / A new series of Agatha Christie mass market editions, stylishly repackaged based on new market research, and designed to bring the books to a wider readership. / Market research shows that two out of three of all fiction readers have read an Agatha Christie book, and more than half want to read her again / Major marketing campaign behind these new Agatha Christie editions.

Reviews

"The acknowledged Queen of Crime." OBSERVER