As early as 1962, it was reported that the sales of Agatha Christie's books had comfortably overtaken Shakespeare and made her the most widely read British author in the world, with only the Bible more widely translated. That same year her play, The Mousetrap, celebrated its tenth year in continuous production in London -- now a 47-year run Christie was a discreet, private person who avoided celebrity and disliked publicity, to the extent of staging her suicide and attempting to disappear in 1926. At the same time, she was very cosmopolitan, and traveled widely with her second husband, a distinguished archaeologist.This heavily illustrated book by Martin Fido will surely satisfy the millions of Agatha Christie readers who crave more information about this intriguing and remarkable woman.