Quiz about History of Agatha Christies Works
Quiz about History of Agatha Christies Works

History of Agatha Christie's Works Quiz


Agatha Christie has a reputation as one of the foremost crime novel writers of the twentieth century. How much do you know about her novels and the characters therein?

A multiple-choice quiz by DavidGordon. Estimated time: 4 mins.
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Author
DavidGordon
Time
4 mins
Type
Multiple Choice
Quiz #
313,479
Updated
Dec 03 21
# Qns
10
Difficulty
Average
Avg Score
7 / 10
Plays
517
Awards
Top 20% Quiz
Last 3 plays: Guest 174 (6/10), Guest 213 (8/10), MagyandVesy (8/10).
This quiz has 2 formats: you can play it as a or as shown below.
Scroll down to the bottom for the answer key.
1. Agatha Christie wrote her novels and short stories for more than 50 years. What was the year her first crime novel was released? Hint

1922
1925
1924
1920

2. Agatha Christie's first novel introduced a character who solved the crime. Who was this person? Hint

Mr Parker Pyne
Miss Jane Marple
Hercule Poirot
Ariadne Oliver

3. Agatha Christie's first crime novel had what title? Hint

"The Mysterious Affair At Styles"
"Murder At The Vicarage"
"Lord Edgware Dies"
"The Moving Finger"

4. Hercule Poirot had a long and trusted friend, confederate and confidant who was an avid chronicler of a number of the little Belgian's cases. What was his name? Hint

John Cavendish
Chief Inspector James Japp
Colonel Carbury
Captain Arthur Hastings

5. What was the title of the last novel featuring Hercule Poirot. This was the novel where Hercule Poirot dies. Hint

"Sleeping Murder"
"Dead Man's Folly"
"Curtain"
"Death Comes As The End"

6. Apart from leading figures, very few people appear in novels about different sleuths. One character did appear in a Poirot novel called "Cat Among the Pigeons", a Miss Marple novel called "At Bertram's Hotel", and a Tuppence and Tommy novel called "Postern of Fate". Who was this character? Hint

Lady Alice Chatterton
Felicity Lemon
Mr Robinson
Ariadne Oliver

7. Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple met and collaborated in which novel? Hint

"Nemesis"
No such liaison took place.
"Elephants Can Remember"
"Cat Among the Pigeons"

8. Agatha Christie published many crime novels, but also published plays, poems, romantic novels and memoirs. Several of these were published under a different name. Which of the following is NOT a name used by Agatha Christie? Hint

Agatha Christie Mallowan
Agatha Miller
Agatha Christie
Mary Westmacott

9. How many crime novels and short stories did Agatha Christie write? Hint

50 novels and 50 short stories
107 novels and 75 short stories
66 novels and 147 short stories
20 novels and 15 short stories

10. Agatha Christie went on to write an autobiography (which was published in 1977) after her death in 1976. What was the last crime novel which was published prior to that date? (Agatha had written the novel some years before; it had not been published to that point.) Hint

"Sleeping Murder"
"Curtain"
"Elephants Can Remember"
"Star Over Bethlehem"


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Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts
1. Agatha Christie wrote her novels and short stories for more than 50 years. What was the year her first crime novel was released?

Answer: 1920

This was the first novel in which a famous crime solver, who reappeared in later novels, was introduced to the readers.
2. Agatha Christie's first novel introduced a character who solved the crime. Who was this person?

Answer: Hercule Poirot

Jane Marple first appeared in 1930, in "Murder at the Vicarage". Ariadne Oliver was one of four sleuths invited to a bridge party in "Cards on the Table" where she met Hercule Poirot. Parker Pyne appeared in short stories released in 1934.
3. Agatha Christie's first crime novel had what title?

Answer: "The Mysterious Affair At Styles"

This novel was the first case for Hercule Poirot, and was released in 1920. "Murder At The Vicarage" was the first case for Miss Jane Marple, released in 1930. In 1933, "Lord Edgware Dies", known as "Thirteen At Dinner" in the U.S., was released. Another Miss Marple case, "The Moving Finger", was not released until 1943.
4. Hercule Poirot had a long and trusted friend, confederate and confidant who was an avid chronicler of a number of the little Belgian's cases. What was his name?

Answer: Captain Arthur Hastings

John Cavendish actually played a part in re-introducing Hastings to Poirot when Hastings was convalescing at Styles Court, and Poirot, a Belgian refugee was lodged in nearby Leastways Cottage. Colonel Carbury actually engaged Poirot in a case ("Appointment With Death"). Chief Inspector Japp appears in several stories as the police officer in the case.
5. What was the title of the last novel featuring Hercule Poirot. This was the novel where Hercule Poirot dies.

Answer: "Curtain"

"Curtain" was published in 1975. "Dead Man's Folly" was another (earlier) Poirot case and "Sleeping Murder" was the final Miss Marple novel. In a letter to his long time friend Hastings, Poirot wrote explaining the finer points of the case, and said, 'They have been good days'.
"Dead Man's Folly" is a story in which Ariadne Oliver invites Poirot to her home to take part in what she called a "Murder Hunt".
"Sleeping Murder" is a Miss Marple novel.
"Death Comes as the End" is set in ancient Egypt, and calls on research done by Agatha when she accompanied her second husband on an archeological dig.
6. Apart from leading figures, very few people appear in novels about different sleuths. One character did appear in a Poirot novel called "Cat Among the Pigeons", a Miss Marple novel called "At Bertram's Hotel", and a Tuppence and Tommy novel called "Postern of Fate". Who was this character?

Answer: Mr Robinson

Mr Robinson was a member of a mysterious syndicate called The Arrangers. They dealt with matters in the financial world. Felicity Lemon and Ariadne Oliver first appear in short stories, "Parker Pine Investigates", before going on to feature in some Poirot novels.

There is Lady Abbie Chatterton in Poirot's "The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding" and Lady Alice Chatterton in Poirot's "The Regatta Mystery" which was published only in the USA.
7. Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple met and collaborated in which novel?

Answer: No such liaison took place.

"Nemesis" was a Miss Marple novel and the other two novels were Hercule Poirot stories. Agatha Christie never put these two characters together.
8. Agatha Christie published many crime novels, but also published plays, poems, romantic novels and memoirs. Several of these were published under a different name. Which of the following is NOT a name used by Agatha Christie?

Answer: Agatha Miller

Agatha was born Agatha Miller, but wrote her first novels under the name of her first husband, as Agatha Christie. Even after her first marriage broke up in 1926, Agatha continued to write detective novels under the name Agatha Christie, and wrote a series of six psychological novels using the name Mary Westmacott.

She wrote memoirs of her travels in Syria under the name Agatha Christie Mallowan.
9. How many crime novels and short stories did Agatha Christie write?

Answer: 66 novels and 147 short stories

An interesting sideline is that one of Agatha Christie's plays, "The Mousetrap", has the record for the longest running play after some 24,000 plus performances in London.
10. Agatha Christie went on to write an autobiography (which was published in 1977) after her death in 1976. What was the last crime novel which was published prior to that date? (Agatha had written the novel some years before; it had not been published to that point.)

Answer: "Sleeping Murder"

"Star Over Bethlehem" is a book of poems and children's stories, "Curtain" was actually Hercule Poirot's last case written in 1975 and "Elephants Can Remember" was written in 1972. Miss Marple was the crime solver in "Sleeping Murder". Agatha had written this book in the 1940's, to be published after her death. I am indebted to James25 for this information, which was not in my smaller and less informative source.
Source: Author DavidGordon

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