Agatha Christie: The Indian hotel murder that inspired the queen of crime - BBC News

The sensational case, which made global headlines, is said to have influenced Christie's first book.

3 days agoShareclose panelShare pageCopy linkAbout sharingImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Agatha Christie named her house Styles in 1924 after the success of her first novelBy Cherylann MollanBBC News, MumbaiFew things are more gripping than a family feud - especially when the relatives involved aren't yours and murder is part of the plot.

Agatha Christie, often called the "queen of crime", knew this better than most and her very first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, treats the reader to an intriguing tale of murder born out of familial strife.

Published in 1920, the whodunnit centres around the murder of a wealthy woman, Emily Inglethorp, whose second husband - 20 years younger than her - is viewed with suspicion by the entire Inglethorp clan, including by her friend and confidante, Evelyn Howard.

The book introduces one of Christie's most iconic characters - the eccentric detective, Hercule Poirot - and like her subsequent books, had multiple suspects, shocking twists, clues hidden in plain sight and the "big reveal" at the end, where the perpetrator of the crime is revealed.

But the novel is also singular in that it is widely thought to be inspired by a real-life murder that took place over a century ago in Mussoorie, a popular hill retreat in northern India.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-india-67943375?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=KARANGA

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