Best Agatha Christie Books Ranked by A Bookworm

Agatha Christie’s detective stories are my go-to when I’m in the mood for something light yet intriguing. Her books are always easy to read, and they offer that fun challenge — can you guess the killer this time?

So far, I’ve read 12 of her books, and here’s my personal ranking of the best Agatha Christie books — starting with my favorite and ending with the one I liked the least. If you’re here trying to pick your next read, let’s get started!

I’ll keep each review short and spoiler-free, just enough to give you a feel for the plot and why I liked (or didn’t like) it. I’m ranking them based on how entertaining, surprising, and memorable they were for me.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd

The story is narrated by a doctor who visits Roger Ackroyd on the day of his murder. Later that evening, after returning home, he receives a mysterious phone call from an unknown person informing him that Roger is dead. Rushing back to the residence of the wealthy man, he finds that Roger has indeed been killed — stabbed in the back with a knife.

The list of suspects includes family members and household staff, each hiding personal secrets. Hercule Poirot, who has just moved into the neighborhood, is asked to help solve the case.

Throughout the investigation, I suspected almost everyone — except the actual killer. The ending was truly shocking.

And Then There Were None

And Then There Were None is one of Agatha Christie’s most mysterious books. It is also known by the title Ten Little Indians, but since that title was considered racially insensitive in many countries, the book was later renamed.

The story begins with ten strangers who seemingly have no connection to each other, but all share a dark past. They are invited to a house on a remote island by a mysterious host named “U.N. Owen” (a play on the word “unknown”), each under a different pretext.

When the first guest dies, everyone becomes a suspect and fear begins to spread among the group. No one feels safe. As a reader, you keep changing your guesses about who the murderer is, but in my opinion, there’s no way to figure it out until the very end. The entire book kept me on edge, and the ending completely surprised me.

Murder on the Orient Express

Mr. Ratchett, who meets the well-known detective Hercule Poirot on the Orient Express en route to London, recognizes him and tries to hire Poirot to protect him, claiming he has been receiving death threats. Poirot refuses, and that very night, when the train is stuck in a snowdrift, he is informed that Ratchett has been murdered.

All passengers, and presumably the murderer, are still on board, and the detective must solve the puzzle. Ratchett’s body was stabbed twelve times with no clear pattern, making it difficult to determine whether the crime was committed by a small woman or a strong man. 

The motive behind the murder made me cry for hours, so be aware—this is one of the saddest Agatha Christie books I’ve ever read.

Death on the Nile

Linnet Doyle is a successful and wealthy young woman vacationing in Egypt with her husband and a group of friends. Her former friend Jacqueline couldn’t bear the fact that Linnet married her ex-fiancé, Simon. Bitterness consumed her, and she began stalking the couple wherever they went.

During the trip, they meet the famous detective Hercule Poirot and invite him to join them on a boat cruise along the Nile with their close friends. Strangely enough, Jacqueline shows up in this distant corner of the world as well. The next morning, Linnet is found dead, peacefully lying in her bed.

But it would have been too simple to point the finger at Jacqueline and call the case closed. So the question remains: who else had a reason to want the beautiful, young, and rich Linnet Doyle dead? If you read the book carefully, there’s actually a chance to figure out the murderer before Poirot reveals everything. I almost guessed the ending — and that’s just one of the many reasons I enjoyed this book.

The Murder on the Links

The story begins with Poirot receiving a letter from a man named Paul Renauld, who claims his life is in danger and begs Poirot to come to France immediately. But by the time Poirot arrives, it’s already too late—Renauld has been found dead in a freshly dug grave on a golf course, stabbed in the back with a letter opener.

The case is full of unexpected twists. There’s the mysterious woman dressed in mourning, a jealous son, a secret past, and of course, the French detective Giraud who is more focused on footprints than logic. The competition between Poirot and Giraud adds a layer of fun to the mystery.

What I liked about this book is that it really kept me guessing. Just when I thought I had figured it out, something new would come up and change everything. Just as always in all Agatha’s books. 

Crooked House

Crooked House quickly became one of my favorite Agatha Christie novels. This one doesn’t feature Poirot or Miss Marple, but it doesn’t need to—because the mystery is strong enough on its own.

The story is told through Charles Hayward, who is in love with Sophia Leonides. But things take a dark turn when Sophia’s wealthy grandfather, Aristide Leonides, is found dead—poisoned in his massive, crooked-looking mansion. Naturally, Charles gets pulled into the investigation, and it doesn’t take long to realize that almost everyone in the house had a motive to kill the old man. The Leonides family all live under one roof, and trust me, that roof is hiding a lot of secrets. 

Why did all those family members dislike the old man? Why did he leave all his money to Sophia alone? And who could possibly be the cold-blooded murderer hiding among them? This time, I actually got lucky and guessed it—so give it a shot yourself and see if you can figure it out before the big reveal.

Sleeping murderer

The crime we’re trying to solve happened years ago—it’s already buried in the past. But when Gwenda moves to England from New Zealand with her husband and settles into a new house by the sea, she starts to feel uneasy, as if she’s been there before. Bits and pieces of a long-forgotten childhood memory begin to resurface—strange feelings, half-remembered scenes, and one haunting phrase: “Cover her face.”

With the help of Miss Marple, Gwenda slowly uncovers the truth. What begins as a vague sense of déjà vu turns into a chilling investigation into a murder everyone thought had never happened. The deeper they dig, the more dangerous it becomes—because the past doesn’t always stay buried.

I loved how this book played with memory, time, and the idea that something forgotten can still hold power over the present. I took a guess at the murderer—and I turned out to be right. Oh, I was so proud of myself in the end.

The A.B.C. Murders

Who can dare to challenge Hercule Poirot? I think only a madman. This time, it’s not just a single murder—there’s a whole series of them, and Poirot is up against a killer who seems to be playing a twisted game.

The story begins when Poirot receives an anonymous letter, signed simply “A.B.C.” It warns him about a murder that will happen in Andover. When a woman named Alice Ascher is found dead, it becomes clear the killer is serious. The next letter leads to Bexhill, then to Churston… the killer follows the alphabet, choosing victims and locations in a chilling sequence.

Each crime is accompanied by an A.B.C. railway guide left near the body, as if the murderer is mocking Poirot—daring him to catch him. And what’s more disturbing is that the victims seem completely unrelated.

The ending was predictable. I think this one was easier to guess than most. So, if you want to boost your confidence as a detective, try this book—you’ll enjoy it.

Black coffee

The story unfolds at the home of the brilliant physicist Sir Claud Amory, who has invented a top-secret formula for a powerful explosive. Fearing that someone in his own household is trying to steal the formula, Sir Claud gathers his family and guests and sends a desperate telegram to Poirot, asking for immediate help.

But before Poirot can arrive, Sir Claud is found dead—poisoned, just moments after revealing that the formula has gone missing. The only clue? A cup of coffee laced with poison.

As Poirot begins to investigate, assisted by his loyal friend Captain Hastings, he quickly realizes that every person in the house has something to hide. 

While Black Coffee may not be as mysteriously layered as some of Christie’s more famous novels, it still delivers what fans come for: clever dialogue, mystery, and Poirot’s unmistakable charm. 

The Body in the Library

This one starts with a real shocker—a dead body found right in the library of a quiet countryside house. The Bantrys, a respectable couple living in St. Mary Mead, wake up to find the corpse of a young woman lying on the rug. No one knows who she is or how she got there. Miss Marple has to get involved to uncover the truth.

The police begin digging into the victim’s identity and quickly discover she was a dancer at a nearby hotel. Her name is Ruby Keene, and her connection to the Bantrys isn’t obvious at first. Miss Marple starts putting things together in her usual quiet but sharp way.

There’s a second body later in the story, and that’s when things really start to get interesting. The plot moves at a good pace, and the characters have enough depth to keep you guessing. I wouldn’t say it’s Christie’s most mind-blowing mystery, but you can guess the murderer, and the reveal is satisfying as always.

Appointment with Death

This one takes us to the Middle East, where Hercule Poirot is supposed to be enjoying his vacation in Petra. But of course, trouble finds him. The story starts with the death of Mrs. Boynton, an evil and controlling old woman who rules her family like a dictator. She’s found dead with a needle mark in her wrist, and at first, it looks like natural causes… but you know better when Poirot’s around.

The real tension in this one comes from the family dynamic. Every member of the Boynton family seems to have a reason to want her gone. Poirot has 24 hours to solve the murder, and as always, the way he unravels everything is smart and effective. There’s no real way to guess the killer—you suspect everyone, but the key facts are only revealed by Poirot at the end, and the final conclusion is based entirely on those.

Hallowe’en Party

A young girl named Joyce claims she once witnessed a murder. No one takes her seriously… until she’s found drowned in the apple-bobbing bucket later that night during a halloween party full of people. That’s when Hercule Poirot is brought in by his old friend Ariadne Oliver to figure out what really happened.

It’s one of those stories where you realize the key to solving the murder lies in the past, and Poirot has to dig through old secrets and forgotten crimes. There are a lot of characters, which makes it a little slower to follow at times. The book is not  Christie’s strongest one, but still worth reading—especially if you like creepy atmospheres and small-town gossip. It includes multiple stories, and the murder motive was somewhat understandable to me. I spent the longest time reading this book and didn’t even try to guess the murderer, since—once again—the revealing facts come at the end, and there’s no way you could have guessed without them. This is one of those cases where Poirot knows more than the reader, which makes it impossible to figure out the killer in advance.

The Mysterious Mr. Quin

This one is very different from the usual Christie books. It’s a collection of short stories centered around a man named Mr. Harley Quin, who shows up unexpectedly and seems to have this odd, almost supernatural ability to push people toward the truth.

Most of the stories are told through Mr. Satterthwaite, an elderly gentleman who ends up solving mysteries with Mr. Quin’s strange guidance. The vibe is more mysterious, but the events happen too fast and there are always so many characters that you can’t fully dive into the story. The stories often have a romantic or tragic twist. It’s not for everyone, especially if you’re expecting a classic detective story. Honestly, I didn’t even finish the book because it didn’t pull me in the way Christie’s other works usually do. I kept losing track of who was who, and by the middle, I just lost interest.

So, that was my list of the best Agatha Christie books, based on my own reading experience. If you’re trying to decide where to start or what to read next, I hope this helped narrow it down. Whether you want something truly unpredictable, or a bit more intriguing, there’s something in her work for every mystery lover.

Satie Hayrapetyan

My name is Satie Hayrapetyan, and I love reading. Books have taught me so much, but most importantly, they have helped me understand people better and grow more compassionate toward them. I am also the author of “The Unsent Letters”, which will soon be translated into English and made available to all my blog visitors.

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