News about Agatha Christie

He was the avuncular man in sensible specs who, at his peak, was a Scottish household name - and the true pioneer of the gritty, murderous genre that is 'tartan noir'. Bill Knox, a journalist from the south side of Glasgow, covered untold crimes, fronted for almost a decade STV's Crime Desk slot appealing for help from the public - always signing off the programme with the promise that any calls to the police 'can be in confidence' - and had abundant contacts in the constabulary. But he was also, for decades, the author of many police procedurals and thrillers, of which the best remembered series follows the Glasgow homicides that entangled the excitable Chief Inspector Thane and his calmer deputy, Moss. Knox used so many pseudonyms for other adventures it is hard to tally them all - Michael Kirk, Noel Webster, Robert MacLeod - but he is now thought to have written 65 books between 1957 and his death, a quarter-century ago, on March 24, 1999.

In 2021, G T Karber was living in Los Angeles, working as a screenwriter and maths tutor and, on this occasion, procrastinating. He was in a café and doodled an idea for a logic puzzle on the back of a napkin.

Christie's attempts were discovered in a handmade satirical magazine made in 1971 by the author and the nurses she volunteered with at a makeshift hospital in Torquay, Devon, during the First World War. The 60-page magazine titled 'What we Did in the Great War' contains surreal short stories, poems, plays, an 'opera' and a comic strip about poisoning by Christie and her nurse friends - who called themselves 'the queer women' because of their unusual interests for the time period. One section is dedicated to Christie's agony aunt column in which she answers the the concerns of her 'readers' and signs all of her responses off with 'Always, your loving Aunt Agatha.'

For many people, it's the ultimate property dream - owning a Scottish castle. But behind the romantic fantasy of living in a fairytale home, there is often the harsh economic reality that castles have to earn their keep. With a unique set of costly problems - from leaky turrets and damp stone walls to erratic plumbing and wonky doorways - owners of some of the country's finest castles have revealed the imaginative ways in which they make their properties pay. While the most popular commercial venture is offering B&B - bed and battlements - to paying guests, the alternatives are as varied as the fortresses themselves. Dramatic architecture makes an ideal location for film makers and TV crews, or a thrilling backdrop to a murder mystery weekend, while the romance of castles makes them a perfect fit for grand weddings and hedonistic parties.

Written by Peter A Dowling, who knows about nerve-shredding plane journeys having created the 2005 movie Flightplan starring Jodie Foster, Red Eye is a heart-racing thriller starring Jing Lusi and Richard Armitage (left and right). 'Red Eye is like a contemporary Agatha Christie in that you're trapped in a contained location and people are dying,' says Peter, a Brit who lives in the US.

Gillon Stephenson, the author's son, said she leaves a'strong tradition of fine work' and that every day he'receives emails from people who express what a difference she has made.' Gillon Stephenson, the author's son, said, "leaves a rich history of brilliant work" and that every day he gets emails from people 'indicating what a difference she has made.'

Some of the greatest dramas take place in the smallest places, as Miss Marple knew only too well. 'Human nature is the same everywhere, and, of course, one has the privilege of seeing it in a village at close quarters,' Agatha Christie's much-loved sleuth once observed.' Residents of Witheridge, Devon's village, were struck first hand this week by their own 'whodunnit.' And with a cast of characters including the vicar, a disgruntled bell-ringer, 'jobsworth' officials, and a slew of gossip, Miss Marple may have revelled in unraveling. But, although her plots were always based on the hunt for an unknown murderer, the 'crime' in Witheridge focuses on a bitter ding-dong over the much-loved village clock. The timepiece, which was installed in 1882 in the tower of St John The Baptist Church, was not only meant to ring every hour, but also every quarter.

According to an award-winning writer, the BBC should'stop straying from Agatha Christie's storylines or coming up with their own ideas.' According to Andrew Wilson, who has spent years researching the famous murder mystery novelist, the corporation has pled a number of charges against her original work. Despite taking no one's life in the novel, the broadcaster has gone as far as to change the name of the murderer in Ordeal by Innocence and turn the protagonist into the murderer in The Pale Horse. In the most recent version, Murder is Simple, the investigator was changed from a retired British policeman returning to London from the Far East to a young Nigerian man who went to Whitehall. Wilson claims that Christie was 'precious' about her work and that she had protested television adaptations that fell away from her storylines while she was alive. He says that the BBC should'write their own books' because their latest adaptations haven't been as good as they should be because they didn't stick to Christie's original plot.

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: With any adaptation of a novel for the screen, there's always the question: which is better, the book or the show? Potboilers can produce exceptional serials, and great literature can be diluted and compressed. The answer is straightforward in the case of writer Robert Thorogood's genteel mystery The Marlow Murder Club (Drama): although there are some minor differences between the two books and the two-parter, they're both excellent. Thorogood, the maker of Death In Paradise, is equally at home in both genres. In fact, this story about three nosy women investigating a double murder in their Thames-side town was originally published as a TV show before it became the first in a series of chart-topping books. This TV adaptation has now been scripted by the author. You have to respect his dedication, as well as his ability with which he pulls together a slew of storylines.

On daytime show This Morning, a celebrity from this year's series of The Traitors has landed a presenting role. Jaz Singh, 30, made it all the way to the final of the show as a faithful but lost money at the last minute after Mollie Pearce failed to identify Harry Clark as a Traitor. However, after appearing on the show, the account manager may be the true winner.

With thousands of shows on offer across each category, the number of subscription options on offer in the United Kingdom can seem almost endless. Any platform has particular terms and conditions, while still providing a sample of shows and movies that appeal to various tastes. Our analysts from The Mail's Weekend magazine have rigorously reviewed over 22 services on sale in the United Kingdom and selected which provide the best value for money. They also have a rundown of which is the fastest to cancel and which service to choose based on your viewing preferences. Read their definitive guide here:

Jaz, 30, 30, who was consistently banned from firearms, double bluffs, and murders, which culminated in him falling out of the final three, lost out on the £95,000 reward fund.

He spent four weeks inside The Traitors castle, playing the ultimate game of deception and manipulation. But after constant banishments, double bluffs, and murders, Jaz Singh, 30, dropped out on the £95,000 reward fund, which culminated in his demise. Jaz, who was dubbed 'Jazatha Christie' by viewers for his nexus detective skills, managed to see through all the Traitors, and Mollie Pearce was able to convince the model to cast her vote against him.

During Thursday's episode of The Traitors, fans became enraged, as Mollie continued to promise her allegiance to Harry. Mollie was utterly confident that Harry was 100% faithful as he walked through the door for breakfast, having survived another night without being attacked by the traitors. However, while the disability model has been mused that a player so adept at catching traitors is still playing the game, she hasn't put two and two together and discovered that Harry himself is the notorious villain.

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: All the contestants were blindfolded at the first group meeting. Claudia, wearing red leather fingerless gloves (part dominatrix, part skinflint), walked behind them, selecting 'Traitors' by tapping them on the shoulder. The 'Faithful' are those who weren't selected. With three Traitors, the game got off last year. There are four this year, but the fourth's identity will not be announced until tonight. Each night, the anonymous Traitors will meet to select a Faithful individual to'murder' or kick out of the game.

And lo, on the ninth day of a positive lateral flow, I took a test and was negative, and I was glad to go to the store to buy some cheese at last. All things being said, it hasn't been a vintage Christmas. We were unable to visit my mother the first week due to a testing positive for Covid, but instead we were confined to barracks, both my husband and I were suffering from the symptoms. On Boxing Day, I finally got it together enough to make a ham with potatoes and whip up a cauliflower cheese, but I was so ill from the effort that I could barely eat it. Presents were postponed until the 27th of October. Our halls have been decorated not with boughs of holly but with boxes of tissues and bottles of cough medicine.

The Old Forge in Knoydart, Scotland, is in a village without any roads either in or out. So it has a captive audience. But Ted Thornhill finds that it does not rest on its laurels. On a recent visit, he found that it has exceptional service, provides delicious comfort food, and generally loves being in the heart of the area's unique community.

This year's literary quiz is just the challenge you're looking for with seven rounds testing your memoirs, anniversaries, books, and TV series. Good luck!

CHRISTOPHER STEVENS: Christmas gifts come in two forms: the ones we like and the ones a disapproving relative feels we should get, such as socks, underpants, and... Murder is simple (BBC1). Auntie Beeb and I are unable to understand the way we enjoy murder in a 1950s house. All those spinsters cycling through the morning mist to church, ruddy-cheeked blacksmiths, and lads playing cricket on the green - it must be wrong.

Despite the fact that program makers have changed his character's race from white to black, the star of the BBC's Agatha Christie adaptation has confessed that he is not a fan of 'color-blind casting.' David Jonsson, the protagonist of tonight's thriller Murder Is Easy, said he initially turned down the role for this reason. Luke Fitzwilliam has been upgraded from a serving white colonial police officer to a black Nigerian, who has recently arrived in the United Kingdom for a diplomatic post in Whitehall in a radical reworking of Christie's book.

Hundreds of letters and emails received this year (thanks to all for taking the time to write) contained issues with a familiar ring to them, including incorrect energy bills, Covid -period flights that weren't refunded (still), refused compensation for fraud victims, and glacial responses from customer service - several of the issues I had never encountered before.

On Wednesday evening, the formbook has given the festive classic - an Agatha Christie mystery - a Christmas certainty. We'll have figured out the answer to the mystery that is this season's Ladbrokes King George VI Chase by the time the first episode of the BBC's Murder Is Easy is shown. Equine actors take to the Kempton stage once graced by racing immortals such as Arkle, Desert Orchid, and Kauto Star, but the convoluted plot makes this a mystery that no writer would be proud of.

As Poirot and I were debating the relative merits of turkey and duck, as well as serving in our Christmas luncheon, a knock knock knock knocked on his drawing room door. Sir, I'm sorry for the disruption, but a lady is here to see you.' She has no appointment, but it is of utmost importance. It can't wait, not even until tomorrow,' she says.' I can leave.' ... ' Halfway out of my chair, I said. No, no, Catchpool.' Stay tuned. I am not expecting an unexpected visitor this afternoon. Since the American stock market's urgentness, most people are unable to determine accurately the urgency of their predicament. They came to my door and said they must have Hercule Poirot's assistance. Eh bien, I wait patiently, but there is usually nothing more than a simple misunderstanding that cannot be answered quickly. The little grey cells are neither confounding or delighting.'

ALISON BOSHOFF: ALISON BOSHOFF is the protagonist of A Haunting In Venice, Hercule Poirot, the world's most popular detective, is a forlorn figure who has been retired and living in exile. However, we see him sitting on the roof of his palazzo, offering a prospective client by the end. Et voila! He's back in company. It's a good indication of what Kenneth Branagh, Agatha Christie's most popular film, will do next, and it's also hopeful' that the actor's great-grandson will keep detecting. A Haunting In Venice, which added horror-inspired flourishes to the classic whodunnit, received only limited success at the box office. However, Christie's great-grandson James Prichard, who manages Agatha Christie Ltd, doesn't think Disney has reached the end of this chapter.