AGATHA CHRISTIE

Don't underestimate Christie. She's the most popular novelist in the world with sales of two billion books, outranked only by the Bible and Shakespeare, and the author of the long-running play, The Mousetrap.

Even those who have never opened an Agatha Christie murder mystery are hooked by the timeless films and TV productions the books have spawned.

This book has everything you ever wanted to know about Christie's stories in incredible detail, including profiles of her and her most popular characters, such as the pompous Belgian detective Poirot, and the amateur spinster sleuth, Miss Marple.

My sister and I read Agatha Christie avidly as we were growing up. We must have read over fifty of her books. If I had this book back then I might have read all one hundred and five.

I am getting more impressed by the Pocket Essentials with each one I see. Yes it does fit in the pocket and make interesting reading on the tube. Yes it looks pretty complete (though there was a few things missed out due to lack of space you probably wont mind). I can't say how accurate it is but Mark Campbell appears to have done exhaustive research and I would be surprised if there are more than a handful of errors in the whole book.

As well as the mandatory bibliography we are treated to short descriptions of the major characters and the stories they appear in. What is fascinating is the way these characters change from novel to novel - which is something you don't always appreciate as you read them individually. Also of note are Mark's honest ratings for the books. He is not above criticising his idol. The less completist among you can pick and choose the best Christie and leave the average novels behind.

At 3.99 UKP this wont break the bank. But can we have more info on Christie's life for the next edition? The little insight we get suggests that she was a fascinating individual.

For anyone like me, who spent their childhood surreptitiously reading Agatha Christie novels under the bedclothes by torchlight there is one startlingly obvious problem with this book.... it's set in point stupid font that even the greatest detective would need a magnifying glass to decipher. That aside, this is one of the most useful books I've come across in the vast array of titles available to Christie fans. In my experience 'list books' tend to be rather dull affairs, droning on in glorious perpetuity about which novel followed which film etc. This pocket guide is a refreshingly different. Maybe it is because I felt a curious affinity with the author in his views and comments about the various works, or maybe it was because the book contained something that other 'list' books don't. Humour. Very rarely has it been known to laugh at the comments of a guidebook but this is in fact what I did. I cite for example the authors verdict of Appointment with Death (Films pg. 71) and the verdict on the Alphabet murders (Films pg. 74).

The comments by the author make this pocket guide worth reading simply for the fact you obtain the views of someone who appears to have actually read the books. Whether or not you agree with his review is of course a matter of personal opinion, I however found it more useful to have an 'ordinary Joe's' view of the novel than a discursive literary essay.

The book is short, to the point and fills all the requirements a pocket guide should. It gives a brief biography at the beginning covering all the salient points. Also included is a chronological list of works by Christie and an interesting breakdown of works in chapters such as Films, TV and Plays. By far the most useful part of the book is the guide to further reading, Internet sites and reference materials for avid fans. It has some great tips about where to get those hard to find books, where to look for more in depth material and even where to stay to immerse yourself in the Christie experience. My overall verdict?......well worth the price for the fan who needs a quick reference, easy access guide to the finer points of Christie.......Just don't try and read it on the train.