It feels like I’ve always loved mysteries. When I was a kid I read all the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, Trixie Belden, and Encyclopedia Brown books. I even loved watching Scooby Doo. When I got older I watched Perry Mason and read Sherlock Holmes.
But then I discovered Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple. I have no idea how old I was when I first read my first Miss Marple, nor can I even remember if the first Agatha Christie book was even a Miss Marple book. But I can tell you I truly do believe that every female mystery writer and reader owes a huge debt to Agatha.
She lived an interesting life some of which is also shrouded in its own mystery. The are several books that speculate about what happened to Agatha when she disappeared for 11 days at the end of her first marriage. My two favorites which “explain” what happened to her are “The Mystery of Mrs. Christie” by Marie Benedict and “The Unicorn and the Wasp” Doctor Who: season 4, Episode 7.
Mrs. Christie has the distinction of being the best-selling fiction writer of all time according to Guinness World Records. Not bestselling female author mind you, but bestselling fiction writer of all time.
One of these days my goal is to try and write a murder mystery, though I find writing sci-fi much more satisfying. So perhaps I’ll combine the genres á la Nora Roberts as JD Robb. Now that I’m older I like the idea of writing a much-updated Miss Marple who is just as insightful, but who lived a much more fulfilling life.
Though I suppose living a full and busy life doesn’t leave much time for the intensive observations Miss Marple was able to make throughout her life.
Oh well, it might be fun to try.
Baby Gay When You're Fat and Gray 