<p><b>Includes a new introduction from Sophie Hannah, bestselling author of THE MONOGRAM MURDERS and HAVEN''T THEY GROWN</b><br><br>Agatha Christie was not only the <b>biggest selling writer of detective stories the world has ever known</b>, she was also <b>a mystery in herself</b>, giving only the rarest interviews, declining absolutely to become any sort of public figure, and a mystery too in the manner in which she achieved her astonishing success.<br><br>H R F Keating, a crime novelist and respected reviewer of crime fiction, brought together a dozen distinguished writers from both sides of the Atlantic to throw light on this double mystery. Some analyse the art itself; some explain the reasons for her success, not just the books, but also in film and theatre.<br><br>The approaches are penetrating,<b> affectionate, enthusiastic, analytical, funny</b> - even critical. Together, they give an almost unique insight into the life and work of the First Lady of Crime.</p>