This is a new and really successful approach to examining both true crimes and their influence on literature. The accounts of the crimes themselves are fascinating but it is the linked analysis of how they informed Christie’s work which really sets this book apart. It’s nicely written - not at all dense or overdone, but to the point and pithy. Some of the cases covered are very well known and even these bear re-examination with this new perspective.

Absolutely fascinating book. I've never been much of an Agatha Christie fan, but I have always been interested in crime and how it shapes books we read, laws, etc., and why people do what they do. This book definitely was brilliant to read.