Why did Agatha Christie outwardly present herself as an "Edwardian lady of leisure" when she was actually "thrillingly, scintillatingly modern"? In this groundbreaking biography, historian and author Lucy Worsley compassionately reveals the mystery of the mystery writer—how Christie had a wildly adventurous spirit, an inquisitive mind, and a fierce ambition—and brilliantly celebrates her complexity as both a writer and a pioneering twentieth-century woman. Worsley is a beautiful writer and a meticulous researcher, well deserving of the rare opportunity to access Christie's extensive archive. This magnificent portrait illuminates the sensational mystery maven whose extraordinary personal life was as enigmatic and fascinating as the stories she wrote. (HC)