In today's world, Agatha Christie's fictional universe has acquired indisputable relevance in multiple areas of our society. Both on a personal and professional level, Agatha Christie's fictional universe has become a topic of interest that generates debate, reflection and action. From its impact on mental health to its influence on the global economy, Agatha Christie's fictional universe has aroused the interest of academics, experts, and citizens concerned about understanding, analyzing and, where appropriate, improving the current situation in relation to this issue. In this article, we will explore different aspects of Agatha Christie's fictional universe and its importance in daily life, as well as possible approaches to address its challenges and opportunities.
In Agatha Christie's mystery novels, several characters cross over different sagas, creating a fictional universe in which most of her stories are set. This article has one table to summarize the novels with characters who occur in other Christie novels; the table is titled Crossovers by Christie. There is brief mention of characters crossing over in adaptations of the novels. Her publications, both novels and short stories, are then listed by main detective, in order of publication. Some stories or novels authorised by the estate of Agatha Christie, using the characters she created, and written long after Agatha Christie died, are included in the lists.
Her novels under the pen name Mary Westmacott and her nonfiction books are not covered in this article.
One notable example of characters from one novel appearing in another is the novel The Pale Horse, which featured no fewer than five cross-over characters: Ariadne Oliver, Major Despard and his wife Rhoda (all had previously appeared in the Poirot mystery Cards on the Table; although Mrs Oliver appeared in numerous later Poirot mysteries) and the Rev and Mrs Dane Calthrop (who were seen in the Miss Marple mystery The Moving Finger).
Crossovers in media adaptations of novels or short stories
Outside of stories by Christie herself, three media adaptations of her works have featured crossovers involving Miss Marple which Christie herself never wrote; two of the three aired many decades after her death:
The Alphabet Murders (1966 film) features a meeting between Poirot and Marple, where they exchange glances.