Mark Aldridge Books

From the very first book publication in 1920 to the film release of Death on the Nile in December 2020, this investigation into Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot celebrates a century of probably the world's favourite fictional detective. This book tells his story decade-by-decade, exploring his appearances not only in the original novels, short stories and plays but also across stage, screen and radio productions. The hardback edition includes more than 400 illustrations. Poirot has had near-permanent presence in the public eye ever since the 1920 publication of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. From character development, publication history and private discussion concerning the original stories themselves, to early forays on to the stage and screen, the story of Poirot is as fascinating as it is enduring. Based on the author's original research, review excerpts and original Agatha Christie correspondence, Poirot: The Greatest Detective in the World is a lively and accessible history of the character, offering new information and helpful pieces of context, that will delight all Agatha Christie fans, from a new generation of readers to those already highly familiar with the canon.

This book is a comprehensive exploration of 90 years of film and television adaptations of the world’s best-selling novelist’s work. Drawing on extensive archival material, it offers new information regarding both the well-known and forgotten screen adaptations of Agatha Christie’s stories, including unmade and rare adaptations, some of which have been unseen for more than half a century. This history offers intriguing insights into the discussions and debates that surrounded many of these screen projects – something that is brought to life through previously unpublished correspondence from Christie herself and a new wide-ranging interview with her grandson, Mathew Prichard. Agatha Christie on Screen takes the reader on a journey from little known silent film adaptations, through to famous screen productions including 1974’s Murder on the Orient Express, as well as the television series of the Poirot and Miss Marple stories and, most recently, the BBC’s acclaimed version of And Then There Were None.

When Agatha Christie published 'The Tuesday Night Club' in 1927 after a particularly tumultuous year, there was no inkling that she had just created one of the world's most iconic literary characters. But over the next fifty years, Miss Marple would rival even Hercule Poirot in popularity, appearing finally in the posthumously published Sleeping Murder. She has since proven to be one of the most enduring characters in fiction, attracting millions of fans. Agatha Christie's Marple: Expert on Wickedness explores nearly a century of publishing and Miss Marple's enduring success in some of the most popular films and television series ever made. Including interviews with the cast and crew of multiple Marple productions, together with hundreds of rare illustrations, Agathologist Dr Mark Aldridge applies his own detective skills to uncover new information about St Mary Mead's most famous resident on page, stage, screen and beyond.

Lidskou povahu zná jako nikdo jiný a dokáže bystře a nekompromisně odhalit její temnou stránku – i díky tomu se slečna Marplová stala jednou z nejoblíbenějších vyšetřovatelek zločinů v klasické krimi. Tato kniha mapuje, kde všude a s jakým úspěchem se objevila jak v díle své tvůrkyně, Agathy Christie, tak i v adaptované podobě na jevišti, na filmovém plátně či na televizních obrazovkách. S pomocí dobového materiálu včetně reprodukcí plakátů či snímků z natáčení zachycuje poutavým způsobem osudy této postavy od jejího zrodu před téměř sto lety až po nedávnou sbírku Dvanáct nových případů z pera současných autorek detektivek.