The Crimes that Inspired Agatha Christie by Jonathan Oats Summary
Crimes That Inspired Agatha Christie: The Facts Behind the Fiction. Sorry, just looking over—Leo finishes his food so fast. I am going to have to get him one of those little food bowls that’s like a puzzle so he eats slower. He is such a chunky monkey. But I love that little man. He’s so cute.
Anyway, this book is by Jonathan Oates and is expected to be published on September 30th, 2025. It is approximately 232 pages in hardcover. I had the ebook, which didn’t have any pictures, but I do wonder if there might be some in the physical copy since it’s only 232 pages—potentially not. This book would probably be considered nonfiction, or at least true crime, since it talks about real crimes that inspired Agatha Christie’s stories.
Did you know that many of Agatha Christie’s bestselling detective stories have their basis in reality? “Who killed Charles Bravo and why?” asks the retired superintendent Spence in Elephants Can Remember. He refers to an unsolved Victorian murder mystery, one of many allusions to real-life crimes and criminals in Agatha Christie’s fiction. The infamous Dr. Crippen, Jack the Ripper, John George Haigh, and many other real killers, fraudsters, and spies figure prominently in her plots both explicitly and implicitly.
Many of these cases belong to British criminal history, while others originate from the US and France. They cover a time from the 18th century to the 1960s, showing that Agatha Christie was not only an inspired writer of fiction but also had a deep knowledge of true crime. There are even instances where she seems to have anticipated real-life crimes, as in the case of the infamous poisoner Graham Young.
The book explains the reality of these criminals and crimes—some well-known, others largely forgotten—and how they are utilized in Agatha Christie’s stories. Armed with this book, fans of her work will gain new insights when reading her books, whether for the first time or on a re-read.
I thought this book was fascinating. I recently also reviewed a book called America’s Most Gothic, which I hoped would be more like this one. This book felt much more aligned with what I was looking for—true history presented through detailed case studies.
One of the particular stories discussed is about Charles Bravo. If I remember correctly, that’s the one where there is suspicion of poisoning by his wife, but no real evidence to prove it. She was there, along with another woman—perhaps the wife’s maid or lady-in-waiting—so there were multiple potential suspects, but ultimately no one was convicted.
Agatha Christie made references in her stories to some of these cases. Poirot would often contemplate these real-life mysteries, drawing inspiration for her fictitious plots. Another case mentioned is Jack the Ripper. The book talks about the potential stories that either refer to him implicitly or explicitly, such as when characters recall the time when Jack the Ripper was active.
They also discuss the case of Lizzie Borden, who was accused of killing her father and stepmother with a hatchet. I don’t believe she was ever convicted and think she ultimately went free. She died of old age, but that case was particularly interesting because, if she did it, she never repeated such acts—she wasn’t a serial killer, but rather someone who allegedly committed those murders for a specific reason.
So, some of these cases end with people being convicted, some don’t, and others remain mysteries. I think the one about Charles Bravo might have involved his mistress, but I’ll have to double-check my notes. I took notes in my notebook, but I left it at work. I had a whole page of details and may come back to finish this episode when I have it.
Hold on just a moment—my puppy is fussing at me. I’m back and have little Leo in my lap, who decided he wanted attention. So, we’re going to let him join us while I finish talking about this book.
As I was calming Leo, I thought about whether my notes would help me record this later, but instead, I decided to highlight one of the stories from the book: the case of Elizabeth Canning in 1753. It was mentioned in Lord Edgware Dies, an Agatha Christie story from 1933. This case was one of the least well-known real-life crimes mentioned in her works.
Elizabeth Canning claimed that she was kidnapped and held hostage, blaming certain people for the crime. Witnesses, however, gave conflicting testimonies—some said they saw the accused in one area, while others insisted they were elsewhere. Because of inconsistencies in her story and the incompatibility of her description of the room she said she was imprisoned in, Elizabeth was ultimately found guilty of lying and contempt of court.
The reason I wanted to highlight this case is because a very similar incident happened in recent years. A woman claimed she had been kidnapped and held hostage, but it was later revealed that she had run away with her ex-boyfriend. She faked injuries and lied to the police, wasting resources and shocking everyone, including her husband. When confronted, she realized the police already knew the truth.
Reading about Elizabeth Canning reminded me so much of that case. It’s fascinating how history repeats itself—how similar events occur centuries apart. I don’t know if the modern woman ever read Agatha Christie, but the parallels were striking.
From that point, I was hooked. The book describes how these historical crimes were referenced in Christie’s fiction. For example, when discussing the Lindbergh baby kidnapping, the author first recounts the historical case, then explains where it appears or is referenced in Christie’s stories.
I loved that approach because it’s not just about Christie’s writing—it’s about the real crimes that inspired her. I’ve read or listened to almost all of Agatha Christie’s work, and I still revisit them often. I still remember the one Poirot got wrong—The Chocolate Box. That one gets mentioned in this book too.
With all of that being said, now that I have little Leo here and he’s settled, I’ll wrap up this episode. I hope you’ll consider reading this book, especially if you like history and true crime. I think it may inspire you to revisit some of Agatha Christie’s works as well. Yes, her stories are fictional, but many seem to have roots in true events.
If that fascinates you, this may be a perfect read. Again, it’s only 232 pages in hardcover, so it won’t take long to finish. You can even skip around to whichever cases interest you most—you don’t have to read it in order.
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