Agatha Christie's Enduring Popularity Is No Mystery

The detective story, first invented by Edgar Allen Poe, grew immensely popular with the introduction of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes. The introduction of a single character solving many cases proved a successful strategy for selling stories, and Doyle wrote many installments of his ever-popular character’s experiences. Agatha Christie’s character Hercule Poirot also exploded in popularity. Since Doyle and Christie’s work, detective and mystery stories have remained in the spotlight. The public continues to enjoy these stories, and critics have offered insights concerning the popularity, from the formulaic nature to the compelling characters to even the time period in which most detective stories are written—the twentieth century
Kathryn Harkup, author of the article “Agatha Christie’s Enduring Popularity Is No Mystery,” writes that Christie’s use of poison as her victims’ main killer showcases her vast knowledge of different chemicals and poisons. Harkup also notes that Christie employs poisons so often, but the effect is so great that readers often do not object. In The Mysterious Affair at Styles, for instance, three drugs are involved in Emily Inglethorp’s death. Harkup explains the fatal combination involving Mrs. Inglethorp’s medicine, a strychnine tonic: “[the tonic] is tampered with by having bromide powders added. The combination of the two drugs causes the strychnine to concentrate at the bottom of the bottle so a lethal quantity is delivered in the final fatal dose. A third drug, a narcotic, delays the action of the strychnine, causing confusion as to when the poison might have been administered” (Harkup 19). Without experience in the medical field, an individual most likely would not know the effects of the three drugs. Christie demonstrates that although formulaic, her stories are strengthened by her ability to use chemicals