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About The Book

Uncover the fascinating, inspiring, and sometimes mysterious true story of world-renowned detective novelist Agatha Christie’s journey to authorship in this picture book biography.

Before Agatha Christie became the greatest mystery writer of all time, she was a girl who loved books, make-believe, and puzzling out problems. She was a keen observer, always noticing the secrets hiding in the shadows and the clues just waiting to be uncovered. More than anything, Agatha loved detective stories. She longed to write her own mysteries, but she struggled when she put pen to paper. The letters came out jumbled, the words twisting and snagging. Writing became a new puzzle for her to solve.

Her family and teachers chided her for being lost in her head, but Agatha wasn’t lost…she had a mind of her own!

About The Illustrator

Liz Wong is the illustrator of A Mind of Her Own by Robyn McGrath, Pirate Queen by Helaine Becker, Nobody Likes Frogs by Barbara Davis-Pyles, Her Eyes on the Stars by Laurie Wallmark, and her own Quackers, The Goose Egg, and I Am Not a Penguin. Liz lives in Edmonds, Washington, with her husband and son. Learn more about her at LizWongIllustration.com.

Product Details

Raves and Reviews

"This imagination-oriented biography of mystery writer Agatha Christie (1890–1976) by McGrath foregrounds the role Christie’s internal world played in both her child-hood and her later success."

– Publishers Weekly, 3/4/24

"With additional details of Christie's life, creator notes, mystery vocabulary, and bibliography appended, this makes a good introduction to the Queen of Crime."

– Booklist, 4/1/24

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