A is for Ascher, cudgeled in Andover. B is for Barnard, strangled in Bexhill. C is for Clarke, struck down in Churston. Beside each body is an A.B.C. Railway guide; before each murder Hercule Poirot is notified. In one of Christie's most twisted tales, the meticulous Belgian sleuth must navigate the eerie maze of a serial killer's mind. D is for Doncaster, where the next victim dies... E is for evidence, ingeniously analyzed.

"Fraser is perfection itself at painting the tiny portraits of diverse individuals."

Agatha Christie (1890-1975), wrote more than 66 novels, numerous short stories and screenplays, and a series of romantic novels using the pen name of Mary Westmacott. Her play, The Mousetrap, has been running continuously since its premiere in 1952. According to her print publisher, Christie's books have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in 44 foreign languages. The most widely published novelist of all time in any language, Christie is outsold only by The Bible and Shakespeare.