History Mystery: Dark Lady

Who is the best selling novelist of all time? She has sold between 2 and 4 billion books - only the Bible and Shakespeare have sold more (sorry, JK Rowling). Her first manuscript was rejected by six publishers before being published in 1920 and she earned £25 for her first story.

She created two characters, so well loved that when she killed one of them off in 1975, The New York Times ran a full obituary - the only fictional character ever to be given such treatment by the paper.

After a fight with her husband, she disappeared for 11 days, causing a huge manhunt, and fears of her death by drowning, but she was found unharmed and refused to talk about the incident even in her autobiography.

Her books were made into plays and films, and when she died in 1976, London's West End Theatres dimmed their lights for an hour to mark her passing.

She was born 120 years ago today.


Who Am I?

Monday Answer: You are all so clever - of course it's the First Lady of Mystery - Dame Agatha Christie.

If you haven't read her books, get thee to a used book store or the library. Murder should always be so gentile! They are perfect for a Fall afternoon.