It’s no mystery that Christie had a strong affinity with Egypt. Read more: Eight of the world's best historic bookshops Now a National Trust property, the house offers fans an extraordinary glimpse into the life of the author, who used to bring her family here to relax during holidays or after she’d finished writing a novel. Christie set three of her stories in this area: Five Little Pigs (1942), Dead Man’s Folly (1956) and Ordeal by Innocence (1958). The Devon property is located on a large woodland area just by the River Dart, and houses thousands of items from the family’s personal collections - from books and dolls to homeopathic medicine bottles and family portraits. Greenway House, EnglandĬhristie described Greenway House, her holiday home and personal retreat, as “the loveliest place in the world”.

Don’t leave Torquay without completing The Agatha Christie Mile - launched in 1990 to mark the centenary of her birth. The self-guided walk takes you to 11 key spots in Christie’s life, including The Grand Hotel, which has its own Agatha Christie Suite (she spent her honeymoon here) Princess Gardens, frequented by Christie and a key feature in The ABC Murders (1936) and Torquay Museum, home to manuscripts, original photos and costumes worn by the likes of actor David Suchet in the television programme Agatha Christie’s Poirot (1989-2013). This should be the first stop for all true Christie fans. The birthplace of the author in 1890, this Devonian town is home to the annual International Agatha Christie Festival at Torre Abbey, complete with a programme of talks, performances and writing competitions in honour of the best-selling writer.

Much of the inspiration for her novels (famously fraught with whodunits led by enduring characters like Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple) came from her own life adventures, including growing up in Devon and her Middle Eastern escapades with her archaeologist husband. A century after the UK publication of her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1921), Christie is still passionately celebrated by wannabe sleuths and crime fiction fans everywhere, from an annual festival in her hometown of Torquay to tours and hotel packages around the world.

It doesn’t take many ‘little grey cells’ to deduce that Agatha Christie, one of the world’s most eminent crime fiction writers, was a fervent globetrotter.

4 by Agatha Christie