Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. Name 3-4 titles by Agatha Christie (more, if you can). Why might Christie be listed in the Guinness Book of World Records? Which novel is her most popular? How does Christie make use of stereotypes? Who are Christie’s most well-known detectives? What images, locations, and style come to mind when thinking about her plots and settings?

Teaching Suggestion: Agatha Christie is a well-known British mystery and crime author. Consider discussing some of her more popular works and her influence on society. If students have additional time to conduct research, they might utilize these guiding questions to learn more about Christie: Where is Agatha Christie from? Which of Christie’s works has the longest-running theatre performance? Who was Christie’s second husband? Do you think he influenced her writing?

• This article provides a brief biography of Agatha Christie and describes her achievements as a writer.
• This article describes the ongoing influence of Agatha Christie.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.