Agatha Christie isn't called the Queen of Crime for no reason. The celebrated author has penned 66 detective novels, many of which have been adapted for the big and small screen over the past century.
While there are countless amazing adaptations to choose from, including ITV's popular long-running series Miss Marple and David Suchet's iconic portrayal of Poirot in the 1980s series, there have been some cracking series and films released in recent years that could be future classics.
Keep reading for HELLO!'s top six picks.
© Everett/ShutterstockCrooked House
Glenn Close leads an all-star cast in this 2017 film adaptation of Christie's 1949 novel. In this twisted tale, Sophia Leonides (Stefanie Martini) asks her former lover, spy-turned-private-detective Charles Hayward (Max Irons), to investigate the mysterious death of her wealthy grandfather before Scotland Yard exposes their family's dark secrets.
The synopsis continues: "On the sprawling estate, amidst a poisonous atmosphere of bitterness, resentment and jealousy in a truly crooked house, Hayward encounters three generations of the dynasty, including a theater actress (Gillian Anderson), the old man's widow 50 years his junior (Christina Hendricks), and the family matriarch Lady Edith de Haviland (Glenn Close)."
The film received 4 out of 5 stars from The Telegraph, while Variety described the ensemble cast as "deliciously wicked".
© BBC/Mammoth Screen/ACL/James FisherOrdeal By Innocence
This gripping three-part mystery sees rich philanthropist Rachel Argyll (Anna Chancellor) murdered at her family estate Sunny Point, with her adopted son and young delinquent Jack Argyll (Anthony Boyle) arrested for the crime. But as her widower prepares to remarry 18 months later, the killer's identity is thrown into doubt.
Bill Nighy, Morven Christie, Crystal Clarke, Christian Cooke, Alice Eve, Matthew Goode, Ella Purnell, Eleanor Tomlinson and Luke Treadaway make up the impressive cast.
The series received 5 out of 5 stars from The Guardian, and boasts an impressive 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Pale Horse
Rufus Sewell is perfectly cast as the lead in the BBC's two-part adaptation of Christie's 1961 book. The Diplomat star plays widow Mark Easterbrook, who, one year after discovering his wife electrocuted in the bath, appears on a mysterious list of names found in a dead woman's shoe.
Bertie Carvel, Henry Lloyd-Hughes, Claire Skinner, Sean Pertwee and Kaya Scodelario also star.
The series, which aired in 2020, was met with positive reviews, including four stars in The Guardian and a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 79%.
© BBCAnd Then There Were None
Ten strangers find themselves cut off from civilisation on an isolated rock off the Devon coast in this gripping three-parter starring Aidan Turner, Charles Dance and Anna Maxwell Martin.
The mismatched group, including a reckless playboy, a decrepit judge and an unhinged Harley Street doctor, are invited to the island by their hosts, Mr and Mrs U.N. Owen, but as they await the couple's arrival, the weather sours and they find themselves trapped.
"Very soon, the guests, each struggling with their conscience, will start to die – one by one, according to the rules of the nursery rhyme 'Ten Little Soldier Boys'," the synopsis teases. "A rhyme that hangs in every room of the house and ends with the most terrifying words of all: '…and then there were none.'"
Variety described the dark and stylish adaptation as "astoundingly entertaining" while The Daily Telegraph called it "spiffingly watchable".
© BBCThe Witness For The Prosecution
Sex and the City star Kim Cattrall plays glamorous and rich murder victim Emily French, who is found brutally murdered in her London townhouse in this two-part series. All the evidence points towards Leonard Vole (Billy Howle), who Emily left her vast fortune, according to her housekeeper Janet McIntyre (Monica Dolan).
But Leonard is convinced that his partner, chorus girl Romaine (Andrea Riseborough), can prove his innocence. It's up to his solicitor John Mayhew (Toby Jones) and King's Counsel, Sir Charles Carter KC (David Haig) to defend his case in court.
The Guardian described the mystery as "perfectly crafted" while The Hollywood Reporter hailed the series as "mesmerising".
© ITVWhy Didn't They Ask Evans?
Lucy Boynton and Will Poulter star in this classic whodunnit, with cameos from Dame Emma Thompson and Jim Broadbent.
The three-parter follows young naval officer Bobby Jones (Poulter) and his childhood friend Lady Frances 'Frankie' Derwent (Boyton) as they team up to investigate the death of a man who mysteriously asks the titular question with his dying breath.
The synopsis continues: "They resolve to honour the dead man by deciphering, and then answering, his final question. In so doing, they hit upon a dark conspiracy of deceit, betrayal and - perhaps unsurprisingly - murder."
The series received a five-star review from The Guardian and an impressive 100% Rotten Tomatoes rating.
