Agatha Christie: The Woman and Her Mysteries

A teacher at Harvard, Gill specializes in modern fiction and feminist theory--the roots of her interest in the phenomenally popular British author/playwright. The well-known facts about Christie's life (1891-1976) support Gill's perception of the mystery writer as a lusty and adventurous woman. In Christie's fiction, the biographer finds clues to characteristics she believes were hidden by her intensely private subject. Gill succeeds in proving Christie was no prissy Victorian, as charged by some critics, and on the whole, this biography of the prolific mystery writer is extremely satisfying. There are, however, disappointments: for example, Gill glosses over the racist elements in Christie's early novels (amended in American editions), as did Janet Morgan in the authorized Agatha Christie: A Biography . (Sept.)