Legally Agatha

Legally Agatha is the first ever examination of Christie’s work through a legal lens, uncovering clues that have previously been overlooked. Christie is revealed as an astute observer of the law, carefully crafting plots to reflect new laws, the latest court cases, and debates in Parliament and wider society. Her characters, we discover, frequently mirrored real legal stories of the day. Their choices hinged on subtle distinctions that even lawyers failed to spot. Christie often seeded clues in off-hand comments, hinted at legal themes that explain people’s motives, and even cleverly pointed toward the identity of murderers and their victims. From marriage and divorce, through wills, succession, and intestacy, through to adoption, child custody, wardship, and many more, every area of law changed during Christie’s long career. How her writing reflected those changes has never been appreciated until now. Legally Agatha is designed to be read, enjoyed, and understood by anyone who is keen to delve more deeply into Christie’s work. Even ardent fans who believe they know everything there is to know about her work will come away with new insights into Agatha’s legal intelligence. Rebecca Probert and Joanna Miles are both Christie fans and senior legal scholars who have researched and published extensively on contemporary and historical family law and policy.