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The author responsible for this phenomenal output was Mrs. Agatha Mary Clarisse Christie. She was born in Torquay and during the First World War she took a job as a hospital dispenser. While she carried out her duties, she learned much about various deadly poisons and the knowledge she gained was to stand her in good stead when, after the war ended in 1918, she commenced to write murder mysteries. Her first novel was the mysterious affair at styles which was published in 1920. Its success encouraged her to continue with her writing and from them until she died in 1976, she wrote 66 books. Agatha Christies two most famous detectives are Hercules Poirot, the Belgian private investigator and Miss Marple, who manages very quietly to solve the most intricate of mysteries.