Black Coffee (hercule Poirot Book 7)

The inventor of a powerful new explosive,Sir Claud Amory, is somewhat disconcerted when the chemical formula goes missing – the situation worsened by the knowledge that the thief is one of Sir Claud’s house-guests. A relative? Or a ‘friend’?

Whoever the culprit, Sir Claud decides to give them a sporting chance – which is more than someone gives him. As the doors are locked and the lights turned off, rather than return the formula, one of the guests adds something to their host’s coffee . . .

Adapted as a novel by Charles Osborne

‘A lively and light-hearted read which will give pleasure to all those who have long wished that there was just one more Christie to devour’
Antonia Fraser, Sunday Telegraph

‘Reads like authentic, vintage Christie. I feel sure Agatha would be proud to have written it’
Mathew Prichard, Agatha Christie’s grandson

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became the best-selling novelist in history. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introduced us to Hercule Poirot, the most popular detective since Sherlock Holmes. She is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime and her works have sold over two billion copies – 80 crime books, 19 plays, and six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Charles Osborne was born in Brisbane in 1927. He is known internationally as an authority on opera, though has had a lifelong passion for Agatha Christie’s works. His previous books include the newly revised and reissued The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie.

• An unpublished story starring Hercule Poirot, adapted from Agatha Christie’s famous play first performed in 1930

• A new series of Agatha Christie mass market editions, stylishly repackaged based on new market research, and designed to bring the books to a wider readership.

• Market research shows that two out of three of all fiction readers have read an Agatha Christie book, and more than half want to read her again

• Major marketing campaign behind these new Agatha Christie editions.

Competition: Agatha Christie;Charles Osborne;