The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (Original Classic 1926 Edition): A Hercule Poirot Mystery The British author Agatha Christie (1890-1976) remains the best-selling author of all time. She published 66 detective novels and 13 short-story collections. She is also the most widely translated of all the world’s authors. Her play The Mousetrap opened in London in 1952 and has been continuously performed since (apart from a 2021 interruption due to Covid).