Agatha Christie is one of the most sold authors of all time. Seriously – she’s outsold only by Shakespeare and the Bible. So, if you’re like us and have a hole in your heart that can only be filled by more mysteries set in sleepy towns, we’ve got a list for you. Welcome to our complete list of 12 writers like Agatha Christie.
Readers of Agatha Christie know it’s not always about jumpscares and action-packed scenes; sometimes, the most suspenseful thing characters can do is simply sit and talk to one another. And if we’ve learned anything from Agatha Christie, it’s that if you get a sudden invitation from a distant relative to come to their secluded vicarage, you better hope they also invited a mercurial detective with an extra long mustache.
If you’ve been on the hunt for authors similar to Agatha Christie, you’re in the right place. They might not be ready to take up the mantel of “Queen of Crime,” but if you like to read suspenseful mysteries with quirky detectives, you’re sure to find your next obsession on this list.
(This article contains affiliate links. This means that if you choose to purchase, I’ll make a small commission.)
Writers like Agatha Christie With Cozy Amateur Sleuths
It was easy to dismiss doddering Miss Marple, or in the case of the books below, a new bride, precocious child or retired folks. But if you’re the culprit, dismiss them at your peril.
Harini Nagendra
Harini Nagendra has numerous non-fiction books under her belt, and her journey into fiction has proved to be just as fruitful. Her first crime fiction novel, The Bangalore Detectives Club, was shortlisted for Anthony, Agatha, and Left Coast Crime Awards for Best Debut Mystery.
The first of this cozy crime series takes place in 1920s Bangalore and introduces us to detective Kaveri and her husband, Ramu. Kaveri thought she’d resigned herself to a quiet life, but when a party she’s attending turns into a murder scene, Kaveri launches a private investigation to find the killer.
Alexander McCall Smith
Alexander McCall Smith is the author of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series – a common addition to any Agatha Christie read alike list. The first novel in the series introduces readers to Precious Ramotswe, Botswana’s no.1 (and only) lady detective. Precious is soon hired to track down a woman’s missing husband, uncover a con man, and follow a wayward daughter. It isn’t until a missing 11-year-old lands Precious in danger herself.
The setting for this series is lovely and the books make for great armchair travel.
Alan Bradley
As a founding member of The Casebook of Saskatoon, a society devoted to studying Sherlock Holmes and Sherlockian writings, Alan Bradley is no stranger to a cozy mystery novel. In Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, readers are introduced to a young Flavia de Luce, an amateur sluther on a quest to clear her father in a murder investigation.
Flavia is precocious, but not obnoxious and she has a tricky home life. This Agatha Award-winning book series (and Flavia herself) is sure to steal the hearts of even the most devoted Agatha Christie fans.
Stuart Turton
If you’re on #BookTok, you’ve seen Stuart Turton’s debut novel, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle. Described as a modern-day Agatha Christie novel with a science fiction twist, The 7 ½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle tells the story of Aiden Bishop. Each day, he wakes up in the body of a different guest, but every single day at 11:00 p.m., Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered – unless Aiden can identify her killer and break the cycle.
Richard Osman
Christie’s Miss Marple is a sweet little old lady from St Mary Mead, whose always up to her elbows in murder and causing trouble at the vicarage.
The gang from The Thursday Murder Club are sweet (but also sometimes crusty) old ladies and gentleman who are up to their elbows in murder and always causing trouble at the Coopers Chase retirement village.
Elizabeth, Ron, Joyce and Ibrahim aren’t pro detectives, but they each bring their unique skills to bear in solving the various crimes and cold cases that keep cropping up. The vibe is on the edgy side of cozy, with just the right ratio of humor to dead bodies. And the friendships are on point.
If you’ve already read and love Osman’s series, check out our article featuring more books that are similar to The Thursday Murder Club.
Authors like Agatha Christie: Locked Room Mysteries
Christie positively excelled at the locked room mystery. You’re in the (creepy mansion, vicarage, Orient Express train), and people start dying one by one. Tensions are high and the stakes for figuring out whodunnit are too.
Lucy Foley
If you’ve been on the search for other modern writers like Agatha Christie, it’s almost guaranteed you’ve come across Lucy Foley. Foley is a British author who writes historical fiction and mystery novels, like The Guest List.
This Goodreads Choice Award winner for Best Mystery & Thriller (2020) takes place at a wedding on a storm-tossed island off the coast of Ireland. As the celebration begins, the resentment and petty jealousies among the group begin to fester. That is, until someone turns up dead.
Read this one for book club and use our Guest List discussion guide.
Alice Feeney
Alice Feeney is a New York Times best-selling author, with two of her novels being made into Netflix originals.
Her novel, Daisy Darker, was nominated for a Goodreads Choice Award as a Best Mystery and Thriller (2022) and was inspired by Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None. When Daisy Darker and her family assemble for Nana’s 80th birthday party, tensions are high after years of avoiding each other. The family each arrives at a crumbling gothic house on a tiny tidal island when Nana is found dead. An hour later, the next family member follows.
Authors Similar To Christie’s Pro Detectives
Hercule Poirot (and his prodigious mustaches) was the consummate pro. And the detectives, cops and lawyers driving the action in the following books get the job done too.
Sophie Hannah
Our list of writers similar to Agatha Christie wouldn’t be complete without the woman carrying on the stories of Hercule Poirot – Sophie Hannah.
Sophie Hannah is an internationally bestselling writer of psychological crime fiction, having won awards like Crime Thriller of the Year at the Specsavers National Book Awards and first place in the Daphne Du Maurier Festival Short Story Competition.
If you’re not ready to say goodbye to Hercule Poirot and his mysteries, be sure to check out Hannah’s first continuation of his story, The Monogram Murders. In this novel, Hercule Poirot finds his quiet supper interrupted by a young woman who confides in him that she’s about to be murdered and insists on justice. Later, three guests at a nearby hotel have been murdered. Could there be a connection?
Gillian Flynn
While not quite as cozy as Agatha Christie tends to be, Gillian Flynn has made a name for herself in the mystery genre. With high praise from authors like Stephen King and awards like the Ian Fleming Steel Dagger for best thriller, you’re sure to get your mystery fix with a Gillian Flynn novel.
Arguably, her most famous novel, Gone Girl, was named one of TIME’s 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time.
When Nick’s clever and beautiful wife disappears, this former husband-of-the-year isn’t doing himself any favors in the eyes of the police. Under intense pressure from the press and law enforcement, Nick is forced to parade an endless series of lies, deceit, and inappropriate behavior. But is he really a killer?
Anthony Horowitz
Anthony Horowitz is considered to be one of the most original and best spy-kids authors of the century. But that’s not all he writes. In 2011, the estate of Arthur Conan Doyle announced Horowitz as the next writer to continue sharing Sherlock Holmes’s stories.
Fans of Agatha Christie who are eager to find a new cozy mystery are sure to fall in love with Magpie Murders.
Susan Ryeland has been editing for bestselling crime writer Alan Conway for years. His stories follow Atticus Pund, a homage to Hercule Poirot, as he solves mysteries in sleepy English villages. Conway’s latest novel tells the typical story of dead bodies and intriguing suspects, but the more Susan reads, the more she’s convinced there’s another story between the lines.
Sujata Massey
Sujata Massey introduced the world to her Perveen Mistry series in the novel, The Widows of Malabar Hill. Reminiscent of Hercule Poirot, readers meet Perveen Mistry, a female lawyer in India with a tragic past that makes her devoted to championing women’s rights.
Perveen’s law firm is handling the will of Mr. Omar Farid, and everything seems normal until she discovers all three widows have signed over their inheritance to charity – meaning they will have nothing to continue to live on. Suspecting these women are being taken advantage of, Perveen’s investigation leads to a murder. It’s now her responsibility to uncover the truth of what happened and ensure nobody else gets hurt.
Ann Cleves
Ann Cleves is a successful writer, winning awards like the Duncan Lawrie Dagger Award of the Crime Writers’ Associate for Raven Black.
Following in Agatha Christie’s footsteps, Cleves’ most famous work, the Vera Stanhope series, follows a lovable detective and her partner as they solve mysteries in Northumberland. The first in the series, The Crow Trap, follows Rachel Lambert as she leads an environmental survey project in the Northumberland countryside. But when she arrives in town, she finds the body of her friend Bella Furness. Bella’s death was ruled a suicide, but Rachel refuses to accept this. It isn’t until another death occurs that the group admits Rachel may be on to something.
Sarah Pearse
Sarah Pearse has always been drawn to the dark and creepy, and her debut novel, The Sanatorium, is exactly that. This novel sees the first appearance of Detective Elin Warner as she takes a reluctant vacation at an isolated getaway in the Swiss Alpes. The day after arriving, Elin’s sister, Laure, has gone missing, and Elin must trust her instincts to bring her home.
If you’re looking for a cozy thriller with a quirky detective who can’t help but be drawn into the mystery, you’re sure to love Sarah Pearse and Detective Elin Warner.
Explore More Read Alike Lists
- For more dark and twisty, try these books like Divergent and The Hunger Games.
- For more murder, how about books similar to The Secret History.
- And for some psychological thrills, these books like Verity.
Share these authors like Agatha Christie with your friends:
