This work investigates the creative evolution and archival history of Agatha Christie by analyzing her personal notebooks, unpublished drafts, and discarded plot concepts. John R. Curran, a renowned Christie scholar, utilizes exclusive access to the author's private archives to reconstruct her writing process. By examining the transition from early manuscripts to final published works, the book provides a systematic look at how the queen of crime refined her craft over several decades.

This text is regarded as a definitive resource for scholars and enthusiasts interested in the mechanics of Christie's mystery construction. The inclusion of primary source material from the archives provides a rigorous, evidence-based look at the author's creative trajectory.