Agatha Cristie

I have been an Agatha Cristie fan since the 1980s, when serialized versions of her stories appeared on Masterpiece Theater. They are periodically updating these with a variety of elderly British actresses, but as for me, Joan Hickson personifies the character. Miss Marple is so appealing that you can visit the Miss Marple Store at Amazon.com, amazingly enough.
It's so impressive the way that Christie not only lived a perfectly fascinating life, but also wrote so many fascinating stories. Read about her life in Mallowan's Memoirs: Agatha and the Archaeologist. Hercule Poirot may be the least convincing detective ever--it is hard to imagine a Belgian refuge policeman with a detailed knowledge of English nursery rhymes--but people seem to like him, too.
These days, it is possible to visit Christie's house, Greenway, and buy tea towels that depict the lovely Devon estate.