Monsieur_Moneybags t1_je7o5xp wrote on March 30, 2023 at 12:24 AM

Of the "Big Four"—Agatha Christie, Dorothy Sayers, Ngaio Marsh, Margery Allingham—I think Marsh is the best overall writer. Christie's plots often relied on some absurdities and her characters weren't all that well-developed. That doesn't mean Christie was a bad writer, just that she wasn't as good as Marsh.

falling_fire OP t1_je7pajl wrote on March 30, 2023 at 12:32 AM

Happy Cake Day! I'll have to read the other two before I can pass judgement but I'm inclined to agree.

Monsieur_Moneybags t1_je7w7ai wrote on March 30, 2023 at 1:24 AM

Sayers was probably the most "literary" of the four, while Allingham had the best sense of humor. All four have had excellent TV dramatizations of their work (e.g. The Inspector Alleyn Mysteries (Marsh), Campion (Allingham), and Lord Peter Wimsey (Sayers)).