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Agatha Christie’s iconic detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, have joined the whimsical world of the Mr Men and Little Miss series. The collaboration reimagines some of the best-selling novelist’s most celebrated stories through new illustrations in a series of children’s books. The first two titles, Little Miss Marple: Muddle at the Vicarage and Mr Poirot: Mischief on the Nile, were published on Thursday. These adaptations draw inspiration from Dame Agatha’s classic novels, The Murder at the Vicarage and Death on the Nile. Two further instalments are slated for release in February 2026. Little Miss Marple sees the astute detective assisting Inspector Nonsense and Constable Silly in uncovering the truth behind a suspected theft at Reverend Muddle’s vicarage. Mr Poirot tasks the famed sleuth with solving a perplexing mystery among various Mr Men and Little Miss suspects during a leisurely cruise along the River Nile. Originally created by cartoonist Roger Hargreaves in 1971, the Mr Men and Little Miss series has been continued by his son, Adam, who took over the family business aged 25 following Roger’s death. Adam said: “I have had the privilege from 1988 to continue to draw and write for the series. It has been a real pleasure and an intriguing challenge to bring together the timeless mysteries of Agatha Christie with the playful world of the Mr Men and Little Miss. “Agatha Christie’s iconic stories now have a new twist that neither she nor my father might have imagined.” The partnership forms part of Agatha Christie Limited’s anniversary programme in 2026, marking 50 years since the author’s death and a century since The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd was published. James Prichard, chief executive and chairman of Agatha Christie Limited (and Dame Agatha’s great grandson), said: “As a lifelong fan of the Mr Men and Little Miss books, it has always been a wish of mine to put our beloved detectives, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, into their universe. “These clever and very funny reimaginings of my great grandmother’s stories, which include some of my favourite characters (in rather suspicious circumstances!), are bound to delight fans of both authors. “This is absolutely a dream collaboration.” David Brawn, HarperFiction’s publisher of estates, added: “I’ve been working on Agatha Christie at HarperCollins for 30 years, always looking for ways to innovate and to expand the author’s already unrivalled popularity. “In all that time, nothing has come close to the joy of seeing these cherished characters so painstakingly transformed by Adam Hargreaves into stories that will capture the hearts and minds of children everywhere. And Agatha Christie’s adult fans will adore them, too. He’s an absolute genius.” The launch will also include a free city-wide book hunt, with hundreds of copies of the new stories hidden across the streets of London and Manchester for families and book lovers to find. The Great Little Mystery Book Hunt takes place from 27 October.
