A weekend with the Queen of crime

The English Riviera, on Devon's south coast, is famous for all sorts of things. Its glorious weather; as the setting of Fawlty Towers (not that any of it was filmed there); and for its famous resident, Isaac Merritt Singer, inventor of the Singer sewing machine. But it is perhaps best known for murder – or the inspiration for it at least.

For this is the former home of Agatha Christie, the undisputed Queen of Crime. Born in Torquay, she spent much of her later life at the idyllic Greenway – www.nationaltrust.org.uk/greenway – near Brixham, and many of her books have strong local references.

Christie wrote her first book on the back of a bet. Her sister bet that she couldn't write a crime novel and get it published. Thankfully, Agatha rose to the challenge, and completed her very first novel, The Mysterious Affair At Styles, while staying at a hotel in the English Riviera. The rest, as they say, is history.

Being one of those who will be forever grateful for that harmless childhood bet, and it being her birthday this month on 15 September, I decided to go on the Christie trail, and visit the places that were more often than not the scene of a dastardly crime – or two.

Torre Abbey – www.torre-abbey.org.uk – on a sunny day is truly beautiful. Walking around the bountiful gardens, admiring the wildlife and fruit trees (on which Napoleon is said to have dined when he stayed at the abbey with the Cary family), it is hard to believe that many of the pretty plants are capable of murder.

An opium poppy in Torre Abbey's Garden

But gardener and avid Christie fan, Ali Marshall, took inspiration from Christie's knowledge of plants and their medicinal powers (knowledge she gained while working as a chemist during the First World War) to create the Agatha Christie Potent Plants garden. This gives an intriguing insight into her murder mysteries and features many of the plants that can be processed into some of the poisons used in her books. There's everything from almond (cyanide) and castor oil plants (ricin) to opium poppies. 'Working on the garden, I did my research,' says Marshall. 'At one point, I knew exactly how to use each plant to poison someone, but I've forgotten that knowledge now.'

Opened in 2011 by the ultimate Poirot, David Suchet, events are now held in the garden in conjunction with the annual Agatha Christie festival. 'The Garden Party To Die For' is a fond favourite.

The Potent Plants display forms part of The Agatha Christie Mile, which was established in Torquay for her centenary celebrations in 1990. Walking the mile, you travel back in time to a more glamorous era.

You can visit the Grand Hotel, where she and her first husband Archie spent their one-night honeymoon; and The Princess Pier, where she would indulge in one of her favourite pastimes – roller skating. I did try to recreate one of the many pictures of Christie skating on the pier – but alas, I could find no skates.

One of the highlights of the mile is the Torquay Museum – www.torquaymuseum.org – opened in 1874. it was established by the Torquay Natural History Society of which Agatha's father was a member. Today, there is a whole floor dedicated to his daughter, which was created in 1999.

Melonie takes the Greenway vintage bus and Agatha Christie at work in Greenway, her holiday home

Among the delightful pictures of Christie roller skating and posing next to her surf board (another favourite pastime) called Fred, there are also props and costumes from the Marple and Poirot television series, including one of the suits Suchet wore as Poirot. There is also an exhibition, Egyptomania, that reflects the work Christie did while on numerous digs with her second husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan.

After afternoon tea in Cockington, where she would frequently watch cricket matches and take part in theatrical productions, I set off for the great white palace and magnet for the rich, Burgh Island – www.burghisland.com – whose guests include Noël Coward, George Formby, Edward Windsor and Wallis Simpson (the receipt for their drinks bill still hangs on the wall in the reception) and, of course, Agatha Christie.

Two of Christie's bestselling novels And Then There Were None and Evil Under The Sun were set on Burgh Island. Taking the infamous sea tractor (which Poirot rides in Evil Under The Sun) across the beach (which is submerged at high tide) to the island, it is impossible not to get a flutter of excitement.

Lovingly restored by Tony Porter and his wife, the hotel is like stepping into the jazz age. The music of Fred Astaire, one of Christie's favourite singers, carries you off on a wave of nostalgia. Even before you step into the hotel there are traces of Christie – Pixie Cove, where murdered Arlena is found in Evil Under The Sun is clearly visible as you walk around the island.

Archibald Nettlefold owned the hotel at the time when Agatha Christie was a frequent guest. He became a backer for many of her theatrical productions and encouraged her to use the island for her writing. The beach house was specifically built in the 1930s as a writers' retreat for authors such as Christie. More scandalously, the beach house was also used by Edward Windsor and Wallace Simpson for long afternoons of passion. Like the hotel, it has also been lovingly restored for guests to enjoy.

Melonie at Greenway and Agatha's clothes in her dressing room at Greenway

The highlight of the Riviera for any Christie fan is a visit to Christie's holiday home Greenway, which she described as 'the ideal house, a dream house'. In 2000 Rosalind Hicks, Christie's daughter, gave the much-loved home to the National Trust. The house had remained virtually unchanged since 1942 prior to its wartime requisition. Restored to its former glory, Greenway is not merely a museum but an intimate window into Christie's life.

Seeing cupboard after cupboard of delicate china and intriguing objects, I learn that Agatha Christie was an avid collector. And thanks to the way the objects have been displayed, in the main not behind ropes or glass, Greenway feels more like a private house than a museum. The National Trust was so keen to make Greenway a real home that it even allows people to play Christie's piano, on which sit some of her original compositions.

Greenway is the ultimate way to get close to Christie. Hearing clips of her voice in various rooms (she even gives tips on how to write your own bestseller) it is clear that she never left the house that became her favourite family home.

After a weekend touring Christie's Riviera, my love for her novels has grown. And while I was there, I didn't even witness a murder.