The world of classic murder mysteries has been thrillingly revived on Netflix with a new adaptation of Agatha Christie's The Seven Dials Mystery. This lavish production owes a significant debt to a lesser-known figure: Christie's older sister, Madge Watts, whose own life provided the blueprint for some of the author's most iconic settings.
The Real-Life Inspiration Behind Christie's Country Houses
It was Madge, first dubbed 'Punkie', who initially encouraged a young Agatha to write. She lived at Abney Hall in Cheadle, near Manchester, a sprawling mid-Victorian country house complete with towering brick chimneys and a regiment of servants. This grand home became the template for numerous Christie locations.
Fans will recognise Abney Hall's influence in Gossington Hall, where a maid finds a strangled body in The Body in the Library, and Gorston Hall, the scene of a gory locked-room murder in Hercule Poirot's Christmas. However, its most detailed fictional portrayal comes in a pair of 1920s adventures: The Secret of Chimneys and its sequel, The Seven Dials Mystery.
A Jazz-Age House Party Turns Deadly
Netflix's adaptation brilliantly captures the house-as-star spirit of the novel. It opens with a raucous house party, filled with Bright Young Things and dashing chaps from the Foreign Office revelling to a jazz band—a scene of mayhem with a debauched edge.
The hostess is the wonderfully eccentric Lady Caterham, played by Helena Bonham Carter, who steals every scene with deliciously funny lines. The plot centres on handsome war hero Gerry Wade (Corey Mylchreest) and the starry-eyed but wilful debutante Lady Eileen 'Bundle' Brent (Mia McKenna-Bruce).
When Gerry hints at proposing to Bundle, her joy is palpable. This makes it all the more tragic when, after the party, the brave and manly Gerry fails to wake up, killed by an overdose of sleeping draught. While most are quick to assume a veteran's suicide, Bundle is convinced it was murder.
Why This Christie Story Stands Apart
This note of genuine post-war trauma and darkness partly explains why The Seven Dials Mystery remains one of Christie's lesser-known novels. Its status is also due to the notable absence of her famous sleuths, Poirot and Miss Marple.
Instead, the investigation features Superintendent Battle of Scotland Yard, portrayed by Martin Freeman, although he doesn't arrive until the second episode. This should not deter viewers. The series is a frightfully glorious romp, perfect for mixing a cocktail and immersing oneself in a world of intrigue, glamour, and clever deduction.
From its roots in a real family home to its stellar cast, Netflix's The Seven Dials Mystery is a triumphant celebration of Agatha Christie's enduring genius and the sister who helped spark it all.
