Who does not? The Agatha Christie estate threatens mystery writer Val McDermid with legal action over rights to Queen of Crime title.
- Val McDermid revealed that she had received a letter urging her to drop the nickname
- The novelist has sold more than 17 million books and is dubbed the Queen of Crime
- Great-grandson James Prichard expressed his “shock” upon seeing the nickname
Agatha Christie knew a thing or two about feuds and fierce rivalry.
But 46 years after her death, the author is now at the center of drama fit for one of her own stories – as her estate has threatened crime writer Val McDermid with a series of lawsuits over who is the true ‘queen of crime’.
Scottish novelist Miss McDermid, 67, revealed she has received a letter urging her to drop the nickname used on her website as the copyright of the nickname belongs to the Agatha Christie Ltd company.
The writer, who has sold more than 17 million books and is dubbed the Queen of Crime on her website, also claimed to have received correspondence from Ms Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard, managing director of Agatha Christie Ltd, who expressed his “shock” at the expressed,” upon seeing the nickname.
Agatha Christie knew a thing or two about feuds and fierce rivalry. But 46 years after her death, the author is now at the center of drama fit for one of her own stories – as her estate has threatened crime writer Val McDermid with a series of lawsuits over who is the true ‘queen of crime’
Scottish novelist Miss McDermid, 67, revealed she has received a letter urging her to drop the nickname used on her website as the copyright of the nickname belongs to the Agatha Christie Ltd company
Miss McDermid told the Edinburgh Book Festival: ‘You [the Agatha Christie estate] wrote: “You need to stop calling Val McDermid the queen of crime. We have trademarked this expression.
“If you call Val McDermid the ‘queen of crime,’ you are violating copyright and this trademark.”
He said: “You can imagine my shock when my train pulled into Waverley Station [in Edinburgh] and a poster read: “New from the Queen of Crime”.
You have to understand that this is nothing personal, but we have to protect my great-grandmother’s legacy.” It’s just amazingly pathetic.”
The writer, who has sold more than 17 million books and is dubbed the Queen of Crime on her website, also claimed to have received correspondence from Ms Christie’s great-grandson James Prichard, managing director of Agatha Christie Ltd, who expressed his “shock” at the expressed,” upon seeing the nickname
Miss McDermid said she fell in love with crime fiction after reading about Miss Marple in The Murder At The Vicarage as a child.
The publisher of Miss McDermid and the Estate of Agatha Christie have been contacted for comment.
Born in Torquay in 1890, Mrs Christie is best known for her 66 mysteries and for the longest running play in the world – The Mousetrap.
Miss McDermid is perhaps best known for her Wire In The Blood series, starring clinical psychologist Dr. Tony Hill and DCI Carol Jordan, which was adapted for television with Robson Green and Hermione Norris.
