Agatha Christie was an English crime novelist, short story writer, and playwright who is best known for her detective fiction featuring characters such as Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Poirot is a Belgian detective who appears in 33 of Christie's novels and 54 short stories. Miss Marple is an elderly spinster who lives in the village of St. Mary Mead and acts as an amateur consulting detective. Both characters have been adapted for television and film. The term 'dames' is a British term for women, and is often used to refer to female detectives. Agatha Christie is widely considered to be one of the greatest mystery writers of all time.