A university expert has helped create a new course on Agatha Christie's writing methods.

Dr Mark Aldridge, an associate professor at Southampton Solent University, played a key role in the BBC Maestro course.

The course aims to bring the best-selling novelist's writing methods to life using her own words.

It uses restored interviews, private letters, and writings to reconstruct Christie's voice and insights.

Dr Aldridge, who teaches on the film and television degree at Southampton Solent University, said: "Embarking on this project was a journey filled with dedication and collaboration.

"Working closely with fellow scholars and the Christie family, we meticulously pieced together Agatha Christie's own words from her letters, interviews, and writings.

"Witnessing her insights come to life has been a profoundly moving experience."

The course, curated by Dr Aldridge and his team, including Michelle Kazmer, Gray Robert Brown, and J.C. Bernthal, aims to guide students through the art of suspense, plot twists, and unforgettable characters.

Dr Aldridge added: "I also believe that it’s a great example of using traditional scholarship as the foundation for innovative new practices that bring research to new audiences.

"Importantly, the project was also a job creator – almost one hundred people were involved, from hair and make-up artists to directors and camera operators, as well as the tech wizards who delivered the final product – and, of course, the actor Viv Keene, who performed as Agatha Christie."

More information about this initiative can be found at bbcmaestro.com.

To bring Agatha Christie’s presence to life, BBC Maestro collaborated with actress Vivien Keene and expert visual effects artists to create a faithful representation of her voice and likeness.

James Prichard, Agatha Christie’s great-grandson and CEO of Agatha Christie Limited, said: "The team of academics and researchers that BBC Maestro has assembled have extracted from all of her writings an extraordinary array of her views and opinions on how to write.

"Through this course, you truly will receive a lesson in crafting a masterful mystery, straight from Agatha herself."