Agatha Christie's Poirot (TV Series 1989–2013) - IMDb IMDb There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error on Amazon Video ON DISC From England to Egypt, accompanied by his elegant and trustworthy sidekicks, the intelligent yet eccentrically-refined Belgian detective Hercule Poirot pits his wits against a collection of first class deceptions. Stars: An ailing Poirot returns to Styles with Hastings nearly three decades after solving their first mystery there in order to prevent a serial killer from claiming more victims. 8.7 Poirot receives taunting letters from a serial killer who appears to choose his victims and crime scenes alphabetically. 8.5 Lucy Crale enlists Poirot to investigate the 14-year-old murder in which her mother was hanged for poisoning her artist father.

8.4 Famous Directors: From Sundance to Prominence From Christopher Nolan to Quentin Tarantino and every Coen brother in between, many of today's most popular directors got their start at the Sundance Film Festival . Here's a list of some of the biggest names to go from Sundance to Hollywood prominence. a list of 43 titles created 18 Sep 2012 a list of 23 titles created 17 Apr 2014 a list of 38 titles created 13 Apr 2015 a list of 48 titles created 6 months ago a list of 35 images created 3 months ago Title: Agatha Christie's Poirot (1989–2013) 8.6/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Nominated for 1 Primetime Emmy. Another 6 wins & 16 nominations.

See more awards » Videos Agatha Christie's Marple (TV Series 2004) Crime | Drama | Mystery An elderly spinster living in the village of St Mary Mead helps her friends and relatives solve mysterious murders. Stars: Geraldine McEwan, Julia McKenzie, Stephen Churchett Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of copper beeches, a Greek interpreter, the Norwood builder, a resident patient, the red-headed league, and one final problem. Stars: Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Rosalie Williams Midsomer Murders (TV Series 1997) Crime | Drama | Mystery A veteran DCI and his young sergeant investigate murders around the regional community of Midsomer County. Stars: John Nettles, Jane Wymark, Barry Jackson 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 8.4/10 X As WW2 rages around the world, DCS Foyle fights his own war on the home-front as he investigates crimes on the south coast of England. Later series sees the retired detective working as an MI5 agent operating in the aftermath of the war.

Stars: Michael Kitchen, Honeysuckle Weeks, Anthony Howell Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of the devil's foot, Silver Blaze, Wisteria Lodge and the Bruce-Partington Plans. Stars: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Rosalie Williams Los Angeles homicide detective Lieutenant Columbo uses his humble ways and ingenuous demeanor to winkle out even the most well-concealed of crimes. Stars: Peter Falk, Mike Lally, John Finnegan Set in the 1960s, the show follows Endeavour Morse in his early years as a police constable. Working alongside his senior partner DI Fred Thursday, Morse engages in a number of investigations around Oxford. Stars: Shaun Evans, Roger Allam, James Bradshaw Inspector Morse has an ear for music, a taste for beer and a nose for crime. He sets out with Sergeant Lewis to solve each intriguing case. Stars: John Thaw, Kevin Whately, James Grout After 25 years of playing Hercule Poirot, British actor David Suchet explores the enduring appeal of his most legendary character.

Director: Chris Malone Set amongst the stunning gardens of Europe, Rosemary Boxer and Laura Thyme, two professional gardeners, find themselves drawn into solving mysterious crimes. Stars: Felicity Kendal, Pam Ferris, Ryan Philpott Holmes and Dr Watson solve the mysteries of the disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax, Thor Bridge, Shoscombe Old Place, the Boscombe Valley, an illustrious client and a creeping man. Stars: Jeremy Brett, Edward Hardwicke, Rosalie Williams An unusual announcement in the newspaper leads the curious villagers to Miss Blacklock's home, where they become witnesses to a murder. Stars: Joan Hickson, Ursula Howells, Samantha Bond Edit Storyline This whodunit series based on Agatha Christie's crime novels and short stories, is named after its star sleuth, Hercule Poirot, a famous former Belgian policeman, who settled for good in London after the war, soon so famous as an infallible private detective that he becomes a society figure in his own right.

In each episode Poirot gets to solve a crime mystery -mostly murder(s)- for a paying client or otherwise catching his attention, generally along with his faithful English sidekick Captain Hastings and/or his Scotland yard 'friendly rival' Detective Chief Inspector Japp. Written by KGF Vissers 18 January 1990 (USA) See more » Also Known As: Did You Know? Trivia David Suchet would initially trim the top of his hair to appear more balding (in later years his hair had thinned naturally), except in Agatha Christie's Poirot: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1990), which chronicles Poirot's first case in England where he's supposed to be considerably younger. See more » Quotes Crazy Credits The opening credits has Poirot disembark at a train station and bow to the viewer. See more » Connections (United States) – See all my reviews What can be said about Mr Hercule. Is it his perfectly groom mustaches? His great and always neat suits? I will tell you...His use of the little gray cells(to poirot saying "use the gray cells" is saying use your brain and look at things from a different perspective.

I have been, not only an Agatha Christie fan, but i just simply adore Poirot. He is brilliant and its fascinating the way he solves the crimes! Reading the books is good, but watching Mr. David suchet play the role in any poirot film is brilliant casting and he brings the character to life! If any of you have read the books and have not seen any of them brought to life, i suggest watching any poirot film starring suchet, you will not be disappointed! Enjoy! 35 of 38 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Hercule Poirot - Characters - Agatha Christie Featured Hercule Poirot stories Why not make my detective a Belgian?...I could see him as a tidy little man, always arranging things, liking things in pairs, liking things square instead of round. And he should be brainy – he should have little grey cells of the mind. Agatha Christie - An Autobiography About Hercule Poirot The Beginning Hercule Poirot came into existence during World War I. Agatha Christie was working as a VAD in Torquay, and encountered on a daily basis Belgian refugees arriving in England from the continent.

Searching for a detective for her first novel, she set upon the idea of creating a Belgian detective who had been "a former shining light of the Belgian police force", before being forced out of his country. Christie completed The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1916, but it wasn’t published until four years later. In the novel, Poirot is called upon by his old friend Lieutenant Hastings, who would come to be the Watson to Poirot's Holmes. Christie later wrote that Poirot's introduction to detective fiction was not at all how he himself would have liked. "Hercule Poirot first," he would have said, "and then a plot to display his remarkable talents to their best advantage." A Great Man Poirot would be the first to call himself a great man - he has never been known for his modesty - but with such success in his career, it is difficult to argue with him.

He finishes each case with a dramatic dénouement, satisfying his own ego and confirming to all that he is truly "the greatest mind in Europe." His love of elegance, beauty, and precision, as well as his eccentric mannerisms are often ridiculed by the local bumbling policemen, but it is always Poirot who has the last word. My name is Hercule Poirot, and I am probably the greatest detective in the world. Hercule Poirot, The Mystery of the Blue Train Agatha Christie never imagined how popular Poirot would become, nor how many stories she would write about him. He stars in 33 novels and 54 short stories, including some of Christie's most successful such as Murder on the Orient Express and Death on the Nile . Poirot and Christie One of Christie’s later regrets was that Hercule Poirot began his literary life too mature: "the result is that my fictional detective is well over a hundred by now." And it is no secret that character and author did not always see eye to eye. “There are moments when I have felt: ‘Why-why-why did I ever invent this detestable, bombastic, tiresome little creature?’….

But now, I must confess it, Hercule Poirot has won. A reluctant affection has sprung up for him…” Agatha Christie’s introduction to the serialisation of Appointment With Death in the Daily Mail, 1938. Christie grew tired of Poirot's idiosyncrasies so much so that she wrote Curtain: Poirot's Last Case in the 1940s. It was locked in a safe until 1974 when it was finally published, earning Poirot a well-deserved obituary in The New York Times; he is the only fictional character to have received such an honour. Playing Poirot The first actor to take on the role of the little Belgian was Charles Laughton in 1928 in the theatrical debut of Alibi. Austin Trevor was the first Poirot on screen in 1931, and went on to star in three films. There was Tony Randall in 1965 and Academy Award nominee Albert Finney in the all-star classic Murder on the Orient Express in 1974.

The great Peter Ustinov, winner of two Academy Awards, played Poirot in six films and despite not physically resembling the character is still much loved worldwide. There was even a Japanese animé version of Poirot, broadcast in 2004. Perhaps, however, the actor most synonymous with Hercule Poirot is David Suchet, who first took on the role in 1989. Christie never saw David Suchet's portrayal but her grandson, Mathew Prichard, thinks that she would have approved; Suchet balances “just enough of the irritation that we always associate with the perfectionist, to be convincing!” Suchet's final series finished filming in 2013 and marked 25 years of being Poirot. In 2017 Kenneth Branagh will take on the role of Hercule Poirot in a brand new film adaptation of Murder on the Orient Express . Friends and Partners Christie wrote in an article in 1938 that Hercule Poirot's favourite cases included The Murder of Roger Ackroyd and Lord Edgware Dies , whereas he regards Three Act Tragedy as "one of his failures.

Although most people do not agree with him." She concluded that while they have had their difficulties, "We are friends and partners. I am beholden to him financially. On the other hand he owes his very existence to me." A sentiment which Poirot himself would surely deny. Continuation Novels In 2014 bestselling author Sophie Hannah was authorised to write the first authorised Poirot continuation novel, The Monogram Murders . Following the success of the novel, Sophie Hannah is back in 2016 with a brand new Poirot novel, Closed Casket . Did you know?

Austin Trevor was the first to play Poirot on screen (1931, Alibi) Once famous, Agatha Christie refused to allow Poirot to appear on book jackets Christie thought Sad Cypress would have been a much better read without Poirot Curtain: Poirot’s Last Case was written in the 1940s and locked away until 1974 It took David Suchet almost exactly 25 years to film 70 Poirot stories Agatha Christie's Poirot - Show News, Reviews, Recaps and Photos - TV.com Agatha Christie's Poirot EDIT Welcome to the Poirot guide at TV.com. This is a British series which brings to life Agatha Christie 's Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, played by David Suchet , whose sleuthing for the purposes of this series belongs in the mid-1930s. Based in London, with the very English Captain Hastings ( Hugh Fraser ) as his Dr Watson, Poirot's field of operations ranges around the world. The series has strong story lines, good production and acting, and a real period flavour.

Poirot won two BAFTA awards in 1990, then had more BAFTA nominations as Best Drama Series in 1991 and 1992. All of Agatha Christie 's seventy-two Poirot stories were produced with David Suchet as Poirot, and the show has been broadcast in more than one hundred countries around the world. Video "Agatha Christie's Poirot" Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (TV Episode 2013) - IMDb IMDb 17 January 2017 4:34 PM, UTC NEWS There was an error trying to load your rating for this title. Some parts of this page won't work property. Please reload or try later. X Beta I'm Watching This! Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. Error All Episodes (70) Next An ailing Poirot returns to Styles with Hastings nearly three decades after solving their first mystery there in order to prevent a serial killer from claiming more victims.

Director: Agatha Christie (based on the novel by), Kevin Elyot (screenplay) Stars: a list of 40 titles created 09 Sep 2012 a list of 25 titles created 22 Mar 2015 a list of 34 titles created 09 Nov 2015 a list of 22 titles created 4 months ago a list of 38 titles created 2 months ago Title: Curtain: Poirot's Last Case (25 Aug 2014) 8.7/10 Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Edit Storyline Still mourning the untimely death of his wife, Bella, Hastings is summoned to Styles Court in Styles St. Mary by his old friend Poirot. It is the country manor where, thirty years previously, he and Poirot had first met in England and where they had also solved their first murder mystery together.

Now, Styles has changed hands and is being run as a modest post-war guest house, and it is here that Hastings makes a gut-wrenching discovery: Poirot's health has taken a turn for the worse. The Belgian detective is now old, gaunt, arthritic, and confined to a wheelchair as he battles a weak heart. But his little gray cells are as active as ever, which is why Poirot has called him to Styles in the first place - a murderer is in their midst, and may be ready to strike again. He asks Hastings to be his eyes and ears about the place, for Poirot does not know who is likely to be the killer's next victim. Being as observant and vigilant as possible, Hastings takes stock of his fellow company, ... Written by shanty_sleuth 25 August 2014 (USA) See more » Company Credits Did You Know? Trivia Although this is the last Hercule Poirot story published by Agatha Christie, it was actually the first from the final series to be filmed, as requested by David Suchet, the actor of Hercule Poirot, himself. See more » Quotes Hercule Poirot : I pity you, Norton...

how very sad to find that this great and beautiful world is so foul and disappointing. And your mother, I pity even more. Stephen Norton : M-my m-m-mother? You pity my mother? Hercule Poirot : To endure the agony of bringing you forth only to discover that she had nurtured in her loins such wickedness - is that not worthy of pity? Stephen Norton : It is you who is n-not worthy! She m-m-meant the world to m-me! Hercule Poirot : And you to her? Stephen Norton : She l-loved me... l-loved me m-m-more than... m-more than... Hercule Poirot : Did she ever hold you, Norton, as ... [...] (United States) – See all my reviews It's difficult, perhaps nearly impossible, to write an objective, clear- eyed review of Curtain at this point. Those of us who enjoyed Suchet's definitive portrayal are filled with a mix of emotions. So I won't even try to be objective. The setting was drab and dark, yes, but that, I think, was part of the point.

A sumptuous, beautiful setting, like that seen in Five Little Pigs, would've seemed out of place. Styles is a decayed, dying home, a shadow of itself -- and so, it seems, is Poirot. Closer observers of UK television and movies might recognize members of the cast and comment on their ability to carry off their roles. I can only say that I thought all the actors did, at minimum, competent jobs. Hugh Fraser and Aidan McArdie deserve particular commendation for turning in wonderful performances. It nearly goes without saying that David Suchet proves, yet again, why he is the definitive Poirot. The expectations for this episode were tremendous. I'd say that the production did an excellent job satisfying Christie purists, an easier task given that she wrote this at the height of her powers. A wonderful way to close out a wonderful series, n'est pas? 56 of 63 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes Case Closed: Agatha Christie's Detective Poirot Solves His Last TV Mystery : NPR David Suchet plays Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's Poirot. The last season premiers Aug. 25 on Acorn TV.

/Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV hide caption toggle caption /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV David Suchet plays Hercule Poirot in Agatha Christie's Poirot. The last season premiers Aug. 25 on Acorn TV. /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV Agatha Christie published her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, in 1920. It featured fussy Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, who proved the most popular of all her mystery-solving characters. Hercule made his final appearance in 1975, in the novel Curtain — and this month, nearly a century after he first appeared in print, the mystery series completes its lengthy run as a TV series, still starring David Suchet in the title role. But as the final episodes of television's Poirot provide closure, they are, for the moment, somewhat of a mystery themselves. In this case, though, it's not a whodunit. It's a where-are-they? That's because for the 13th and final season of Agatha Christie's Poirot, the show's producers and distributors have staged a sort of new-media bait and switch.

Suchet began playing Poirot, with his waxed mustache and elegant walking stick, on the PBS Mystery! series way back in 1989. Suchet has been playing the detective ever since — referring to himself in the third person, always referring to his brain power as his "little grey cells," and invariably holding court at the end of each episode to both solve and explain the mystery at hand. Article continues after sponsorship David Suchet has been playing Poirot since 1989. The actor has grown into the role, including perfecting the twinkle in his eye. Kieron McCarron /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV hide caption toggle caption Kieron McCarron /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV David Suchet has been playing Poirot since 1989. The actor has grown into the role, including perfecting the twinkle in his eye. Kieron McCarron /Courtesy of Acorn TV/ITV This year's final season of Poirot presents the last five of the 70 episodes produced for TV, a video canon covering virtually all of Christie's major Hercule Poirot novels and short stories.

This season's last hurrah began, as usual, on PBS. But after two episodes were shown, the series vanished earlier this month. The final three appear, beginning this week, not on broadcast TV, or even on cable — but on a streaming site called Acorn TV. Later this fall, the last three stories in the series will indeed show up on broadcast television, distributed to local public TV stations. But if you're impatient — especially if you're a loyal fan who has watched and enjoyed this series for a quarter century, enjoying it as I do as the TV equivalent of comfort food — the only way to get satisfaction, for now, is to seek out . What you'll get, once you get there, are these three stories, unspooled weekly. Elephants Can Remember, available now, features Zoe Wanamaker, making her sixth and final appearance as crime novelist Ariadne Oliver, Agatha Christie's thinly veiled version of herself. The Labors of Hercules has Hercule fighting depression after failing to catch a killer. And the final episode, called Curtain: Poirot's Last Case, is precisely that. It features the return of Hugh Fraser as Captain Arthur Hastings, who basically served as Dr.

Watson to Poirot's Sherlock Holmes for the TV show's first eight seasons. They reunite at the same estate, at Styles, where they solved their first case together — but this time both men are decades older, and Poirot is in a wheelchair, in ill health. But he still has enough fire to complain, when being steered on a stroll around the grounds, about the lodgings, the food, and even the way his old friend pushes Poirot's wheelchair. Poirot's Last Case ends like any other, with the detective patiently and proudly explaining the facts and exposing the murderer. The key difference, in this episode, is that he's doing it from beyond the grave. And if you think I should have prefaced that with some sort of 40-year-old spoiler alert, we have very different ideas about how long a mystery should be kept a secret. But since these are, absolutely, the last TV episodes featuring Suchet as Poirot, they do provide a satisfying conclusion to a very long-running viewing experience.

The actor has grown into the role, sporting wrinkles to match the wisdom, and perfecting the twinkle in his eye whenever, as the detective himself would put it, Poirot has finally solved the case as only Poirot can. And think of it: The actors of the current movie Boyhood have gotten lots of praise for filming and playing their roles over a 12-year period. David Suchet, as Hercule Poirot, has done the same thing for twice as long. He's done it so long, in fact, that he's ending his run on a medium that didn't even exist when he started. Wrap your little gray cells around that. David Bianculli is founder and editor of the website TV Worth Watching and teaches TV and film history at Rowan University in New Jersey. Characters from Agatha Christie stories - Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot One of the most famous fictional characters of all time, the inimitable Belgian private detective is synonymous with waxed moustaches, perfectionism and little grey cells. Poirot would be the first to call himself a great man - he has never been known for his modesty - but with such success in his career, it is difficult to argue with him.

Miss Marple Miss Jane Marple doesn’t look like your average detective. Quite frankly, she doesn’t look like a detective at all. But looks can be deceiving... For a woman who has spent her life in the small village of St Mary Mead, Miss Marple is surprisingly worldly. But as she often points out, she has had every opportunity to observe human nature. Tommy & Tuppence International spies, two world wars, murders, thefts and not to mention marriage, Tommy and Tuppence seek out excitement wherever it may lie. Tuppence leads the way with her charismatic nature, while Tommy’s slow, considered manner provides the perfect foil. Together they form the 'Young Adventurers Ltd' and the adventures begin. Agatha Christie Agatha Christie Location of death: Wallingford, Oxfordshire, England Cause of death: Natural Causes Remains: Buried, St. Mary's Churchyard, Cholsey, Oxfordshire, England Gender: Female Nationality: England Executive summary: Mystery novelist Agatha Christie was a prolific and extremely popular British author and playwright best known for her work in the murder mystery genre.

From her first novel in 1920, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, to the reprints of her novels that still appear today, some 30 years after her death, Agatha Christie's works have enjoyed unparalleled success. But while Christie and her favorite characters, Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, have become icons of "who dunnit" detective fiction, the scope of Christie's popularity is such that that sales of her books have not only surpassed that of any other mystery writer, but of all other writers of any genre. Not even William Shakespeare has been so widely read. In fact, according to the Guinness Book of World Records over 2 billion copies of her books have sold and her works have been translated into more than 100 languages. Only the Christian Bible has outstripped her in readership. Many of Christie's works have been translated into film, most notably Murder on the Orient Express (1974). Her short stories, plays, and novels have also been adapted to television, radio, and at least one video game (And Then There Were None, 2005).

In addition Christie boasts the longest running play in the world: The Mousetrap, which she originally wrote as a birthday gift for Queen Mary. Christie received numerous honors during her lifetime including the Mystery Writers of America�s Grand Master Award (1955) and the order of Dame Commander of the British Empire (1971). In addition to her more famous mysteries, Christie wrote some lesser known romantic novels under the pen name Mary Westmacott. Agatha Christie was born Agatha Mary Clarissa Miller on September 15, 1890 in Torquay, England. Her father was an American citizen, of modest private income, who home schooled her in mathematics. But when young Agatha was 11 years old he died, and she thereafter began attending regular classes in arithmetic and other subjects. She was an avid reader as well and soon became a great fan of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , especially his Sherlock Holmes mystery stories. Her love of writing surfaced early as well, nurtured both by her mother and by neighboring novelist Eden Philpotts (best known for his Dartmoor series).

Of this period Agatha Christie remarked, "For some years I enjoyed myself very much writing stories of unrelieved gloom where most of the characters died." Music and dance had always been an important part of her curriculum. So when Agatha's mother sent her off to Paris a few years later, for further schooling, it was with the hope that Agatha might one day emerge as an opera star. But although she did well in singing and music lessons Agatha developed terrible stage fright, making a career involving any kind of public performance utterly out of the question. After graduation Agatha and her mother embarked on an exciting 3 month tour of Egypt, a very fashionable "wintering" spot for English society of that period. But while other English folk went for the novelty and the chic, young Agatha felt in love with the history and with Middle Eastern ambience. The romance and the mystery of other cultures and of great civilizations long gone intrigued her greatly and became fuel a number of her later books, as well as a life long love of archaeology. But all that was in the distant future. When she returned to England Agatha found romance and adventure of a different kind.

She met and married Archibald Christie, a handsome young Lieutenant in the Royal Field Artillery. That same year, 1914, World War I began. And like many other patriotic young women the 24 year old Agatha began volunteering her time for the war effort. She became a nurse at a Red Cross Hospital in Torquay, and eventually she took a post in the dispensary. There she gained an intimate knowledge of pharmaceutical drugs and their preparation and uses -- including their lethal dosages. Meanwhile her love of writing and mysteries still flourished, and she began to think about writing her own novel. In 1916, egged on by her sister Madge, she decided to have a go at it. Setting the interruptions of daily life aside, she checked into the Moorland Hotel in Dartmoor. In just three weeks she managed to crank out her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles. The novel debuted her now famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, the quirky yet logical little Poirot who would eventually appear in 39 novels, including his 1975 swan song, Curtain, published shortly before Christie's death.

But although finished quickly, the book took nearly four years to find publication. But once the reading public had gotten a taste of Agatha Christie's work, her success as an author was assured. Her second book The Secret Adversary soon followed in 1922, starring lesser known characters Tommy and Tuppence. (Miss Marple would not appear until 1930.) And soon she was publishing at least one book per year -- with nearly everything she produced selling astonishingly well. But life on the home front meanwhile was not so successful. Despite the birth of daughter Rosalind in 1919 and their mutual economic success, the Christies were drifting apart. Eventually, in 1926, Archie admitted he had a mistress and asked for a divorce. The highly sensitive Agatha was crushed. But what followed immediately after has haunted the legend of the great writer ever since. On the evening of Friday, December 3, 1926, Agatha Christie went upstairs to kiss her daughter goodnight. Then, at 9:45 p.m., she got into car and drove away.

Later the vehicle was found abandoned several miles from home, with many of Agatha�s personal belongings strewn about inside. There was no sign of Agatha herself however. Immediately a huge search was mounted, and the case attracted tremendous attention from the media as well as various public figures, including the Home Secretary. As if the line between mystery novel and reality was not blurry enough, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was sought out to consult on the case as was mystery writer and Dorothy L. Sayers . Agatha�s husband Archie meanwhile, who had been away for the weekend with his girlfriend, became the object of tremendous scorn and suspicion, with members of the public alternately conjecturing that he had done his wife in, or driven her to suicide. But 11 days later Agatha Christie was found, alive, at the Harrogate Hydropathic Hotel. Most curious of all, she had registered herself under a name patterned after her husband's mistress. According to a public statements made by police and family, Agatha was allegedly suffering from amnesia. Agatha herself never commented publicly on the event, and nowhere in her autobiographies is it mentioned. Christie enthusiasts and biographers continue to puzzle over the incident therefore.

Was it a publicity stunt to raise book sales, as the police suspected? Or perhaps it was an attempt to embarrass her husband and ruin his weekend tryst with mistress Nancy Neele, as suggested by biographer Jared Cade ( Agatha Christie and the Eleven Missing Days, 1999). There are even those who claim her tale of amnesiac confusion was legitimate, that she�d had a particularly severe nervous breakdown (Agatha Christie: The Finished Portrait, 2006, Dr. Andrew Norman). A fictionalized 1979 film treatment of the subject, Agatha, starring Dustin Hoffman and Vanessa Redgrave even portrayed a confused Christie held virtual prisoner at Harrogate, receiving shock treatments to alter her mental state. Although speculation continues, many believe her novel Unfinished Portrait (1934), written as Mary Westmacott, gives clues to the emotional turmoil she was experiencing prior to her disappearance. In it a woman writer, remarkably similar to the real life Christie, is driven to the edge of suicide by the shock of her husband�s demand for divorce. In any event, despite remaining together for a time after the scandal, the Christies ultimately divorced in 1928.

Several months later Agatha decided to go on a holiday, someplace exotic and foreign. She ended up aboard the Orient Express, headed for the Middle East. But even though the train ride provided fodder and inspiration for her later book, Murder on the Orient Express (1934), her final destination proved dreadfully boring. Arriving at last in Baghdad, Christie soon found herself bogged down in polite English society, and all usual accouterments. She felt that if all she had wanted was to do was play tennis and attend tea parties she could have stayed at home. Christie was aware however that some exciting archaeological work was being done farther south in Iraq, at the site of the biblical city of Ur. And she realized she could escape her implacably English hosts by arranging a visit to the dig site. As it turned out the wife of the chief archaeologist on site was a big fan of Christie's and an extended stay was easy to arrange. There at last she immersed herself in the exotic foreign world she had come to explore -- strange foods, customs, the bustle of native workers. But as it turned out, watching the ancient past emerge from the sands had a romance all its own.

And the intellectual work of archaeology, figuring out the past from clues left behind, was a great deal like detective work. So, although she had to return to England, she eagerly accepted an invitation to return again the following year. When she did, she was assigned a handsome young archaeologist, Max Mallowan, to show her around and explain what had been learned during the year�s excavation. Agatha enjoyed his company as much as she did the tour itself. But of course she was certain he would never be interested in an "old lady" like herself, 14 years his senior. But when a family emergency called Agatha back to England, Max insisted on accompanying her. Six months later they were married. It proved to be the beginning of a life of mutual respect, support, and adventuring with Agatha accompanying Max into the field for excavations as often as possible. She even became the expedition photographer and was a crack hand at cleaning and restoring artifacts. What's more she loved reconstructing fragments of pottery and other artifacts, likening it to doing a jigsaw puzzle. According to Max, she had a meticulous manner, a keen eye, and seemingly endless patience.

Meanwhile she continued to write her novels, with many of her stories inspired by the settings and characters she�d encountered on their travels. The hefty earnings from her books meant she and Max were never short of revenue for their expeditions or any of Max�s other academic forays. But by 1957 Agatha found it more difficult to manage camp life, especially in the rainy season. Indeed she was so plagued by illness that year Max decided to call it quits. They retired from Nimrud and returned to England, where they busied themselves with writing and other projects. In 1968 Max was knighted for services to archaeology, and he was made a trustee of the British Museum in 1973. Agatha, in the meantime, was named the world's best-selling author in the English language (UNESCO, 1961), and was created a Dame Commander of the British Empire (1971). She continued writing of course, and she became increasingly involved with the theater and film. Before long any play with her name attached became an instant sensation. But on January 12, 1976, Agatha Christie died, following a short illness.She was 86 years old.

Max's memoirs, published the following year, cited his feelings of emptiness after 45 years of a loving and creative partnership with Agatha. Nonetheless he did remarry however, in September of 1977 to Barbara Parker, a long time friend and work associate from the excavation at Nimrud. Parker was one of a handful of women with whom he is rumored to have had an affair. Less than a year later, on August 19, 1978, Mallowan himself died. Despite the fact that Max Mallowan was considered one of the premier anthropologists of his day, it is his wife, Agatha Christie Mallowan, which the public best remembers. Although as private, self-effacing and polite as her favorite character, Miss Marple, Dame Agatha made it clear to her readers that a shrewd and creative intelligence could be a thoroughly feminine virtue. Father: Frederick Alvah Miller Mother: Clarissa Boehmer (d. 1926) Husband: Archibald Christie (m. 24-Nov-1914, div. Apr-1928, one daughter) Daughter: Rosalind Hicks (b.

8-May-1919, d. 28-Oct-2004) Husband: Sir Max Mallowan (archaeologist, m. 11-Sep-1930) Hercule Poirot in Murder on the Orient Express NEXT Character Analysis Aside from Sherlock Holmes , Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot , formerly of the Belgian police, is probably the world's most famous fictional detective. He appears in 33 novels and 54 short stories by the British mystery writer. In Murder on the Orient Express, Poirot uses his famed powers of observation and his deep knowledge of the human psyche to uncover the plot that did in nasty old Mr. Ratchett. Ze Little Grey Cells Ah, "the little grey cells of the mind" (1.5.141). Poirot and other characters in many of Christie's books use this phrase, and it refers to the part of your brain that does all the heavy lifting. Doctors call this area of the brain grey matter , and it's the area of your noodle that deals with sensory perception and memory.

When Poirot and others wave the "grey cells" flag, they're telling us readers that we have to use our brains to solve the mystery at hand. The frequent mention of "little grey cells" also gives us some insight into our man Poirot: his major strength is his brainpower. That means he's not a really a CSI kind of guy, collecting a lot of physical evidence, or even a buff super-cop, running around toting a gun. Nope – he's pretty different from contemporary detectives on Law and Order and Homicide. Poirot relies almost exclusively upon his reason and rationality, along with whatever he can find out about a person's temperament and individual psychology. Poirot's character is a testament to the powers of observation and reason. That Christie created a detective with an invincible brain suggests that she's incredibly optimistic about the power and potential of the human intellect. Persnickety Poirot One of the reasons we love Poirot so much is that he's not just a total brainiac. He has a few flaws, to be sure, including a little bit of fussiness and maybe more than a little vanity.

He is referred to as "dandified" in the novel (1.5.34), meaning he cares a little too much about his clothes or appearance, and has a silly little mustache to boot. He's also, as you may have noticed, incredibly proud of his reputation. We know that Christie loves and respects her detective, but she definitely doesn't ask us to completely worship him. We often get a little comic relief from his fastidious attitude and concern for his reputation, as when MacQueen thinks Poirot is insulted that MacQueen thinks Poirot's name is that of a ladies' dressmaker (1.6.38). Remember, though, that because of his crazy detective skills, we never actually laugh at Poirot. He's not an object of satire, but we can still find him – and his quirks – to be endearing.

Detective of the World As he reveals in this conversation with the Countess, Hercule Poirot sees himself as a detective of the world, rather than just a Belgian detective: "I thought there were no detectives on the train when it passed through Yugo-Slavia – not until one got to Italy." "I am not a Yugo-Slavian detective, Madame. I am an international detective." "You belong to the League of Nations?" "I belong to the world, Madame," said Poirot dramatically. (2.7.78-81) The statement is probably part of Poirot's characteristic pride, but we think his words ring true, in a sense. Poirot is from Belgium, but he lives in England. He's a cosmopolitan kind of guy, traveling frequently to take on cases in distant locations. (That's why he was in Syria, after all.) Because the murder on the Orient Express involves people of many different nationalities and backgrounds, he's the perfect detective to tackle the mystery.

Personating Poirot Since he's one of the most loved detectives of all time, it's not surprising that Poirot has been brought to life on both the small and big screen a bunch of times. He's currently played by the actor David Suchet on PBS's Masterpiece Mystery series. Check out this recent adaptation . We think Suchet is just about perfect as the Belgian detective. Other actors who have played Poirot include Albert Finney and Alfred Molina . Problematic Poirot Okay, okay, so we all love us some Poirot, but let's not get carried away here. Poirot is cool and all, but we should also face some of the problems that his character presents. Poirot relies very, very heavily on psychology, but his psychological observations are often connected to things like ethnicity. For example, he thinks that only a cool and rational "Anglo-Saxon brain" could have plotted such an intricate murder (2.10.54).

Poirot sometimes relies on cultural stereotypes that are pretty dated and waaaay politically incorrect, and passes it off as "science." Also, do you really think you could tell if a person is "evil" just by looking at him (1.2.56)? How might this kind of reliance on one's own powers of observation lead to big trouble?

Question: What nationality is Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot?
Answer: Belgian