mon cher poirot

After my recent Alex Cross-athon, I felt I needed a palate cleanser. And what better, than to re-read some old favorites, by the grande dame of mystery herself, Agatha Christie? I first discovered Christie when I was about 10 or 11, prowling through my mother's bookcases for something to read. I guess I had exhausted whatever I had taken home from the Bookmobile - probably Louisa May Alcott's Eight Cousins or a collection of folktales. The first Christie I read was The Moving Finger. I still have my mom's paperback, with its lurid purple cover illustration.

I almost chose that book to read, but decided that what I really needed, the perfect antidote to the oh-so-imperfect character of Alex Cross, was the detective par excellence, the little Belgian, Hercule Poirot. Although Christie reportedly grew to loathe her most famous creation, I loved Poirot at first read. From his sartorial elegance, his love of symmetry and order, and his amazing "little grey cells," Poirot had me enthralled. Christie's books, if you read between the lines, are full of sex and greed and, well, evil. Poirot, as much as he lives his life with precision and fine food and wine and aperitifs, is never blind to such base human emotions and desires. He travels in fancy circles, but he is always able to treat everyone, no matter what their station in life, equally - especially when it comes to considering them as a suspect in a murder.

Agatha Christie's novels are a time capsule. There are aspects that stand out as strange and inappropriate today - the discussions of class, the role of women in society, Christie's own personal prejudices - she really doesn't seem to like Italians. But she also gives us a glimpse into the mores and habits of a time gone by. And there is a lot to be enjoyed: a time when people dressed for dinner and travel, writing letters, having few but essential, possessions. One can learn some great forgotten or little-used words while reading Christie: baize, malachite, galoshes, jackanapes, valise. It's also fun to read such English phrases as "trunk call," "games mistress," and "dressing gown."

Poirot and his little grey cells were on fine display in these four books I have read recently:

Evil Under the Sun, 1941 - Poirot wants a relaxing holiday on England's Devon coast, but soon observes that some of his fellow hotel guests are involved in a love triangle that could prove dangerous for one of the participants - namely a flirtatious and callous beauty named Arlena Marshall.

Funerals are Fatal, 1953 - Richard Abernethie, a wealthy man, has died, and his family has gathered for his funeral. At the reading of his will his eccentric sister Cora blurts out, "But he was murdered, wasn't he?" When Cora turns up dead soon after, Hercule Poirot must investigate whether her murder was a cause and effect. Christie could be quite brutal in her books, as Cora is killed with the multiple strikes of an axe, a la the parents of Lizzie Borden. One of my favorite Poirots, the group of suspects, Richard and Cora's relatives, are some of the most entertaining and well-drawn in Christies' mysteries.

Murder in the Calais Coach (Murder on the Orient Express), 1934 - One of Christie's most famous and ingenious puzzles, this book finds Poirot on the famed and luxurious Orient Express. The train and its elegance is described beautifully, but the reader can't get lost in the details of the train, as almost as soon as it leaves the station a murder takes place in the middle of the night, in the compartment next-door to Poirot (!), while the train is trapped, caught in a blizzard. The ultimate "locked room mystery," the book is great to read for a first time, or re-read and see how Christie plants all the clues to her creative solution.

Cards on the Table, 1936 - In this clever book Christie pits four sleuths vs. four presumed murderers. The mysterious Mr Shaitana sets up a strange (and of course dangerous) dinner party. He invites Poirot, his friend Colonel Race, and mystery author (and Christie stand-in) Ariadne Oliver to join him on Team Sleuth. The other four guests are Dr Roberts, Mrs Lorrimer, explorer Major Despard, and a young woman named Anne Meredith. During dinner Shaitana talks about murder and its various methods. After the meal they divide into two groups to play bridge. At the end of the night Poirot and Race discover that Shaitana is dead - stabbed with his own ornamental knife. The book uses the game of bridge as a clue to each suspect's personality, and the detectives split up, along with Superintendent Battle, and each focus on one suspect to determine if they were, as Shaitana suspected, "successful murderers," in their past.

Christie always plays fair with her readers, which becomes quite clear on a re-read. I have quite enjoyed this mini Christie vacation and feel that I can go ahead and read some other books on my to-read list - or maybe squeeze in a few more Poirots before the holidays.

poirot, series 4

Article first published as Blu-ray Review: Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 4 on Blogcritics.

Acorn Media has released another excellent Blu-ray featuring David Suchet as Agatha Christie's most famous creation, Hercule Poirot. Agatha Christie's Poirot: Series 4 include three feature-length cases, in their original (1992) U.K. broadcast order.

Alexander Bonaparte Cust (Donald Sumpter) meets Hercule Poirot (David Suchet) in "The ABC Murders"

Disc 1

"The ABC Murders"—In one of Christie's most ingenious mystery plots, Poirot must find a mad mass murderer who goes by the moniker ABC. Like Jack the Ripper, the killer enjoys playing a cat-and-mouse game with the famed detective, sending him taunting letters and leading him on a chase across England, daring him to prevent the next murder in his alphabetical scheme. Poirot's faithful sidekicks Captain Hastings (Hugh Fraser) and Chief Inspector Japp (Philip Jackson) join Poirot on his quest to stop the killings. Guest stars include Donald Sumpter and Donald Douglas.

"Death in the Clouds"—Murder can occur anywhere; in this case on board an airplane. A known blackmailer, Madame Giselle (Eve Pearce) has been found dead on the flight from Paris to London. Unfortunately for the murderer, Hercule Poirot also happens to be a passenger on the trans-Atlantic flight. Although totally absurd, Japp must include Poirot as one of the suspects! In a nice twist on Christie's typical drawing-room mystery, Poirot must sort through the small group of suspects and a series of clues, including a dead wasp, a box of matches, and a poisoned dart to find his killer. Stewardess Jane Grey (Sarah Woodward) assists Poirot on the case.

Jane Grey (Sarah Woodward) and Poirot outside the Basilica of Sacré-Cœur in Paris in "Death in the Clouds"

Disc 2

"One, Two, Buckle My Shoe"—Poirot, like many, hates going to the dentist. But what he hates even more is his dentist, Dr. Morley, being murdered. Although he doesn't really suspect him, Japp cannot believe that Poirot has once again found himself in the middle of a brutal murder. As Poirot investigates his dentist's death the clues lead to mistaken identity, bigamy, and unexpected political intrigue. Doctor Who's Christopher Eccleston guest stars.

The three mysteries on two discs have a total running time of approximately 306 minutes. The images are crisp and clear, with a screen resolution of 1080p and an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. They look especially good on a large-screen HD television screen, where even the weave of the costumes' sumptuous fabrics can be detected. The PCM 2.0 sound quality is also good, with clear dialogue, music, and and background sounds. English SDH subtitles are available.

Poirot takes a trip to the dentist in "One, Two, Buckle My Shoe"

The three episodes highlight Suchet's iconic interpretation of Poirot. His secretary Miss Lemon is absent from these stories and Captain Hastings is only on hand for "The ABC Murders," which gives Philip Jackson more screen-time as Japp. As grisly as some of the murders can be, there is also an opportunity for humor, especially in Poirot's reaction to a gift that Captain Hastings has brought him from South America—a large, hideous, stuffed alligator.

The look of the series, as always, is impeccable, with lavish Art Deco sets and costumes. But Poirot must frequently leave his well-appointed apartment and go out of his element in order to solve some of the crimes - attending a tennis match ("Death in the Clouds") and even a horse race ("The ABC Murders").

Suchet will be filming five Agatha Christie's Poirot mysteries this fall, completing a definitive interpretation of a beloved fictional character. "Curtain," "The Labours of Hercules," "Dead Man’s Folly," "The Big Four" and "Elephants Can Remember" will round out his portrayal of the world's fussiest, and most brilliant detective. Suchet has been playing Poirot for 22 years, and although it is always sad to see such a brilliant series come to an end, it is wonderful to know that through Blu-rays such as these, Suchet and Co.'s brilliant adaptation of Agatha Christie's Belgian sleuth can be enjoyed again and again.

Related articles

• Blu-ray Review: Agatha Christie's Poirot - Series 1 (blogcritics.org)

i am hercule poirot ...

Article first published as I Am Hercule Poirot ... on Blogcritics.



... Or Miss Marple or Sherlock Holmes or Columbo or Ellery Queen. Fill in the blank with your favorite detective.

On a recent weekend excursion my mom knew that we would be near a place that was important to her and she wanted to hit it on the way back. She wrote the name of the town on a piece of paper and showed it to me. I asked her if she would be able to find the specific place in town. She said, "I hope so."

My mom has dementia and communication is always a challenge. She still at this point knows what is it she wants to say, but she can no longer always get the words to say it. It's beyond frustrating for her, as well as for me, who wants to help, but is not always aware of the context. It's like trying to do a crossword puzzle in a language you are only slightly familiar with. But I like puzzles, so I was happy to give it a shot. Maybe all those years of reading Agatha Christies, John D. McDonalds and Lawrence Blocks would finally pay off as I attempt to unravel this latest mystery.

In the 90s she was a very active member in her local historical society and was instrumental in helping preserve many local buildings and sites and having historical markers erected. She had talked every once in a while about wanting to go visit one of her "things," so I was pretty sure that was what we would be on the lookout for.

So as we were driving back home, I tried my best to find where I think it was that she wanted to go. I remembered on a previous trip about a month ago when we were driving through a quaint shopping district that she had wanted to stop. But as we circled around, looking for parking, it was clear that would be impossible. It was getting late, so I had promised that next time we were in the area we'd come back. I was sure she was referring to this trip and one of her markers. The only problem was that I am still unfamiliar with the area, as my daughter and I just moved here last summer, so I would have to figure out how to find not only the marker, but the street in the shopping district, as my mom wouldn't be able to direct me. But we both love an adventure.

Luckily Florida is mostly a rectangle, so if you drive in one direction long enough you will either be driving towards or away from water, and I knew this was on the ocean side. I got us to the town in question, but at a major intersection I could go north or south. I decided to bet on north, and luckily, after about ten or twelve intersections I was rewarded. Both my mom and my daughter in the back seat started to say that things looked familiar. At the next traffic light we all were sure. I found a parking spot after driving a few blocks and we got out and started to check out the shops. It's a great place for window shopping. There was a puppy store, plenty of nice restaurants, a cool-looking art supply store. We got to a corner and I was ready to cross the street when my mom said, "Well, that's that." "That's what?" "That was it." It was the art supply store, which was closed on Sunday. I was floored, because this wasn't what I was expecting, but I quickly shifted gears and we turned around and picked one of the restaurants for a late lunch.

After lunch we checked out the puppy store, which was open, and I escaped without an overpriced tiny dog, but I'm not sure how much longer I can hold out against the combined puppy love exhibited by my mom and daughter. We got in the car and I headed for home. I was feeling pretty happy with how things worked out. The store wasn't open, but we managed to find it and now we could go back when it was. I know the location and a way to make my mom happy.

As I drove out of the shopping district I heard from the back seat, "Oh!" "What?" "I thought you were going to stop." "Where?" At one of those things that I did." Wait a minute ... "You mean a historical marker?" "Yes." I was floored. Again. Had I been right all along? Was that her original objective? Or were there two? Is this just proof that as "right" as I may get what she is trying to say, I will always miss something? But I just smiled and enjoyed  the irony. After all, we'll be going back.

the secret of chimneys

What is with all the perverted Miss Marples? And by that I mean both sexually and just plain off-course from their original Agatha Christie novels. The latest Marple, The Secret of Chimneys, was actually going along fine, all the way through the first murder, with a great group of actors, both familiar (Edward Fox, Dervla Kirwan) and new (to me, at least—Charlotte Salt, Jonas Armstrong), a marvelous setting, the perfect Clue-like atmosphere—"I was in the drawing room when I heard the shot." And then it totally blew it, introducing an unnecessary sexual subplot, changing the motives for murder, and worst of all, changing the murderer. All of this would have been OK if it had been pulled off with good plotting. But no.


Somehow, no matter who is playing Miss Marple since the wonderful and still definitive Joan Hickson did in the eighties and nineties, a sexual element to the stories has been introduced, actually, forced. Because obviously no one would watch Agatha Christie without more sex, right? That's why we tune in, right? Sheesh. It seems that the folks involved in these shows have taken Miss Marple's kitchen-sink mentality—nothing can shock or surprise the little old lady sleuth, whether it be sex, theft, murder, etc.—and completely missed the point of the character. She has managed to view all of life's experiences just by looking (some might say spying) out her garden window in St. Mary's Mead. All the added incest, love affairs, etc. in these productions are just that—added. And unnecessary. They'd do better to spend screen time delving into the characters. Give the actors something interesting to play. But that would require good writing ...

The funny thing is that Christie's novels have never been devoid of sex. Illicit love affairs (The Hollow, The Murder on the Blue Train) are frequently the cause of murders. There is almost always at least one romance blooming, sometimes two, in the backdrop of all the death and crime and murder. Sometimes the hero or heroine even falls in love with the murderer. There have been lesbian couples (A Murder is Announced) and clearly homosexual men (The Moving Finger), maybe not at the forefront of her plots, but as important characters. She was not exactly progressive, but for a writer who started publishing in the 1920s and ended in the 1970s, she wasn't afraid to explore character, no matter what their sexual preference. But the most recent Marples have not only brought sex to the forefront, and added gay characters (more as a token character, as their sexuality never seems to directly affect the story), but worse than anything, all the changes are done at the expense of the mystery. Which is why most tune in in the first place, for a good puzzle. Christie was renowned for her intricate plotting, ingenious twists and surprise murderers—but when the script has been changed to arbitrarily focus on the biggest-name actor in the cast, then it might as well be Murder She Wrote. Jessica Fletcher wouldn't have put up with this crap, so why is Miss Marple?


Admittedly, the original The Secret of Chimneys, written in 1925, had an extremely convoluted and complicated plot (and no Miss Marple, by the way), involving political intrigue and hidden identities, so it could stand some updating and streamlining for television. I don't mind if a Christie (or any book for that matter) is messed with in a creative way if it makes good television. I love that the Poirots have all been set and styled in the 1930s, and that Hercule Poirot's Catholicism, one of many character details in the books, has actually been brought front and center to add real dimension to David Suchet's portrayal of the Belgian detective. Change is good, if it is done well and for the right reasons. But these new Marples—uh uh.

Related articles

• Agatha Christie's Marple: The Pale Horse, ITV1, 9pm (mirror.co.uk)