A Parcel For You! Trivia Quiz

Answer: Marple

"We have had nice wedding presents, haven't we? That fluffy woolly thing that we don't know what it's for from Miss Marple..."


At the end of "The Moving Finger" (1942), the young wife talked to her husband over the wedding presents. Jane helped both, and was busy crocheting and knitting in this story. Not for the first or last time - it is a recurring theme, and she stopped it to humor Mr. Rafiel in "A Caribbean Mystery" (1964). But if I am quite sure she started again as soon as the plane back to England took off. After all, a horde of former servants needed her woolly presents for their new babies.

Answer: Marple

"Miss Marple had been careful to bring her bird glasses with her. At this moment she brought them into action."
'They Do It with Mirrors', 1952.


Miss Marple loved to watch birds. In this case, she wondered if there were siskins (a kind of finch) some distance away? But more important might it be, to watch the faces of two worried gentlemen. So I guess she needed good bird glasses. Only to watch birds, of course.

Answer: Marple

"My nephew, Raymond West, is coming here today," she explained. "He writes very clever books, though in real life people are not nearly so unpleasant as he makes his characters. Clever young men know so little about life."
'The Murder at the Vicarage', 1930.


Dear Raymond was her favorite nephew, so she must have received the books for free. But as a proud aunt she would have pressed his oeuvre on unsuspecting people. Despite his presumptuous but friendly remarks about his provincial aunt. She got her revenge for this. He featured prominently in "The Thirteen Problems" (1932) and gives an essential clue in recognizing an impostor, and quite often helps her financially. Like trips to London, vacation in a Caribbean hotel, and he finances the formidable Mrs Knight when she needed help.

Answer: Marple

"Partridges," she said thoughtfully, "it is very difficult to get partridges nowadays, and they're very expensive. I should enjoy a partridge - a whole partridge - to myself, very much. A box of marrons glacés are an expensive taste which I cannot often gratify."
'Nemesis', 1971.


In opposite to Poirot, who loved to find new restaurants or Tuppence who spent her first earned money together with Tommy for long missed food, Miss Marple taught her little servant girls how to cook and especially to give the bigger portion to the male of the species. But against the two lawyers who told her they would pay out the money bequeathed by the extremely rich Mr Rafiel she did not want to save it. But loved to buy food that meant luxury for her. After all - she was nearly killed in earning it!

Answer: Poirot

"Poirot pressed his guest with refreshments. A grenadine? Crème de Menthe? Benedictine? Crème de Cacao.."
'Mrs McGinty's Dead', 1952.


Poirot always preferred sweet stuff, but he had whiskey and soda, beer and tea ready. Someone complained about his week Chinese tea. But just like Miss Marple he knew of the weakness of his English guests for "a nice cuppa of tea". Especially someone, like a nurse, who just found a dead body.

Answer: Poirot

"Revivit. - To bring back the natural tone of the hair. Revivit is not a dye. In five shades, Ash, Chestnut, Titian, Brown, Black."


"The ABC Murders" was released in 1936. Hastings had just returned from the Argentines and promptly visited his old chap Hercule. There he marvelled over the perfect black hair of Poirot, Poirot showed him a small bottle. He even gave the hint of a little device made by his coiffeur to hide Hastings' blank spots. Hastings preferred a comb-over. Very wise, you always can tell a toupee. It runs in my family.

Answer: Poirot

"He went out of the compartment and returned a few moments later with a small spirit stove and a pair of curling-tongs.
"I use them for the moustaches," he said, referring to the latter."
'Murder On The Orient Express', 1934.


Do you remember the scene in "Murder On the Orient Express" from the star-studded adaption made in 1974? Peter Ustinov (Poirot) did a marvelous job with a scrap of paper, some small burner and tongs after dissecting a hat box. Even if Sir Peter had a much too small mustache to use tongs styling it!

Answer: Poirot

"Late that evening, to my surprise, I found him studying a Russian grammar. "Good heavens, Poirot!" I cried. "Are you learning Russian in order to converse with the Countess in her own language?"
'The Double Clue' - a short story released in 'Poirot's Early Cases' in 1974, but it is from the 1920s.


Did the flamboyant countess lose the cigarette case? There are initials engraved, but she may have used Cyrillic letters. The study of that alphabet might have helped Poirot in later years. In the before-mentioned Orient Express there was also a Russian Aristocrat. But this time he found an embroidered handkerchief. This Russian Lady was much older. But really formidable.

Answer: Beresford

"Perhaps not," said Tommy. "But I'm simply dying to use that new camera of mine! It's supposed to have the most marvelous lens that ever was or ever could be."
'Partners in Crime', short story collection, 1929


It all started with a camera. Tommy and Tuppence looked at pictures freshly developed. Later Tommy claimed to be able to make special, revealing photographs. I suspect Mrs Christie, who was an ardent photographer herself, loved to integrate her hobby inside her stories.

Answer: Beresford

"I think I shall go and buy that hat I told you about."
"Oh God!" said Tommy. "Another hat!"
'Partners in Crime', short story collection, 1929

Tuppence was a fashion-interested flapper who loved hats. In this case, the milliner was missing. They did find her. Alive and merrily ready to marry. Their first real case.

Answer: Beresford

"We need several hundreds of yards of extra book shelf if Edgar Wallace is to be properly represented." Tuppence
'Partners in Crime', short story collection, 1929


Crime stories, from well known authors of that time, influenced the young couple in the methods and sometimes clothes worn. In one case it was a Roman Catholic priest's clothing plus umbrella (Father Brown, Chesterton). In the last story there is even a reference to Hastings and grey cells.

I had to let a cat creep in. Even if it has to be a cat-burglar. But the year - 1929 - was too tempting. Edgar Wallace wrote that much, and this was also a collection of stories. Like this second book about Tuppence and Tommy.

Answer: Beresford

"Tommy produced from a cupboard various bottles, two glasses, and a cocktail shaker. Let's start now," he said. "We are after you, Crackler, and we mean to get you."
'Partners in Crime', short story collection, 1929


Mundane Tuppence and her red haired husband went incognito after a counterfeit gang. Just like in a Edgar Wallace story. Therefore, they had to play the role as a careless couple consuming countless cocktails. As it was en vogue in the roaring twenties.

So a nice Sherry for Jane, a Sirop de cassis for Hercule and a Bloody Mary for our curious couple. Cheers! Mocktails are available.

Or a nice cup of tea.