Poirot Single Stories Trivia

1. At the beginning of the tale, Hercule Poirot and Chief Inspector Japp were walking by the mews. Japp remarked that it was "a good night for a murder". Which holiday did the death occur on?

From Quiz Murder in the Mews

Answer: Guy Fawkes Day

Guy Fawkes Day observed the treasonous plot of Guy Fawkes to blow up the parliament building. It is on November 5th. Japp's remark was referring to the number of firecrackers being used. It would certainly cover up any sound of gunfire. The victim was killed by a gunshot.

From Quiz The Big Four

Answer: Two years

Captain Hastings has returned to London, after some time in the Argentine. His wife, 'Cinderella' is still at the ranch. Poirot is delighted to see him, but says he is on his way to Rio. Abe Ryland, the soap king, wants him to investigate some dodgy dealings in a company. Just as Poirot prepares to leave, a stranger enters the room. He is obviously not well. He tells Poirot of 'The Big Four'. A Chinaman, Li Chang Yen, is 'Number One'; he is the brains of the gang. 'Number Two' seems to be an American, while 'Number Three' is a woman, nationality French. Poirot and Hastings leave the man in the flat and leave for the train. But during the journey, Poirot says he was being got out of the way. When they return to the flat, they find the stranger dead. They telephone the police. A keeper from the asylum comes to see the dead man and says that the man escaped from the asylum the previous night. When their friend, Inspector Japp, comes, he identifies the stranger as Maylering, a Secret Service man. He disappeared five years ago, was last heard of in Russia. Maylering was gagged then poisoned with prussic acid. The clock in the room has stopped at four o' clock. But Poirot says the clock shouldn't have stopped, it has been tampered with. When Poirot telephones the asylum, he learns that there has been no escape. The asylum keeper, who came to see them, was 'Number Four'. Next time, 'Number Four' will look completely different. This is a challenge for Poirot - to defeat 'The Big Four'.

From Quiz The Murder on the Links

Answer: A private secretary

Hastings is returning to London from Paris. He is staying with Hercule Poirot, his friend. While on a train, Hastings meets a very pretty young lady. She is an actress, or rather a child acrobat. She is looking for her sister. As she leaves, she tells Hastings that her name is Cinderella.

From Quiz 'The Hollow'

Answer: Gudgeon

He always replaces the pots that Lucy left boiling on the stove, because she's so forgetful.

From Quiz Third Girl

Answer: Norma Restarick

A 'third girl' was a girl whom the main girl of a flat and her roommate advertised for in the newspaper (a third girl) to share their flat . In this case, Claudia Reece-Holland was the main girl, Frances Cary was her roommate, and Norma Restarick was the 'third girl'.

From Quiz The Big Four

Answer: Dartmoor

Poirot and Hastings go to see John Ingles. He knows a lot about China. Ingles also knows quite a lot about Li Chang Yen, and tells Poirot all he knows. He shows Poirot a letter, from a man he knows slightly, a Jonathan Whalley. Whalley begs Ingles for money, and says he is in danger. The three men travel to Dartmoor, to see Whalley. But when they get there, he is dead - his throat was cut. Some jade figures have disappeared too, and been found in Whalley's manservant's bedroom. Robert Grant, the manservant, is a former convict; his real name is Abraham Biggs. Grant has been arrested. Poirot is interested by a joint of meat in the larder. The joint of meat still had ice on it, which proved it had been delivered that morning. Poirot says 'Number Four' disguised himself as a butcher. He then killed Jonathan Whalley. Nobody would notice blood on a butcher, or a butcher delivering meat. It is later revealed that Poirot is quite correct, and Grant is released.

From Quiz The Murder on the Links

Answer: Chile

Poirot receives a letter from Paul Renauld, a wealthy South American, but who lives in France. He needs Poirot's help and asks him to come to France, and he may have to go to Chile too. Poirot feels uneasy about the letter. He and Hastings travel to France, but when they arrive at Mr Renauld's home, a policeman informs them that Mr Renauld was murdered that morning.

From Quiz 'The Hollow'

Answer: Mrs. Crabtree & Crabtree

John Christow was trying to find a cure for Ridgeway's Disease, which Mrs. Crabtree had.

From Quiz Third Girl

Answer: Weed killer was found in her room.

From Quiz 'Poirot Loses A Client'

Answer: Market Basing

St. Mary Mead, of course, is Miss Marple's village. King's Abbot was the name of the village in which 'The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd' was set. Remember Chipping Cleghorn from 'A Murder Is Announced'?

From Quiz Murder in the Mews

Answer: She was away visiting friends.

Miss Plenderleith was cool and efficient with her answers. She claimed to have arrived home and found the door locked. She was full of information but seemed to be holding something back. She had known Mrs. Allen for five years and met her as Mrs. Allen was leaving India. She also informed them that Mrs. Allen had lost her daughter when the child was three years old.

From Quiz The Big Four

Answer: Paris

Inspector Japp introduces Poirot and Hastings to a Captain Kent, a Secret Service man, from America. Mr Halliday went to Paris to meet Madame Olivier, the famous French chemist. Japp thinks nothing of the disappearence but Poirot reminds him that 'Number Three' is a Frenchwoman. Poirot and Hastings travel to Paris after first meeting Mrs Halliday.

From Quiz The Murder on the Links

Answer: In the bedroom

The commissioner of police is Monsieur Bex, who has worked with Poirot before. The front door was found ajar, that morning, and Madame Renauld was found bound and gagged. Mr Renauld was later found stabbed in the back, outside, in an open grave. Madame Renauld tells of the two masked men binding her before abducting her husband. One of the maids mentions a woman coming to see Mr Renauld the night before - it could have been either Madame Daubreuil, a lady who lives next door, or an English lady.

From Quiz 'The Hollow'

Answer: Zena

She predicted John's fortune of a death with an Ace of Spades.

From Quiz Third Girl

Answer: She thought that he was too old.

Hercule Poirot was very hurt by Norma's comment that he was too old.

From Quiz 'Poirot Loses A Client'

Answer: They all three needed money.

Bella was the only married one. She was married to Dr. Tanios, a Greek. While Theresa and Charles were strikingly good looking, Bella was plain. All three needed cash. Charles and Theresa had run through their income, and Theresa wanted money to help further Dr. Donaldson's career. Bella's husband had lost most of her money, and Bella needed money to educate her two children in England.

From Quiz Murder in the Mews

Answer: Gas fires

Poirot noted that there was a gas fire in Mrs. Allen's sitting room, and the fire in the downstairs was a real wood fire. Japp became increasingly irritated with Poirot's interest in the mundane. He also noted the watch on Mrs. Allen's right wrist and her writing bureau. Japp was additionally amused by Poirot's investigation into the dust bins.

From Quiz The Big Four

Answer: Diamond robbery

Her real identity is the Countess Vera Rossakoff. Poirot and Hastings investigate the crime in 'The Double Clue', a short story. Rossakoff is the only woman Poirot really loved. Poirot says 'The Big Four' kidnapped Mr Halliday. They go to see Inez Veroneau, and Poirot tells her that he knows she is working for 'The Big Four'. Mr Halliday must be released. Mr Halliday is brought to Poirot's hotel - he is safe but not well. He can tell them nothing about 'The Big Four'. He is too frightened to, in case they harm his wife. Madame Olivier's laboratory was broken into; the thieves were trying to steal some radium she uses for her experiments. Poirot and Hastings pretend to return to England, but instead they lie in wait for the thieves. It is revealed that Madame Olivier is 'Number Three'. Poirot says it is no use telling the French police, they would not be believed.

From Quiz Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Answer: A bottle of ink

Mrs. McGinty was an uneducated, barely literate woman who rarely wrote letters. Yet she had purchased a bottle of ink, presumably because she wanted to write to someone. After discovering the article about the "tragic women", Poirot interviews Pamela Horsefall of the Sunday Companion, and discovers that Mrs. McGinty had written to her, explaining that she had seen a photograph like one of those in the article, and inquiring if the paper would like to purchase the photograph. Miss Horsefall had declined to do so. Mrs. McGinty, who had a habit of snooping around the houses she cleaned, had seen the photograph of Eva Kane at Laburnums (the residence of the Upwards). After reading the article, she concluded that the proud Mrs. Upward was the woman in the photograph. She had mentioned her suspicions to Robin Upward, hoping for a "nice little present" for being discreet about what she presumed was his mother's true identity (she did not know that Robin had been adopted by Mrs. Upward). Afraid that his adoptive mother would discover the truth, he decided to silence Mrs. McGinty.

From Quiz The Murder on the Links

Answer: Black

Poirot is told that Jack Renauld, Mr Renauld's son, was sent on a business trip by his father. He has not been told of the death yet. Poirot is shown a love letter, which was in Mr Renauld's pocket, and also a fragment of a cheque for "Duveen". The murder weapon was a knife, similar to a paper knife - Jack Renauld had it made specially and gave it to his mother. Mr Renauld had recently made a new will, leaving everything to his wife, not to his son.

From Quiz 'The Hollow'

Answer: six

She left them on the patio table at the scene of the murder.

From Quiz Third Girl

Answer: Ariadne Oliver

Ariadne Oliver was a mystery novelist. She helped Hercule Poirot find out the identity of Norma Restarick, and followed Norma's boyfriend for him. Nobody seemed to care that much when Norma disappeared, not even her parents.

From Quiz 'Poirot Loses A Client'

Answer: She realized her fall could not have been an accident.

Everyone assumed that Emily Arundell had fallen over Bob's ball. Bob, her dog, loved to drop his ball from the top of the staircase and watch it bump down the stairs. Early the next morning, Miss Arundell heard Miss Lawson, her companion, let Bob into the house. She knew then that Bob had been out all night and could not have left his ball on top of the stairs. Miss Arundell then wrote to Hercule Poirot.

From Quiz Murder in the Mews

Answer: Half of a man's cuff link

The piece of cuff link was found at the crime scene. They would later discover that it belonged to Colonel Eustace who visited Mrs. Allen the previous night. Turkish cigarettes were also found in the room, but neither of the two women smoked that brand. It would be another clue to be linked with Colonel Eustace later.

From Quiz The Big Four

Answer: Savoy

Hastings uses the name Major Arthur Neville. Abe Ryland has been receiving mysterious letters in blue envelopes, and with a number four in the corner. Hastings follows Ryland to a disused quarry and discovers it is a trap for him and Poirot. Before anything can happen, the police save them. Poirot says Abe Ryland is definitely 'Number Two'. The footman, who worked for Ryland, is 'Number Four'.

From Quiz Mrs. McGinty's Dead

Answer: Maude Williams

Maude Williams is an attractive young woman with peroxided blonde hair. She had worked with Bentley at the office of Breather and Scuttle before he was discharged, and found his shy, polite manner attractive. Poirot marvels that even such an unprepossessing character as Bentley should be attractive to someone, and discerns that Maude, despite her outward appearance, is really a maternal type at heart. He secures a position for her as a domestic at the Wetherby's home after their German maid abruptly leaves, so that she can assist in the investigation. Bentley, to Poirot's considerable consternation, barely remembers Maude, and is most unappreciative of her efforts on his behalf. He decides that she isn't the sort of girl that his mother would approve of (the gauche, awkward Deirdre Henderson is more his type).

From Quiz The Murder on the Links

Answer: Lead piping

The scene of crime is, surprisingly, a golf course. Mrs Renauld collapses again after identifying her husband's body. The famous detective, Monsieur Giraud, from the Paris Surete, is also on the case. He dislikes Poirot very much. Poirot and Hastings meet Madame Daubreuil, and her daughter, Marthe. Madame Daubreuil is unwilling to answer any questions. Poirot is sure that he has seen Madame Daubreuil before, and it was connected with a murder case.

From Quiz 'The Hollow'

Answer: Oxford

When Lucy mentioned David going to Cambridge University, he said, irritably, that he went to Oxford University.

From Quiz Third Girl

Answer: by throwing herself in front of a speeding Jaguar

Fortunately, she was snatched out of harm's way by Dr. Stillingfleet.

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