Agatha Christie's Novels 1 Trivia Quiz

Answer: Vera Claythorne

In one of Christie's most famous and intriguing works, Vera Claythorne is induced to shoot Philip Lombard in the final murder of the novel, as she believes he is responsible for the other deaths on the island. We as readers are led to believe that she is 'The' murderer without fully understanding how she's managed it all with clear cut alibis for some of the other deaths. Without the final chapter, I would never have guessed the ending!

Answer: Dolly and Molly

Dolly and Molly (Dorothea and Margaret Preston-Grey) are twin sisters who are both in love with the same man, General Ravenscroft. Molly marries him and Dolly eventually goes mad, harming children in several incidents in her life. In the novel General Ravenscroft and his wife are found shot to death side by side with no evidence as to which one of them was responsible. Mrs Oliver asks Poirot to help her solve the mystery over a decade after it happens - why did a seemingly happy couple commit suicide?

Answer: Owen and Aimee

Owen Griffith is the local doctor in Lymstock and his sister is the formidable Aimee Griffith. Giles and Gwenda are husband and wife, appearing in a different novel; Leopold and Ann are the Reynolds siblings who appear in 'Halloween Party', and Jerry and Joanna Burton are the siblings whose appearance in Lymstock helps prompt the investigation.

Answer: 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' and 'Curtain'

In Poirot's first case, he solves the murder of Emily Inglethorpe in 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' with the lamentably daft Arthur Hastings in tow. He returns to Styles Court in his last case to help Hastings realise the solution in 'Curtain'. 'Curtain' was actually written some time before it was published and kept in a vault during World War Two in case Christie did not survive the war.

It was eventually published in 1975 as Poirot's swan song.

Answer: Luke Fitzwilliam

In one of my favourite non-Poirot/Marple Christie novels, Luke Fitzwilliam investigates when an old lady that he speaks to on a train is mysteriously run over on her way to Scotland Yard to report a series of murders. On the train she confides that she is concerned that someone she knows is a murderer, commenting that murder is easy so long as no one suspects you.

Answer: 'Nemesis' and 'A Caribbean Mystery'

Jason Rafiel is an extremely rich and poorly old man. He and Jane Marple meet first on the island of St Honore in 'A Caribbean Mystery' when the unfortunate Major Palgrave is murdered. He then asks for her help in solving a murder involving his son in 'Nemesis', not letting a little thing like his own death stop him from trying to get Miss Marple to solve the case!

Answer: The Duchess of Malfi

Dr Kennedy quotes the line from John Webster's 'The Duchess of Malfi' after he kills his half-sister, Helen. Gwenda is watching through the bannisters and remembers what she sees and hears years later at the theatre, thinking his surgical gloves are monkey's paws. Miss Marple saves the day again in one of my favourite scenes as she runs up the stairs and squirts Dr Kennedy in the eyes with soapy water as he prepares to kill Gwenda.

Answer: Nurse Leatheran

Nurse Leatheran is hired by Dr Leidner to care for his wife Louise. After Louise Leidner's murder is solved, Dr Reilly asks Nurse Leatheran to write up her experience. At first she is reluctant to do so as she dislikes Dr Reilly's daughter, Sheila, and is quite rude about her on occasion. Nurse Leatheran is an entertaining narrator and is one of Poirot's best sidekicks.

Answer: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

The dedication at the start of the novel is to Christie's brother-in-law, James, who had criticised her novels for being too anaemic. She writes the dedication to him, explaining that he had asked for "a good violent murder with lots of blood". In killing off Simeon Lee with his cut throat and pig-like screaming, Christie certainly achieves her brother-in-law's "special story"! I confess that the ending had me stumped!

Answer: Destination Unknown

After her husband leaves her to marry another woman and her only child dies from meningitis, Hilary Craven plans to commit suicide by taking an overdose of sleeping pills. When she's thwarted by the mysterious Mr Jessop, he suggests she takes a more sporting way out by pretending to be the wife of a missing scientist.

She will almost certainly die, he argues, so she'll achieve her aim but will help her country at the same time. Hilary agrees and adopts the persona of Mrs Betterton in what is more of a spy novel than a murder mystery.