Christie Common Themes Trivia Quiz

Answer: Murder at the Vicarage

'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' is Poirot's first mystery. Everyone suspects Alfred Inglethorp of killing his wife, but Poirot saves him. But at the end of the story, we realise that Alfred is the murderer and Poirot catches him with evidence. A similar theme is found in Miss Marple's first novel 'Murder at the Vicarage'.

In this novel, when Colonel Protheroe is murdered, his wife and her lover are the first to be suspected. But Miss Marple ensures that they are not arrested. But at the end, they are caught red-handed and sent to jail.

Answer: Murder in the Mews

'The Market Basing Mystery' is a Hercule Poirot story, where a victim of blackmail commits suicide. His housekeeper makes the suicide looks like a murder to implicate the blackmailers. A very similar theme is found in another Poirot story 'Murder in the Mews'.

This story features the death of Mrs. Allen. We later on learn that it was a suicide and made to look like a murder by her friend. The reason: she was being blackmailed and her friend wanted to punish the blackmailer.

Answer: The Mystery of the Blue Train

'Endless Night' published in 1967 was re-used by Christie as a Miss Marple short story, 'The Case of the Caretaker' (1979). The themes used in both the stories were similar. 'The Plymouth Express' was a short story featuring Hercule Poirot published in 1923.

The same story of a murder of a rich woman on a train was converted by Christie into a full-length novel in 1928 and it was named 'Mystery of the Blue Train'.

Answer: The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side

'A Murder is Announced' features Letitia Blacklock who stages a murder attempt on herself. Later on Miss Marple finds out that Letitia herself is the murderess (She was actually not Letitia, but her sister Charlotte who had taken over Letitia's identity after her death).

Another Marple novel with a similar plot is 'The Mirror Crack'd from Side to Side'. In this novel, actress Marina Greg escapes a poison attempt and someone else dies. In the end, Miss Marple reveals that Marina herself carried out all the murders.

Answer: The Mystery of the Spanish Chest

In 'Murder on the Links', a former criminal makes a fake attempt to stage his own murder and escape from a blackmailing attempt. The plot goes awry and he is killed. A similar theme is found in 'The Mystery of the Spanish Chest' where a man suspects his wife and hides in a chest to spy on her. His plot goes awry when he is murdered.

Answer: Peril at End House

In 'Peril at End House' Nick Buckley stages fake attempts to kill herself and brings Poirot into the case. It is revealed later in the novel that Nick herself is the murderess. A similar them is seen in 'Lord Edgware Dies', where Jane Wilkinson brings in Poirot by asking his help to get divorced from her husband. At the end of the novel, it is revealed that Jane herself is the murderess.

Answer: Hercule Poirot's Christmas

'Hercule Poirot's Christmas' is a Hercule Poirot mystery featuring Superintendent Sugden. At the end of the novel, Poirot reveals that Sugden is the murderer. It is also revealed that the Sugden was the illegitimate son of the dead man and that was the reason for the murder.

In 'Mousetrap' we find that the policeman in charge of the case, Sergeant Trotter was not a policeman and was actually the murderer.

Answer: Endless Night

'The Murder of Roger Ackroyd' is a classic mystery by Agatha Christie. This novel featuring Hercule Poirot has a stunning climax, where the narrator Dr. Sheppard is revealed as the murderer. A similar novel is 'Endless Night', where the narrator of the story Michael Rogers is revealed as the murderer.

Answer: Death in the Clouds

'Sparkling Cyanide' is a novel where the murderer Victor disguises himself as a waiter to put poison in a drink. A similar theme is found in 'Death in the Clouds', where the murderer disguises himself as a steward and kills his victim in a plane on the pretext of bringing a cup of tea.

Answer: Murder in Mesopotamia

In 'Third Girl', Mary Restarick wears a wig and disguises herself as Frances Cary fooling even her stepdaughter. A similar theme is found in 'Murder in Mesopotamia'. In this novel, Louise Leidner's husband Dr. Leidner is revealed to be none other than her first husband.

He had been captured as a spy and believed to be dead. He returns after a long gap and marries Louise and she never realises that he was her first husband.