Crooked House (1949) Trivia Game | Christie, Agatha

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A wealthy businessman and the patriarch of the Leonides family, an 87-year-old Greek from Smyrna; he left his considerable fortune to his granddaughter.

Answer: Aristide Leonides

Aristide Leonides was described by Sir Arthur Hayward as "crooked, yes, - but not a crook. Never anything outside the law. But he was the sort of chap that thought up all the ways you can get around the law". He went on to describe him as having a magnetic personality: "Funnily enough, he was attractive.

He'd got personality, you know. You could feel it. Nothing much to look at. Just a gnome - ugly little fellow - but magnetic - women always fell for him." Aristide died when somebody poisoned his insulin supply with eserine eye drops.

2. Fiancee of Charles Hayward, she was the beneficiary of her grandfather's estate; she refused to marry Charles until her grandfather's murder was solved.

Answer: Sophia Leonides

Sophia and Charles met in Egypt during the war (WW1) where she worked for the Foreign Office. Her grandfather left his entire estate to her because he believed she was the only member of the family who was suitable to manage the inheritance. "Only my granddaughter Sophia seems to me to have the positive qualities required.

She has brains, judgement, courage, a fair and unbiased mind and, I think, generosity of spirit. To her I commit the family welfare."

3. Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, who was referred to as "The Old Man" by his son and by his subordinates; he encouraged his son to infiltrate the Leonides' household to investigate the crime.

Answer: Sir Arthur Hayward

Sir Arthur Hayward told his son that the police did not think Sophia murdered her grandfather, however, he was aware that until the matter was cleared up, Sophia would not marry Charles because "there'll always be a nasty doubt". Sophia was also aware that the doubt would be detrimental to Charles's career in the Diplomatic Service. Because of the lack of evidence, Sir Arthur asked Charles to infiltrate the household: "If we're ever going to solve this case, we've got to get some inside dope. We've got to know all about the people in that house. We've got to know them from the inside - not the outside. You're the man who can get that for us." Charles thought it was a "rotten" idea but Sophia disagreed.

4. An elderly Greek and friend of Aristide Leonides; Aristide entrusted his final will to his friend with instructions to forward it to his solicitor, Mr Gaitskill, upon his death.

Answer: Mr Agrodopolous

The family thought they knew the contents of Aristides' will but he outsmarted them. He made a later will, that the family knew nothing about, and entrusted it to his friend, Mr Agrodopolous, for safekeeping. The final will left everything to Sophia. Mr Gaitskill's nose was out of joint that he knew nothing about this will.

He took it quite personally: "It seems to have been Mr Leonides' intention to make me look a complete fool".

5. Aristide's sister-in-law, the spinster sister of his first wife; she joined his household to look after his seven children after their mother died.

Answer: Edith de Haviland

Edith de Haviland stated that she did not care for her brother-in-law "but when her sister died she considered it her duty to accept (his) invitation to live with him and bring up the children."

Edith told Charles Hayward that "...it seems odd to think of him being dead. I never liked him - never! But I can't get used to the idea of his being dead." She went on to comment on her sister's marriage to Aristide: "An impossible marriage, of course. I always felt Marcia must have been - well - bewitched. Ugly common little foreigner!"

Sophia told Charles that when it came to women, her grandfather was a very charming man. "He had a power, you know...He's been clever with women all his life - and that kind of thing is a sort of art - you don't lose the knack of it, however old you are." Apparently, his charms were lost on his sister-in-law, Edith.

6. The eldest son of Aristide Leonides, married with no children, and a very likeable man; he was the manager of Associated Catering, however, he did not possess his father's business acumen and brought the business to financial ruin.

Answer: Roger Leonides

Roger and his wife, Clemency, came to live in Aristides' "crooked house" when their home in London was bombed out during the Blitz in 1943. Clemency was very protective of Roger and wanted to get him away from there. Roger desperately wanted to emulate his father's success but he had no talent for business.

He brought Associated Catering to the brink of bankruptcy and was extremely distressed at the thought of disappointing his father.

7. Second son of Aristide Leonides, writer of historical books, and Sophia's father; Sophia described him as very well-controlled and never showing any emotion at all.

Answer: Philip Leonides

In his will, Aristide stated "My son Philip is too unsure of himself to do anything but retreat from life". Philip's Aunt Edith believed that Philip suffered from "second child syndrome". She told Charles Hayward that "Philip is rather difficult to understand.

He may seem to you reserved and cold, but that is not so at all. It's just a manner. He can't help it...It's partly, I think, from having been the second of the family. There's often something about a second child...He adored his father, you see. Of course, all the children adored Aristide and he adored them.

But Roger was his especial pride and joy. Being the eldest - the first. And I think Philip felt it. He drew back right into himself. He began to like books and the past and things that were well divorced from everyday life. I think he suffered - children do suffer".

8. Second wife of Aristide Leonides; she appeared to genuinely love her husband despite the family's general opinion that she only married him for his money.

Answer: Brenda Leonides

Brenda was 24 when she met and married Aristide Leonides. She was over 50 years his junior. The family considered that she only married him for his money but she appeared genuinely fond of him. She was honest in admitting that she wanted to have a nice home and nice things and that her husband provided that for her. "I'm not glad he's dead. I'm sorry...I've been happy here. I've been safe. I went to all those posh dressmakers - the ones I'd read about. I was as good as anybody. And Aristide gave me lovely things".

She appeared to appreciate all that her husband had done for her: "I was nice to him. I made him happy...I vowed to myself that I'd be a really good wife to him, and I was. I ordered all the kinds of food he liked, and wore the colours he fancied and I did all I could to please him. And he was happy".

Sophia also believed her grandfather was happy married to Brenda. "Grandfather was never taken in by anybody. He wanted Brenda. He wanted to play Cophetua to her beggar-maid. He knew just what he was doing and it worked out beautifully according to plan. From grandfather's point of view the marriage was a complete success - like all his other operations."

9. Tutor to Josephine and Eustace; he was described by other characters as neurotic, and "a complete rabbit", with "no guts". He described himself as "very sensitive and highly strung".

Answer: Laurence Brown

This novel is set just after World War 2. Laurence was a conscientious objector to war and was exempted from active military service. He did hospital work instead but proved ill-suited to that, and so was allowed to take up educational work, which led him to becoming a private tutor to Josephine and Eustace. Philip Leonides described his teaching as "conscientious and adequate". Charles Hayward observed that Laurence was, in fact, a "magnificent teacher".

10. Teenage son of Philip Leonides and brother of Sophia, described as a dark handsome boy with a sullen expression on his face; he had suffered from infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis) which caused him to walk with a stiff gait.

Answer: Eustace Leonides

Eustace was 16 years old and described as moody. Charles Hayward's perception of Eustace was that "behind (his) scornful and rather ill-tempered manner there was...an inquiring and able mind. Very soon I began to realise the source of his ill humour.

His illness had not only been a frightening ordeal, it had also been a frustration and a setback, just at a moment when he had been enjoying life". Eustace was enraged when he learned that his grandfather had passed him over in favour of his sister, Sophia.

Source: Author MotherGoose

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Crooked House (1949) Trivia Quiz

Match the major characters in this novel with their description. (NO SPOILERS)

Questions		Choices
1. A wealthy businessman and the patriarch of the Leonides family, an 87-year-old Greek from Smyrna; he left his considerable fortune to his granddaughter.		Mr Agrodopolous
2. Fiancee of Charles Hayward, she was the beneficiary of her grandfather's estate; she refused to marry Charles until her grandfather's murder was solved.		Sophia Leonides
3. Assistant Commissioner of Scotland Yard, who was referred to as "The Old Man" by his son and by his subordinates; he encouraged his son to infiltrate the Leonides' household to investigate the crime.		Brenda Leonides
4. An elderly Greek and friend of Aristide Leonides; Aristide entrusted his final will to his friend with instructions to forward it to his solicitor, Mr Gaitskill, upon his death.		Sir Arthur Hayward
5. Aristide's sister-in-law, the spinster sister of his first wife; she joined his household to look after his seven children after their mother died.		Aristide Leonides
6. The eldest son of Aristide Leonides, married with no children, and a very likeable man; he was the manager of Associated Catering, however, he did not possess his father's business acumen and brought the business to financial ruin.		Philip Leonides
7. Second son of Aristide Leonides, writer of historical books, and Sophia's father; Sophia described him as very well-controlled and never showing any emotion at all.		Roger Leonides
8. Second wife of Aristide Leonides; she appeared to genuinely love her husband despite the family's general opinion that she only married him for his money.		Edith de Haviland
9. Tutor to Josephine and Eustace; he was described by other characters as neurotic, and "a complete rabbit", with "no guts". He described himself as "very sensitive and highly strung".		Laurence Brown
10. Teenage son of Philip Leonides and brother of Sophia, described as a dark handsome boy with a sullen expression on his face; he had suffered from infantile paralysis (poliomyelitis) which caused him to walk with a stiff gait.		Eustace Leonides