The ABC Murders (1936) Quiz | The ABC Murders

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. The narrator for most of the book; a close friend and "sidekick" of Hercule Poirot; he recently returned from his ranch in South America to see to some business affairs in England.

Answer: Captain Arthur Hastings

This novel consists of 35 chapters, 27 of which are narrated by Hastings. In the foreword of the novel, Hastings explains that "In this narrative of mine I have departed from my usual practice of relating only those incidents and scenes at which I myself was present. Certain chapters, therefore, are written in the third person. I wish to assure my readers that I can vouch for the occurrences related in these chapters. If I have taken a certain poetic license in describing the thoughts and feelings of various persons, it is because I believe I have set them down with a reasonable amount of accuracy. I may add that they have been "vetted" by my friend Hercule Poirot himself."

2. ABC's first victim, an elderly lady murdered in her tobacco and newspaper shop in Andover by a blow to the back of the head.

Answer: Alice Ascher

Alice Ascher's husband, Franz, was initially suspected of her murder. They were separated and he was known to have threatened her. Inspector Glen told Poirot, "He was a terror when he was in drink - cursing and swearing that he'd bash her head in. She had a hard time, did Mrs Ascher."

3. ABC's second victim; a 23-year-old waitress whose body was found on the beach at Bexhill-on-Sea, strangled with her own belt.

Answer: Elizabeth (Betty) Barnard

Betty Barnard was a waitress at the Ginger Cat Cafe on the sea front at Bexhill-on-Sea. Although Betty had a steady boyfriend, Donald Fraser, she regularly went out with other men behind his back. According to her sister, Megan, "it wasn't in Betty to be fond of one person and not notice anybody else.

She wasn't made that way. She'd got a - well, an eye for any nice-looking man who'd pass the time of day with her...she just liked her fun. She used to say that as she'd got to settle down with Don one day she might as well have her fun now while she could."

4. A young police inspector from Scotland Yard who was put in charge of the case of the ABC murders after the Barnard murder; he was not overly pleased to have Poirot's assistance and Hastings thought he was quite patronizing toward Poirot.

Answer: Inspector Crome

Hastings wrote that "Crome was a very different type of officer from Japp. A much younger man, he was the silent, superior type. Well educated and well read, he was, for my taste, several shades too pleased with himself...He was obviously a suitable person to undertake the present case, but I thought that he was just a little too aware of the fact himself.

His manner to Poirot was a shade patronizing".

5. ABC's third victim; a wealthy older man from Churston who collected Chinese art, pottery and porcelain. He was killed by a blow to the back of the head during his nightly walk.

Answer: Sir Carmichael Clarke

Sir Carmichael Clarke was "a man of some eminence". Prior to his retirement, he had been a well-known throat specialist. "He was now the possessor of one of the best known collections of Chinese art. He was married but had no children".

6. Brother of the third victim; he did not care for Inspector Crome and proposed the formation of a "legion" of the victims' relatives to assist Poirot to solve the crimes.

Answer: Franklin Clarke

Franklin Clarke advised Poirot of his plan to form a committee of interested parties to assist Poirot in solving the crimes: "I propose, M. Poirot, a kind of special legion - to work under your orders - composed of the friends and relatives of the murdered people." Inspector Crome was not enthusiastic when advised of this plan and was quite dismissive, stating that amateurs did not have the resources that the police had.

7. Sir Carmichael Clarke's secretary; Hastings described her as having "extraordinary Scandinavian fairness. She had the almost colourless ash hair - light grey eyes - and transparent glowing pallor that one finds amongst Norwegians and Swedes. She looked about twenty-seven and seemed to be as efficient as she was decorative".

Answer: Miss Thora Grey

Thora Grey had been Sir Carmichael Clarke's secretary for over two years. Franklin Clarke believed that his brother might marry Thora upon the death of his wife, who was dying from an incurable cancer. When Sir Carmichael was murdered, his wife promptly dismissed Thora. Thora was surprised by this: "It is rather a blow to me," said Thora ruefully. "I had no idea Lady Clarke disliked me so much.

In fact, I always thought she was rather fond of me." She made a wry face. "One lives and learns."

8. ABC's fourth victim; he was a barber who was stabbed in the Regal Cinema in Doncaster. His murder was believed to be a mistake because his name did not start with a "D".

Answer: George Earlsfield

Because his name did not start with a "D", a deviation from the ABC pattern of the murders, the police believed that his death was a mistake and that the intended victim was a school teacher by the name of Roger Downes. Mr Downes was of a similar height and build to Mr Earlsfield and had originally been sitting in the next seat alongside the victim in the Regal Cinema. He had moved in order to be behind an empty seat and get a better view of the movie.

Speaking of cinemas, according to Janet Morgan in her biography of Agatha Christie, when "The ABC Murders" was made into a film in 1965, it was renamed "The Alphabet Murders" so that "the public would not shun the chain of ABC cinemas that showed it". It starred Tony Randall as Hercule Poirot and Robert Morley as Arthur Hastings.

9. Widow of the third victim; she was dying of an incurable cancer. After her husband's murder, she sends for Hercule Poirot and tells him she never liked her husband's secretary.

Answer: Lady Charlotte Clarke

Franklin Clarke tells Poirot that his sister-in-law was jealous of Thora Grey but that it was a result of her illness and the medication (morphia, or morphine) that she was taking for it. He assured Poirot that his brother's affection for Miss Grey was fatherly and that she was a great comfort to him. He said he believed there was nothing untoward about their relationship.

10. A meek and nondescript man who becomes the prime suspect in the ABC murders because his name fitted and because he was in the vicinity of all four murders; he was actually set up by the real murderer.

Answer: Alexander Bonaparte Cust

Although he confessed to the police, Alexander Bonaparte Cust was unsure whether he really had committed the murders because he suffered from severe headaches and epilepsy, with associated "blank spells" and memory loss. However, he was adamant that he did not write the anonymous letters to Hercule Poirot and was fortunate in having a strong alibi for the night of the second murder.

Poirot felt Cust was the wrong type of personality to plan and commit the murders. He believed the perpetrator was essentially "an intensely clever, resourceful murderer - reckless, daring and a thorough gambler. Not Mr Cust! He could never have committed these murders!" Mr Cust was very lucky that Poirot was correct in his personality assessment and was able to deduce the real culprit.

Source: Author MotherGoose

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The ABC Murders (1936) Trivia Quiz

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

Questions		Choices
1. The narrator for most of the book; a close friend and "sidekick" of Hercule Poirot; he recently returned from his ranch in South America to see to some business affairs in England.		Sir Carmichael Clarke
2. ABC's first victim, an elderly lady murdered in her tobacco and newspaper shop in Andover by a blow to the back of the head.		Alice Ascher
3. ABC's second victim; a 23-year-old waitress whose body was found on the beach at Bexhill-on-Sea, strangled with her own belt.		Lady Charlotte Clarke
4. A young police inspector from Scotland Yard who was put in charge of the case of the ABC murders after the Barnard murder; he was not overly pleased to have Poirot's assistance and Hastings thought he was quite patronizing toward Poirot.		George Earlsfield
5. ABC's third victim; a wealthy older man from Churston who collected Chinese art, pottery and porcelain. He was killed by a blow to the back of the head during his nightly walk.		Franklin Clarke
6. Brother of the third victim; he did not care for Inspector Crome and proposed the formation of a "legion" of the victims' relatives to assist Poirot to solve the crimes.		Elizabeth (Betty) Barnard
7. Sir Carmichael Clarke's secretary; Hastings described her as having "extraordinary Scandinavian fairness. She had the almost colourless ash hair - light grey eyes - and transparent glowing pallor that one finds amongst Norwegians and Swedes. She looked about twenty-seven and seemed to be as efficient as she was decorative".		Captain Arthur Hastings
8. ABC's fourth victim; he was a barber who was stabbed in the Regal Cinema in Doncaster. His murder was believed to be a mistake because his name did not start with a "D".		Miss Thora Grey
9. Widow of the third victim; she was dying of an incurable cancer. After her husband's murder, she sends for Hercule Poirot and tells him she never liked her husband's secretary.		Inspector Crome
10. A meek and nondescript man who becomes the prime suspect in the ABC murders because his name fitted and because he was in the vicinity of all four murders; he was actually set up by the real murderer.		Alexander Bonaparte Cust