"The A.B.C. Murders" with Poirot Quiz

Answer: June

The story is based in 1935. Captain Arthur Hastings is home from Argentina, and is visiting his good friend, Hercule Poirot.

Answer: "Cards on the Table"

Poirot has received a taunting anonymous letter, boasting that there will soon be a murder in Andover. The anonymous letter writer wonders if Poirot will be able to catch him. The letter is signed A.B.C.

Answer: Blow to the head

Just as the anonymous letter has said, there is a murder in Andover on the day it said. Alice Ascher ran a tobacco and newspaper shop. She had been separated from her husband, Franz Ascher, a German, for some years. Franz is a drunk, and is detained by the police. On the shop counter is an A.B.C. Railway guide.

Answer: Greengrocer

Alice Ascher had a niece, Mary Drower. Poirot tries to find out any information or witnesses to the murder at the greengrocer's. He pretends to be a newspaper reporter to get information from Mrs Ascher's neighbour.

Answer: Bexhill-on-Sea

Poirot gets another anonymous letter announcing that the next murder will take place on July 25th.

Answer: Estate agent

Betty Barnard is found on the beach, at Bexhill, in the early hours of July 25th. She was a waitress in a café. She had a sister called Megan, and was engaged to Donald Fraser. Although Betty was engaged, she enjoyed going out with other men and not telling Donald.

Answer: Devon

The next anonymous letter - saying Churston is the next place where the murderer will strike - is wrongly addressed, and arrives after the murder is committed. Poirot lives at Whitehaven Mansions, and the letter is addressed to White Horse Mansions.

Answer: Head bashed in

Sir Carmichael Clarke was a well known throat specialist and collector of Chinese art. Poirot and Hastings meet Sir Carmichael's brother, Franklin. Lady Clarke is an invalid. Hastings is attracted to Sir Carmichael's secretary, Thora Grey.

Answer: Read a book

Franklin Clarke is not satisfied with the way the police are working. He wants to organise a special legion, with people closely connected to the murder victims, and have Poirot in charge. The special legion consists of Franklin Clarke, Thora Grey, Megan Barnard, Donald Fraser and Mary Drower.

Answer: Doncaster

Poirot and Hastings meet Lady Clarke. She disliked Thora Grey, and has now dismissed her. She saw Thora talking to a shabby stranger the day her husband was killed. A.B.C. says the next murder will take place on September 11th.

Answer: Horse racing

The St. Ledger is run at Doncaster race course. The police and the public are all on the alert.

Answer: Stockings

Thora Grey says that the shabby stranger was trying to sell her silk stockings. There were new stockings in Alice Ascher's home and Mrs Barnard had brought stockings for Betty, as a surprise. All the stockings had been brought from a travelling salesman.

Answer: Euston

Mr Cust's full name is Alexander Bonaparte Cust. He is a travelling salesman - he was in Andover and Bexhill, when the murders are committed. He was also near Churston.

Answer: Barber

Mr Earlsfield is stabbed in a Doncaster cinema, with an A.B.C. railway guide under the seat. A.B.C. seems to have skipped a letter. A Mr Downes was sitting near Mr Earlsfield. Downes was supposed to be the next victim - the murderer got muddled in the dark. Mr Cust finds a bloody knife in his coat pocket, and a maid discovers him trying to clean his bloodstained coat cuff. Mr Cust leaves the inn where he is staying, and returns to his lodgings.

Answer: Franklin Clarke

Mr Cust is arrested for the murders, but Poirot clears his name. Mr Cust says he has an alibi for the night Betty Barnard was killed - he was playing dominoes with a stranger. It is revealed the Franklin is the murderer. He killed Betty Barnard earlier in the day, and then framed Cust for all the murders.

He sent the silk stockings and the A.B.C. railway guides to Mr Cust. Franklin was to inherit a large fortune after his brother's death, as long as his brother did not marry Thora Grey. The third letter went astray on purpose.