The Christie Couples Trivia Quiz

Answer: "Death on the Nile"

Tim and Rosalie, apart from being roughly the same age, seem to be polar opposites, not least because they have the nicest and the most terrible mother, respectively. They bond over the events during "Death on the Nile", with Rosalie lying to Poirot to protect Tim, and make a very nice couple in the end. They are among my favorite matches from all the Christie Couples.

The character of Tim was omitted from the Peter Ustinov movie and incorporated into the character of James Ferguson (who, in the movie, courts Rosalie rather than Cornelia Robson, who was omitted as well).

The David Suchet TV movie, while having Tim as well as Cornelia, denies the two their happy ending, with Tim rejecting Rosalie for no clearly stated (but possibly implied) reasons.

Answer: "Murder on the Orient Express"

A conversation between Mary and the colonel near the beginning of the novel already hints that they have a history, which is later confirmed. They appear to have been an item for a while, but only after the events on the Simplon Express might they finally get married (as implied in the aforementioned conversation, where Mary says something along the lines of, "not yet ... when it is all behind us").

Answer: "Why Didn't They Ask Evans?" (a.k.a. "The Boomerang Clue")

My second favorite couple, the two young and rather unexpected sleuths who solve the Mystery of the Dying Gentleman (as Arthur Conan Doyle might have called the story). Bobby and Frankie (who remind me a little of the young Tommy and Tuppence, my third favorite) have known each other for a long time, even though they are separated by their social status, with Frankie being the daughter of a peer and Bobby the vicar's son.

The novel was among the first Christie novels to be adapted for TV in 1980, starring Francesca Annis and James Warwick (who would later play Tuppence and Tommy). It was also included in the 2008 season of "Marple", changing the plot significantly (e.g. including Miss Marple in the first place), and starring Sean Biggerstaff (Oliver Wood from the Harry Potter movies) as Bobby.

Answer: "Hickory Dickory Dock" (a.k.a. "Hickory Dickory Death")

"Hickory Dickory Dock" is set in a student hostel. Sally and Len are among the students living there, and although they are portrayed as getting along well during the novel, their engagement comes pretty much as a surprise. Sally is American, and Len is a short-tempered redhead. Both are among the more likeable characters in the book (and there are surprisingly few of those, at least among the students).

Speaking of surprise engagements, the impending union of Celia and Colin (spoiled by Celia's untimely death) is another surprise, only near the beginning of the book.

Answer: "The Clocks"

Colin, a marine biologist with a history in intelligence work, is probably the son of Superintendent Battle; even though that is never expressly stated, Christie experts seem to agree on that. Of course, he gets the girl in the end.
"The Clocks" is the only novel I can think of in which Poirot never visits any crime scene. He practically bets the police he can solve the case without ever moving out of his armchair.

Answer: "Appointment With Death"

While it is an interesting character study, "Appointment With Death" is also a bit over the top, what with virtually everyone ending up happily ever after despite their numerous traumas. That fact notwithstanding, it is a great book and was made into a pretty good movie.

The TV version (as part of the David Suchet series) deviated significantly from the original, changing characters and crucial plot points as well as the murderer and their motive. On the upside, it had John Hannah and Tim Curry ;)

Answer: "Murder on the Links"

Now this question might confuse those of you who have only seen the movie...
In the David Suchet version, there is only one Duveen girl, called Bella, and she ends up with Hastings. In the book, however, Bella is the ex girlfriend of Jack Renault, and Dulcie "Cinderella" (Hastings' bride-to-be) is her twin sister. Bella is a suspect in the murder of Paul Renault; in fact, she thinks that she is guilty. After the real murderer is found, Jack and Bella get back together and go to Argentina, where Hastings and Dulcie will later follow.

Answer: "Peril at End House"

Frederica "Freddy" Rice and Jim Lazarus are among Nick Buckley's friends in "Peril at End House". They are a less "spectacular" couple than the others featured in this quiz, but a couple nonetheless.

Answer: "Evil Under the Sun"

Childhood friends, Kenneth and Rosamund lost the contact over the years and meet again at the Jolly Roger hotel. During that stay, Kenneth's glamorous wife, Arlena, is murdered, and they are both under suspicion. However, it is pretty clear that they would be a better match than Kenneth and Arlena ever were, not least because Rosamund likes, and gets along well with, Kenneth's daughter Linda, who despised Arlena.

Rosamund does not appear in the Ustinov movie; she was rewritten into the character of Daphne, played by Maggie Smith. Daphne is the hotel owner rather than a fashion designer, but has more or less the same function in the plot.
For the life of me, I cannot remember Rosamund in the Suchet TV version, but I do remember that daughter Linda was replaced by a son, and that some other liberties were taken as well. I do think she must have been in the episode, though.

Answer: "A Murder Is Announced"

Edmund's futile courting of Philippa over the course of the novel is a comic relief on several occasions. In the end, she accepts him, and the final scene has them both refusing to subscribe to the newspaper that started it all. The lady at the post office, however, cannot believe how anyone would not want the "Chipping Cleghorn Gazette" and puts them on the list of subscribers, anyway.

The other couple in the book, Patrick and Emma (pretending to be his sister Julia), breaks up in the end - unusual for Christie.