The Hercule Poirot Novels of Agatha Christie Quiz

Answer: Styles Court

Published in 1920, 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' was the first Agatha Christie who dunnit novel. It is the novel also which introduces us to the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. The story is narrated by Captain Hastings who will be a sidekick to Poirot in many later novels also. The novel concerns a murder at a large country house situated in the county of Essex, U.K.

Answer: Dentist

Published in 1940, the novel 'One, Two Buckle My Shoe' starts with a visit by Poirot to his dentist who is shortly afterwards found dead in his surgery. This is the final Poirot novel in which Chief Inspector Japp is featured.

The title of the novel is taken from the first line of a popular children's nursery rhyme.

Answer: Wire-haired Fox Terrier

'Dumb Witness' was published as a full length novel in the U.K. in 1937 but it would appear that it was pre dated by a short story written by Agatha Christie entitled 'The Incident of the Dog's Ball' which she wrote in the 1920s. This short story came to light in 2004 when the daughter of the author was sorting through her mother's personal effects.

Answer: False

The first novel in which Ariadne Oliver appears with Hercule Poirot is 'Cards on the Table'.

The character of Ariadne Oliver is known for her love of apples, her belief in a woman's intuition and her rebellious gray hair. It is considered by some that Agatha Christie may have given this character some of her own characteristics, for instance Christie was known for her own love of apples.

Ariadne Oliver does appear without Poirot in the novel 'The Pale Horse'.

Answer: In his sock drawer

Agatha Christie again uses a popular children's nursery rhyme for the title of her detective novel. 'Hickory Dickory Dock' was first published in the U.K. in 1955.

The setting for the novel is a student hostel in London and the era of the novel is post World War II. Poirot is drawn into the plot through Miss Lemon, his secretary, whose sister is the warden in charge of the student hostel.

This is the first time Miss Lemon features in a full length novel although she has previously been introduced in some of the Poirot short stories.

Answer: A stuffed crocodile

'The ABC Murders' was published in 1936 in the U.K. at the cost of seven shillings and sixpence. The novel brings together Poirot, Hastings who has recently returned from his trip to South America, and Chief Inspector Japp.

In 1966 the book was made into a comedy thriller for the cinema and was set in contemporary times. However, in 1992 when the U.K. television network London Weekend produced a remake of the story they returned the setting to the decade in which it had been set by Christie.

Answer: twelve

'Murder on the Orient Express' is probably the most well known of the Poirot novels. Published in 1934 in the U.K. it was made into a full length film for the cinema screen in 1974 with Albert Finney taking on the role of Poirot.

It is considered by some that the Armstrong kidnapping described in the book was based on the real kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby in the U.S. in 1932.

Answer: Sad Cypress

Written in 1939 and published in the U.K. in 1940 this is the first Poirot novel to be written as a courtroom drama.

The title of the book 'Sad Cypress' is taken from a song within the Shakespeare play 'Twelfth Night'. This song is written in the book as an epilogue to the novel.

Answer: Meadowbank School for Girls

'Cat Among the Pigeons' was published in 1959. It deals with wartime espionage, secret identities and middle Eastern revolution and all this set in a quaint girls boarding school in England. Although it is considered a Poirot novel, he does not actually make an appearance until approximately three quarters of the way through.

Answer: True

'Curtain' was the final novel in the Poirot detective series. Although written in the 1940s Christie requested that it should not be released until after her death. However, her publishers persuaded her to release it for the Christmas of 1975, which she agreed to do.

As with her first Poirot novel, the setting for 'Curtain' was the country house 'Styles Court' and thus the series could be said to have come full circle.