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Poirot Stories

Poirot is Agatha Christie's most famous and popular detective.  No doubt he would agree that he deserves that accolade!

Here is the place to discuss all of his stories in detail with other fans.  The most insightful comments will be added to the Stories pages.  But remember to beware spoilers!

If you can't find your favourite Poirot story here, don't worry - we'll be adding them all soon.

Warning: These discussions may contain spoilers!

Three-Act Tragedy

Moderator1 05 Nov 09 at 9:55 a.m. GMT

During a dinner party given by Sir Charles Cartwright the guests are appalled at the death of the Reverend Babbington who choked on his cocktail.  When Sir Bartholomew Strange, who was also at the dinner party, dies of nicotine poisoning some months later Satterthwaite, Poirot, Sir Charles and Egg Lytton Gore join forces to track down a devious murderer.

Is Satterthwaite as effective here without Harley Quin's gentle nudging?  Should Egg have been put in further stories?  How does she compare to, say, Tuppence, Victoria Jones and Anne Beddingfeld?

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cristina86 27 Dec 11 at 9:04 p.m. GMT

HEAVY SPOILERS AHEAD, you've been warned! :)

Anyway, finshed it recently and really liked it lots! It was endearing to see Satterthwaite again after the Mr. Quin stories (although in my - italian - edition, his name is shortened to Satter. Don't recall if he had ever been called Satter in the Mr. Quin stories or if it's just an italian translation thing? Either way there was no possible mistaking him, and with how I read Mr. Quin's stories before Three-Act Tragedy, calling him 'Satter' was kinda appropriate, like seeing an old friend that you hadn't met for long time :)). Anyway, the murderer's revelation was a surprise - I had been completely misled by the hints into believing that Egg (she stuck me as a rather 'brutal' kind of girl, who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted), or even her mother, might be the culprits. Although it would have made things come even more full circle (IMHO) if Mrs. Rushbridger had actually been the amnesiac wife of the murderer. Poor Oliver, though. I personally saw more of his concern for Egg than vice versa, and as the ending leaves a possible romance between them, they strike me as quite... mismatched? Despite Poirot's words I don't think Egg could see that clearly in her heart before Sir Charles came along. Even based on just her words, I was more tempted to see a possible love interest for the reverend's dead son than toward Oliver - that's why I think they both deserve, in my opinion, to end up with different people. *heh* Like to imagine that at some point or other, Sattherwaite and Quin might have seen to it that their met their 'right someone'. :P

Epsilon14 14 Dec 11 at 6:26 a.m. GMT

Good story with the motive for Mr. Babbington's murder being unexpected. But very little of Hercule Poirot made me feel there could have been more of him. Anyway, its a good book. Good point by GKC Fan. He could have killed his wife.

Mr_Battle_Brent 16 Jul 11 at 5:34 p.m. GMT

I've read the wife in sanatorium version.

I really liked this one. Though it sounds like I'm a sanguinary person,I like many deaths ,no matter if necessary or not-these make novel much more interesting and bloody-to me. In fact,I would enjoy if I saw Miss Wills was killed for knowing too much(although she's my favourite character).

Emagine if,for example, Mrs Dacres was killed instead of Babbington. That would probably bring investigation to another path(or at least until Doctor Strange's death).

Anyway,I guessed the murderer,but not the motive,and I liked all the female characters(even Mrs Dacres and maids)(didn't care for Egg and Mrs Babbington much),and mr S.

NightRayDuck 20 Apr 11 at 6 a.m. GMT

oh dear... different motive altogether? I didn't know about that, either. I have to say I like the killer's character far better as a crazy man trying to keep up appearances.

for that matter, the edition I have, the death of Rev. Babbington was likened to a "dress rehearsal". was that the same as in the UK version?

Mr_Graves 11 Feb 11 at 8:32 p.m. GMT

I SEE! How very interesting... It would have made more sense in the British version if the killer just bumped off his wife, but that's the magic with Agatha Christie- lots of unnecessary deaths! Well thank you for that, GKCfan, it's taken a load off my mind...

GKCfan 07 Feb 11 at 1:18 a.m. GMT

Here's what happened.  In the British version, the killer has an insane wife who is alive and locked in an asylum.  Under British law at the time, he cannot divorce her, and the killer really wants to marry someone else.  I don't know why he doesn't try to kill his wife, but instead he kills the doctor, the only man who knows about the marriage and the insane asylum, and two other people as distractions.

In the American version, the killer is insane himself, and the doctor wanted to have him committed, because he knew that the killer was a danger to himself and others.  The killer poisoned the doctor to prevent being committed, and killed the two other people as red herrings.

Mr_Graves 06 Feb 11 at 9:43 p.m. GMT

A question: I read somewhere that the motive for the murder in the American version, "Murder in Three Acts", was different to the British version. Can anybody enlighten me? 

MissQuin 02 Dec 10 at 10:58 a.m. GMT

I agree with Nofert about varied chaarcters. Miss Wills is very peculiar! But I quite like her. She is different to the norm. In the adaptation she seemed rather more normal and less perverse, a shame ;)

Mr Satterthwaite I never have anything bad to say about him! I loveable old gentleman. His recollections of his doomed romance, aww sweet!

Nofret 01 Dec 10 at 12:24 p.m. GMT

I disagree, thought the characters were very interesting and varied - the Dacres couple, Oliver Manders, the outsider, Angela (why was she omitted from the TV adaptation when there are so many excellent actresses of a certain age who could have played her, eg Cheri Lunghi or Stephanie Beachem.) Yes, I did work out the identity of the murderer, but couldn't fathom out his motive, so it kept me engrossed to the end.

Best character IMO and one I wished Christie had used again is Miss Muriel Wills, the playwright with the male nom de plume! She's a loner, out of her element amongst these flamboyant characters, yet she still observes and takes notes for her personal use - I'm sure she had no intention of blackmailing the murderer once she tricks him into revealing himself.

Should have been a volume of short stories - Miss Wills Investigates!

xrysoula 04 Sep 10 at 11:02 p.m. GMT

SPOILERS!

Personally, after having read about forty of her novels, this one was the first ever to guess the murderer in advance! I just finished it and I can 't say I enjoyed it very much. I found it rather boring and predictable, neither the plot nor the characters being original or attractive. Egg appeared a little more interesting but still not enough, it was a wise choise not to place her in any other stories. To me she seemed unreal, somehow.As for her comparison to the other amateur female detectives, I can 't remember any of them in love with the criminal! This shocking experience probably left her with an inextricable repulsion towards crimes and mysteries for the rest of her life. I think I prefer Lucy Eylesbarrow in this category.

Mr Satterthwaite seems very pale without Mr Quin 's support, too. Once again, it is up to Poirot to save the day. 

216816 04 Sep 10 at 8:45 p.m. GMT

I must say that after reading this, I spent about five minutes in utter shock! I have read about fifteen AC books, each with a surprise ending. I had resolved to not let my guard down and to suspect everyone, and what happened? I was hit with the biggest surprise in my entire history of reading (which is saying a lot) I don't know, maybe I'm blowing this all out of proportion, but I still couldn't believe the ending. I reccomend this to any AC fan who likes a good surprise.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 22 Jun 10 at 9:58 a.m. GMT

no worries Miss Quinn, catch you there!

MissQuin 21 Jun 10 at 5:10 p.m. GMT

Actually, I'll post a reply on the third girl post, if that's ok Miss E?

Miss_Eylesbarrow 21 Jun 10 at 12:57 p.m. GMT

You are quite right, Miss Quinn, it is 'rancid fat'  I was going from memory, which is never a very clever thing to do!

Isn't it interesting how young people/teenagers are still today portrayed as strange and frightening?  I wonder what Dame Agatha would have made of today's hoodies and gang culture?

MissQuin 18 Jun 10 at 12:46 p.m. GMT

I remember the opening od ACM. I think my version has "rancid fat" urg! It's a startling statement, I think the book Miss M was trying to be perverted and shocking. It's the only explanantion I can come up with! It is quiet funny, altough I didn't enjoy the book much. It's a lighthearted one. I liekd the Hickson adapt better than the actual story.

Third Girl spoilers: What was hunky David Baker doing with that drip Norma? Well, I think her fortune may have been something to do with it... She was just mooching about, taking drugs, being stupid. Shame that such a handsome young man The Peacock, was a rotter. But I did feel really sad about what happened to him. As for the other two girls, I didn't mind Frances, (though not later on).  Claudia wasn't that different to some of AC's cool competent young women, from early books. It's  only the mention of taking drugs and hanging round people with flick knives, is what makes them different to earlier female characters.

But overall the young people were mainly portayed as strange and frightening. It's how Agath Chrisite must have seen them.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 18 Jun 10 at 12:30 p.m. GMT

I find the characters in 'Third Girl' far less likeable than the girls in, say,  'The Clocks' - also a 1960 book.  And I love Miss Marple's comment in 'A Caribbean Mystery' on the girl in the book she was reading at the start - "...her hair smelt of chip fat.  I wondered why I found her so maddeningly attractive", "so do I" thought Miss M....just how I feel about the 'heroine' in Third Girl! 

MissQuin 17 Jun 10 at 5:14 p.m. GMT

One of my favourite AC heroines is Bridget in Murder is Easy. I think it's because there aren't any other female characters like her in AC stories. She doesn't fit into the "bright young things" catergory. She's independent, but mysterious and inscrutable. She's not so perky.

I think the my favourite out of the typical AC females is Bundle, although ive only read about her in dials. I didn't like Nick actually. She was pretty tough.

Ive not read Brown suit. The characters are very much of their time, which is part of the essence of the stories. I don't tink any of that type appear after 1940's. Lynne Marchment was much tougher and world worn than her 1930's couterparts.

The characters in third Girl appear different to the early characters.  They are more fitting for their time too.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 17 Jun 10 at 3:50 p.m. GMT

Egg reminds me of some other Christie characters, such as Anne Beddingfield in 'The Man in the Brown Suit', Nick Buckley in 'Peril at End House', Bundle ('The Secret of Chimneys' & '7 Dials') and early versions of Tuppence.  She must be some kind of 1920s/1930s 'Bright Young Thing' stereotype, and in these guises she does, therefore, turn up in other stories.  I think she fits in well in her own time zone, however an Egg Lytton Gore in later books from the more sober 1950's say would perhaps be very irritating and unbelievable?

Agathasmykid 17 Jun 10 at 1:08 a.m. GMT

MissQuin

No Egg doesn't appear in any other Chrisite books. I think she would have been slightly different in character afterwards anyway. Not so energetic and ingenuous.

It is hard to tell.  She may have likely matured.  She also loved to investigate things so it would have been nice if her and Poirot crossed paths again.

Mr_west 14 Jun 10 at 3:37 p.m. GMT

i like the egg too, in spite of it's been a while since i read it so i don't remember the all story but i remember it was very good, i think that the figures were more convincing and "strong" then the murder and the plot. the murder wasn't realy interesting or original (but still good).

grade: 4 out of 5