Hercule Poirot

Hercule Poirot is Agatha Christie's greatest creation, many say. One of the most famous detectives in all fiction, he was created in 1916 (when Agatha Christie penned the first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles). The Belgian detective appeared in 33 novels and 65 short stories and is the only fictional character to be honored with a front page obituary on The New York Times.

Poirot likes things in an orderly manner (ie, books arranged on a shelf according to height) and approves of symmetry everywhere (residence Whitehaven Mansions is picked because of its symmetry). He despises dust and unclean homes and favors the indoors, especially central heating in the winter.

Poirot also values method--to him the greatest method or tool in solving crime is using the "gray cells" of the brain. He derides such methods as examing footprints, collecting cigarette ash, searching for clues with a magnifying glass, or taking fingerprints. He says any crime can be solved with simply placing the puzzle pieces correctly. He is an armchair detective-- he has to simply "sit still in an armchair and think".

Of course, Poirot's mustache is as famous as his "little gray cells". He has pride is his luscious, waxed black mustache and is always meticulously dressed down to his patent leather shoes.

Use this page as your starting point in discovering more information on Poirot. A suggested place to begin would be Poirot's Profile. Follow the links for more, such as a list of his stories, his allies, coverage in television and film, and his travels outside of England.

Here on HPC is also information on the television series that starred David Suchet, Agatha Christie's Poirot. This section devoted to the series is titled "'Poirot' TV Series". There you will find how Mr. Suchet prepared for the role of the Belgian detective, a small photo gallery from the show, and more.