Poirot, Hercule << pwah ROH, air KYOOL >> is a famous fictional private detective created by the English author Agatha Christie. Poirot solves problems using his powers of observation and his brain, which he refers to as his “little grey cells.” He rarely relies on physical clues.
Poirot was born in Belgium and became an internationally recognized detective while serving with the Belgian police. He settled in England as a refugee during World War I (1914-1918) and soon established himself as a private investigator. Poirot stands 5 feet 4 inches (1.6 meters) tall. He is a vain man, cultivating a large mustache that he waxes and twirls into a point at each end and dyeing his hair black. Poirot’s cases are often narrated by his companion, Captain Hastings. Other continuing characters are Poirot’s valet, George or Georges, and his secretary, Miss Lemon.
Christie introduced Poirot in her first detective novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1920). He is featured in more than 30 novels, notably The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (1926) and Murder on the Orient Express (published as Murder in the Calais Coach in the United States, 1934). Both became famous for their surprise endings. Poirot dies in the novel Curtain (written in the 1940’s but published in 1975). He also appeared in more than 50 short stories. The detective has been featured in many motion pictures and a popular television series (1989-2014).
