Children in Agatha Christie Novels Quiz

Answer: Josephine Leonides

Josephine confessed to killing her grandfather because he would not let her have ballet lessons. She also poisoned her nanny, Janet Rowe, because she supported her mother in wanting to send her to school. Her great aunt, Edith de Haviland, realized the truth, having found the journal and deliberately killed herself and the child in a road accident, in order to prevent her being shut up forever in a mental institution.

Answer: Dead Man's Folly

The complicated plot involves the murder of Hattie Stubbs, the bigamously married wife of Sir George Stubbs and her replacement by Sir George with his real wife. Sir George had bought Nasse House from the now impecunious Mrs Folliatt. He is subsequently revealed to be James Folliatt the younger son of Mrs Folliatt long believed to be dead. Marlene Tucker had guessed his secret and had to be killed.

Answer: Ruby Keene

This book has almost as many detectives as suspects - five as well as Miss Marple! As well as these, another child plays a part in the story. Young Peter Carmody plays amateur sleuth and inadvertently provides a unique source of information.

Pamela Reeves was made to look like Ruby Keene and her body eventually turned up in Colonel Bantry's library. Ruby Keene's body was destroyed in a car fire.
It's a good story. Try it!

Answer: Five Little Pigs

No child plays a part in "After the Funeral".

"Five Red Herrings" is by Dorothy L. Sayers and "Five on Kirrin Island" is by Enid Blyton.

The title of the book is taken, as are those of many other Christie novels, from a children's nursery rhyme!

Answer: Heather Badcock

Ella Zielinski was in fact murdered but the motive was different.

The story was in part based on the real life story of Gene Tierney who also gave birth to a severely disabled child after a fan broke quarantine with German measles in order to get her autograph.

Answer: Cat among the Pigeons

This is a Poirot novel but he does not appear until two thirds of the way through.

There is an espionage element and emphasis which has not pleased some critics who have seen it as being at variance with the more traditional genre of detective fiction.

Answer: She was drowned in a bowl of apples in water.

This book features Ariadne Oliver as well as Hercule Poirot. Another child murder occurs in the book and a third is attempted! The motive for the murders is fear but there is a strong psychological element in the plot.

Answer: The 4.50 from Paddington

A murder on a train is witnessed by a passenger on another train going in the opposite direction. The body is thrown from the train and lands in the grounds of the Crackenthorpe family mansion. The two boys look for clues when the body is eventually found in a sarcophagus where the murderer has hidden it.

The murder is finally solved with the help of Jane Marple who has singularly few clues to help her!

Answer: The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding

Poirot turns the tables on them after overhearing their plot. He persuades one of the girls to help him and they convince the tricksters that the girl is really dead!

Answer: Sleeping Murder

The heroine of the book, Gwenda, buys a house with her young husband and fears for her sanity when she appears to know things about the house that she could not possibly have known. Later, however, with the help of Miss Marple, of course, she discovers that she had lived in the house briefly as a child and the murder had actually happened!