Cards on the Table (1936) Quiz | Christie, Agatha

Quiz Answer Key and Fun Facts

1. A man with a Mephistophelian appearance; he is found murdered at the dinner and card party he is hosting

Answer: Mr Shaitana

Mr Shaitana is murdered fairly early in the story after inviting eight people to dinner and bridge. The eight guests are four sleuths and four people whom he alleges are successful murderers; in other words, they got away with their crimes.

2. A Belgian detective with a magnificent moustache and a "thoroughly bourgeois attitude to crime"

Answer: Hercule Poirot

Mr Shaitana accuses Poirot of having "the limitations of a policeman mentality". He impulsively invites Poirot to a dinner party to meet his "collection" of murderers who got away with it. Poirot tries to warn him that his "hobby" is a dangerous one and is subsequently proved right.

3. Middle-aged celebrity author with untidy grey hair; a staunch feminist and fervent believer in women's intuition

Answer: Ariadne Oliver

This novel marks the first appearance of crime novelist Ariadne Oliver in a Poirot novel. Several of her titles are mentioned in this novel - including "The Death in the Drain Pipe", "The Affair of the Second Goldfish", "The Lotus Murder" and "The Clue of the Candle Wax". Ariadne believes in women's intuition and persists in saying "if a woman were the head of Scotland Yard..." and "you can't get away from a woman's instinct...women know these things".

4. A representative of Scotland Yard, described as a big square wooden-faced man

Answer: Superintendent Battle

"Cards on the Table" is the third of five novels in which Superintendent Battle appears. He is described as looking like he was carved out of wood and that "the wood in question was the timber out of a battleship". There are numerous references to him being stolid and wooden. He finds it advantageous to appear slightly stupid when dealing with suspects.

5. A handsome man of about 50; an ex-Army Colonel who, it is hinted, works for the Secret Service

Answer: Johnnie Race

"Cards on the Table" is the second of four novels in which Colonel Johnnie Race appears and he is mentioned in two others. In this novel, he is described as a dark, handsome, deeply bronzed man of 50, and is noted as winning the most money at bridge that evening. Colonel Race is the one who discovers Mr Shaitana's body at the conclusion of the party.

6. A doctor with a cheerful and confident manner, twinkling eyes, slightly bald and overweight

Answer: Geoffrey Roberts

Dr Roberts is one of the four suspects in the murder of Mr Shaitana. His alleged history as a successful murderer relates to the seemingly natural deaths of two of his patients, the Craddocks, a married couple. Mr Craddock died of anthrax contracted from an infected shaving brush. Mrs Craddock died abroad of blood poisoning.

7. A well-dressed woman of about 60 with immaculate grey hair; an expert bridge player

Answer: Mrs Lorrimer

Mrs Lorrimer confesses to Hercule Poirot that she is Mr Shaitana's killer but Poirot does not believe her. He feels that the crime does not fit her personality. He is correct. Mrs Lorrimer is not guilty. She is killed by the real murderer shortly after her "confession".

8. An explorer and hunter; a tall, lean, handsome man with a scar on his temple

Answer: John Despard

Major John Despard only appears in two novels - "Cards on the Table" and "The Pale Horse". Despard does not like Mr Shaitana and, when speaking with Poirot, refers to Shaitana in derogatory terms, including "dirty dog", "ape" and "mountebank". When speaking with Superintendent Battle, he declares that "I hadn't the least wish to kill him, but I would thoroughly have enjoyed kicking him".

9. A timid and sensitive girl in her early 20s, pretty, with brown hair, grey eyes and light fingers

Answer: Anne Meredith

This novel contains several nods to other works of Agatha Christie. When Anne Meredith meets Ariadne Oliver at the dinner party, she asks if Mrs Oliver is the author of "The Body in the Library". (This heralds Christie's use of the title six years later, in 1942).

She then comments that she knows Poirot is the one "who really solved the A.B.C. crimes". After the murder, Poirot sets a trap for her and confirms his suspicion that she is a thief. Being light-fingered, of course, does not make her a killer.

10. An attractive and extroverted young lady who shares a cottage with her friend; she was not present at the dinner party

Answer: Rhoda Dawes

Rhoda Dawes shares a cottage with her friend Anne Meredith. Through his investigation, Superintendent Battle learns that Anne and Rhoda went to school together. He also learns that Rhoda is an extrovert whereas Anne is an introvert, and that Rhoda has money and pays all the bills. Both girls are attracted to Major Despard but it is Rhoda who wins his heart.

They reappear as a married couple in "The Pale Horse" (1961).

Source: Author MotherGoose

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Cards on the Table (1936) Trivia Quiz

Match the major characters in this Agatha Christie novel with their descriptions. (NO SPOILERS)

Questions		Choices
1. A man with a Mephistophelian appearance; he is found murdered at the dinner and card party he is hosting		John Despard
2. A Belgian detective with a magnificent moustache and a "thoroughly bourgeois attitude to crime"		Johnnie Race
3. Middle-aged celebrity author with untidy grey hair; a staunch feminist and fervent believer in women's intuition		Mrs Lorrimer
4. A representative of Scotland Yard, described as a big square wooden-faced man		Hercule Poirot
5. A handsome man of about 50; an ex-Army Colonel who, it is hinted, works for the Secret Service		Superintendent Battle
6. A doctor with a cheerful and confident manner, twinkling eyes, slightly bald and overweight		Rhoda Dawes
7. A well-dressed woman of about 60 with immaculate grey hair; an expert bridge player		Mr Shaitana
8. An explorer and hunter; a tall, lean, handsome man with a scar on his temple		Ariadne Oliver
9. A timid and sensitive girl in her early 20s, pretty, with brown hair, grey eyes and light fingers		Geoffrey Roberts
10. An attractive and extroverted young lady who shares a cottage with her friend; she was not present at the dinner party		Anne Meredith