Hercule Poirot is one of the most fascinating and enduring characters in detective fiction. He made his debut in The Mysterious Affair At Styles and continued to appear in fiction for fifty-five years, with his last appearance coming in Curtain which was published in 1975.

Poirot is Belgian (not French as is often assumed by those who meet him for the first time.) He fled Belgium during the First World War and became a fixture in England, often providing aid to the British Government. Poirot is a striking character. He five foot two inches tall, immaculately dressed, obsessive compulsive,  brilliant, egotistical, and compassionate.

Poirot has been portrayed on the screen by many actors on the stage, the first being Charles Laughton.  On screen, he was portrayed by Austin Trevor, Albert Finney, and Peter Ustinov. In 1989, David Suchet took on the role and has so far portrayed Poirot in sixty-five programs over ITV, with five more films set to complete the series in 2012 and is viewed by most as the definitive Poirot.

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