The
Belgian detective Hercule Poirot first appeared in 1920 in Agatha Christie's
first novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Agatha later wrote
numerous books about him and the last one was published in 1975 - Curtain:
Poirot's Last Case. Poirot has many characteristics which have made him
a legend all over the world - the odd moustache, the egg-shaped face and
his high opinion of himself. He will though most likely be best remembered
for his ability to solve complicated mysteries with the help of his little
grey cells. In that area he was a worthy successor of Arthur Conan Doyle's
Sherlock Holmes. Poirot is probably Agatha Christie's best-known character
- and he has of course often appeared in films, portrayed by various actors.