I discovered my now all-time favorite Detective in an odd way.
In 2014 my husband and I went to Florida to visit his grandparents. We were out to dinner at Olive Garden when his grandmother tucked the cloth napkin into the neck of her dress and spread it out across her chest. She looked at me and said, “This is the Poirot knot.”
“What is Poirot knot,” I asked.
“Hercule Poirot!,” She said, shocked. “Don’t you know who that is?” She explained that he was an Agatha Christie character and there was a television series. I didn’t think much of it afterward except I’d check to see if it was available on streaming before making any further commitments. Once I returned home, I added it to my “To Watch” list. Several weeks later I watched the very first episode.
I loved it!
I am a sucker for period movies and shows, so this was right in my wheel house. I loved the costumes, the set, the acting, the setting of London and England countryside. Everything about it made me feel happy and calm. Of course, the streaming service only had a select few episodes and once I started to get into it, they removed it. So, I did what any girl who grew up in the 90’s and early 2000’s: I bought the DVD set.
From that moment on I was addicted to all things Poirot. I have a few of the books (gradually collecting all of them), the complete set of short stories collection, and a mug. I even have a sticker of Poirot on the back of my car! What I love about him is his elegance, his extreme attention to detail both in crime and how he lives his life (order & method!). and his sincere passion to help. He dedicated his entire life to be of service to justice. I also find his extreme self-confidence to be reassuring as someone who would love to have even an ounce of that confidence. Of course, his confidence falls more on the side of arrogance, but he still remains charming. His arrogance, in my opinion, comes from wanting to impress himself more than others.
Like so many other Poirot fans, David Suchet brought the character to life for me. I am working my way through the short story collection, then I will embark on the novels.
Of all the fictional detectives, Poirot sits on the top of my list, perched on the throne (of course, the throne is protected by a crisp white handkerchief).