Hercule Poirot is the fictional Belgian detective at the center of Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels.
Christie introduced Poirot in “The Mysterious Affair at Styles,” published in 1920. He is a former Belgian police officer who becomes a private detective in England. His distinctive appearance, precise habits, and insistence on using his “little grey cells” made him one of the most recognizable figures in detective fiction.
Poirot’s investigations emphasize psychology, testimony, timelines, and carefully ordered clues. Christie frequently gathers suspects in a confined setting before revealing the solution through a final explanation. Famous cases include “Murder on the Orient Express,” “Death on the Nile,” and “The ABC Murders.”
Poirot is sometimes mistaken for Christie’s other major detective, Miss Marple. Marple is an English village-based amateur investigator, whereas Poirot is a professional detective with Belgian origins. Christie wrote 33 novels and 51 short stories featuring Poirot.