Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective who became internationally famous, has died in England. His age was unknown. Mr. Poirot achieved fame as a private investigator after he retired as a member of the Belgian police force in 1904. His career, as chronicled in the novels of Dame Agatha Christie, his creator, was one of the most illustrious in fiction. At the end of his life, he was arthritic and had a bad heart. He was in a wheelchair often, and was carried from his bedroom to the public lounge at Styles Court, a nursing home in Essex, wearing a wig and false mustaches to mask the signs of age that offended his vanity. In his active days, he was always impeccably dressed. Mr. Poirot, who was just 5 feet 4 inches tall, went to England from Belgium during World War I as a refugee. He settled in a little town not far from Styles, …show more content…
15, intends to continue writing. In her long writing career, one that parallels the literary existence of her detective, she has published 85 full‐length novels and colrections of short stories, which have sold 350 million copies in hard cover and paperback all over the globe. This figure does not include the pirated editions behind the Iron Curtain, of which no count can be made. In addition, under the pseudonym of Mary Westmacott she has written a half dozen romances. What is perhaps more significant is that her first title, “The Mysterious Affair at Styles” is still in print. At least 17 of her stories have been made into plays, including the famous “The Mouse Trap,” which opened in London in 1952 and is still running, setting all kinds of records for longevity in the theater. Twelve of her tales have become motion pictures, many of which have centered on Jane Marple, Dame Agatha's other famous detective. In the person of the late Margaret Rutherford, Miss Marple developed her own devoted