Book of the Month July 2014: Dead Man's Folly - Plot & Characters

(c) Harpercollins - the new cover for the book

For July, the chosen Book of the Month for the Agatha Christie Book club at the website is one of my favourite novels. Dead Man's Folly was first published in October 1956 and features the recurring characters of Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver. The setting is Nasse House, in the fictional Devonshire town of Nasscombe. Nasse House and its surroundings were inspired by Agatha Christie's own holiday home Greenway House. Recently, for the final series of Agatha Christie's Poirot, David Suchet and Zoe Wanamaker filmed an adaption of Dead Man's Folly at Greenway. It was the last Poirot story to be filmed, but not the last to be broadcast.

Plot 

The great Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is called upon by his old friend, the crime novelist Ariandne Oliver, to investigate the goings on at Nasse House. Mrs Oliver is helping the owner of the house Sir George Stubbs to run a murder hunt as part of the annual summer fete's festivities. However, Mrs Oliver believes there is something wrong at Nasse, and she feels sure someone will die. Hercule Poirot is called in to hand out the prizes for the murder hunt, much to his dislike, and so he can get to know the potential suspects. There he meets Sir George and his subnormal wife Hattie and Amy Foliatt, the previous owner of Nasse House. But as the celebrations begin, Hattie disappears and the fake body in the murder hunt, played by a young girl guide, turns in to a real body and is found in the boathouse. Hercule Poirot must solve the mystery of Nasse and help the police as they struggle to find the missing Hattie Stubbs.

(c) ITV - Sean Pertwee as Sir George Stubbs

Characters 

Hercule Poirot 
The famous Belgian detective is called upon by his old friend Ariadne Oliver to help her stop a murder from being committed under her nose at her own murder hunt in Devonshire.

Ariadne Oliver 
The celebrated author has been helping to organise a murder hunt at Nasse House for Sr George Stubbs, but feels she is being manipulated, and is sure someone will be murdered.

Miss Felicity Lemon
Poirot's efficient secretary.

Sir George Stubbs 
The current owner of Nasse House is rich and powerful in the county, and as usual he is hosting a fete. This year, he has employed Mrs Oliver to run a murder hunt at the garden party.

Lady Hattie Stubbs 
Sir George's wife is younger than him and very pretty. However, she is slightly subnormal and likes lots of expensive clothes. She was raised by Miss Folitatt.

Miss Amy Folitatt
The previous owner of Nasse, which was her family home. After her husband and her sons all died, she was forced to sell Nasse to Sir George. It was she that acted as a guardian to Hattie.

Amanda Brewis 
Sir George's secretary loves her employer, and hates his wife. She is forever suspicious of Hattie, and believes she is putting on an act.

Michael Weyman 
An architect who is designing a tennis pavilion for Sir George and spending too much time with his wife.

Alec Legg
He and his wife are visiting the area on holiday and are helping Sir George prepare for the fete. He is an atom scientist.

Sally Legg
Alec's beautiful wife is said to be deceiving her husband.

Mr Masterton 
A member of parliament for Nasscombe.

Mrs Masterton
The MP's strict wife.

Captain Jim Warburton 
The MP's agent and a friend of Sir George.

Marlene Tucker 
A girl guide who takes the place of Sally Legg as the corpse in the murder hunt.

John Merdell 
The elderly boatman who knows Nasse and its inhabitants well.

Inspector Bland 
The investigating officer in charge of the murder case and the man responsible for finding Lady Stubbs.

Sergeant Hoskins
Inspector Bland's assistant.