Companions, Secretaries and Housekeeps in Poirot
Helpful sidekick or murdering scoundrel…can you trust these professionals to keep you safe in the world of Agatha Christie or should you steer clear?
Throughout the Poirot novels there are many companions, housekeepers and secretaries in role to help out another of the protagonists in the novel – often the victim. But how much can you trust these ‘helpful’ characters?
Obviously Miss Lemon sets the standard for the perfect secretary – only known to make a single mistake once (in Hickory Dickory Dock) Miss Lemon is always on hand to manage Hercule Poirot’s affairs with just the amount of order and method required.
But what of the other 21 secretaries, companions and housekeepers? Can you trust them as much as the wonderful Miss Lemon or should you steer clear? If you were a wealthy widow or successful businessman in the world of Poirot – should you trust the help you hire?
Miss Lemon, that hideous and efficient woman, never made mistakes. She was never ill, never tired, never upset, never inaccurate. For all practical purposes that is to say, she was not a woman at all. She was a machine - the perfect secretary. She knew everything, she coped with everything. She ran Hercule Poirot's life for him, so that it too, functioned like a machine, Order and method had been Hercule Poirot's watchwords for many years ago. With George, his perfect manservant, and Miss Lemon, his perfect secretary, order and method ruled supreme in his life.
In addition to Miss Lemon
There are 3 companions, 4 housekeepers and 14 secretaries and of these…a whopping 24% are killers! Given that 8% of the characters in Poirot novels are murderers – this profession appears to be very dangerous. And what of their motive - without fail they are all after MONEY! So, if you ever want to survive in the world of Agatha Christie- if you're successful and have plenty of money then steer clear of hiring help in the form of a companion, secretary or housekeeper - they can't be trusted!
Row Labels | Count of Description |
Companion | 3 |
Housekeeper | 4 |
Secretary | 14 |
Grand Total | 24 |
Character List - Companions, Secretaries and Housekeepers
Book | Character | Character Type |
After The Funeral | Miss Gilchrist | Companion |
Black Coffee | Edward Raynor | Secretary |
Cards On The Table | Miss Burgess | Secretary |
Cat Among The Pigeons | Ann Shapland | Secretary |
Dead Man’s Folly | Amanda Brewis | Secretary |
Dumb Witness | Wilhemina Lawson | Companion |
Murder On The Orient Express | Hector MacQueen | Secretary |
One, Two, Buckle My Shoe | Gladys Nevill | Secretary |
Peril At End House | Ellen | housekeeper |
Sad Cypress | Mrs Bishop | housekeeper |
The ABC Murders | Thora Grey | Secretary |
The Big Four | Betsy Andrews | housekeeper |
The Big Four | Colonel Appleby | Secretary |
The Big Four | Sydney Crowther | Secretary |
The Big Four | Mrs Pearson | housekeeper |
The Hollow | Beryl Collins | Secretary |
The Murder Of Roger Ackroyd | Geoffrey Raymond | Secretary |
The Murder On The Links | Gabriel Stonor | Secretary |
The Mystery Of The Blue Train | Majoy Richard Knighton | Secretary |
The Mystery Of The Blue Train | Katherine Grey | companion |
The Third Girl | Sonia | Secretary |
Found Someone We Missed?
We want this index to be as accurate and complete as possible so if you’ve spotted and error or found someone we’re missed out, please just get in touch!