Hercule Poirot of Police of Brussels, until "the Great War" (World War I) forced him to leave for England. (In "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" Poirot had retired at age 55 in 1905) I had called in at my friend Poirot's rooms to find him sadly overworked. So much had he become the rage that every rich woman who had mislaid a bracelet or lost a pet kitten rushed to secure the services of the great Hercule Poirot. During World War I, Poirot left Belgium for England as a refugee (although he returned a few times). On 16 July 1916 he again
Hercule Poirot in literature story years (25 short stories and only 4 novels). Christie increased her novel production during this time (14 novels, 21 total short stories and one theatre play). Twelve short stories form "The Labours of Hercules". The other short stories listed here take place in this period but were published before and after the publication of "Hercules". The theatre play is named "Black Coffee" and was written by Agatha Christie, who stated a frustration with other stage adaptations of her Poirot mysteries. In 1998, author Charles Osborne adapted the play into a novel. A new detective, Miss Marple, enters the stage