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Christie Coppers

Mr_Graves 18 Oct 10 at 5:51 a.m. GMT

Hi all! There seem to be a good many police officers in Agatha Christie's novels (sometimes recurring characters). So for this little game, try to guess which of those police officers is being described...

An example would be "I am a distinguished man, a good friend of M. Hercule Poirot. I live in Woodleigh Common with my sister, Elspeth. Who am I?" The answer to is would be "Superintendent Spence, who appeared in 'Hallowe'en Party' and 'Mrs McGinty's Dead'"

Here's the first one. "I have an unimaginative appearance, but in reality I am a very imaginative man. Who am I?"

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452 replies

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Miss_Eylesbarrow 24 Dec 10 at 9:21 a.m. GMT

I'll have to have another look Darknight.  Mine's a much older UK edition of the book, but it wouldn't be the first time the UK & US versions differ!

NightRayDuck 24 Dec 10 at 3:04 a.m. GMT

It is indeed about the poison-pen letters in The Moving Finger. I can't find any reference about Miss Marple having known any of the police officers on this case for years...

Would you care to reconsider the answer? In my edition (copyright 1943, US print run year 2000), at least, Superintendent Nash is the county police officer who calls in the London expert on anonymous letters.

Interesting quote by this copper: "Very nice - very nice indeed."

...spoken while looking over the pieces of evidence gathered so far.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 23 Dec 10 at 10:01 a.m. GMT

Found it, Superintendent Nash!

Miss_Eylesbarrow 23 Dec 10 at 9:55 a.m. GMT

Is it something to do with anonymous letters?  From The Moving Finger, a Scotland Yard man is sent down to solve that but I can't remember his name....it's a policeman that Miss M has known for years...'Dear Derek' or something of that kind?

NightRayDuck 22 Dec 10 at 9:29 p.m. GMT

OK, the original clue:

"Well, I specialize in a rather unpleasant subject in criminology. The hidden unpleasantness in quite ordinary people is part of my professional knowledge. It's a good thing that I am an official member of the police, otherwise people might feel alarmed by my evaluation of some pieces of evidence."

Hints that have been requested:

Is he a psychologist? No professional psychology degree had been mentioned, but knowledge of a particular type of psychology certainly helps this police officer in his job.

Is he Scotland Yard? He has been called down from London by the local police that has been on the case.

The rest of it, the police officer figures he'd better do the explaining:

"The type of case I work on, there's seldom a definitive *scene* of crime. There's often many *pieces* of evidence, but many of those pieces never come forward because people who come by them think they're either unimportant or disgusting. This is a type of crime that can be very hurtful to victims, and yet one criminal might be at it for months before any of the victims decides to get the police involved. When I do get called in on the case, I examine the pieces of evidence for both their more obvious characteristics as well as the psychology that they reveal."

"More obvious characteristics" here being fingerprints and so on...

Miss_Eylesbarrow 21 Dec 10 at 10:29 a.m. GMT

Is he Scotland Yard?  Perhaps a scene of crime specialist or something of the kind?

NightRayDuck 21 Dec 10 at 8:28 a.m. GMT

Um... I don't remember at the moment, so I can't swear definitely if this police official has or does not have a college / university / graduate / doctorate / et al. degree in psychology. I don't recall him being addressed as "Dr. _____" or anything like that...

But, to clarify, I'll explain that he is the type of specialized copper who gets called in by the policemen already working on a case. Hope that helps.

Miss_Eylesbarrow 20 Dec 10 at 9:36 a.m. GMT

So this guy is a psycologist?

NightRayDuck 18 Dec 10 at 2:51 a.m. GMT

"Well, I specialize in a rather unpleasant subject in criminology. The hidden unpleasantness in quite ordinary people is part of my professional knowledge. It's a good thing that I am an official member of the police, otherwise people might feel alarmed by my evaluation of some pieces of evidence."

Any specific request for hints? I am not much good at thinking up hints for this one.

NightRayDuck 14 Dec 10 at 8:23 p.m. GMT

"Well, I specialize in a rather unpleasant subject in criminology. The hidden unpleasantness in quite ordinary people is part of my professional knowledge. It's a good thing that I am an official member of the police, otherwise people might feel alarmed by my evaluation of some pieces of evidence."

Miss_Eylesbarrow 14 Dec 10 at 9:35 a.m. GMT

Get well soon , Cameron x

NightRayDuck 14 Dec 10 at 2:27 a.m. GMT

Thanks cameron, and no sorries needed here. Hope your leg gets better soon. 

I'll put up the next puzzle after checking whether I did post the quote puzzle... no responses there, hmm.

MissQuin 13 Dec 10 at 3:57 p.m. GMT

I hope your leg heals soon Cameron. XX

cameronjhw 13 Dec 10 at 3:36 p.m. GMT

Yea you got it right. It is Chief Inspector Taverner. Sorry I didn't get back to you sooner but I have felt tired from being in the hospital in November due to a broken leg and I had some surgery on it too.

NightRayDuck 03 Dec 10 at 8:01 p.m. GMT

Chief Inspector Taverner from Crooked House? The case seemed open-and-shut that Brenda and her "boyfriend" were the murderers, but the criminal might have been another member of the family.

NightRayDuck 03 Dec 10 at 7:58 p.m. GMT

Thanks! I'll go and keep thinking / looking...

cameronjhw 03 Dec 10 at 2:44 p.m. GMT

No I am afraid it is not any of the guesses you have made but this official appears in a non-series book

NightRayDuck 02 Dec 10 at 11:11 p.m. GMT

So, cameron... is any of our guesses getting closer yet? 

NightRayDuck 09 Nov 10 at 12:56 a.m. GMT

Could it be Richard Hardcastle in The Clocks? I forget though if he's only Inspector, or a Chief Inspector.

Mr_Graves 27 Oct 10 at 8:53 p.m. GMT

Chief Inspector Kemp from "Sparkling Cyanide"?