Have Your Say

Puzzles and Games

Test your Christie knowledge here

The Perfect Crime

StephenNorton 15 Jan 12 at 5:12 p.m. GMT

While Reading some of the older topics like "guess that murder victim" or "guess the story", I have remembered some of the Christie Novels I have read, and why I liked them. So I came to the conclusion, not only her characters, but as well her perfectly planned murders were the reasons for reading her stories. while thinking through theses problems, I couldnt help myself drifting of to another Idea: for I always wondered, if I had to comit a crime, how would I manage it, would I find perhaps a perfect crime.

With this background It struck me, why not creating a game by giving a situation then let others guess what has happened, simular to a game I knew called Black Stories.

The Rules are simple: One puts a small description of a crimescene online, and the others must guess, what had happened. Naturaly it is allowed to ask questions.

So then I start:

"Dec. 24. 19**. A beautiful young woman was found in a pool by her husband. He then called the police. But unfortunately the police had some troubles with getting to the house, for there was some fog that night. When the police finally arrived the examined the body: It seemed that the woman was stabbed, but no wapon was found. The police looked alover the place but they havent found anything that could fit to the wound, for it was clear, that she wasn`t stabbed by a dagger of anysort. so my question: What has happened and what  was the murder weapon used by the criminal?"

so any guesses for this invented crime?

Login or register to add posts and reply

81 replies

Reverse order

LucyE 10 Jun 12 at 5:27 p.m. GMT

Thanks for an excellent puzzle, Sittaford.  You pushed my little gray cells, but it was fun.

I'm not any good at coming up with crimes, perfect or otherwise, so I'll pass back to you or whomever would like to give it a go.

Sittaford 10 Jun 12 at 3:11 a.m. GMT

You are most certainly correct. Although Daniel was last to visit the library, it was that nefarious Beth who actually murdered her father. And then lied about it! Truly a devious criminal.

LucyE 10 Jun 12 at 2:32 a.m. GMT

I think Beth is our killer.

Sittaford 10 Jun 12 at 1:17 a.m. GMT

LucyE, you are correct in the order that the children visited the library. Now comes part two!

After having been questioned, the order the children visited their father in the library had been established. Unfortunately, this wasn’t enough evidence to reveal the killer. The investigating officer believed that the children may be covering for one another and that one or more children knew who had shot their father but were keeping quiet. So the children were questioned about the identity of the killer. Again, each child made two statements; again, one of these was true and the other a lie.

Amy said, “Daniel didn’t shoot my father. My father was dead before the third person visited the library.”

Beth said, “My father wasn’t shot by the second or fourth person to visit him. And he wasn’t shot by Amy. “

Charlie said, “The first visitor didn’t shoot my father. The person directly after me did.”

Daniel said, “Beth didn’t shoot my father. Neither did the visitor directly before her.”

Edward said, “The first two people to visit my father didn’t shoot him. My father was shot by the fifth person to visit him.”

From the information above, which child shot their father?

LucyE 09 Jun 12 at 1:08 p.m. GMT

I think the children visited their father in the following order:  1st Amy; 2nd Charlie; 3rd Edward; 4th Beth; 5th Daniel.

However, the puzzle doesn't indicate whether Major Thomas was alive during each of the children's visit.  We know the kids aren't scrupulous with the truth, so it's conceivable that, upon entering the library, one or more of them found the Major already dead, but decided not to say anything (much less raise the alarm).  So though Daniel came last, I don't think we can say for sure that he or which other child shot the Major.

Sittaford 09 Jun 12 at 1:57 a.m. GMT

It's been a while since there's been a new puzzle, so I have one to put forward for solving.

Major Thomas was found on the library floor: dead from a single gun-shot wound.

His five children – Amy, Beth, Charlie, Daniel and Edward – were the only people present the night he was shot. At some point during the night, they had all individually visited their father in the library. During one of these visits, Major Thomas had been fatally shot. When questioned, each child made two statements. One of these statements was true and the other was a lie.

Amy said, “I was the first to visit the library. Anyway, Beth and I were with each other the entire night.”

Beth said, “I’d been to the library before Charlie. But Edward had been before me.

Charlie said, “Edward hadn’t been to the library before I had. And Amy wasn’t first.”

Daniel said, “Charlie didn’t even go to the library. But Beth wasn’t the last to visit the library.”

Edward said, “Only one person visited the library between Amy and me. And three people visited the library after me.”

From the information above, which child shot their father?

NightRayDuck 03 Mar 12 at 5:38 p.m. GMT

mumbojumbo - well done! Yes, the stolen merchandise (the shoplifted item) was a wallet, young man put his credit card and ID in the wallet and put it in his pocket, but he didn't remove the magnetic strip and it didn't get inactivated at the cash register.

GKCfan - a quite close approximation of motive there! The situation I was thinking about was like this: The young man's credit card is a "linked card" "issued to family members", linked to his father's credit card account. That is the main reason that the young man has only recently started having a credit account and yet the credit line is already quite high. The father will get the bill and will get to see the items that the young man put on the linked card. The father advised the young man to get a good coat at some discount; $180 for a good one originally priced at $400 would fit the bill. A $60 wallet that was for sale but not on-sale, not on reduced pricing, probably wouldn't please the father, or at least, so the young man thought.

LucyE - sorry to have confused you! That was the reason that there's so much additional details with the store employees' explanation about how they caught the young man - they looked through his shopping bag and pockets and such, but couldn't very well go and peek in every compartment of the wallet to check for indications that it hadn't been sold / paid for. Better leave that to the manager~

(I've seen wallets where the pricing was not on a sticker, not on a tag-on-a-string, but rather on a little card with brand, style number, style name, color, and price put in one of the compartments.) Something to think about for switching-price-tag scenarios..

I think mumbojumbo, LucyE, or GKCfan may post the next "case". :-)

mumbojumbo 03 Mar 12 at 4:45 p.m. GMT

"The stolen item was seen briefly by the salesperson and it seemed to be the young man's property"

Based on that I would say it is a wallet, he came in without one, stole it while browsing and then put his stuff in it while trying on the coat in the fitting room. Obviously the salesperson caught a glimpse of the wallet when the man payed for the coat but thought it was his own.

I can't think of a motive though (other than not wanting to pay for the item). My initial speculation was maybe he stole something he was too embarassed to be seen buying but this does not fit with the wallet theory or with the credit card business that you describe.

LucyE 03 Mar 12 at 1:15 p.m. GMT

Thank you for the kind words, but I'm still stumped -- actually more stumped than when I posted yesterday.  No idea what item was shoplifted and can't figure out how the young man triggered the alarm even though he had "no evidence on his person."  It's reduced me to wondering whether there's a food court in the department store, and maybe the young man scarfed down some little Ikea-like meatballs without paying, and the meatballs were embedded with tiny magnetic strips, so the evidence wasn't "on" but rather "in" his person.  No, that can't be right.

(If it is time for a new puzzle, I'm not the one to pose it -- dwindling grey cells, as you can see.)

treplag 03 Mar 12 at 2:13 a.m. GMT

I want to offer a tip of my hat to LucyE. You are indeed worthy of your namesake.

GKCfan 02 Mar 12 at 7:45 p.m. GMT

Could the young man have stolen his father's credit card– the two men might have had the same name?

NightRayDuck 02 Mar 12 at 7:42 p.m. GMT

As for the motive, it will be purely speculation, but I think the following details can help in finding a close approximation of the motive: The young man had just turned 18 yrs of age in May 2010. The credit card said the young man was "member since 05/2010". And yet the credit line was as much as $20000.

That's all details, though, purely out of interest. Personally, I think LucyE has given a good answer and earned the place to post the next puzzle. :-)

NightRayDuck 02 Mar 12 at 7:42 p.m. GMT

Some very good detailed answers there, LucyE and mumbojumbo! Only a few details are off but that's because I didn't narrate the situation in detail. Here are the additional details:

When the store manager asked the store employees about how the young man was caught and what was shoplifted, their response was: When the young man and his store-bagged purchase stepped through the doors, the anti-theft alarm started beeping (like the annoying noise that treplag describes). The store security asked the young man to wait just inside the store. The bagged purchase was put between the anti-theft detectors, walked through the doors several times, and did not set off the alarm. The employees asked the young man to step through the doors and the alarm beeped again.

In overall summary, then:

While browsing on his own, the young man took an item of merchandise and concealed it. And then the young man had store assistance with his originally intended purchase of a good coat.

Hints here! The stolen item was seen briefly by the salesperson and it seemed to be the young man's property. The item was not concealed in the coat that was paid for and bagged up. Technical details. The anti-theft gizmo used by this store for the clothes and accessories was a thin piece of magnetized stuff, the kind often used by bookstores, where the anti-theft device would be simply tucked deep between two random pages, or glued on the inside cover. It is not a tag that needs to be removed; it is the type that gets inactivated by a device that's usually placed near the checkstand / cash register and looks like a very thick chopping board.

LucyE 02 Mar 12 at 2:31 p.m. GMT

I can't cross the goal line, but maybe can move the ball downfield a bit.

While browsing on his own, the young man put the item (whatever it was) in a pocket of the coat he intended to choose.  Then when he asked for assistance, there were no suspicious movements for the salesperson to see.

The salesperson wraps, seals, and bags the coat without noticing anything concealed in the coat, so the item cannot be large or bulky.  Perhaps a fine leather wallet or jewelry, but whatever it is, from the clues given, it must be able to set off the store's detection system, so it cannot be an item stolen from another shopper.

When the young man is apprehended, there is "no evidence on his person" because the item is still in a pocket of the wrapped up coat in the bag.  As to the store proving the young man stole the item, perhaps his fingerprints are on the item (sunny September day in L.A., not likely to be wearing gloves).

Most perplexing is the question of why he stole rather than paid for the item.  Of course there's the obvious, he stole because he's a thief, but then why bother to ask the question?  I'd like to say he stole the item because he couldn't buy it, i.e., it wasn't for sale, which would support the theory he stole another customer's wallet, but that doesn't work because the item triggered the store's electronic alarm.  What kind of item would not be for sale, but nevertheless would trigger the alarm?  I'm stumped.

mumbojumbo 02 Mar 12 at 1:02 p.m. GMT

First of all thanks for providing us with such an elaborate mystery :)

Now, on the subject: Was he accused of shoplifting or of stealing in general? Because he could have stolen some other customer's wallet and used his credit card & ID to pay and then threw them away. This was my first thought but judging from your other hints I am probably not on the right track.

Assuming therefore that this answer is wrong, are we supposed to guess an item that he could have taken out of the store without being noticed? Because that could be any number of items, like a watch, wallet, jewellery, anything small really. Is there a hint somewhere on what the item actually was?

NightRayDuck 01 Mar 12 at 12:38 a.m. GMT

Oh, and the stolen item made an appearance in the described actions, although the item was not explicitly named.

NightRayDuck 01 Mar 12 at 12:34 a.m. GMT

Hi Laura - the purchase of the coat for $180 was all legal and correct, yes.

I wonder... I might be accused of mincing my words, but actually I am just very lazy and often write several actions into one sentence (done it here again).

Consider the sentence from the original clue as, instead, something like this:

The young man browsed in the store for a long time. In the coats section he asked for sales assistance.

Also, in case the terminology was too Americanized.. "department store" means a store selling many different types of items, the same type of items are displayed in the same area, and each area has its own sales counter / cash register.

hope that helps. :-)

LauraPoirot 29 Feb 12 at 7:13 p.m. GMT

Oops those are Dollars not pounds ;-) so I ment of course the coat for 180$ 

LauraPoirot 29 Feb 12 at 7:12 p.m. GMT

Well as far as i can see he either stole a business suit or a coat. But I don't have any idea how or what exactly.... but the buying of the coat for 180£ was all legal, was it not?

treplag 29 Feb 12 at 1:59 a.m. GMT

The problem is that those security strips, in my experience, are normally found inside the box that the merchandise comes in.  So he couldn't be wearing anything that would contain one.  Even if I grant this possibility, I have nothing on which to base a theory as to what it might be.  I could randomly guess various articles of clothing, but that would be pointless.  Perhaps my little grey cells aren't up to the task; imagination is not my strong suit.  I will have to leave the solution of this mystery to a better man (or woman).

NightRayDuck 28 Feb 12 at 2:59 a.m. GMT

yes, quite so!

now you just need to look at the descriptions and then add a little imagination - what can be found on the young man or in the bag that may have been a store merchandise that the young man hadn't paid for?

treplag 28 Feb 12 at 2:16 a.m. GMT

I suppose you are talking about the mercantile equivalent of a metal detector, the kind that detect an encoded plastic strip hidden inside expensive merchandise (usually electronics but also, I suppose, high-priced clothing) and emit an annoying beeping sound.

NightRayDuck 28 Feb 12 at 1:41 a.m. GMT

you might also consider technology... nowadays, besides looking at a customer and trying to remember what they were wearing before, and besides looking at price tag and trying to see if it's been altered, there are also... __________ and _________ and maybe even __________ ?

treplag 27 Feb 12 at 10:45 p.m. GMT

I started to point out that you have told us a lot about what he didn't do, but relatively little about what he did do.  I surmise that the weather is relevant, so I am going to guess that he brought suspicion on himself because he entered the store without a coat and left the store wearing one, a coat from which he had cut the tags.

NightRayDuck 27 Feb 12 at 5:27 p.m. GMT

treplag - you're right, it's not a lot to go on, but the details are meant to show the ways that the shoplifting was not accomplished, i.e. the "impossibles" that could be eliminated.

GKCfan - assuming the young man acted on his own, no accomplice among the sales people, then the store paper and tape would mean that the stolen item [(choose one) was / wasn't] packaged with the coat~~?

I suggest that you might consider first: What led the store personnel to suspect him?, and store personnel felt certain that he had shoplifted, but found no evidence on his person. In conjunction with the year and the location, that would suggest that the shoplifting was detected by _________ ?

GKCfan 26 Feb 12 at 11:07 p.m. GMT

Are the store bag, paper, or tape relevant to the solution?

treplag 26 Feb 12 at 10:33 p.m. GMT

Ray - You are a wonderfully descriptive writer.  You have my admiration.  That said, it seems to me that after the extraneous details are swept away (as Poirot would do), we are not left with a lot to go on.  All we really know is that he bought a coat for $180 that was originally $400, and paid for it with a credit card that, according to you, was a valid one.  

treplag 26 Feb 12 at 10:20 p.m. GMT

So many people make that same mistake -- including yours truly, once.  I wish it were possible to circumvent it somehow.

NightRayDuck 26 Feb 12 at 8:38 p.m. GMT

hello dleja! You have just posted an answer to the first puzzle that started this thread. May I say, too, that although I didn't write that first puzzle and so I wouldn't know the complete technical details, your point about fog = temperature was changing --> weather changing from cold to warm is a very good point.

The current puzzle is about 3 replies before your answer. Take a look. :-)

dleja 26 Feb 12 at 1:04 p.m. GMT

I'm lost?

dleja 26 Feb 12 at 11:34 a.m. GMT

The husband stabbed her with an icicle and then dropped it in the pool to melt. Or maybe he made a weapon out of ice. It was foggy so that means the temperature was changing. Maybe the reason for the fog was the weather going from cold to warm. Or maybe the icicle fell from an overhang, no one killed her.

What do you think? Sound plausible?

NightRayDuck 26 Feb 12 at 5:05 a.m. GMT

yes, very many more details, I am afraid. it's a possible solution I thought of when I read your puzzle, treplag. so I added a lot of details and the questions on specific details to ensure it can be worked out rather than guessed out~

hope you enjoy it~~

treplag 26 Feb 12 at 4:15 a.m. GMT

This sounds a great deal like my puzzle a few weeks ago.  A little more detailed, perhaps...

NightRayDuck 25 Feb 12 at 12:25 a.m. GMT

thank you GKC. thank you replag.

next case:

September 2010. Sunny day in Los Angeles, CA. A well-dressed young man entered a department store which was advertising great discounts on men's clothing, esp. business suits and coats. The young man browsed for a long time, and asked for sales assistance in the coats section. He said he was going away to college in Vermont, and had been advised by his father to purchase a high-quality and smart-looking coat. Finally he chose a coat that was regularly priced at $400 but had gotten marked for $180 during this store sale. He paid by credit card under a name that matched the I.D. he showed. The salesperson folded the coat neatly, wrapped it in tissue paper, put a little adhesive tape to keep the wrapping closed, put the bundle into a large, posh-looking paper bag, handed the paper bag to the young man, and wished him a good day.

Several minutes after this young man had stepped out of the doors of this store, he was escorted to the office of the store manager because store personnel felt certain that he had shoplifted, but found no evidence on his person.

**What item did he steal, if any? Where did he conceal it? What led the store personnel to suspect him? How could the manager ascertain whether the item had been stolen by the young man? Why did the young man steal it rather than pay for it?

yes, it's a very wordy case description.. I tend to do that.

treplag 24 Feb 12 at 7:44 p.m. GMT

Amazing, Ray!  Or should I say "Dr. Duck"? :)

GKCfan 24 Feb 12 at 5:19 a.m. GMT

NightRayDuck is absolutely correct!  Well done!  The man was frightened with a fake shark and died of "the bends."

NightRayDuck 23 Feb 12 at 10:38 p.m. GMT

maybe the man was diving in the ocean at a considerable depth?

in deeper water, the pressure is higher, and there is a higher proportion of gas molecules dissolved in the blood than the usual proportion found when the person is at sea level in the air. also the sizes of body cavity (ex. space in lungs) remain the same, but the amount of air sitting in there expands when at lower pressure / shallower water.

when at such depth, the victim was tricked into thinking a shark was coming at him; he made a rapid ascent to avoid the shark? air in lungs, digestive track, ears expanded quickly and ruptured these organs. also air bubbles may have started forming in his blood vessels, causing embolism.

GKCfan 23 Feb 12 at 6:15 a.m. GMT

No, the victim didn't die of blunt force trauma and he wasn't eaten.  It may help to have some additional scientific knowledge.

LauraPoirot 23 Feb 12 at 4:06 a.m. GMT

Did he swim away into a dangerous zone of the sea where he collided the cliffs or has been eaten by other real sharks?

GKCfan 22 Feb 12 at 10:02 p.m. GMT

It was a fake shark, and the man was in the ocean and frightened, but he didn't drown.  The victim was deliberately scared and panicked so that he'd act in a way that would lead to his death.

treplag 22 Feb 12 at 6:07 p.m. GMT

I'm guessing that the toy was an inflatable shark the man was using as a flotation device in the pool.  The enemy held the float under water until the man drowned.  (I realize this violates the premise that the man wasn't touched, so it probably isn't the right answer, except that the victim wasn't touched by the killer himself.)

NightRayDuck 21 Feb 12 at 7:02 p.m. GMT

maybe the man was sea-bathing / having a swim in the sea; he saw the plastic toy and mistook it for a real, live shark; he panicked and drowned?

GKCfan 20 Feb 12 at 5:33 a.m. GMT

A man dies because an enemy held a large plastic toy in the shape of a shark's head.  The victim was not touched in any way.  What happened?

SilverTyne 19 Feb 12 at 11:03 a.m. GMT

Sorry for the delay! I haven't been coming here recently as I find the board unreadable with all the SPAM.

So yes, GKCfan is correct. Well done.

GKCfan 21 Jan 12 at 9:24 p.m. GMT

Charlie and Danny were hurricanes.

SilverTyne 21 Jan 12 at 6:16 p.m. GMT

My turn?

Charlie died in Florida. Danny died at sea. People were much happier about Danny's death.

Why?

GKCfan 21 Jan 12 at 6:01 p.m. GMT

SilverTyne is right!  The man's parachute was tampered with, and his murder was made to look like an accident.

SilverTyne 21 Jan 12 at 8:46 a.m. GMT

He jumped out of a plane and his parachute failed to open. The package is the parachute.

LauraPoirot 21 Jan 12 at 8:02 a.m. GMT

Maybe he's been flying in any way? In a plane or air balloon? 

GKCfan 21 Jan 12 at 3:49 a.m. GMT

The man was not drowned.  He was not on a boat, but he was on a different mode of conveyance right before he died.

treplag 20 Jan 12 at 9:40 p.m. GMT

I conjecture that the man was thrown off a ship and drowned, and his body was washed ashore.  The address on the package indicates that he traveled from somewhere, or the name of the ship is on the package.

treplag 20 Jan 12 at 9:30 p.m. GMT

I am in the U. S., and I haven't taken any criminology courses.  I just assumed it would be considered shoplifting, but apparently I was wrong.  You got the right answer, anyway.

GKCfan 20 Jan 12 at 8:37 p.m. GMT

I remember a case like this in an American legal studies class– a price tag switch in America is considered fraud, not shoplifting, but it might still be considered shoplifting in other countries.  It's an interesting point of law.

A man lies dead on a beach.  There are no footprints or other marks anywhere near the body.  There is an unopened package next to him.  He was murdered, but the investigators thought it was an accident.  What happened?

treplag 20 Jan 12 at 1:17 p.m. GMT

He did not hide anything in the coat, but he did switch price tags.  Good guess!  Your turn.

GKCfan 20 Jan 12 at 6:12 a.m. GMT

Did he hide anything in the coat or switch price tags?

treplag 19 Jan 12 at 8:48 p.m. GMT

Actually, I have been able to think of one, after all.  Here it is:

A man goes to a clothing store and selects a coat to purchase.  He goes to the register and pays for it, but as he leaves the store he is promptly arrested and charged with shoplifting.  How is this possible?  (He is not wearing the coat, so nothing is concealed beneath it.)

NightRayDuck 19 Jan 12 at 8:32 p.m. GMT

Thank you, treplag; but I can't think of a crime scene at the moment. I will invite whoever that has an interesting crime scene description to step in. :-)

treplag 19 Jan 12 at 1 p.m. GMT

I would prefer to answer, not ask, the questions.  Since Ray was on the right track, I will defer to him to go next.

GKCfan 19 Jan 12 at 3:51 a.m. GMT

That is close enough, so I'll provide the full answer.  A man stole a printing plate from a mint, and as he escaped he slipped and knocked himself unconscious on the pavement.  He was later arrested.

Do you want to go next?

treplag 18 Jan 12 at 1:01 p.m. GMT

I had initially dismissed the idea that the "mint" could be the kind that prints money, but if that is the case, then I would guess that the "plate" is a printer's plate, and the man was arrested for counterfeiting.

GKCfan 18 Jan 12 at 1:29 a.m. GMT

NightRayDuck is on the right track!

NightRayDuck 17 Jan 12 at 8:21 p.m. GMT

I wonder.. if "mint" in this story means "place where legal tender is printed / coined", then this crime scene description takes on a very different aspect..

treplag 17 Jan 12 at 2:01 p.m. GMT

Maybe the mint was found to have poison in it, and the plate had contained other mints. The mints had been offered to the patrons of a restaurant, all of whom became ill after eating there. I don't know what caused the man to become unconscious, however.

GKCfan 17 Jan 12 at 3:15 a.m. GMT

Here's another little mystery:

A man is found unconscious in the street.  A plate and a mint are close to him.  When he regains consciousness, he is immediately arrested for a serious crime.  No one else is ever arrested in connection to this crime.  What happened?

StephenNorton 16 Jan 12 at 5:22 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot

Oops I just read your first post ;-) the unexpected guest is very cool I saw the piece in theatre but me and my friends knew it from the start. It was just a little too much of a coincidence that he appeared there and found it all like that. About five little pigs I have had a presentation at school. It was quiet cool. 

Thats amazing, I would have loved to see it ofr my self, for to be honest, there was never a real solution to this mystery for you can turn this play around at any time. And the five little Pigs had an intressting way to build up a novelwith this interviews reminded me of the sad cypress^^

StephenNorton 16 Jan 12 at 5:20 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot

Nope... Have you? I think I'm not gonna read it because (yes it might sound strange but...) I don't want Poirot to die. Why did Christie have to kill him??? My friend said she will read it but I told her not to tell me anything about it. I already know enough ^^

Yes i have read it, actually I have read it three times, the curious thing was actualy I have disliked it while reading it for the first time, then I have read another book connected with this (not a christie but Shakespear) and afterwards I kind of fancy the idea. But Well The death of Poirot was in my eyes necessary, for i think it would be far more cruell to see someone reviving him (just like Anthony horrowitz reviving Sherlock Holmes). But still the characters, or to be honest one specific Character in this book got my attention, for you see this intrsting figure had the best technic in being responsable in the deaths of others. I have analysed the technic very carefully, and made even some researches. But I am driffting off, I understand why you want Poirot to be alife. But unfortunatly by knowing me, you know already too much about the novel^^ And what about towards zero, have you read that one?

LauraPoirot 16 Jan 12 at 5:15 p.m. GMT

Oops I just read your first post ;-) the unexpected guest is very cool I saw the piece in theatre but me and my friends knew it from the start. It was just a little too much of a coincidence that he appeared there and found it all like that. About five little pigs I have had a presentation at school. It was quiet cool. 

LauraPoirot 16 Jan 12 at 5:09 p.m. GMT

Nope... Have you? I think I'm not gonna read it because (yes it might sound strange but...) I don't want Poirot to die. Why did Christie have to kill him??? My friend said she will read it but I told her not to tell me anything about it. I already know enough ^^

StephenNorton 16 Jan 12 at 3:19 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot

Well eventhough Bayern isn't a city but a state (we call it Bundesland) similar to your Kantons, it defenitly is very nice ;-) mhm...

without Marple and Poirot I really loved And then there were none - a real masterpiece (though i figured it out...) and endless night also the tommy&tuppence novels are very good though I prefer a nice little murder to a matter with worldwide significance... actually almost all of the christie books I've read so far were really very great soo.... its easier to say which one I didn't like ^^ how about you?

BTW have you already read Curtain?

StephenNorton 16 Jan 12 at 2:52 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot

Well eventhough Bayern isn't a city but a state (we call it Bundesland) similar to your Kantons, it defenitly is very nice ;-) mhm...

without Marple and Poirot I really loved And then there were none - a real masterpiece (though i figured it out...) and endless night also the tommy&tuppence novels are very good though I prefer a nice little murder to a matter with worldwide significance... actually almost all of the christie books I've read so far were really very great soo.... its easier to say which one I didn't like ^^ how about you?

oh sorry i was little absent minded of course Bayern is a Bundesland, I must have confused it with Munich^^ I loved And then there were none as well, its a unique story^^ Then my other fav. would be Towards Zero, Endless night, The Unexpected guest (novelised by Charles Osborne), Curtain: Poirots las case and Ordeal by innocence^^ I have to admit, that i am totaly into cold blooded planed murder^^But one I have to say I wasnt into Poirot until recently, exept for few Books i loved from the start, like: five little Pigs, The mysterious affairs at styles, The murder of Roger Ackroyd, sad Cypress, Clocks, Halloween Party and ofcourse Curtain^^

LauraPoirot 16 Jan 12 at 2:42 p.m. GMT

Well eventhough Bayern isn't a city but a state (we call it Bundesland) similar to your Kantons, it defenitly is very nice ;-) mhm...

without Marple and Poirot I really loved And then there were none - a real masterpiece (though i figured it out...) and endless night also the tommy&tuppence novels are very good though I prefer a nice little murder to a matter with worldwide significance... actually almost all of the christie books I've read so far were really very great soo.... its easier to say which one I didn't like ^^ how about you?

StephenNorton 16 Jan 12 at 2:16 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot

Haha Stephen! You're a witty fellow! i like that. you're absolutely right, Poirot is my favourite Detective (what one can hardly notice by looking at my username... ;)) But I also enjoy the other christie stories (i just started the Sittaford Mystery it's quiet good so far). Also Marpe novels. that is why I know that Letetia died in Switzerland and I actually thought so already because as far as I know Black stories have only been published in the German-speaking world =)I just wasn't sure if it might be Austria, Germany or Switzerland. however... Liebe Grüße aus dem schönen Bayern ;-)

Well i like beeing witty myself.^^ I liked the sittaford mystery eventhough it was very very easy to solve^^ and i as well figuerd out, that the black stories were only published in the germany, Austria and Switzerland therfore I  knew without looking at your profile that you had to be from either one of these countries. bayern seems to be a very nice city, I havent been there yet, but I know one or two whom are living there^^BTW. which are your fav. chriestie without staring either M.P or H.P? Liebe Grüsse aus der Schweitz

LauraPoirot 16 Jan 12 at 2:05 p.m. GMT

Haha Stephen! You're a witty fellow! i like that. you're absolutely right, Poirot is my favourite Detective (what one can hardly notice by looking at my username... ;)) But I also enjoy the other christie stories (i just started the Sittaford Mystery it's quiet good so far). Also Marpe novels. that is why I know that Letetia died in Switzerland and I actually thought so already because as far as I know Black stories have only been published in the German-speaking world =)I just wasn't sure if it might be Austria, Germany or Switzerland. however... Liebe Grüße aus dem schönen Bayern ;-)

StephenNorton 16 Jan 12 at 12:33 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot

Hey well done both of you! I Like that story Steve ;-) of course you may ask me that: my favs are the abc murders cards on the table the murder of roger Ackroyed and lord edgeware dies... Can I ask you a personal question too? Since Christie made me a copper for fun I figured something out... To proof my idea I'd leek to know where you are from. May you tell us?

Well I am glad you enjoied our little game so far^^ May be we will receife a new setting soon perhaps from yourself^^ Well you realy seem to like Monsieur Hercule Poirot for at least all the stories youve mentioned so far are Poirot Mysteries. But I am driffting apart from the subject. You asked me where I am from, well I can tell you that of course and I think I already figuered out what you have in your mind, asking me this question. Well there is an old latin saying: ubi bene ibi patria, it means where your heart is aching, there is your homeland. If I concider that I would be a cosmopolitan, but my native country would actualy be the same where Letitia Blacklock died. Do you know the answer now? ^-^ (smirking a little while writting this comment)

LauraPoirot 16 Jan 12 at 10:36 a.m. GMT

Hey well done both of you! I Like that story Steve ;-) of course you may ask me that: my favs are the abc murders cards on the table the murder of roger Ackroyed and lord edgeware dies... Can I ask you a personal question too? Since Christie made me a copper for fun I figured something out... To proof my idea I'd leek to know where you are from. May you tell us?

StephenNorton 16 Jan 12 at 4:44 a.m. GMT

GKCfan

Was the victim stabbed with an icicle, which melted in the pond?

well congratulation you ve got me^^ yes it was like you said, therefore no possible evidence was found, I am kind of sorry, that it was that easy for you but perhaps you have a better mind as a criminal than I have, so perhaps you can give us another problem to think about. -.^

StephenNorton 16 Jan 12 at 4:42 a.m. GMT

yes it seemed to be that he killed her but the police havent found any evidence against him^^ may I ask you a question: which are your fav. Christie Novels?

GKCfan 16 Jan 12 at 4:40 a.m. GMT

Was the victim stabbed with an icicle, which melted in the pond?

LauraPoirot 16 Jan 12 at 4:37 a.m. GMT

Nope I won't be dissappointed ;-) you thought it worth posting so it's at least good enough for you and what's enough for a Christie fan should also be enough for another Christie fan :D ok mmh was the husband the murderer?

StephenNorton 15 Jan 12 at 8:10 p.m. GMT

LauraPoirot

Oh very cool the idea of such a quiz! I love black stories too and so I will probably enjoy this. Just found it and thought of it a little...I'm sure it's got to do with the date. Many people are closing their swimming pools in winter... And furthermore it's the day before Christmas... Mh just thinking loud. Was the husband the murderer? Or maybe it has been an accident. I think of trees... Ok my first asked aloud question to the scene is "was it an accident or murder?" 

Well thats great if you enjoy yourself, but I hope you wont be dissapointed, for I am not that clever in my ideas as the dear queen of crime herself. ^-^ but to answer your question, yes it was murder

LauraPoirot 15 Jan 12 at 8:03 p.m. GMT

Oh very cool the idea of such a quiz! I love black stories too and so I will probably enjoy this. Just found it and thought of it a little...I'm sure it's got to do with the date. Many people are closing their swimming pools in winter... And furthermore it's the day before Christmas... Mh just thinking loud. Was the husband the murderer? Or maybe it has been an accident. I think of trees... Ok my first asked aloud question to the scene is "was it an accident or murder?"