The Stuff I Read: Agatha Christie: Cast of Character Types: Women

The Earnest Girl: always plain and dowdy and unhappy. Often in denial of that final trait. Can be either very clever or very stupid, but is always one of the two. She’s either pathetically in love (Patricia Lane Hickory Dickory Dock)with the Arrogant Jerk, the relation that everyone feels sorry for (Mildred Strete Murder With Mirrors), or some kid with a rotten job (Edna Brent The Clocks). When she’s the victim (Pamela Reeves The Body in The Library) you feel really sorry for her. When she’s the murderer, everyone’s shocked (Gerda Cristow The Hollow) because they all thought she was the very stupid kind.

Notable Exception: Cornelia Robson Death on The Nile. She’s ugly, poor and doesn’t care. She has an infectiously cheerful outlook that makes the Arrogant Jerk and the Curmudgeon (I’ll describe them later when I tackle the men) fall in love with her.

The Spitfire: Never beautiful, but described as attractive or interesting. Often a redhead (Sally Finch Hickory Dickory Dock, Susan Cardwell Dead Man’s Mirror, Jenny Driver Lord Edgeware Dies)! If she’s not, attention is usually called to one unique physical feature (Jane Grey’s extraordinary gray eyes in Death in The Clouds). She’s the best friend, the girlfriend, the daughter of someone hugely important to the story. The Detective always takes a strong liking to her and she’s almost never flustered when it’s her turn to be accused in the Parlor Scene (innocent or guilty). She’s always clever and possesses a good sense of humor. Usually happy. She can be rich, poor or somewhere in between. Almost always gets the guy, though sometimes not the one we think she’ll get.

Notable Exception: Rosalie Otterbourne Death on The Nile (there’s a reason this was Christie's best and favorite). She’s good looking, with a sarcastic sense of humor, and she’s no shrinking violet, but she has an alcoholic mother who makes her life a living hell. It’s a relief to finally see her happy and with a decent enough guy...after her horrible mother was shot through the head.

The Beauty/The S.A.: Gorgeous and aware of it. There’s at least one Poor Chap who’s besotted about her...frequently two. She can be intelligent (Ruth Chevenix Gore Dead Man’s Mirror) or an idiot, (Valentine Dacres Triangle at Rhodes) it doesn’t matter.

In the 1950’s a cultural shift began where Sex Appeal (Christie often calls it S.A.) became more attractive than classic beauty, and Christie noted the change with this character type. The lovely, feminine Marthe Daubreil of Murder on The Links gave way to glamourous, obvious Adele Fortescue of A Pocket Full of Rye.

The Exotic: A lady always, but not at all English. She is alluring, witty and charming. When young, she can be cast as the S.A. (Pilar Estravados Hercule Poirot’s Christmas), though typically she is middle aged (Vera Rosakoff) or older (Princess Dragomiroff Murder on The Orient Express). Let’s face it, life experience adds to a woman’s charm and few knew that better than Agatha Christie.

The Very English Lady: She can be a bit of a spitfire, a beauty, or an earnest girl, but the sheer Britishness of her keeps those traits from being capitalized. She is well mannered, well (but modestly) dressed, well educated and unemotional. She is the paragon of English Decorum. She is Lydia Lee (Hercule Poirot’s Christmas), Miss Bullstrode (Cat Among The Pigeons), Rowena Drake (Halloween Party) and Mrs. Allerton (one of my personal favorite characters, from Death on The Nile).

The Most Notable Examples: Miss Jane Marple, Tuppence Beresford, Ariadne Oliver and Felicity Lemon.



If you have read any amount of Agatha Christie’s mysteries, you know who they are. Women of intelligence, women of ability. Three women of unerring instinct and one of a staggering grasp of facts and information. I need say no more on them.


Christie fans, did I miss anyone?