Cards On The Table - Characters in "Cards On The Table"

Characters in "Cards On The Table"

The Four Detectives

• Superintendent Battle, a stolid officer from Scotland Yard
• Colonel Race, a debonair Secret Service agent, also featured as a character in Death on the Nile
• Ariadne Oliver, writer of popular detective fiction, untidy and somewhat ridiculous
• Hercule Poirot, the famed private detective

The Four Suspects

• Dr Roberts, a successful physician
• Mrs Lorrimer, a well-to-do, expert bridge player
• Major Despard, a dashing explorer
• Anne Meredith, a pretty, impecunious young woman

Other characters

• Rhoda Dawes, Anne's wealthy friend and housemate
• Mrs Luxmore, whose husband died in suspicious circumstances
• Miss Burgess, loyal secretary of Dr Roberts
• Elsie Batt, former parlourmaid of a Mrs. Craddock, a patient of Dr Roberts
• Sergeant O' Connor, extremely handsome and tall, used to get the goods out of Elsie

The Victim

• Mr Shaitana, a collector of all rare things, including murderers; very rich and mysterious

The novel also contains a foreword by the author, in which the Author warns the reader that the novel has only four suspects and the deduction must be purely psychological. Further, it is also mentioned (in jest of course) that this was one of the favourite cases of Hercule Poirot, while his friend Capt. Hastings found it very dull. The author then wonders with whom will her readers agree.