She appears to have committed the lesser thefts to attract the attention of Colin McNabb, a psychology student who regarded her as an interesting case study, but then almost immediately becomes engaged to her. She denies, however, the following: stealing Nigel Chapman's green ink and using it to deface Elizabeth Johnston's work taking the stethoscope, the light bulbs and boracic powder and cutting up and concealing a rucksack. Poirot’s solution of the petty thefts is unsubtle but effective: once he has threatened to call in the police, Celia Austin quickly confesses to the pettier incidents. (may contain spoilers - click on expand to read)

This is nevertheless one of her most tenuous links to the original nursery rhyme, consisting of little more than the name of a road. The title is taken, as are other of Christie's titles, from a nursery rhyme: Hickory Dickory Dock. It is nevertheless not long before the crime of theft is the least of Poirot’s concerns. But when he sees the bizarre list of stolen and vandalized items - including a stethoscope, some lightbulbs, some old flannel trousers, a box of chocolates, a slashed rucksack, some boracic powder and a diamond ring later found in a bowl of a soup - he congratulates the warden, Mrs Hubbard, on a 'unique and beautiful problem'. 5.2 References to actual history, geography and current scienceĪn outbreak of apparent kleptomania at a student hostel is not normally the sort of crime that arouses Hercule Poirot's interest.The producers at the Mystery Masters division of the Audio Partners were smart to hire Fraser to record this classic, and listeners will find it a delightful romp that passes all too quickly. Not to be missed among the clamoring voices is Christie's narrative, from which Fraser manages to wring every wry drop. Add to the mix a number of students from England, a temperamental Greek landlady and an Italian house staff, and one must conclude that Fraser is some sort of magician to keep all the players sorted out as they converge in the common room. Poirot is absent much of the time in this tale of kleptomania, malice and murder set at a boarding house for students. Fraser's Poirot is derivative of the stellar performance of the series' star, David Suchet nevertheless, Fraser gives Christie's work his own imprimatur.

Series, now performs the entire cast in Christie's 1955 mystery. Fraser, who played Captain Hastings, the sidekick for arch Belgian detective Hercule Poirot in the PBS Mystery

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