So what could I possibly have in common with the Queen of Mystery, Agatha Christie? Well, aside from the fact that I inhaled her books in high school and still like to escape into them, one of my favorite lines in all crime fiction provided inspiration for plot in A Storm of Doubts.

In Murder on the Orient Express, the great detective Hercule Poirot is dining in the restaurant car of the train when an American, Mr. Ratchett, sits himself in an empty chair as his table. He tells Poirot that he wants to hire him as a bodyguard because he has received threatening letters. Poirot declines, no matter what amount the man offers. Ratchett says,

“What’s wrong with the proposition?”

Poirot rose.

“If you will forgive me for being personal–I do not like your face, M. Ratchett,” he said.

And with that he left the restaurant car.

Murder on the Orient Express

When Mr. Ratchett is found stabbed in his bed, few readers will be surprised because Ms. Christie does such a wonderful job of foreshadowing the fate of the sinister character.

When I wrote a pivotal scene in Storm where my amateur sleuth Rae Riley is confronted with a request from the ex-wife of a family friend, I decided to flip the quote above on its head. The ex-wife, Ashely, who doesn’t know Rae at all, except that she’s seen her speaking to her ex-husband Jason twice, wants Rae to tell Jason to unblock her number. Rae hesitates.

She grabbed my arms again. “Just tell me you’ll talk to Jason. Please. You have a kind face.”

I liked the idea of Rae’s kind face appealing to this woman. I also can use it in future stories. Some people just look friendly, or helpful, or commanding, and I can use Rae’s face to involve her in other people’s troubles.

And I enjoy being able to tie my book, however lightly, to a classic from the Queen of Mystery.