The ABC Murders

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

Drawing on books you’ve read, as well as movies or TV shows you’ve watched, what are the hallmarks of the detective or mystery genre in fiction? Why do you think it remains so popular?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be helpful to discuss the origins of the modern mystery genre, which is often traced to Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories. You could then highlight a few more recent examples for comparison. If students struggle to focus their thoughts, you could ask them to list three things that a fictional work must include to count as a mystery, as well as one or two things that it should not do. You could then gather and list their ideas on the board, debating any controversial suggestions as they arise. To explore the genre’s popularity, consider referencing the bestseller list linked below and identifying any mysteries based on the single-sentence summaries.

• This “Detective Story” article gives an overview of the history and characteristics of the genre.
• New York Times’s “Combined Print & E-Book Fiction Best Sellers List” shows books that are currently popular, typically including several thrillers or mysteries.

Short Activity

The ABC Murders is set in England during the 1930s. To better understand the norms of this historical setting, break into small groups and spend a few minutes researching one of the bulleted topics within the context of 1930s England. Prepare to summarize your findings for your classmates.

• Fashion: What styles were popular? What did normal daily clothing look like across various demographics?
• Politics: Who were the major political figures, and what issues were at stake?
• Economics: What were the largest industries at the time? What was life like for individuals of different social classes?
• Art: What major trends were taking place in painting, literature, music, theater, film, or other art forms?

Teaching Suggestion: It may be helpful to assign groups to particular topics in order to make sure that each subject is covered, allowing groups to request particular topics of interest if desired. After concluding your discussion, consider inviting students to look for ways in which this context shapes the characters and events of the novel as they begin to read.

• This archive of historical documents allows students to examine and form their own opinions from relevant sources.
• This 1930s footage of traffic scenes in London may help students to visualize the setting.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the novel.

The friendship between the detective, Hercule Poirot, and his assistant, Arthur Hastings, echoes that between Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson as conceived by Arthur Conan Doyle. In both cases, the intellectually superior detective enlists the help of a well-meaning but less clever partner. Drawing on your own life experiences, consider the role of difference in forming and maintaining friendships: What unique qualities do you bring to your friendships? Is it easier or harder to form a friendship with someone who is significantly different from you? What does it take for a friendship to be successful?

Teaching Suggestion: As students discuss, you may wish to highlight the ways that their observations illuminate or diverge from the relationship between Poirot and Hastings. For instance, you might discuss what impact pride, egotism, and condescension can have on a relationship, as Poirot demonstrates all three.

Differentiation Suggestion: Consider allowing students with artistic abilities to create a visual depiction of friendship with symbolic images. These students could then provide a brief verbal explanation of their image during the subsequent discussion.