Murder on the Links 

While Poirot and Hastings are holidaying in France, a businessman tells Poirot that his life is in danger. The next day he is found stabbed to death on a nearby golf course.

Director:

Andrew Grieve

Writers:

Agatha Christie (novel), Anthony Horowitz (dramatized by)

Stars:

David Suchet, Hugh Fraser, Diane Fletcher

Cast

Episode cast overview, first billed only:
David Suchet	...	Hercule Poirot
Hugh Fraser	...	Hastings
Diane Fletcher	...	Eloise Renauld
Damien Thomas	...	Paul Renauld
Ben Pullen	...	Jack Renauld (as Benjamin Pullen)
Kate Fahy	...	Bernadette Daubreuil
Sophie Linfield	...	Marthe Daubreuil
Jacinta Mulcahy	...	Bella Duveen
Terence Beesley	...	Stonor
Bill Moody	...	Giraud
Bernard Latham	...	Bex
Andrew Melville	...	Dr Hautet
Henrietta Voigts	...	Leonie
James Vaughan	...	Adam Letts
Richard Bebb	...	News Commentator

Storyline

Poirot and Hastings are in Deauville, and Poirot is approached by business-man Paul Renaud concerning threats by Chileans. The next morning the maid finds Madame Renaud bound and gagged and her husband's corpse is later found on a nearby golf course. Giraud, a pompous French police officer, dismissive of Poirot's reputation, lays a wager with him. The detective who fails to catch the killer must make a sacrifice. Giraud will relinquish his trade mark pipe. Poirot must shave off his moustache.

---

Plot Keywords:

murder | detective | murder mystery | private detective | hercule poirot | 

---

Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

---

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

11 February 1996 (UK)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Carnival Film & Television, London Weekend Television (LWT), Picture Partnership Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

102 min (PBS Broadcast) 100 min (14 episodes)

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Black and White (archive footage) Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Diane Fletcher and Damien Thomas play husband and wife in this episode (Eloise and Paul Renault). They also acted together in House of Cards (the UK version), though not as husband and wife. Diane Fletcher did, however, play the wife, Elizabeth Urquhart, of the main character Francis Urquhart.

---

Goofs

In the first time that Poirot, Hastings and Giraud visit Daubreuil's house, when they are leaving, the boom is seen reflected near the car's headlight.

---

Quotes

Giraud: Monsieur Poirot.
Hercule Poirot: Monsieur Giraud.
Giraud: [Hand over his pipe for losing to Poirot] This is yours, I think.
Hercule Poirot: No monsieur. You may keep your pipe but from this moment each time you light it you'll think of HeRcule Poirot?
Giraud: Yes, I will.

---

Connections

Version of Meitantei Akafuji Takashi: Aishi no sandoriyon (2005)

User Reviews

Poirot enters into a rivalry with an uppity police detective

I guess the esteemed police officer Giraud had never read any Poirot mysteries, because he happily goes up against him in "Murder on the Links," from 1996.

Poirot and Hastings are approached by a businessman Paul Renaud, who has been receiving threats. The next morning, Madame Renaud is found bound and gagged, and her husband's dead body is found on a golf course nearby.

Poirot and Giraud disagree about the solution to this crime, so they make a wager. The one who catches the killer has to give something up. In Poirot's case, it's his mustache, and in the case of the police detective, it's his pipe.

Well, we all know Poirot isn't going to shave off his mustache. Hastings, however, loses his heart to a lovely singer. She becomes his wife, the "Bella" mentioned in subsequent episodes.

Very good episode with an interesting denouement.