The mystery of the Blue Train

How it begins

MONSIEUR LE MARQUIS, an elegant gentleman who merits his mask but not his white hairs ZIA PAPOPOLOUS, whose resemblance to her father, Demetrius, is more than physical KATHERINE GREY, a grey-eyed saint with a sense of humor—and a brand-new fortune VISCOUNTESS ROSALIE TAMPLIN, who has an eye (blue and charming) for a quick penny M. HERCULE POIROT, the semiretired Belgian detective who is semimodest about admitting that he is always right ADA MASON, lady's maid to Ruth Kettering, and English to the tip of her red nose COMTE ARMAND DE LA ROCHE, a plausible scoundrel with a fatal fascination for women It was close on midnight when a man crossed the Place de la Concorde.