I've been a fan of Agatha Christie's ever since I was a teenager, and Hercules Poirot, the Belgian detective residing in England, was always my favorite. Watching the Blu-ray collection of the latest Poirot murder mysteries, I am reminded that he IS my favorite Christie protagonist, and his tackling of these three full-length stories is well worth watching. Based on three Christie novels, Poirot finds himself engaged in the "Three Act Tragedy," "The Clocks," and finally, "Hallowe'en Party." And what he battles is evil most foul.

These movies ran in 2009-10, are set in the 1930s and '40s, and play just as dangerously in 2011. Poirot is old-fashioned and more brain than brawn, but the dangers lurking beneath the surface are just as scary. The murders appear unrelated and random in "Three Act Tragedy," are equally baffling as bodies pile up in "The Clocks," and revolve around a children's party in "Hallowe'en Party." Each of them find a way to blend the brilliant countryside (even more stunning in Blu-ray) with dark macabre settings that heighten your anxiety as you watch. We're somehow lulled into believing that the killer might gain the upper hand because Poirot is not a threatening figure... until he takes the "stage" for his final delivery of truth.

David Suchet is just brilliant as Poirot with his accent and well-oiled mustache, and we're sure that he is a blend of kind (as he rarely overlooks anyone regardless of what others think of them) and direct (he refuses to back down from evil even when it's embodied by someone he cares for). Fans of Miss Marple will like Poirot but I'm not always sure that the reverse holds true. I find it amusing to watch people overlook Marple (even if it's fiction, it's rooted in fact), but there's something about Poirot that makes me just shake my head when the villain doesn't see him coming. Suchet's part allows me to see the Poirot of my youth on screen, even now in high definition!

Watching a reasonable facsimile to America's Columbo, I'm again aware of how little of my perceptive powers I use. I'm sure I overlook things in regular conversations and interactions that, if I would merely acknowledge, could help me avoid little tragedies every day. When Poirot listens to a maid or notices the thoughts of a child, I'm aware that there are people I discount out of turn. I'm guilty of not always using my own perception of people or things, and instead being influenced by the thoughts and perceptions of others. Poirot's truth-telling, and his navigation of the evil that lurks in the hearts of men, is quite admirable, and we could use his courageous heart in our everyday lives, whether we're tackling murderers or just the sickness in our own hearts.