Roger Bryant

In the novel Death in the Clouds, Dr Roger James Bryant is a physician. He is a specialist on diseases of the ear and throat. His address is 329 Harley Street.

On the Prometheus, Dr Bryant sits next to Poirot. When one of the passengers is found dead, he examines the body. He says that the woman has been dead for at least thirty minutes. However, he says that he is unable to determine the exact cause of death without a detailed examination. He notes a small puncture mark on the side of the victim's throat.

Dr Bryant plays the flute, and carries his flute in a case with him on board the Prometheus. Jane Grey thinks that Bryant doesn't look like a musician, but more like a lawyer or a doctor.

After it is revealed at the inquest that the victim was poisoned with snake venom, Inspector Japp suspects that Dr Bryant could have gotten hold of some, because he might know people in the medical research community. He might have had the opportunity to take a test-tube of snake venom from a laboratory. Dr Bryant later tells Japp that he has a friend who works in tropical research, and has specimens of dried snake venoms in his laboratory.

M. Fournier also considers Dr Bryant a suspect, because he had a flute, which is something he could have put to his lips during the flight, without anyone suspecting anything. M. Fournier considered this a possible way the murder could have been committed without anyone seeing the murderer put a blowpipe to their lips.

Dr Bryant later tells Poirot that he has retired, resigning of his own free will before he is struck off the register. He is sorry to abandon his profession, because it interests him greatly. However, he had a female patient whom he loved dearly, and whose husband took drugs and caused her a lot of misery. He tells Poirot that he and this lady intend to go to Kenya to start a new life together.

Poirot remarks that Dr Bryant is bringing his flute with him, and Dr Bryant says that his flute is his oldest companion, and that when everything else fails, music remains.

Dr Bryant is an acquaintance of Mr Heidler. He also slightly knows Professor Kennedy and heard of a man called Carmichael.

Portrayals
Dr Bryant is not featured in the Agatha Christie's Poirot episode adaptation of the novel.