Patrick Mallet

In the L'Homme au complet marron episode of TV series Les Petits Meurtres d'Agatha Christie, Patrick Mallet is a dance choreographer at the Lille Opera. During the episode the temperamental Mallet frequently argues with the equally temperamental lead ballerina, the visiting Russian dancer Tatiana Pochenko. During a rehearsal, Mallet offends her and she stalks off the stage and demands an apology from him. The opera director Alexandre Latour wants him to give the apology but Mallet angrily retorts that either Tatiana goes or he goes. Latour chooses to keep Tatiana.

After Tatiana is murdered, Patrick is briefly considered as a suspect, since he has been heard to say that he wished she were dead. But this was only in frustration over their working relationship. Despite their differences, Mallet considers Tatiana an exceptionally talented dancer. After her death, another dancer, Lisa Bonfanti angles to be allowed to take her place. Mallet auditions her and then persuades the director Latour to give her the chance. Despite this, Mallet tells Lisa that she would need to work hard and they might muddle through, but even so, she would never become like Tatiana Pochenko. This offends Lisa tremendously.

Alice Avril also suspected Mallet of being the one who ran down Jules Touchard in the street. A witness had identified the car as an Opel Kapitan and Alice found that Mallet owned a Kapitan and moreover had a damaged front bumper. However Mallet explained to the police that he left the car around and seldom used it anyone could have helped himself to it. Towards the end of the show, however, the body of Franck was found inside his car. Tricard arrests him despite his protestations. Only later is it revealed that the body had been placed there by Sergueï Pochenko.

Patrick Mallet is portrayed by Mickaël Chirinian. There is no parallel character from Christie's original novel.