David Emmott

In the novel Murder in Mesopotamia, David Emmott is a quiet young American man, at his second year with the dig team in Tell Yarimjah. He is calm and self-possessed.

He has "very short hair cropped close to his head", "a long, rather humorous face and very good teeth", and looks very attractive when he smiles. Nurse Leatheran notices that he is very polite passing her things when they are having tea, and he always seems to notice when her plate is empty. She takes a liking to him, and feels that there is something about him that is very steadfast and reassuring in an atmosphere where one is not sure what anyone is thinking or feeling.

David is interested in Sheila Reilly, and she in him. According to Nurse Leatheran, when he is on duty at the dig, Sheila often comes and talks to him.

On the day of the murder, David is working with the pottery, overseeing Abdullah, who is washing the pots, sorting it, and occasionally going up to the roof to help Dr Leidner. On one occasion, he stays on the roof for about ten minutes, during which time Abdullah goes to archway to sit with the other servants, and the courtyard is empty.

After Louise Leidner is discovered dead, Dr Leidner collapses, and David helps Nurse Leatheran get him to his room. He remains calm, and quietly takes charge, locking the door of Louise's bedroom, and sending Bill Coleman to Hassanieh to get Dr Reilly and notify the police. He also questions the houseboy, Ibrahim, as to whether any strangers had been to the house.

When Poirot asks David what he thought of Louise, he likens her to the Snow Queen, always taking Little Kay for a ride. He says that Louise always wanted to be at the centre of things, and wanted people to turn their minds and souls inside out for her to look at.

Poirot says that David seems to be the best and most dispassionate judge of Louise's personality. He also seemed to be the person most suited to bring a clever and well-timed crime off satisfactorily.

At the end of the novel, Nurse Leatheran says that David married Sheila Reilly.