In the novel Mrs McGinty's Dead, Mrs Burp is a charwoman in Broadhinny. She has a husband and five children, and they live near the station.
After the death of Mrs McGinty, Maureen Summerhayes employs Mrs Burp. However, she tells Poirot that Mrs Burp does not come regularly, as Mrs McGinty had done. According to her, Mrs Burp is frequently unable to come because her husband, elderly mother, or children are unwell.