St. Loo is a resort town on the south English coast, commonly referred to as the English Riviera and is a setting for several Agatha Christie stories.
In Chapter 1 of Peril at End House, Hastings makes a single mention that it might be on the Cornish coast.[1] However the features of the town and other mentions of it suggest that it might be based on Torquay, Agatha Christie's hometown and one which she knew well. In Chapter 15 of End House for example, Poirot mentions that St Loo is just over 30 miles from Devonport, a distance which fits Torquay whereas there is no Cornish resort within this distance. Also the Majestic Hotel and End House as described in the novel match places in Torquay fairly closely.
St. Loo is described of consisting of three parts; the old fishing village, the modern resort, and St. Loo Castle. It also hosts an annual tennis tournament.
Stories set in St. Loo[]
- Peril at End House (1932) - Poirot and Hastings take a holiday in St. Loo, staying at the Majestic Hotel.
- Towards Zero (1944) - Nevile Strange and Merrick play against each other in the tennis tournament at St. Loo, watched by Neville's wife Kay Strange and her friend Ted Latimer. Lady Tressilian's solicitors, Askwith & Trelawny, have their offices in St. Loo.
- The Rose and the Yew Tree (1948) - St. Loo is the hometown of the invalid Hugh Norreys.
Stories where St. Loo is mentioned[]
- Evil Under the Sun (1941) - St. Loo is located close enough to Smugglers' Island so people can go there for the day to eat lunch or pick up a package with smuggled drugs. Again, this is another mention which supports St. Loo being based on Torquay.
References[]
- ↑ According to Hastings, in Chapter 1 of Peril at End House: "No seaside town in the south of England is, I think, as attractive as St Loo. It is well named the Queen of Watering Places and reminds one forcibly of the Riviera. The Cornish coast is to my mind every bit as fascinating as that of the south of France."