The Curious Mind of Hercule Poirot

What makes a mind brilliant… yet different?

This is The Curious Mind of Hercule Poirot — a podcast exploring the world’s most famous Belgian detective and what he can teach us about neurodiversity, detail, and devotion.

Hercule Poirot, the creation of Agatha Christie, is renowned for his meticulous routines, his passion for order, and his unparalleled ability to observe. But what if these very traits — his precision, his focus, his need for structure — reveal something deeper about the way some minds are beautifully designed to see the world?

Across the episodes, we will explore defining characteristics often found on the autism spectrum, such as attention to detail, hyperfocus, logical thinking and routine through the lens of Poirot’s greatest cases.

So, pour yourself a cup of coffee, take a seat beside the world’s tidiest detective, and join me for The Curious Mind of Hercule Poirot.

Season 1: Six episodes exploring core autistic traits through the character of Hercule Poirot, tracing how his attention to detail, routine, logic, sensory awareness, and distinctive social style appear across Agatha Christie’s stories.
Season 2: Six episodes examining common myths about autism, using Poirot as a counter-example to show how these misconceptions unravel when we look closely at his empathy, imagination, humour, relationships, and depth of inner life.
Season 3: Six episodes exploring the richness of different neurotypes through the partnership of Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver. With Poirot reflecting autistic patterns of logic and order, and Mrs Oliver expressing traits often associated with ADHD — spontaneity, intuition, creative leaps — this season examines how their contrasting minds illuminate one another and reveal a fuller picture of human intelligence.
Season 4: Six episodes delving into the figure of the outsider in Agatha Christie’s world. From refugees and misfits to the socially awkward and the misunderstood, we explore how Christie uses the outsider to expose prejudice, reveal hidden truths, and deepen our understanding of justice, compassion, and belonging.
Season 5: Six episodes exploring the quiet faith that shapes Agatha Christie’s famous detective — his devotion to order, his compassion for human weakness, and his belief that truth exists to heal. Through themes of vocation, sin, confession, mercy, and integrity, we discover a Poirot whose logic is shaped by conscience, and whose intellect serves grace.
Season 6: Six episodes exploring how neurodiverse people experience church through scent, sound, touch, routine, and social communication. Using insights from Hercule Poirot’s perceptive mind, this series reflects on sensory inclusion, belonging, and worship design — imagining churches where every sense is welcomed and every kind of mind can truly feel at home.
Seasons 7 & 8: Twelve episodes exploring the short stories of 'Poirot Investigates', one case at a time. From glittering jewels to whispered curses, we uncover how Poirot sees beyond appearance and assumption — revealing deeper truths about fear, identity, trust, and the patterns of human behaviour.
Season 9: Before “autism” had a name, how might someone like Hercule Poirot have been understood? Six episodes exploring historical labels and tracing changing views of neurodivergent minds. Through Poirot’s little grey cells, discover a thoughtful journey into history, neurodiversity, and the possibility of divine design behind every kind of mind.
Season 10: Six episodes stepping beyond Poirot to explore the wider world of cosy mysteries. From fictional villages and flawed detectives to friendship, belonging, reinvention, and comfort reading, this season examines why millions of readers return to these gentle mysteries — and what they reveal about human nature, community, and the search for meaning.
Season 11: Six episodes exploring how the British class system shaped not only Christie’s plots but also Poirot himself — the ultimate outsider moving gracefully between drawing rooms and kitchens, servants’ corridors and ballrooms, decoding both crime and convention.
Season 12: Six episodes exploring food, drink, and hospitality in the world of Agatha Christie. From English tea tables and Poirot's coffee to country house dinners, cocktails, poison, and the rituals of welcome, this season uncovers how everyday meals and beverages reveal deeper truths about class, identity, trust, community, and human connection.

About Me

I'm Alanna Sorrensen, a social worker with graduate qualifications in forensic mental health, autism, and theology. I am also a long-term Agatha Christie fan who appreciates the way storytelling can illuminate truth, nurture empathy, and celebrate the complexity of the human mind.

If you’ve enjoyed listening, reflecting, or journeying along with these ideas, I’ve created a simple way for you to support the work behind it. There’s no expectation at all — but every bit of encouragement helps make it possible to keep creating. https://buymeacoffee.com/alanna.sorrensen

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What makes a mind brilliant… yet different?

This is The Curious Mind of Hercule Poirot — a podcast exploring the world’s most famous Belgian detective and what he can teach us about neurodiversity, detail, and devotion.

So, pour yourself a cup of coffee, take a seat beside the world’s tidiest detective, and join me for The Curious Mind of Hercule Poirot.

Season 1: Six episodes exploring core autistic traits through the character of Hercule Poirot, tracing how his attention to detail, routine, logic, sensory awareness, and distinctive social style appear across Agatha Christie’s stories.
Season 2: Six episodes examining common myths about autism, using Poirot as a counter-example to show how these misconceptions unravel when we look closely at his empathy, imagination, humour, relationships, and depth of inner life.
Season 3: Six episodes exploring the richness of different neurotypes through the partnership of Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver. With Poirot reflecting autistic patterns of logic and order, and Mrs Oliver expressing traits often associated with ADHD — spontaneity, intuition, creative leaps — this season examines how their contrasting minds illuminate one another and reveal a fuller picture of human intelligence.
Season 4: Six episodes delving into the figure of the outsider in Agatha Christie’s world. From refugees and misfits to the socially awkward and the misunderstood, we explore how Christie uses the outsider to expose prejudice, reveal hidden truths, and deepen our understanding of justice, compassion, and belonging.
Season 5: Six episodes exploring the quiet faith that shapes Agatha Christie’s famous detective — his devotion to order, his compassion for human weakness, and his belief that truth exists to heal. Through themes of vocation, sin, confession, mercy, and integrity, we discover a Poirot whose logic is shaped by conscience, and whose intellect serves grace.
Season 6: Six episodes exploring how neurodiverse people experience church through scent, sound, touch, routine, and social communication. Using insights from Hercule Poirot’s perceptive mind, this series reflects on sensory inclusion, belonging, and worship design — imagining churches where every sense is welcomed and every kind of mind can truly feel at home.
Seasons 7 & 8: Twelve episodes exploring the short stories of 'Poirot Investigates', one case at a time. From glittering jewels to whispered curses, we uncover how Poirot sees beyond appearance and assumption — revealing deeper truths about fear, identity, trust, and the patterns of human behaviour.
Season 9: Before “autism” had a name, how might someone like Hercule Poirot have been understood? Six episodes exploring historical labels and tracing changing views of neurodivergent minds. Through Poirot’s little grey cells, discover a thoughtful journey into history, neurodiversity, and the possibility of divine design behind every kind of mind.
Season 10: Six episodes stepping beyond Poirot to explore the wider world of cosy mysteries. From fictional villages and flawed detectives to friendship, belonging, reinvention, and comfort reading, this season examines why millions of readers return to these gentle mysteries — and what they reveal about human nature, community, and the search for meaning.
Season 11: Six episodes exploring how the British class system shaped not only Christie’s plots but also Poirot himself — the ultimate outsider moving gracefully between drawing rooms and kitchens, servants’ corridors and ballrooms, decoding both crime and convention.
Season 12: Six episodes exploring food, drink, and hospitality in the world of Agatha Christie. From English tea tables and Poirot's coffee to country house dinners, cocktails, poison, and the rituals of welcome, this season uncovers how everyday meals and beverages reveal deeper truths about class, identity, trust, community, and human connection.

About Me

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Episodes

Sunday May 03, 2026

50. S8E6 Season Reflection: Seeing Clearly in a World of Distractions

Sunday May 03, 2026

A season of illusion. A pattern of truth. A mind that sees clearly. In this episode, we reflect on Poirot Investigates and discover how attention, pattern, and quiet discernment reveal what others overlook.
https://buymeacoffee.com/alanna.sorrensen

Thursday Apr 30, 2026

49. S8E5 The Case of the Missing Will: Intelligence, Intention & the Truth Hidden in Plain Sight

Thursday Apr 30, 2026

A hidden document. A carefully designed test. A truth waiting to be seen. In this episode, we explore The Case of the Missing Will and discover how Poirot looks beyond complexity to uncover the intention hidden in plain sight. Spoilers included.
https://buymeacoffee.com/alanna.sorrensen

Monday Apr 27, 2026

48. S8E4 The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman: Charm, Performance & the Truth Hidden in Conversation

Monday Apr 27, 2026

A frantic call. A staged scene. A story that doesn’t quite hold. In this episode, we explore The Adventure of the Italian Nobleman and discover how Poirot listens beyond words to uncover the truth hidden within a carefully constructed performance. Spoilers included.
https://buymeacoffee.com/alanna.sorrensen

Friday Apr 24, 2026

47. S8E3 The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim: Identity, Illusion & the Truth We Cannot Escape

Friday Apr 24, 2026

A vanished man. An impossible mystery. A truth hiding in plain sight. In this episode, we explore The Disappearance of Mr Davenheim and discover how Poirot looks beyond disappearance to uncover the deeper question of identity and intention.
https://buymeacoffee.com/alanna.sorrensen

Tuesday Apr 21, 2026

46. S8E2 The Kidnapped Prime Minister: Power, Panic & the Illusion of Presence

Tuesday Apr 21, 2026

A missing leader. A nation in panic. A deception on a grand scale. In this episode, we explore The Kidnapped Prime Minister and discover how Poirot sees through urgency and assumption to uncover a truth hidden in plain sight.
https://buymeacoffee.com/alanna.sorrensen

Saturday Apr 18, 2026

45. S8E1 The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan: Glamour, Greed & the Discipline of Noticing

Saturday Apr 18, 2026

A stolen necklace. A convincing imitation. A truth easily misread. In this episode, we explore The Jewel Robbery at the Grand Metropolitan and discover how Poirot looks beyond appearance to uncover what is real — and what only seems to be.
https://buymeacoffee.com/alanna.sorrensen

Monday Apr 13, 2026

44. S7E6 The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb: Fear, Superstition and the Stories We Believe

Monday Apr 13, 2026

A series of deaths. A whispered curse. A fear that spreads. In this episode, we explore The Adventure of the Egyptian Tomb and discover how Poirot looks beyond superstition to uncover the truth hidden beneath fear. Spoilers included!

Friday Apr 10, 2026

43. S7E5 The Million Dollar Bond Robberty: Trust, Deception & the Limits of Systems

Friday Apr 10, 2026

A missing fortune. An impossible theft. A system quietly deceived. In this episode, we explore The Million Dollar Bond Robbery and discover how Poirot looks beyond procedure and assumption to uncover a truth hidden in plain sight. Spoilers included!

Tuesday Apr 07, 2026

42. S7E4 The Mystery of Hunters Lodge: Justice, Distance and the Limits of Proof

Tuesday Apr 07, 2026

A remote lodge. A carefully constructed illusion. A truth that cannot be proven. In this episode, we explore The Mystery of Hunter’s Lodge and discover how Poirot sees beyond appearances — and what it means when truth is known, but justice cannot follow. Spoilers included!

Saturday Apr 04, 2026

41. S7E3 The Adventure of the Cheap Flat: Identity, Disguise & the Ordinary as Cover

Saturday Apr 04, 2026

A cheap flat. A common name. A dangerous deception. In this episode, we explore The Adventure of the Cheap Flat and discover how Poirot sees beyond the ordinary to uncover what is hidden in plain sight. Spoilers included!