The American characters in Christie"s original work are invariably mistrusted by the British contingent of characters and/or depicted as obnoxious – as in Death on the Nile where wealthy socialite Marie Van Schuyler is said to have the "expression of reptilian contempt for the majority of mankind". Another group of people that are often treated derisively in her work are Italians –  in Murder on the Orient Express, they are stereotyped as being "hot-headed" and "liars" who are unable to be cunning murderers.