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The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Book 1 in the series:Hercule Poirot

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'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' by Agatha Christie is the debut novel that introduces the famous detective Hercule Poirot. Set in an upper-class household called Styles Court, the story revolves around Mrs. Inglethorpe's murder, leading to multiple family members becoming suspects. With a plot full of clues, suspicious characters, and unexpected twists, Poirot, along with his friend Hastings, works in his typical quirky style to solve the mystery. The narrative is engaging and presents a classic murder mystery scenario with red herrings and misdirection, keeping the readers guessing until the very end.

Agatha Christie's writing in 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles' is praised for its clever plotting, well-crafted narrative pace, and the introduction of Hercule Poirot as a memorable and intricate character. showcases the establishment of the relationship between Poirot and Hastings, setting the foundation for their future adventures. Despite some critiques on the character development and dated elements, the novel is seen as a delightful and entertaining read, especially for those who enjoy cozy mysteries with a puzzling plot and a satisfying conclusion.

Characters:

Characters are vividly drawn, with Poirot's intelligence and quirks standing out, while Hastings' naivety creates a humorous dynamic.

Writing/Prose:

The prose is approachable and imbued with wit, enhancing the charm of the characters while maintaining an effortless flow.

Plot/Storyline:

The story revolves around the murder of a wealthy heiress in a locked room, with Hercule Poirot and Captain Hastings delving into the intricate plot filled with twists and false leads.

Setting:

The setting captures the essence of early 20th-century England, intertwined with the effects of World War I on social dynamics.

Pacing:

The pacing is maintained well throughout, with a steady rhythm that enhances suspense leading to an impactful conclusion.
In An Autobiography, written toward the end of her life, Agatha Christie gives an account of the genesis of The Mysterious Affair at Styles, her first published novel written some fifty years earlier....

Notes:

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is Agatha Christie's first published novel.
It introduces the famous detective Hercule Poirot.
The book was written in 1916 and published in 1920.
Captain Hastings narrates the story, providing a comic perspective.
Poirot is depicted as a quirky yet brilliant detective.
The novel involves a classic locked-room mystery where the victim is poisoned.
The story unfolds through a plethora of suspects with various motives.
Christie includes a humorous relationship between Hastings and Poirot.
The plot introduces innovative storytelling techniques for its time.
The Great Reveal trope at the end has become a standard in detective fiction.
Christie was in her twenties when she wrote this book during World War I.
The book explores themes of class and English society during the war.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings for The Mysterious Affair at Styles include themes of murder and poisoning, which may not be suitable for all readers.

From The Publisher:

Christie's first published novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is notable for introducing many of the character types, plot twists, and red herrings that would become commonplace during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Set in a remote country manor with a small handful of suspects, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the quintessential detective story and remains one of the most significant literary works in the mystery genre.

Ratings (112)

Incredible (19)
Loved It (49)
Liked It (31)
It Was OK (11)
Did Not Like (2)

Reader Stats (179):

Read It (118)
Currently Reading (2)
Want To Read (42)
Not Interested (17)

4 comment(s)

Incredible
3 months

First book in Poirot Series, and it just kicked my instincts and I am getting "little ideas". :P

I have decided to read Poirot series in the sequence and I loved the first one.

Mrs. Emily Inglethorp, a wealthy old lady is dead in mysterious circumstances and there are a hell lot of people around who are suspects. We meet Mr. Poirot and Hastings for the first time and get to the bottom of the mystery :)

I don't want to describe more, so that after few years I may read it again and I dont want to know the killer :)

 
Loved It
6 months

Poirot was an extraordinary-looking little man. He was hardly more than five feet four inches, but carried himself with great dignity. His head was exactly the shape of an egg, and he always perched it a little on one side. His moustache was very stiff and military. The neatness of his attire was almost incredible; I believe a speck of dust would have caused him more pain than a bullet wound. Yet this quaint dandified little man who, I was sorry to see, now limped badly, had been in his time one of the most celebrated members of the Belgian police. As a detective, his flair had been extraordinary, and he had achieved triumphs by unravelling some of the most baffling cases of the day.

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot 3-Book Collection 1: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder on the Links, Poirot Investigates (Kindle Locations 308-313). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

I love Hercule Poirot. Such a great detective. Such a character. There's always a great mystery with lots of twists and turns and red herrings, all of which keep me riveted. The characters are interesting and have complex motives for their actions. That said, not a huge fan of Hastings. He's too busy being on his high horse to be likable. I've read many Agatha Christie books before but not all and not in order so I'm in the process of commencing a reread. Highly recommend to crime lovers.

In The Mysterious Affair at Styles we are introduced to our narrator, Captain Arthur Hastings who is on leave from the army and runs into an old friend, John Cavendish. He gets invited to stay with them and not long after his arrival the friend's mother (stepmother actually but referred to mainly as mother) is murdered and it becomes a whodunnit. Poirot is in town so when the doctors imply that Emily Inglethorpe has been poisoned, Hastings suggests Poirot be fetched.

Much like Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, all of our information regarding the crime and Hercule Poirot himself is filtered through our narrator, Captain Arthur Hastings. Although Hastings tries to be objective and unbiased, he tends to be influenced by his own ego and supposed prowess as a detective. He's also pretty quick to be offended by perceived slights and is often frustrated by his own lack of understanding. Although Hastings admires Poirot, he seems to fall down a lot in their friendship - often disregarding Poirot's thoughts and theories and feeling joy when it appears he's failed.

I came across a man in Belgium once, a very famous detective, and he quite inflamed me. He was a marvellous little fellow. He used to say that all good detective work was a mere matter of method. My system is based on his— though of course I have progressed rather further. He was a funny little man, a great dandy, but wonderfully clever.’

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot 3-Book Collection 1: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder on the Links, Poirot Investigates (Kindle Locations 154-157). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Poirot is an understanding friend although can be passionate in both happiness, excitement and anger. He prefers method and order to chaos and gets worked up when he doesn't settle his thoughts first. That said, he is not a particularly action based detective. Although he wouldn't disregard physical evidence (footprints, blood, etc) he also doesn't go out of his way to look for it - preferring to puzzle through the crime in his head and tease out the psychological elements.

‘The true work, it is done from within. The little grey cells— remember always the little grey cells, mon ami.’

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot 3-Book Collection 1: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder on the Links, Poirot Investigates (Kindle Locations 2957-2959). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

I enjoyed the case, even if Hastings annoys me.

Frankly the hint of romance between him and Mary Cavendish disturbed me. Because Mary is married. To his friend. That's he's staying with. Like seriously? I was amused by Poirot manipulating him because he's a bad liar.

And this doesn't really have anything to do with...well anything really - it just made me laugh.

‘Oh, you,’ I replied hastily.

Christie, Agatha. Hercule Poirot 3-Book Collection 1: The Mysterious Affair at Styles, The Murder on the Links, Poirot Investigates (Kindle Location 586). HarperCollins Publishers. Kindle Edition.

Hastings replied hastily. Hehe.

 
Loved It
7 months

The famous first detective book by Agatha Christie. And indeed the story is excellent and has established what we know as Christie's style. A murder almost in a closed room and a small group of suspects (mostly the family of the deceased), each of whom could have committed the crime, and at the same time it is unthinkable that any of them would do so.

The crime itself is also very interesting. The initial situation is unusual - the stepmother inherited all the property after her husband's death, and her stepsons live by her grace. Plus, Emily has just married a younger man whom her family hates. This is a very good and thoughtful introduction to this story.

Of course, as always with Christie, there are many pre-death events that may or may not be related to Emily's poisoning. If she was poisoned at all. The scene is completed with the expressive personalities of the various characters, although perhaps not quite as expressive as in some of Christie's later books. And among them, of course, Poirot, because it is here that we meet him for the first time.

Here, too, Poirot delivers his closing speech for the first time, in which he gathers a group of all suspects to explain his reasoning and identify the murderer. And it must be admitted that the ending is very good and very satisfying. And quite surprising.

Scenes from the trial are an interesting addition, which appear much less frequently in later books. While you can already see the symmetry in writing that will be so characteristic of many of Christie's books - in both trials, the witnesses testify in the same order.

It is a very good story and told really well. It probably won't become my favorite Agatha Christie story, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who hasn't read it yet.

 
Loved It
1 year

This was an interesting read and has a fabulous setting at a country estate. Lots of interesting characters. Love Poirot and his quirky ways.

 

About the Author:

Born in Torquay in 1890, Agatha Christie became, and remains, the best-selling novelist of all time. She is best known for her 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, as well as the world's longest-running play - The Mousetrap. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and a billion in translation.

 
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