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The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1916)

by Agatha Christie

Other authors: See the other authors section.

Series: Hercule Poirot (1)

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8,883285912 (3.75)572
Classic Literature. Fiction. Mystery. HTML:

Who doesn't love a good mystery novel? Curl up with The Mysterious Affair at Styles, a tale from the pen of Agatha Christie, a writer who is regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the masters of the form. This classic manor-house mystery introduces Christie's much beloved character, the detective Hercule Poirot.

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» See also 572 mentions

English (268)  Spanish (4)  Italian (3)  Portuguese (Brazil) (2)  German (2)  Portuguese (Portugal) (2)  Catalan (1)  Danish (1)  Swedish (1)  All languages (284)
Showing 1-5 of 268 (next | show all)
My first Agatha Christie read will forever hold a special place on my library shelves. The Chiltern Classics are the beautiful books from which all booklovers receive immense pleasure. ( )
  LindsayKinney | Feb 27, 2024 |
I read this book after just recently rewatching the David Suchet Poirot movie based upon it. This was Agatha Christie's first book, and it features the Belgian refugee Hercule Poirot as he solves the murder of a wealthy older woman whose family vie for her estate. The mystery is good. This is a case where the TV version not only does justice to the book, but clarifies many points of deduction. Be aware that Christie does utilize racial stereotypes of her time period, as she does across many of her works. ( )
  ladycato | Feb 13, 2024 |
At times tedious...one needs to stay very attentive to every detail. ( )
  KKBucher | Feb 13, 2024 |
I am following the Agatha Christie reading list for 2024, and this was the January book. I had read this many years ago, and it was memorable as it was the first Hercule Poirot book. This time I listened to it on audio, and I enjoyed that medium very much. This is the first book and also one of the best locked-room books from the Golden Era of detective writing, of which Ms. Christie was definitely the queen. My enjoyment of the book had not changed in all these years, and It had not perceptibly aged in my opinion. In true Agatha Christie style, the mystery is extremely tricky, and there are loads of red herrings that make the reader re-think who 'dunit.' I did remember the murderer but that did not change my enjoyment of the book. In fact, I think it heightened it because I could take the time to notice the craftsmanship of Ms. Christie's mysteries. She was the best that's ever been, and that was made clear to me after listening to this book. I'm looking forward to reading the other eleven books on the reading list. ( )
  Romonko | Jan 24, 2024 |
Excellent! Loved it. ( )
  LuLibro | Jan 22, 2024 |
Showing 1-5 of 268 (next | show all)

» Add other authors (46 possible)

Author nameRoleType of authorWork?Status
Christie, Agathaprimary authorall editionsconfirmed
Curran, JohnIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Dellaporta, PenelopeNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Fonticoli, DianaTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Fraser, HughNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
George, ElizabethIntroductionsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Judge, PhoebeNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Keilhau, WollertTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lee, WillCover designersecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Lehtonen, PaavoTranslatorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Suchet, DavidNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Symons, JulianForewordsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed
Woodman, JeffNarratorsecondary authorsome editionsconfirmed

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The intense interest aroused in the public by what was known at the time as "The Styles Case" has now somewhat subsided.
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Classic Literature. Fiction. Mystery. HTML:

Who doesn't love a good mystery novel? Curl up with The Mysterious Affair at Styles, a tale from the pen of Agatha Christie, a writer who is regarded by critics and fans alike as one of the masters of the form. This classic manor-house mystery introduces Christie's much beloved character, the detective Hercule Poirot.

.

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Book description
Set in the summer of 1917 in an Essex country estate, the story follows the war-wounded Captain Arthur Hastings to the Styles St. Mary manor of his friend John Cavendish. The Cavendish household is wrought with tension due to the marriage of John's widowed old aunt Emily, she of a sizeable fortune, to a suspicious younger man, Alfred Inglethorp, twenty years her junior. Emily's two stepsons, John and Lawrence Cavendish, as well as John's wife Mary and several other people, also live at Styles. Late one night, the residents of Styles wake to find Emily Inglethorp dying. When Emily's sudden heart attack is found to be attributable to strychnine, Hastings, who had runs into his old friend, the Belgian Hercule Poirot, he recruits him to aid in the local investigation. With impeccable timing, Hercule Poirot, the insightful retired detective, makes his dramatic entrance to solve a most baffling case.

Who poisoned the wealthy Emily Inglethorpe, and how did the murderer penetrate and escape from her locked bedroom? Suspects abound in the quaint village of Styles St. Mary--from the heiress's fawning new husband to her two stepsons, her volatile housekeeper, and a pretty nurse who works in a hospital dispensary. On the day she was killed, Emily Inglethorp was overheard arguing with someone, most likely her husband, Alfred, or her stepson, John. Afterwards, she seemed quite distressed and, apparently, made a new will--which no one can find. Nobody can explain how or when the strychnine was administered to Mrs. Inglethorp. High on Poirot's list of suspects are: John Cavendish, the elder stepson; Mary Cavendish, his wife; Lawrence Cavendish, the younger stepson; Evelyn Howard, Mrs. Inglethorpe's companion; Cynthia Murdoch, her protegee; and Dr. Bauerstein, a mysterious stranger who lives in Essex. All have motive and opportunity but only Poirot can discover the truth.
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Tantor Media

2 editions of this book were published by Tantor Media.

Editions: 1400102715, 1400109191

Recorded Books

An edition of this book was published by Recorded Books.

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BHC Press

An edition of this book was published by BHC Press.

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