The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot series Book 1) by Agatha Christie

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The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Hercule Poirot series Book 1)

Agatha Christie

July 13, 2012 / 244 pages / Fiction

The Mysterious Affair at Styles, published in 1920, marked the beginning of Agatha Christie's most memorable detective--Hercule Poirot, his friendship with Hastings, and Detective Inspector Japp from Scotland Yard.

The story took place in a British country manor, Styles Court (which also hosted Poirot's last mystery). A wealthy old mistress was poisoned to death, and anyone, including her newly-married husband, her stepsons, her daughter-in-law, the young protegee, and the mysterious doctor, could be the murderer.

The edition is carefully prepared and particularly formatted for Amazon Kindle devices. It also includes all five figures missing from the default Kindle edition. Finally, French and Latin words are translated in Notes for the reader's convenience.

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This is the first Agatha Christie book I've read and what better place to start than her first published book and the first Hercule Poirot book. I never knew what to expect from her books but I've been pleasantly surprised. Many would say that the writing style is very old fashioned but what is one to expect from a novel that is almost 100 years old. This is an easy read, told in the first person from the point of view of Hastings and is a nice introduction to the author and characters.

Grade: B / Balthazar / Apr 7, 2018

I've been told that Agatha Christie is an awesome writer and she is overall celebrated a lot. But her first book I found really confusing. At the end I found the solution unbelievable and unsatisfactory. Poirot couldn't have possible known that, come on... I'll read more to check if her later book are better, but this was hard to follow and weird... But I did like the characters and the old fashioned writing style!

Grade: C– / IljaRianca / Nov 13, 2018

I like Christie's style, and I liked the characters. She's an expert at introducing a sizable cast that you can actually follow. Unlike the first book I read by her, Cat Among the Pigeons, I actually tried guessing the murderer this time. Spoilerish? I disliked how Poirot would "notice" a clue, but there'd be no hint of what that clue was until much later, though perhaps this is just a trope of the genre. The ultimate reveal of the murderer felt like a let down after all the bait-and-switc

Grade: C / Meribiaa / Apr 3, 2021

This is the first book in Christie's Poirot series, and the second one I've read. (first was Murder on the Orient Express, great book) We open with the narrator, Mr. Hastings, going to visit his friend John Cavendish at his stepmother's estate. She has recently gotten remarried to a much younger man named Alfred Inglethorp, and none of her family members like him and believe he is just using her for her money. One night, Mrs. Inglethorp is found dead; presumably killed by poison. Oh, and Poirot

Grade: C / midnightviolet / Sep 2, 2021

Not gonna lie, I didn’t follow all the twists and turns. When I was in middle school I loved Agatha Christie but it’s been a minute. The wealthy woman of the house is murdered and legendary detective Hercule Poirot has to come solve a v convoluted mystery. I listened to Phoebe Judge read this on the podcast “Phoebe Reads a Mystery.” I think that may explain why I couldn’t really follow it. Still fun!

Grade: C / staceen

/ Apr 10, 2022