The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Written by Agatha Christie

Narrated by Jeff Woodman

A literary icon of the highest order, Dame Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist of all time, according to the Guinness Book of World Records. Her debut novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, introduces Belgian sleuth Hercule Poirot. Here, his deductive skills are put to the ultimate test when the wealthy Emily Inglethorpe is poisoned. But the question is: Who among the numerous suspects could have entered and escaped the victim's locked bedroom to commit the crime?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Recorded Books, Inc.
• Release date: Oct 19, 2012
• ISBN: 9781470327729

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is the most widely published author of all time, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. Her books have sold more than a billion copies in English and another billion in a hundred foreign languages. She died in 1976, after a prolific career spanning six decades.

Reviews for The Mysterious Affair at Styles

[dbsovereign · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Christie's first and it stars Hercule Poirot with narration by Hastings. Poirot hasn't gotten as irritating as he becomes in later novels. If I tell you to "follow the money," I won't be helping you too much - since just about everyone is after the murdered woman's money.

[Carmina Opada · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Another amazing, fast-paced Christie mystery with a great twist. It’s a great introduction to HP and his tandem with Hastings. In awe of her writing skill always. What I enjoy about Christie’s novels is thag they are straight to the point and don’t waste too much time setting the scene unless they are relevant or will be relevant in the big reveal. Cannot get enough of her works!

[Tyra Barrett · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Characters were charming, and the twists and turns of the story kept me guessing and rethinking in every single chapter!

[Helen Sloane · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

At 91 yrs old, I thought there were too many characters to follow. Otherwise, narration was easy listening.

[therebelprince · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

In which a lieutenant, an inspector and a Belgian emigré solve murder during the War.

Let the flaying begin. Well, actually, don’t. Coming 39th on the Agatha Christie rankings isn’t that bad. "Styles" is a seminal novel in 20th century detective fiction: Christie’s first published work, and Hercule Poirot’s first appearance in literature, as well as the introduction of then-Lieutenant Arthur Hastings, and Inspector Japp. Poirot’s methodology is relayed to us by Hastings in a manner very similar to Watson’s introduction of Sherlock Holmes in "A Study in Scarlet". This novel, I rush to point out, is a damn sight better than Holmes’ introductory one, with Poirot emerging almost fully formed, and the country house of Styles a suitably atmospheric host for murder.

The David Suchet adaptation – coming very early on before the series had established a darker visual style – is satisfactory, largely due to Suchet’s ability to create a younger, more ‘foreign’ Poirot. But it doesn’t have the raw power of the later adaptations in the series.

I do have to be honest, though, and confess this is not one of my favourite Poirots. Christie hadn’t yet ironed out her style yet (she had another sixty years of writing to go, so I’ll cut her some slack), and – aside from Poirot – none of the characters really jump off the page. Still, this is an impressively easy read, and all fans should check out where Poirot began his British career (in the same place he would end it sixty years later). If you’re new to the series, keep in mind that Christie will – with experience – challenge her own style in the years to come.

Poirot ranking: 24th out of 38

[barbara · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The best version of this audiobook is free! Search for the podcast, “phoebe reads a mystery.” She’s got a great reading voice!

[bogopea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Timeless. First in Christie's series of Hercule Poirot and loved it.

[slmr4242 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A fun read...Poirot is delightful.

[Monique Regala · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Quaint little mystery that introduced the beloved Poirot to the world.

[Seema Afridi · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A great detective novel by the finest in this genre.

[ameise1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Normally I love the ease of Christie's thrillers. This, however, was very long-winded. Somehow missing a fast-paced tension. Although I'm a fan of Poirot's little gray cells and I love his charming Belgian way to solve a murder mystery, he convinced me not in this book.

[booksfordinner · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Another of the great early Christie offerings.

[mrsrk-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was curious to read Agatha Christie’s first Poirot novel, which was published in 1920. And I was not disappointed. Midway through the book I was surprised to remember that this was one of her first novels… I think Mrs. Christie was born a writer: there is nothing in this book that betrays the novice. She worked as a dispenser in a hospital during WWI, hence, I believe, her knowledge of poisons and the presence of the young nurse’s character in the book. Here you will find the first description of Hercule Poirot, the “little man” with a gigantic intellect and an even larger (if possible!) ego. Inspector James Japp is also first presented to the reader, “a little sharp, dark, ferret-faced man”—physically different from Philip Jackson of the Agatha Christie’s Poirot series, Japp also does not present any of the irritating and almost unintelligible cockney accent the Jackson of the movies sported. Most definitely this is a must read for any Agatha Christie fan.

[Artemisia Absynthii · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

There's no need to review this outstanding novel itself - who doesn't know it by know? But the audiobook is excellent and listening to the reading voice of the narrator was pure delight.

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first of Christie’s books featuring Hercule Poirot. The plot is about a family living in a country home, with guests invited - including the narrator, Hastings.

A murder happens, and nearly all the household come under suspicion for various good reasons. It’s really a very clever plot; even as the clues gradually unravelled I could not recall who the murderer was, despite having read the book about thirteen years previously, and I was taken in by several red herrings, even while realising that the narrator must inevitably be on the wrong track, one way or another.

When the perpetrator was finally revealed, it all made sense, and the clues fell into place perfectly; Agatha Christie was brilliant at plotting, filling in all the details and leading her readers astray without ever making them feel cheated.

While the characterisation isn’t great - it’s my one gripe about this author - I did appreciate good writing and tight plotting, a pleasant contrast to some of the more contemporary books I have been reading recently.

[Eva Matijevic · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is amazing from start to end. Characters and plot are well written, and (for the first time) the narrator did a fairly good job. Make sure you read this book, you won't regret it.

[hanneri_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was a fun quick read. This book is Agatha Christie’s first published novel and the first to feature the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Beloved by many for being a completely pompous prig, this character launched Christie’s career and ultimately resulted in her books being the most widely read in history selling millions of copies. This author, perhaps being outsold only by Shakespeare or the Bible, has to have been doing something right. In this debut novel, we cover some familiar territory. A rich old woman, living in an English Mansion, has been murdered. We have a body, a murder weapon, some strange clues, and a well experienced detective that already has it all figured out. So sit back on that cozy couch, sip some hot coffee, and read The Mysterious Affair at Styles. What more could you love?

[bookconcierge · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Audio book narrated by Penelope Delaporta3*** / 1.5* narrationThis is Agatha Christie’s debut mystery, in which she introduces the famous Hercule Poirot. It’s a traditional “locked room” mystery.Mrs. Inglethorpe is stricken in the early morning hours with horrific convulsions, clearly the result of strychnine poisoning. But who poisoned her and how was it done. She was alone in her room with all three doors leading into the room bolted from the inside. There is no shortage of suspects: her second husband (a much younger man everyone seems to dislike), her two step sons (who stand to inherit upon her death), her step-daughter-in-law, her young ward (a nurse in the local hospital, specializing in pharmaceutical compounds), even the mysterious doctor who just happens to be passing by, full dressed, at 4:30 a.m. on the morning she is stricken (and who pronounces her dead). And there are plenty of clues – including no less than 3 different supplies of strychnine, a fake beard, a fragment of a will found in the fireplace ashes, a crushed coffee cup, and mysterious crystals left on the tray holding the cocoa. The time frame is during WW I … so there are issues of rationing and espionage to contend with, which makes the story a bit dated. And, it’s also more slowly paced than contemporary mysteries, but you cannot fault Christie’s skill at plotting the set-up. Delaporta’s narration is not very good. Her voice is high (though the narrator of the story is a man), and her efforts at Poirot’s Belgian accent became annoying pretty quickly. But the story itself kept me listening.

[funstm · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[jenniferrobb · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Despite Agatha Christie's literary reputation, I've read very few of her works. My mom had a number of books by Agatha Christie and so I have decided to read them before she decides if she's keeping them or not. I had to consult a website to see what order the books came and this one was listed as first in the Hercule Poirot writings--so it is where I started.I did like that clues were presented to the reader (unlike many current mysteries where the perpetrator seemingly comes out of the woodwork with no real clues provided that might make the reader suspect him or her). Much like Hastings, I did not follow Poirot's thinking/deductions. I did suspect from the onset that one character had been drugged or had taken something to help her sleep. So perhaps that is something.

[sriddell_8 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I love Hercule Poirot, and I think David Suchet's long-running portrayal of the Belgian detective is perfect.

The books are harder to read than the TV and movie renditions. Definitely written for an earlier era, with a little too much "tell" instead of "show" in my opinion. I definitely prefer thrillers to pure mysteries.

[forsanolim · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Emily Inglethorp dies in the middle of the night, poisoned by strychnine, and there is no shortage of suspects: her new second husband, her sons from her first marriage, a strangely insomniac doctor, her daughter-in-law, a nurse...This was my first Hercule Poirot mystery, and I had a fun time with it. I enjoyed the twists, and it was a fun, quick read.

[nordie_2 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Read on my e-reader, which is fine and dandy, except there are illustrations that dont necessarily make it into the ebook itself - either the proofreaders dont translate the images over, or they dont render in the reader.

This is the first time we meet Poirot who has retired from the Belgian police force, and is living in the UK during WWI. His age isnt given, but he seems to be older than the 30 year old "Mr" Hastings, who has been returned home from the front on sick leave.

Hastings spends his sick leave with old friends, only to find the stepmother remarried to a man no one likes, and subsequently dying several days after Hasting's arrival from apparent poisoning. Poirot is living nearby and is soon investigating. Lots of twists and turns, the usual "calling everyone together" at the end, and Poirot thinking he's giving us all the clues to work it out for ourselves

[luminous4path · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Felt a little cold. I don't feel like I get to know the suspects very well beyond broad strokes.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The first Poirot novel.Narrated by Hastings. Very well done full of twist and turns. Just when I thought I knew who did it something new comes out. Hasting gets things wrong of course.

[usuallee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Enjoyable puzzle.

[jamestomasino · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was my first Agatha Christie novel and what a wonderful read it was. Ms Christie's firm command of her characters was clear even in this early work. Their hopes, fears and secrets were all plotted carefully and executed magnificently. While the ancillary actors may have not displayed much growth in this novel, it was clear that type of writing was firmly in her skill-set by the subtle method used on her narrator. Enough can't be said about the life she breathes into her characters--no small achievement with them being so damned British.

If her characters popped, then her twisted plots soared. Every twist aimed toward another possible suspect, sometimes two. She had no fear at insinuating guilt in the most innocent of characters, either. I'll admit freely that she tricked me thoroughly, and by the end I was as surprised as the narrator to learn the truth. What a marvelous thing to find in a work from 1920 that a modern reader can still find himself lost in her world and unable to deduce the secrets before they are finally revealed. It was no matter of author trickery, either. I will say this, the facts were all present. If I were capable of the feats of logic and patience of Hercule Poirot, I too would have solved the crime.

I will certainly be continuing on with these books!

[vesper1931 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

During the Great War Inspector Hercule Poirot, a Belgian refugee, has settled in Essex, near the home of his friend Mrs Emily Inglethorp. But soon she has been killed and he investigates, with the help of his friend Captain Hastings. Though soon Detective Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard arrives on the scene.
Red herrings abound in this first Poirot story, an enjoyable mystery.
First published in 1920

[shankarmony-969641 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Written on a dare. The very first appearance of Poirot. And, after all these years, still pretty darn good.

[narilka · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Ahh, Agatha Christie's debut novel and Hercule Poirot's first appearance! Lieutenant Hastings tells the story of what happened at a country estate near Styles, were a wealthy heiress is poisoned and local authorities are baffled. Hercule Poirot is on the case.Since I've been reading the Poirot books out of order I can see how Christie will grow as an author and how she's fleshed Poirot out as a character in future novels. The mystery is rather convoluted which everyone's favorite eccentric Belgian solves it after making many deductive leaps that are shared in a big reveal at the end. I listened to the audio book narrated by Richard Armitage. It took me a few minutes to adjust to a new voice for Poirot having listened to Kenneth Branagh's narration fairly recently. Once I made the switch, Armitage was a joy to listen to. This is currently available on Audible Plus and free for Audible members.