The Mysterious Affair at Styles: With linked Table of Contents

By Agatha Christie

This is the book that introduced the world to Hercule Poirot. This intricate novel revolutionized the mystery form and helped launch Agatha Christie's illustrious career.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Wilder Publications
• Release date: Nov 7, 2014
• ISBN: 9781633845343

Agatha Christie

Agatha Christie is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in English with another billion in over 70 foreign languages. She is the most widely published author of all time and in any language, outsold only by the Bible and Shakespeare. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 20 plays, and six novels written under the name of Mary Westmacott.

Reviews for The Mysterious Affair at Styles

[dh1writer · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Agatha Christie's first Poirot mystery. What else is there to say?

[humouress · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Apparently, Agatha Christie - who had never written a book before - wrote this book in response to a complaint that there were no crime novels where all the facts were known to the reader, as well as the detective, before the denouement which weren't solvable in the first few chapters. This is the book, narrated by Hastings, that introduces us to Hercule Poirot.Hastings has been invalided out of the war, and while convalescing, is invited back to Styles, the country home of an old acquaintance, John Cavendish. While there, a crime occurs, and on wishing out loud that a great detective he met in Europe was here to help them, Hastings discovers that Poirot is, in fact, living in the nearby village, as a Belgian refugee from the war. And so Poirot gets involved in the case, and finally brings the criminal to justice.I've read many books by Christie in the past, but I can't remember if I've read this one before. So earnest was I (previously) in reading the clues to solve the crime (which I never did) that I hadn't realised before that Christie is quite funny; written at the same period as P.G. Wodehouse was writing, while not being as uproariously funny, it has a similar sense of humour.Poirot (speaking of the criminal) : "... We must be so intelligent that he does not suspect us of being intelligent at all."I acquiesced."There, mon ami, you will be of great assistance to me."I was pleased with the compliment. There had been times when I hardly thought that Poirot appreciated me at my true worth."Yes," he continued, staring at me thoughtfully, "you will be invaluable."This was naturally gratifying, ...Poor old Hastings would like to think of himself as the romantic lead, or at least the great detective (since he often thinks that Poirot is no longer on his game), but is usually seen by the other cast members as a sympathetic shoulder to lean on.Christie (and occasionally Poirot) misdirects us gaily until the last moment, when Poirot explains all. There are, of course, the odd coincidence, and a few instances of great good luck. I might have docked stars for my not being able to solve the crime (*sour grapes*), but I'll give them back for the unexpected humour. And the hint of romance doesn't hurt; there's nothing so sweet as requited love.I must say that, while reading Poirot's dialogue, I kept thinking of David Suchet playing the part (though admittedly his eyes aren't green). Kudos to him for getting the part down.

[addunn3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A poisoning at Styles brings in the clueless Cpt. Hastings and HP to solve the murder.

[tomdonaghey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Mysterious Mr. Quin (1930) (Harley Quin) by Agatha Christie. This character, Harley Quin, is reported to have been Dame Agatha’s favorite as she only had to write about him when she wished to. Quin, along with his puppet, the good Mr. Satterthwaite, set out to right wrongs, solve vexing problems of the heart, and occasionally solve a murder.Satterthwaite is in his sixties, an English gentleman who has no wish for sport or romance or business. He is from that class of people Christie liked to populate her books with, the idle rich who know everyone of importance and in hand, are known to all, and beloved by them in return. He has an interest in people and they seem to trust and open up to this benign older gent. But it is Mr. Quin who is the driving force here. He appears and disappears like a spector, arriving in a time of need, appearing to Mr. Satterthwaite when there is a problem, merely talking with the kind gentleman, asking questions that Mr. Satterthwaite is surprised to find he knows the answers to, and helping the latter solve the puzzle.This book contains an even dozen tales of the pair, each a tie plum of deliciousness ready to be devoted. Help yourself.

[carl_alves_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Although this novel is a Hurcule Poirot, it is told through the viewpoint of a friend of Poirot, Mr. Hastings. The viewpoint character is effective, since he basically has no detective instincts whatsoever, therefore not giving away what Poirot is thinking, which would ruin the mystery. The novel starts off with the death of Emily Cavendish. There are a handful of characters who are in the house at the time, and like with most good mysteries, there are various clues lying about. Half the time, I felt like Hastings, not being able to figure out who did what and always playing catch up with Poirot. About two thirds of the way through, I had a guess as to who committed the murder, and it turns out I was half right.I like Christie’s story telling style, but there were some problematic elements of the way the story unfolded, and a couple of elements that defied logic. Poirot comes off as enigmatic and charming. Because of the gap in time from when the story was written until now, some of the aspects of the plot were a bit hard to grasp, but for the most part the plot was strong, and the reveal was logical. This was a strong mystery novel that I would recommend.Carl Alves – author of Conjesero

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Very enjoyable debut of both Christie and Poirot.

[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

[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.

[bogopea · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[hopeevey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have loved Agatha Christie's mysteries for as long as I can remember. It's good to know that her books were excellent from the beginning. The Mysterious Affair at Styles was her first published work.

If you use the Wake County public library, you can borrow this recording from the Download library - I've just returned it :) The narration was excellent, the story and the characters delightful.

[chellebearss · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first time I have picked up an Agatha Christie novel and I'm wondering what took me so long?!This was her debut novel introducing Hercule Poirot and it was a great read. It had all the characteristics of a good murder mystery and I especially enjoyed that Hercule gave the reader all the same clues that he had and left it up to the reader to figure out, if they can. I thought I had it figured out and then they threw me for a loop! I will check out more from this series!

[carmenmilligan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I have to start by pointing out that this was written in 1920, and that is worth at least 1/2 look in itself. This is the first story of many for Hercule Poirot, and that is worth another 1/2 look. With that said, the superb writing of this one pulled it from 2 looks to 3 looks, in my opinion.


This is the second Agatha Christie book I have read. I can't believe I have gone through 46 years of life, and 40 of reading, where I have read only two Christie books. The first, And Then There Were None, was superb in every way. It was suspenseful, intriguing, thrilling and kept me guessing until the very end. Wonderful!


Mysterious Affair was extremely well written, but I got so bogged down at the ending explanation of the murder, my head was fairly spinning. I just felt that it didn't have to be so ... complicated. It really served to put a negative spin on the rest of the book. Writing = 4 looks, overall story and resolution = 2 looks, average is 3 looks.


Some of my favorites:
It struck me that he might look natural on a stage, but was strangely out of place in real life.
From the very first I took a firm and rooted dislike to him, and I flatter myself that my first judgments are usually fairly shrewd.
A "man of method" was, in Poirot's estimation, the highest praise that could be bestowed on any individual.
You gave too much rein to your imagination. Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.

[clue_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book in the Poirot series, written on a bet with Christie's sister Madge. It introduces the characters of Poirot, Arthur Hastings and Inspector Japp. Christie tries the elements that will become the foundation of her enormous success; a wealthy family, a mystery set at a country house, a non-violent murder, and a bit of romance. The mystery begins during WWI. Emily Inglethorpe has made a second marriage to a younger man. Her first husband left her a country house, money and two grown stepsons who also live at the estate, called Styles. Arthur Hastings is friends with one of them, John, and has gone to the country home to recover from a war injury. During Hastings' visit Emily Inglethorpe dies in a mysterious manner. Poirot happens to be a Belgian refugee staying in the nearby village, is known to Hastings and is brought to the country house to help solve the mystery.Of course this is not the best of the Poirots, characters will be furthered developed in subsequent novels. I liked it because it was the first, not because it was the best. The Styles estate will also become the setting for the last in the Poirot series.

[ssimon2000-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Classic closed-room murder mystery with a large number of suspects, twists to the narrative of each, and, of course, Belgian master-detective Hercule Poirot bring the mystery to a grand conclusion with all of the suspects in attendance, revealing all of the clues, however miniscule, that were in the story all along.

I listened to the Audible version of this book, narrated by David Thorn. Normally, I listen to Audible books at 2x speed, but Mr. Thorn's accents made it nearly impossible to follow, especially his Belgian accent when reading the lines of the detective, so I had to slow down the recording. Not sure I'll look for any other books narrated by him.

[leggimiqui · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Unsurpassed!

[jean_sexton-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I actually had to buy this book twice. The Kindle Chios/Perennial Press edition was missing the illustrations. The Kindle "Fully Restored Edition" included them and helped the mystery make sense. I thoroughly enjoyed this mystery. I thought it played fair with the reader. I loved Hercule Poirot. I cannot believe I hadn't read this before and have missed out on this classic series. I'm going to work others into my reading schedule (already overloaded!) for next year. If you enjoy classic mysteries, try this. If you've read it long ago, I think you might enjoy revisiting it.

[sasham-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

While I am not a huge fan of the character Poirot this is still an excellent little crime caper and more impressive that it was Christie's First published book. While I did think the plot was overly clever / complicated that is what you want in a who-dun-it, isn't it?

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the very first Agatha Christie novel, written and set during the First World War, though not published until 1921. It is also the first Hercule Poirot novel, with the famous Belgian detective being a refugee in England having fled the invasion and subjugation of his country by the Kaiser's army. He is first described as follows:"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."Even on his first appearance, he is regarded by several characters as an old eccentric who is already past his prime). Nevertheless, he of course sees through a tortuous set of clues to solve a murder, the final resolution of which seemed even more than usually convoluted and, frankly, absurdly risky from the murderer's point of view. The narrative did not feel particularly dated to me, unlike the last Christie novel I read, the Tommy and Tuppence novel The Secret Adversary, set in the 1920s. One interesting touch in this edition is the inclusion as an appendix of an alternative penultimate chapter where the plot threads are resolved, discovered in one of Christie's notebooks decades later; though the essential difference rests only in its taking place in a courtroom where Poirot is being cross-examined, rather than in the Styles House with the detective doing his standard presentation in the drawing room in front of all the principal actors.

[redfiona_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I know I said I was going to expand my reading horizons but when I find myself in times of trouble, Agatha Christie comforts me. I also owe the Gutenberg Project for putting it online.The Mysterious Affair At Styles is a solid book, and a good introduction to Poirot. What I find most interesting about it however is how much you can see Christie developing from it. It's got all the building blocks of your average Poirot, the country house, the summation in the drawing room, but it's lacking some of the small character bits that the later Christies have.

[banoczi_henrietta · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I liked this a little bit less than Murder on the Orient Express but it was still amazing. It's been a long time since I've enjoyed first-person narration so much and Hastings was a lovely narrator. The ending was once again unexpected and Poirot has successfully become one of my favourite characters of all time <3

[jimgysin_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This Poirot guy just might have a future in literature...

[foggidawn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

When a family matriarch is poisoned, Hercule Poirot must discover who committed the crime.Again, a reread for me (I think I've read Christie's entire bibliography, but I may have missed one or two, as I was not scientific about keeping track of my reading at the time). This is the first Poirot novel, told from the point of view of Hastings. I was struck, on this reread, with just how stupid Hastings is. This never bothered me originally, so I'm not sure if it's because I'm older than I was on my initial readings, or if it's because of the audiobook narration, or if that aspect of Hastings' character was softened in later books (I always liked Hastings, so I was surprised to be so impatient with him during this reading). This was read by a different narrator than my last two Christie books, and I did not like him at all -- partly because he gave Poirot such a strong accent that I had a hard time understanding what he was saying at times. Also, the denouement of this story seemed to take forever. All in all, though I love Christie, and Poirot particularly, I don't think I'd recommend this as a starting point.

[sianpr · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

First outing for Hercule Poirot narrated by Hastings, his side-kick. This has all the classic Christie characters with taut plotting but the unpalatable nature of class and race relations did not leave me wanting to pick up another Agatha Christie in a hurry.

[bcquinnsmom · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

First introduced in this novel in 1920, Hercule Poirot (who I can never picture as anyone but David Suchet anymore!!) is a retired Belgian detective who has settled in the English village of Styles St. Mary. Poirot is brought into the case because a woman who had done a great favor to a few of his fellow countrymen after WWI is killed. It is here that he rekindles his friendship with one Arthur Hastings, who will go on to become Poirot's number one sidekick friend as the later books appear. The death of Mrs. Emily Inglethorp brings out a number of possible suspects, but just as many alibis. Her death occurs while Arthur Hastings is visiting one of his old friends, John Cavendish, who is Emily's son. Poirot is called into this baffling case and soon finds himself in the thick of trying to sort out this complicated mystery.It is so much fun revisiting my books; I read this many years ago and I guess it's been long enough that I've totally forgotten both the crime and the murderer, so I've had a lot of fun with this one.If you're interested in reading the Hercule Poirot series, do yourself a favor and start with this one, the first in the series and take yourself through the books in order. Poirot is a magnificent character -- one of my favorite detectives of all time.I definitely recommend this book to anyone!

[mccin68 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first Hercule Poirot novel. A childhood friend of Hastings, John Cavendish, invites him to re-coup from a recent war injury at his step-mother's estate, Styles. The wealthy Mrs. Inglethorp is soon found murdered in her locked bedroom. Suspicion is thrown everwhere. An expected ending achieved in a crazy twist. I realized, in thumbing back through the book that the "clues" were present throughout the story but I still found the ending surprising.

[brokentune · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Christies first published book and is most notable for one thing: it is the first of the Poirot books and explains the background between the famous friendship between the Belgian detective and Captain Hasting.

Hastings is on medical leave in Essex during the First World War and by chance bumps into an old friend of his - Poirot. Poirot is a refugee and managed to settle near his friend, Emily Inglethorp, who owns Styles Court where Hastings is a guest.

Shortly after, Emily Inglethorp is found dead.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is one of the straight-forward mysteries of Christie's where it is a joy to guess alongside the characters and try and connect the clues to figure out the identity of the murderer.

The only problem I have with this one is that I don't find it memorable in any way other than the meeting between Hastings and Poirot.

[madamejeanie · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Mr. Hastings, our narrator, is visiting his old friend John Cavendish at his country estate called Styles when John's recently remarried step-mother, Mrs. Emily Inglethorpe, dies of strychnine poisoning inside a bedroom locked from the inside. Was the murderer her new husband, Alfred, who is greatly disliked and distrusted by the household? Or could it have been one of her step-sons, John or his lazy brother Lawrence? Perhaps John's wife Mary, or Emily's protogee, Cynthia? Hastings calls in another old friend, recently retired Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, to investigate.This is the first Hercule Poirot mystery and was elegantly plotted, masterfully written, and quite logical in method. A very entertaining book and a quick read. I do see, however, that I will likely need to keep pen and pad handy to take notes when reading Ms. Christie!

[katie_h_11 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Christie introduces her most famous character and one of literature's most loved detectives, Hercule Poirot, in classic Christie fashion. The murder mystery takes place in an upper class hosehold known as Styles Court. The mistress of the manor is Emily Inglethorpe, an elderly woman who has just married a much younger man. The many family members occupying the home become suspects when Mrs. Inglethorpe is murdered, and Poirot gets to work in what is later learned to be his typical quirky style. It is a fun adventure full of clues, suspicious characters, and theories, and it will keep you guessing until the very end.

[riverwillow · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is the first book Agatha Christie published and the one that introduced Hercule Poirot to the world. The story was inspired by her experiences working at the Torbay Dispensary during WWI and of all the criticisms that could be thrown at her stories, no one could accuse her of not knowing her poisons. This is especially true of this book where an understanding of how two chemical compounds interact is key to solving the murder. But this book uses two of Christie's key devices, misdirection and the assembling of all the suspects for the denouement. Wonderful

[lmichet_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I read this book because whenever I take it into my head to read a long series of books surrounding a central character I feel that it is my duty to begin with the earliest possible book. It is as if I am reading the biography of a person-- it would not do them justice to begin anywhere else but at the beginning. For this reason I waited almost five years to finish my readthrough of the Holmes novels in grade school simply because I could not find a copy of 'His Last Bow'-- a fact which deeply saddened me, because it is my opinion that Holmes is one of the greatest characters in western literature, ever. Period. He appealed to both the learned at the intellectual layman because he is simply a beautiful concept. If anyone from fiction deserves to have really lived, it is Holmes. But enough about that. Partly because my college's copy of 'His Last Bow' had gone missing, I decided to go to another of English literature's great detectives, Poirot, and again I began at the beginning. I wasn't terribly impressed by 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles.' It seemed a bit silly to me that the characters should so often talk about detective novels. If felt like we were constantly in danger of breaking the fourth wall. The thing about Holmes mysteries is that they are simultaneously character studies, great storytelling, and puzzles. We are interested in the secret of the story, but we will reread it once again for the pace and excitement of the tale, and we will read it a third time because by that point were are enfolded deep in the Holmes cult of personality which Watson is so eager to draw us into. That is the effect of the strange 'biography' bent which the voice of Watson brings us into-- he tells the story retrospectively and with great love for the title character, who is his one great lifelong friend. Conan Doyle's decision to tell the story this way is what, in the case of a very few of the stories, lifted them the plain-old popular detective story and into literature.Now, Poirot's story is similarly here secondhand, through the testimony of a friend, but a friend who is not so close to him. Furthermore, because our narrator is implicated in the disaster himself, his attention is less on the character of Poirot the detective and more on the solution, for which he waits as eagerly as any one of the suspected criminals. Watson, on the other hand, was eager for the solution because he was eager for Holmes to win. And so the attention was eternally on Holmes, and we love the story because we love Holmes, and that is that. But because Poirot is here thrust into a situation where his 'biographer' is less interested in him as a man than as a solver of mysteries, he seems a bit fabricated. I'm sure this is not the case in all the Poirot books-- like Holmes he must have developed a personality following, or we would not be continually having television series based on him. He eventually became the focus, but here he is not. Even from the beginning Holmes was Watson's focus. But in 'The Mysterious Affair at Styles,' Poirot is just another detective-- a good one, but just another one-- in a world where amateur detectives have existed and where they-- and Holmes himself, even-- are talked about and referenced quite frequently. We are aware that we are in a genre. This is what kills this story.However, the fact that Agatha Christie was able to write a complex, interwoven plot filled with characters who are all in some way influential is rather amazing. No character in this book is a bystander-- all are important. It is really very deep. I say that it is no wonder she became famous. This book is very skilled, if genrebound and without proper focus yet on the character who will cause it to fly or fall.