Agatha Christie (1890-1976), dubbed "the Queen of Crime" and "The Queen of Mystery," is one of the most successful authors of all time. Her 66 detective novels and 14 short-story collections have sold hundreds of millions of copies worldwide.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles, first published in 1920, is her first detective novel and also the first to introduce her suave detective, Hercule Poirot.
The plot is set in the English county of Essex during the First World War. The narrator, Arthur Hastings, is invited by his old friend John Cavendish to stay at Styles, Cavendish's family's country house, while recuperating from a wound. One morning, John's stepmother, Emily Inglethorp, is found dead of strychnine poisoning. The evidence points to her husband, Arthur Inglewood, whom she recently married: he is much younger and is believed to be a fortune hunter. Inglewood is a relative of Emily Howard, Mrs. Inglewood's lady's companion, but she is hostile to him and breaks with him soon after the marriage.
For answers, Hastings goes to his friend Hercule Poirot, a Belgian detective who is in exile in England as a result of the war. Poirot conducts a painstaking investigation involving Arthur Inglewood; John Cavendish; Emily; John's brother, Lawrence; John's wife, Mary; Cynthia Murdoch, the daughter of a deceased family friend; and Dr. Bauerstein, a renowned toxicologist.
As Poirot delves deeper into the case, he comes across both real clues and red herrings. Suspicion shifts from person to person as alibis eliminate some of the suspects and new evidence raises doubts about others. Poirot, Hastings, and the investigating officer, Inspector Japp, shift back and forth in their evaluations as more evidence comes to light. Finally, a trial for murder brings out the truth.
Both longtime Christie fans and newcomers will be captivated by the novel's ingenuity of plot, sharp and picturesque characterizations, and vivid setting of scene. The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a superb example of Christie's overarching talent and an ideal introduction to this master of detective fiction.
