The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Agatha Christie wrote the novel The Mysterious Affair at Styles in 1916 while working as a nurse during World War I. First, it was published in 1920 by John Lane in the United States. Then, in 1921, it was published in the United Kingdom by The Bodley Head. The book is a detective novel, which was Christie’s specialty. She wrote 66 detective novels and many short stories over her career.

Recommended for: Fans of classic mystery fiction, particularly readers who enjoy Agatha Christie’s renowned detective stories. This novel is an excellent introduction to Christie’s iconic sleuth, Hercule Poirot, and her trademark style of intricate plotting and clever deduction.

You will:

Immerse yourself in a captivating murder mystery that challenges you to uncover the truth alongside the famous Belgian detective.
Witness the unfolding of a complex case filled with red herrings, suspicious characters, and unexpected twists that keep you guessing until the very end.
Appreciate Agatha Christie’s masterful storytelling, which blends meticulous attention to detail with a keen understanding of human nature and motivation.
Develop your skills of observation and deductive reasoning as you attempt to piece together the clues and solve the case alongside Hercule Poirot.
Explore the social dynamics and class tensions of the early 20th century English countryside, which provide the backdrop for the intriguing mystery.
Discover the origins of Agatha Christie’s legendary detective, Hercule Poirot, and his distinctive methods of investigation.
Enjoy the engaging narrative voice and the sense of nostalgia evoked by the story’s historical setting.
Appreciate the enduring appeal of classic detective fiction and its ability to captivate readers across generations.

Plot

Lieutenant Arthur Hastings returns to England after an injury during the war, visiting his friend John Cavendish for a month during his convalescence. John lives with his wife Mary in the home of his stepmother Emily, and it is in Styles. Emily is the widow and heiress of her first husband, Cavendish. At home, she lives with her new husband Alfred Inglethorp, a man younger than her. Besides, in the house live Lawrance younger brother of John; Evelyn Howard, Alfred’s cousin, and Emily’s friend; Cynthia Murdoch a young orphan of a friend of Emily.

Miss Howard left the house, after discussing with Emily by telling her that her husband would cheat on her and that he was a gold digger. A few days after the departure of Miss Howard, Emily Inglethorp dies after suffering strong convulsions. The strange death generated doubts in Hastings and in the family, doctor called Wilkins. As a result, Wilkins decides to perform an autopsy, since he suspects that the death of Mrs. Inglethorp is due to poisoning.

Moreover, Hastings proposes to John Cavendish to call his friend the private detective Hercules Poirot. Poirot accepts the invitation to intervene in the case with the help of his assistants. Initially, there are several suspects, but after the investigations carried out, they found the real culprits of the crime.

Christie dedicated the novel to her mother, who had encouraged her to write a story during a time when she was sick.

Adaptations

The novel had different adaptations to television, radio, and stage.

Licensing

Agatha Christie. The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Publisher: John Lane Company (New York), 1920. This work is in the public domain in the United States because it was published in 1920, before the cutoff of January 1, 1929. Text from Wikisource: https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/The_Mysterious_Affair_at_Styles
This edition is provided by Ebooks-net in 2024 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0) license. The full text of the license is available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/