Other editions of book The Mysterious Affair at Styles

When an aging heiress is found fatally poisoned, the amazing Hercule Poirot, brilliant Belgian criminal investigator, is brought out of retirement to solve the case.In this classic tale of murder, jealousy, and greed, Agatha Christie introduced the famed sleuth, who is immediately confronted by mysteries within a mystery: a door bolted from the inside of the victim’s room; the disappearance of a coffee cup believed to have held the poison; the charred remains of a will, a strange fragment of fabric, and a curious rug stain found near the body.All are puzzling pieces of evidence in a crime for which there is no shortage of suspects, not the least of which are the victim’s philandering husband, an assortment of unhappy relatives, and an extremely outspoken hired companion.A perennial favorite with mystery fans since it was first published in 1921, this entertaining and tautly constructed murder mystery easily placed its author among the most accomplished and entertaining writers in the genre.

Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot makes his debut in "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." The mystery of the novel is the one of who poisoned wealthy heiress Emily Inglethorp and how did the killer get in and out of her locked bedroom. The suspects are many and Poirot must use Holmesian deduction to discover the killer. Mystery fans will delight in the first installment of Agatha Christie's famous series of Poirot mystery novels.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a detective novel by Agatha Christie. It was written in the middle of the First World War, in 1916, and first published by John Lane in the United States in October 1920 and in the United Kingdom by The Bodley Head (John Lane's UK company) on 21 January 1921. The US edition retailed at $2.00 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6). Styles was Christie's first published novel. It introduced Hercule Poirot, Inspector (later, Chief Inspector) Japp, and Arthur Hastings. Poirot, a Belgian refugee of the Great War, is settling in England near the home of Emily Inglethorp, who helped him to his new life. His friend Hastings arrives as a guest at her home. When the woman is killed, Poirot uses his detective skills to solve the mystery. This is also the setting of Curtain, Poirot's last case. The book includes maps of the house, the murder scene, and a drawing of a fragment of a will. The true first publication of the novel was as a weekly serial in the The Times, including the maps of the house and other illustrations included in the book. This novel was one of the first ten books published by Penguin Books when it began in 1935. This first mystery novel by Agatha Christie was well received by reviewers. An analysis in 1990 was positive about the plot, considered the novel one of the few by Christie that is well-anchored in time and place, a story that knows it describes the end of an era, and mentions that the plot is clever. Christie had not mastered cleverness in her first novel, as "too many clues tend to cancel each other out"; this was judged a difficulty "which Conan Doyle never satisfactorily overcame, but which Christie would."

How is this book unique?Unabridged (100% Original content)Formatted for e-readerIllustratedAbout The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha ChristieChristie’s first published novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is notable for introducing many of the character types, plot twists, and red herrings that would become commonplace during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Set in a remote country manor with a small handful of suspects, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the quintessential detective story and remains one of the most significant literary works in the mystery genre.Plot Summary: The story opens in England during the First World War at Styles Court, an Essex country manor. Upon her husband's death, the wealthy widow Emily Cavendish inherited a life estate in Styles as well as the outright inheritance of the larger part of the late Mr. Cavendish's income. Mrs. Cavendish became Mrs. Inglethorp upon her recent marriage to a younger man, Alfred Inglethorp. Emily's two stepsons, John and Lawrence Cavendish, John's wife Mary and Cynthia Murdoch, also live at Styles. John Cavendish is the vested remainderman of Styles; that is, the property will pass to him upon his stepmother's death, per his late father's will. Lawrence Cavendish would also come into a considerable sum of money. The income left to Mrs Inglethorp by her late husband would be distributed according to her will, which she changes at least once per year. If she has not changed her will since her marriage, her husband will inherit that income.[5] Cynthia does war-time work at the pharmacy in the nearby hospital. The residents of Styles wake to find Emily Inglethorp dying of strychnine poisoning. Hastings, a house guest, enlists the help of his friend Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the nearby village, Styles St. Mary. Poirot pieces together events surrounding the murder. On the day she was killed, Emily Inglethorp was overheard arguing with someone, either her husband Alfred or her stepson John. Afterwards, she seemed quite distressed and, apparently, made a new will — which no one can find. She ate little at dinner and retired early to her room with her document case. The case was later forced open by someone and a document removed.

* Beautifully illustrated with atmospheric images, The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Agatha Christie's first book to be published. It's a gripping detective novel that introduces the character of Inspector Poirot to the public for the first time. * Just as accessible and enjoyable for today's readers as it would have been when first published, the novel is one of the great works of English detective fiction and continues to be widely read throughout the world.* This meticulous digital edition from Heritage Illustrated Publishing is a faithful reproduction of the original text and is enhanced with images carefully selected by our team of professional editors.

▪ This book includes 10 unique illustrations that are relevant to its content.The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a detective novel by Agatha Christie. It was written in 1916 and was first published by John Lane in the United States in October 1920 and in the United Kingdom by The Bodley Head (John Lane's UK company) on 21 January 1921. Styles was Christie's first published novel, introducing Hercule Poirot, Inspector (later, Chief Inspector) Japp, and Lieutenant Hastings (later, Captain). The story is told in first person by Hastings and features many of the elements that have become icons of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction, largely due to Christie's influence. It is set in a large, isolated country manor. There are a half-dozen suspects, most of whom are hiding facts about themselves. The book includes maps of the house, the murder scene, and a drawing of a fragment of a will, as well as a number of red herrings and surprise plot twists.

Summary (differentiated book):- Original book from 1920- Book contains detailed biography of author- Includes photos of the authorBook details:In her first published mystery, Agatha Christie introduces readers to the heroic detective, Hercule Poirot. This is a classic murder mystery set in the outskirts of Essex. The victim is the wealthy mistress of Styles Court. The list of suspects is long and includes her gold-digging new spouse and stepsons, her doctor, and her hired companion.

First published in 1920, The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Agatha Christie's first novel. It introduced the world to Hercule Poirot, Christie's Belgian detective, who would go on to be featured in 39 of her novels. The mystery begins with the death of Emily Inglethorp at Styles, a manor in the English countryside. Captain Hastings, a guest at the house, calls upon his friend Poirot to help investigate. The obvious suspect is Emily's husband, who stood to inherit a large fortune upon her death. But the timeline doesn't quite work out, and Poirot must delve further into the lives and motivations of the family living at Styles to uncover who could have poisoned Emily with strychnine and why. Fans of the genre will enjoy introducing themselves to or rediscovering Agatha Christie, considered one of the great mystery writers of all time, with this classic tale of whodunit from the golden age of mystery. British novelist DAME AGATHA CHRISTIE (1890-1976) wrote more than 80 books, and is most famous for mystery series featuring detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She is the best-selling fiction writer of all time, with more than one billion copies of her books sold in the English language, and another billion in 103 other languages.

This book is the first of many published by the “Queen of Crime” herself. This book contains many elements that have become icons of the Golden Generation of Detective Fiction, largely due to Christie’s influence. The story is set during the First World War and captures the scene well, keeping the reader updated constantly of the war scenario, parallell with the storyline. This book introduces us to many memorable characters, none more so than the protagonist, Hercule Poirot. This diminutive egg-headed man is said to be one of the smartest heads on the planet, and has some cheesy pick-up lines for an old man. The protagonist’s aide, Captain Hastings, is how Christie involves herself with the story and it starts slowly with the introduction of characters. The characters are well described and can be easily identified by their dialogues. This can be a joy and a pain to read, but once the story gets to the murder, it is a treat for the mind and just keeps enthralling the reader, chapter after chapter. The story starts with Hastings spending time with his good friend John Cavendish in their manor in Styles, England. Although the family is very tight-knit, inner feuds are always prevalent among them. But once it is known that there is a murderer among them and all suspects are hiding some facts about themselves, Hastings quickly calls upon his most trusted friend, Monsieur Hercule Poirot. As the story progresses, it discourages you from taking a break as Christie ends chapters on major cliffhangers. This book defines the quote, “The best way to hide something is in plain sight.” more appropriately than any other book. Poirot also conveys important messages of his own throughout the duration of the story. “If the theory denies the fact- the theory must be eliminated.” He always goes with his instincts which is the reason that his ‘grey cells’ haven’t deteriorated. “Imagination is a good servant, but a bad master.” This quote from Poirot is so monumental given the plotline given he always insists on using the right proportion of logic, facts and imagination to solve a case. The plot takes place with a lot of research and calculations which can, sometimes annoy the reader. But the culmination of such rigorous technicality is a book which, at the end of the day, can make you go “Wow. That was a good read.”This book, although serious in its appearance, can also provide for good humour with characters such as Hastings around, as his innocence combined with his ‘bromance’ with Poirot can make for a hearty laugh. All in all, this book gives the reader a prelude of the big little man, that is Poirot and his exciting adventures along with his trusty partner, Captain Hastings.