Books with title Agatha Christie - The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a detective novel that was written by Agatha Christie in 1916 and first published in 1920 to rave reviews. It introduces her famous detective Hercule Poirot, a Belgian refugee of the Great War, who settles in England near the home of his wealthy, recently widowed friend Emily Inglethorp. When the widow is found murdered via the administering of poison, Poirot uses his detective skills to solve the mystery. Featuring multiple red herrings and surprise twists, the book ushered in what is known as The Golden Age of Detective Fiction.

This is first detective story about famous Hercule Poirot and his younger partner Arthur. Arthur Hastings came back from Great War. He was invited by his friend to live in a country house in Essex. The owner of that house was the friend’s stepmother. To Arthur’s surprise this seventy years old woman married to a man who was twenty years younger than her. The marriage was a few months ago. It turned out a big problem for his friend. His late father owned the house and now this husband could get the inheritance. The house was huge and a big family lived in it. All the family members hated stepmother’s husband. Arthur also disliked him. The family had many scandals and tried to warn mother that this gigolo would kill her in order to get her money…

These novels show Agatha Christie's detective writing genius began with her first Novel. The reviews of "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" at the time said this: The Times Literary Supplement of February 3, 1921 stated: "The only fault this story has is that it is almost too ingenious.... It is said to be the author's first book, and the result of a bet about the possibility of writing a detective story in which the reader would not be able to spot the criminal. Every reader must admit that the bet was won." The New York Times Book Review of December 26, 1920, said: "Though this may be the first published book of Miss Agatha Christie, she betrays the cunning of an old hand ... You must wait for the last-but-one chapter in the book for the last link in the chain of evidence that enabled Mr. Poirot to unravel the whole complicated plot and lay the guilt where it really belonged. And you may safely make a wager with yourself that until you have heard M. Poirot's final word on the mysterious affair at Styles, you will be kept guessing at its solution and will most certainly never lay down this most entertaining book." And the reviews of "Secret Adversary" were equally enthusiastic: The Times Literary Supplement in its edition of January 26, 1922 said it was "a whirl of thrilling adventures". The characters Tommy and Tuppence were "refreshingly original" and the "identity of the arch-criminal, the elusive "Mr Brown", is cleverly concealed to the very end". The New York Times Book Review of June 11, 1922 said: "It is safe to assert that unless the reader peers into the last chapter or so of the tale, he will not know who this secret adversary is until the author chooses to reveal him." Enjoy these 1920 classics that are as compelling today as they were when they were written.