Guest Review: The Mysterious Affair at Styles By Agatha Christie

In The Mysterious Affair at Styles, Agatha Christie invites readers into a quiet English country estate—where jealousy simmers, secrets hide behind every polite smile, and murder strikes with chilling precision. When the wealthy matriarch Emily Inglethorp dies under suspicious circumstances, the entire household becomes a tangle of motives, lies, and carefully guarded truths.

Enter Hercule Poirot. Meticulous, brilliant, and delightfully eccentric, he begins his very first literary investigation. With razor-sharp logic and a flair for uncovering human folly, Poirot follows a trail of subtle clues that lead to one of Christie's most surprising and cleverly constructed conclusions.

This restored edition preserves the charm and originality of Christie's 1920 debut while offering a clean, modern reading experience. Whether you're deep into the world of crime fiction or just discovering Christie's genius, this book promises suspense, delight, and the unmistakable thrill of a mystery done right.

Review: Having enjoyed films and television programmes based on books by Agatha Christie but never having read one, I was keen to read this book. I was not disappointed.

This book was the first of the author’s to be published in 1920 and introduces the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. Set in 1916, during the First World War, it is based in a country house called Styles Court. It is narrated in the first person by Captain Hastings, an Army officer on convalescence leave from the front line, who has been invited to the house by one of the stepsons of the owner Emily Inglethorp. I listened to the audiobook which is narrated by the actor who played Captain Hastings in the television series “Poirot”. There is a rich cast of characters, typical of a country house at that time. One night, shortly after Captain Hastings’ arrival, Emily Inglethorpe is found dead in suspicious circumstances. It is suspected that she had been poisoned. Staying in the village near the house are a number of Belgian refugees, including Hercule Poirot who Captain Hastings had met and befriended whilst serving on the Western Front. The Police request Poirot’s assistance in a seemingly intractable case.

The plot bears many hallmarks of Agatha Christie’s detective stories. It is set in a country house; there are a number of potential suspects, many of whom appear to be hiding secrets; there are clues and red herrings scattered throughout; and at the end, everybody is gathered together for the final dénouement. Agatha Christie used her knowledge of medicines and poisons, gained whilst working in a hospital dispensary during the First World War, to good effect in this novel. I enjoyed listening to this book, which kept me guessing throughout, and would recommend it to all whodunnit fans.

To order your copy now, just click here!