The Mysterious Affair at Styles - The first book by Agatha Christie (introducing Hercule Poirot) (published in 1920)

In 1920, a phenomenon showed up in the literary world, by the name of Agatha Christie. She soon became a prolific creator of detective novels, and created 2 incredible characters in the shape of Hercule Poirot (the egoistical Belgian detective) and Miss Marple (the elderly spinster). It was in this novel (written in 1916 and published in 1920), "The Mysterious Affair at Styles", that Hercules Poirot was first introduced to the public, the start of what was to become a number of novels. The novel also introduced the other characters that seem to accompany Poirot in all his novels, in the shape of Inspector (later, Chief Inspector) Japp and Lieutenant Hastings (later, Captain), and the story is told by Hastings (who is on sick leave from the ongoing war). The book got good reviews and critical acclaim. Like many of her other novels, this one was also adopted as a TV drama and as a BBC radio adaption.



The novel was set in a typical Christie set, in an old manor, with many suspects, of whom many of them could have a motive for the murder. This novel was set in a manor at Essex. Mrs. Cavendish, a wealthy widow, had become wealthy after the death of her husband, with inhering an estate and also much wealth. She had recently remarried the younger Alfred Inglethorp, and she lived at Styles along with her step-children (the children of Mr. Cavendish from an earlier marriage), and in the event of her death, Styles would pass to Mr. John Cavendish, her eldest stepson. Lieutenant Hastings, is a guest over there when Mrs. Emily Inglethorp dies from strychnine poisoning; and Hastings calls his friend, Hercule Poirot. Alfred seems to be chief suspect, but was not present when Emily died. Most damning, he had to gain from his wife's death, and had also purchased strychnine in the village earlier. But Poirot clears him, and then John is arrested. But who did the murder ?