Agatha Christie

The Mysterious Affair at Styles Agatha Christie

A must-read for Private Investigator and Mystery & Crime readers. The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the first of many crime thrillers 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. We are introduced 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. 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 mystery progresses, it discourages you from taking a break as Christie ends chapters on major cliffhangers. It is often said that, "the best way to hide something is in plain sight" and 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. There is plenty of good humor with characters such as Hastings around, as his innocence combined with his 'bromance' with Poirot makes 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. Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, Lady Mallowan, DBE (née Miller; 15 September 1890 - 12 January 1976) was an English writer known for her sixty-six detective novels and fourteen short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. She also wrote the world's longest-running play The Mousetrap, performed in the West End from 1952 to 2020, as well as six novels under the pseudonym Mary Westmacott. In 1971, she was appointed a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for her contribution to literature. Christie was born into a wealthy upper-middle-class family in Torquay, Devon, and was largely home-schooled. She was initially an unsuccessful writer with six consecutive rejections, but this changed in 1920 when The Mysterious Affair at Styles, featuring detective Hercule Poirot, was published. Her first husband was Archibald Christie; they married in 1914 and had one child together before divorcing in 1928. During both the First and Second World Wars, she served in hospital dispensaries, acquiring a thorough knowledge of the poisons which featured in many of her novels, short stories, and plays. Following her marriage to archaeologist Max Mallowan in 1930, she spent several months each year on digs in the Middle East, and used her first-hand knowledge of his profession in her fiction.