The Mysterious Affair at Styles

In "The Mysterious Affair at Styles," was Agatha Christie' first published novel and the one which introduced Hercule Poirot, the eccentric and hugely popular detective. The heiress of Styles has been murdered, dying in agony from strychnine slipped into her coffee. The story is told in first person by Hastings, and features many of the elements, that, thanks to Christie, have become icons of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is set in a large, isolated country manor. There are a half-dozen suspects, most of whom are hiding facts about themselves. There are plenty who would gain from her death: the financially strapped stepson, the gold digging younger husband, and an embittered daughter-in-law. There are also a number of red herrings and surprise plot twists in "The Mysterious Affair at Styles," which launched Christie's career as the most famous and best loved of all mystery writers.