Hercule Poirot solves his first case in the Agatha Christie novel that started it all, now in a fully restored edition that features a “missing chapter” along with commentary from Christie expert John Curran.
Who poisoned the wealthy Emily Inglethorp and how did the murderer penetrate and escape from her locked bedroom? Suspects abound in the quaint village of Styles St. Mary—from the heiress's fawning new husband to her two stepsons, her volatile housekeeper, and a pretty nurse who works in a hospital dispensary.
With impeccable timing, and making his unforgettable debut, the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is on the case.
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"What a delightful read! I enjoyed every page, and could not wait for the mystery to be solved. I do not go out of my way to figure out the ending of mystery novels because I like to be surprised, but even if I had tried, I don't think I would have figured this one out. What a clever writer she was!"
— Katie (4 out of 5 stars)
“Though this may be the first published book of Miss Agatha Christie, she betrays the touch of an old hand…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.”
— New York Times Book Review“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.”
— Times Literary Supplement (London)" One of the best surprise endings ever! "
— Greta, 2/15/2014" Although I feel great having read my first Christie novel, and the first Poirot one at that, I can't say I was highly impressed. Poirot and Hastings had too many similar notes to Holmes and Watson, but one can't blame Christie for that. I intend on reading more of Christie and hope to expand to some Miss Marple. "
— Mike, 2/13/2014" Poirot's first case is a quick and entertaining read and it kept my interest. The clues were not obvious enough for me to solve the mystery before hand, and there were plenty of red herrings, but it was still a fun read. I would read more of this series if only for the challenge of exercising my deductive powers. The characters are believable and I enjoyed the relationship between Hastings and Poirot. It was not one of troubled genius and everyman simpleton (ala Holmes and Watson), but rather more dispassionate experienced Poirot and passionate young Hastings. It's more egalitarian. Also, as a side note, its also interesting to catch and observe some of the vocabulary used by Christie from the 1920's that you would never hear anyone using today. My favorite was the liberal use of the verb "ejaculate". Our book club had a good laugh about where we would be able to inject that word into modern conversations. Sadly, we couldn't find a acceptable example. "
— Benjamin, 2/12/2014" A delightful mystery. It had me stumped up until the last few pages. Poirot is a brilliant character, and Hastings makes a delightful, adorable side kick. "
— Elissa, 2/10/2014" I thought I had the ending figured out but I was SO WRONG. "
— Carolyn, 2/9/2014" GREAT BOOK! UNEXPECTED ENDING *thumbs up* :) :) :) "
— Sarah, 2/7/2014" The first of Agatha Christie's famous sleuth detective series introducing the infamous Hercule Poirot. With his order and method, and using those little grey cells Poirot uses wit and deduction to find the true criminal from what seems to be a harmless bunch of strangers. "
— Greg, 2/6/2014" Poirot's first case is a quick and entertaining read and it kept my interest. The clues were not obvious enough for me to solve the mystery before hand, and there were plenty of red herrings, but it was still a fun read. I would read more of this series if only for the challenge of exercising my deductive powers. The characters are believable and I enjoyed the relationship between Hastings and Poirot. It was not one of troubled genius and everyman simpleton (ala Holmes and Watson), but rather more dispassionate experienced Poirot and passionate young Hastings. It's more egalitarian. Also, as a side note, its also interesting to catch and observe some of the vocabulary used by Christie from the 1920's that you would never hear anyone using today. My favorite was the liberal use of the verb "ejaculate". Our book club had a good laugh about where we would be able to inject that word into modern conversations. Sadly, we couldn't find a acceptable example. "
— Benjamin, 2/3/2014" What can I say? I love Agatha Christie, with few exceptions and those are mostly when she tackles stories about world power and politics and her right wing political views come to the fore. This, fortunately, is not one of those books. It's stylish, tightly plotted and fun to read. Profound, it is not. "
— Elaine, 2/2/2014" Loved her style of writing and the detail of the characters, one could see them on stage or in a show. "
— Wendy, 1/29/2014" I basically love everything by Agatha Christie. That's all. "
— Sara, 1/27/2014" Gotta love Agatha Christie and her little Belgian detective! "
— Caleb, 1/24/2014" I found this interesting but not compelling, perhaps because it's one of her earlier books. The characters seemed a little less realistic and not as clever as in her later writings. "
— RuthG, 1/24/2014" This is Agatha Christie's first book....that said it was pretty good. I have vowed to myself to read all her books in order starting this year. Hercule Poirot is one of my favorite characters ever!!!. I recommend you start with this book so that you are not confused when you read the others. "
— Wendy, 1/19/2014" It was my first Agatha Christie. I now understand what people are talking about when they say that all is revealed at the end with everyone gathered around. All in all I liked the book. It didn't blow me away, but I will read more in this series. "
— Brynne, 1/12/2014" Got this one for free on my iBook. It was a good enjoyable short read. Happy to add to my bookshelf. "
— Jiana, 1/11/2014" My very first Agatha Christie! It was pretty good, but I figured out the twist before it was revealed so that was kind of disappointing (well, and awesome because it made me feel smart). Also, even though I figured out the ending, I'm not sure it entirely "works" - it seemed a little contrived. Still, it was an entertaining read and Poirot is an amusing character. I'm not going to run out and read every Agatha Christie book right now, but I'm not averse to picking another one up in the near future. "
— Lori, 1/8/2014" I like everything Agatha Christie! "
— Rita, 1/8/2014" The very first Hercule Poirot mystery - love it. "
— Dotgirl, 1/3/2014" Not a great plot. But Poirot is awesome and the writing is so erudite. Love A.C. "
— Nawfal, 12/28/2013" I thoroughly enjoyed this book. As Christie's first Poirot book it is clear that she took the time to develope the characters of Poirot and Hastings. Unlike some of her other books, this didn't feel rushed and I never felt cheated by the ending. "
— Kristina, 12/27/2013" The title was so familiar I was sure I had read it. It came with my Kobo ereader so on a whim I thought to re-read it and found that it was new to me. "
— Alida, 12/26/2013" The beginning of my favorite detective series. "
— Gunawan, 12/21/2013" Hercule Poirot's first mystery and I absolutely loved it! "
— Tracie, 12/20/2013" The first mystery of the Master Hercule Poirot. It was a treat. "
— Craig, 12/19/2013" I like Poirot, there's something whimsical about him. "
— Tamsyn, 12/18/2013" The character development in this novel is more interesting to me than the actual case. It provides a foundation for me to help me understand the rest of the Hercule Poiroit series. A little English romanance is always interesting as well. "
— Shauna, 12/17/2013" Loved the elaborate plot, sub plots and a innocent-till-the-last-page Hastings! Magnifique! "
— Pranabashish, 12/11/2013" It was a really good read, I was convinced of who the villains were at the beginning, but A.C was really great at making me doubt myself. Good read! "
— Somi, 12/8/2013" Fun read, Christie's first novel. Didn't see the end comin' :) "
— Aubrey, 12/5/2013" I loved Agatha Christie and I loved this book as well! When I finished it I found a list of her works in the back and it has inspired me to read every one of her mystery novels, in order :) "
— Ashley, 11/24/2013" What a great debut! And the creation of Poirot to boot! "
— Xin, 11/21/2013" Hastings was enjoying quite a lovely stay at Styles Court until Lady Emily mysteriously dies. She went up to her room and was assumed to be alone so no one has the slightest clue as to what could have happened. Fortunately Hercule Poirot steps in to assist... "
— Marts, 11/12/2013" A nice little conventional mystery. The twist was guessable without being predictable, and was just enough different from what I expected to make it interesting. Definitely an enjoyable read. "
— Lee, 9/12/2013" Not a great plot. But Poirot is awesome and the writing is so erudite. Love A.C. "
— Nawfal, 9/11/2013" Having watched so many of the David Suchet Poirot series on PBS as a kid and even now on Netflix, it was a bit silly that I'd never read any of the books. So I picked the first novel to start with and I enjoyed it immensely. It was a blazing fast read and lots of fun at that. "
— John, 9/11/2013" This is a classic mystery novel. It was a fun book that filled a long airplane ride. Agatha is a master at spinning the plot. "
— Terry, 8/31/2013" Classic Agatha Christie....an interesting plot, great period atmosphere, good characters, and a mystery to solve....what more could you ask for! "
— Susan, 8/1/2013" I first read this book over 40 years ago, and I'm pleased to find it still enjoyable. "
— Pat, 7/29/2013" If you read mysteries,love an English setting and surprise endings then Agatha Christie is the queen of writers. I have collected all of her books and read them many times. You'll find many years of enjoyment in this intriguing author. "
— Patricia, 7/27/2013" With my Nook, I've downloaded 25 mysteries by Christie. Pretty sure I've read most of them before, having been a fan since the summer I turned 13. But it will be such fun to revisit them! Fine writing is a joy forever! "
— Lorraine, 7/9/2013" I really enjoyed reading this book; the introduction to major Poirot characters was very successful. The mystery was interesting; I could not guess the persons responsible for a very long time; maybe just a bit before Poirot explained. The romances in the novel were finely developed as well. "
— Berna, 5/29/2013" My fav whodunnit of all time "
— Sue, 4/26/2013" Nothing wrong with the story, but I think the translation that I read is a bit dated, to say the least. "
— Stefan, 4/19/2013" Much preferred the adventures of Tuppence and Tommy in her second novel, but this was a fun read nonetheless. "
— Abony, 3/31/2013" I read this so long ago I'm not sure I should even count it. "
— Emmaj, 3/26/2013" Actually listened to a fine audio version. After watching the PBS version with David Suchet, I am smitten with Hercule Poirot! "
— Kathy, 2/12/2013" Sorry Hercule, but I guess Sherlock Holmes became my standard. And he's pretty hard to beat. Hahaha! :) "
— Cora, 2/9/2013" I basically love everything by Agatha Christie. That's all. "
— Sara, 12/23/2012" audio version narrated by David Suchet. He has a good voice for narration and, of course, is the voice of Hercule Poirot. "
— Vicki, 12/22/2012" A fun, light, classic murder mystery "
— Rosie, 12/1/2012" Intriguing mystery of Poirot's. The true murderer was cleverly concealed until the end, which left me surprised at his/her (don't want to give it away) identity. Enjoyable read. "
— Roshni, 11/24/2012" Suspense, well written and a good story "
— Martha, 10/20/2012" A fun, light, classic murder mystery "
— Rosie, 10/12/2012" While definitely a good mystery, The Mysterious Affair at Styles has never been one that has captured my interest. I don't much care for Poirot nor Hastings in this one, and while I understand that this was one of Christie's first mysteries... I'm just not a fan. "
— Lady, 10/8/2012" A good reminder of why Agatha Christie is a master. "
— Calliope, 9/13/2012" audio version narrated by David Suchet. He has a good voice for narration and, of course, is the voice of Hercule Poirot. "
— Vicki, 8/23/2012" My first read of Agatha Christie. I will definitely read more of her work as this one was hard to put down. She does a good job making us readers go on a merry goose chase right until she unleashes the truth. Poirot is far better than Sherlock Holmes! "
— David, 8/1/2012" This was the first Agatha Christie that I had read, and I found that i liked it quite a bit. It kept me guessing. "
— Alechia, 7/30/2012" Just what you expect from Christie, and all the more enjoyable for that. A well written English upper class locked-room murder mystery. "
— Barbara, 6/23/2012" u will never guess the murderer.. "
— Keira_observer, 3/12/2012" Excellent little book. It's to its credit that, despite how utterly annoying I found the narrator, I still was barely able to put it down. I can definitely see why Agatha Christie became so incredibly popular. "
— Katherine, 12/31/2011" My first Agatha Christie, her first book and the first Hercule Poirot. I thought this was very well written, but I found the plot a bit confusing with many similar characters. I gave it a 3.6 and will read more. "
— Richard, 9/15/2011" It was okay. I like Poirot. I've seen many episodes of the TV show. This is my first Agatha Christie novel that I've ever read. It was fun, but pretty light reading. "
— Travis, 7/29/2011" I am surprised how much I enjoyed this story. I believe this is the actual first Agatha Christie story with Hercule Poirot. "
— Dorsi, 6/28/2011" How fun to read Agatha's first book with Hercule! I love her use of the dimwitted Capt. Hastings to keep us guessing to the end - well okay - at least me guessing until the end LOL. "
— Kathie, 6/28/2011" First Poirot. Even for a first, Poirot is already Poirot. <br/> <br/> <br/>Read entirely on Kindle. "
— Donna, 6/24/2011" First Poirot. Even for a first, Poirot is already Poirot. <br/> <br/> <br/>Read entirely on Kindle. "
— Donna, 6/24/2011" Great book with amazing twists and turns... with everything explained by Poirot at the end... "
— Ronak, 6/23/2011" Great book with amazing twists and turns... with everything explained by Poirot at the end... "
— Ronak, 6/23/2011" I listened to the audio book read by B.J. Harrison and really enjoyed this. I didn't think I would, since I don't really like mysteries as a rule, but this one was well-written and somewhat fast-paced. I was *close* as to who the bad person was, but not quite. "
— Sarah, 6/15/2011" Checked this out because it was free on Kindle... actually my first Agatha Christie book. Convoluted plot but the book kept my attention. Typical whodunit... and it reminds you that the basic formula hasn't changed in nearly 100 years! "
— Brandon, 6/15/2011" I listened to the audio book read by B.J. Harrison and really enjoyed this. I didn't think I would, since I don't really like mysteries as a rule, but this one was well-written and somewhat fast-paced. I was *close* as to who the bad person was, but not quite. "
— Sarah, 6/15/2011" Checked this out because it was free on Kindle... actually my first Agatha Christie book. Convoluted plot but the book kept my attention. Typical whodunit... and it reminds you that the basic formula hasn't changed in nearly 100 years! "
— Brandon, 6/15/2011" Really enjoed Hercule Poirot and Hastings. Hope to read all of them. "
— Mindy, 6/14/2011" Really enjoed Hercule Poirot and Hastings. Hope to read all of them. "
— Mindy, 6/14/2011" Agatha Christie introduces one of her most famous detectives with this fine example of the English mystery genre. "
— Mark, 6/12/2011" Agatha Christie introduces one of her most famous detectives with this fine example of the English mystery genre. "
— Mark, 6/12/2011" I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Normally I am not a huge fan of murder mysteries, but Agatha Christie has a way about her writing that is somehow irresistible. And I did not see the solution coming, though after the reveal it made total sense. In a word: Brilliant! "
— Thomas, 6/8/2011" I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Normally I am not a huge fan of murder mysteries, but Agatha Christie has a way about her writing that is somehow irresistible. And I did not see the solution coming, though after the reveal it made total sense. In a word: Brilliant! "
— Thomas, 6/8/2011" I probably read this 100 years ago, but it was free on the i-book reader and I wanted to try it out. Really liked the digital experience, probably more than the actual book! "
— Kim, 6/7/2011" I probably read this 100 years ago, but it was free on the i-book reader and I wanted to try it out. Really liked the digital experience, probably more than the actual book! "
— Kim, 6/7/2011" A typical Agatha Christie Poirot mystery. Very British and very dated. The female character is a twit who can't seem to figure out who her true love is. "
— Lucy, 6/6/2011" It was an enjoyable, quick read. It's only my second "Poirot" mystery at this point, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about him. "
— Sara, 6/6/2011" It was an enjoyable, quick read. It's only my second "Poirot" mystery at this point, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about him. "
— Sara, 6/6/2011" A typical Agatha Christie Poirot mystery. Very British and very dated. The female character is a twit who can't seem to figure out who her true love is. "
— Lucy, 6/6/2011" Great story- Poirot is first introduced. Stories like these make you realize why Agatha Christie is the number one read author!!! "
— Leah, 6/4/2011" Great story- Poirot is first introduced. Stories like these make you realize why Agatha Christie is the number one read author!!! "
— Leah, 6/4/2011" One of my favorite authors, Agatha Christie always provides a good mystery and a good read. Engaging characters, twisting plots, and a lot of humor. This was one of the first books of hers that I read and it made me a lifelong fan. "
— Arthur, 6/2/2011" One of my favorite authors, Agatha Christie always provides a good mystery and a good read. Engaging characters, twisting plots, and a lot of humor. This was one of the first books of hers that I read and it made me a lifelong fan. "
— Arthur, 6/2/2011" I love Agatha Christie. I love all her books and her stories. This one is smart intelligent and sink your teeth into. It is amazing! "
— Sonia, 6/1/2011" I love Agatha Christie. I love all her books and her stories. This one is smart intelligent and sink your teeth into. It is amazing! "
— Sonia, 6/1/2011Dame Agatha Christie (1890–1976) was a British crime writer best known for her detective novels and short stories. According to Guinness World Records, she is the bestselling novelist of all time, her novels having sold over two billion copies and having been translated into more than one hundred languages. The Agatha Award for best mystery and crime writers was named in her honor.
Hugh Fraser, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is an English actor and theater director who is best known for his portrayal of Captain Hastings in the television series Agatha Christie’s Poirot. He studied acting at Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art and is an associate tutor, director, and member of the audition panel at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, specializing in Shakespeare.