The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Name: The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Availability: InStock
Author: Agatha Christie
ISBN: B000FC24ZW

by Agatha Christie

Book 1 in the Hercule Poirot series

Historical Private Investigator Male Protagonist Amateur Sleuths

british 1920s

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About The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Agatha Christie's famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot makes his debut in "The Mysterious Affair at Styles." The mystery of the novel is the one of who poisoned wealthy heiress Emily Inglethorp and how did the killer get in and out of her locked bedroom. The suspects are many and Poirot must use Holmesian deduction to discover the killer. Mystery fans will delight in the first installment of Agatha Christie's famous series of Poirot mystery novels

What readers say

Poirot's debut, a poisoning at an English country house narrated by Hastings, and readers enjoy the twisty plot, plentiful red herrings and Poirot's quirky charm. Critics call it rougher and more convoluted than Christie's later books, find Hastings dull and the setup slow, and note dated stereotypes. Readers are split on whether to start here or with a later Poirot novel.

Best for: Readers who want to see where Poirot began, or who enjoy a dense, clue-packed puzzle.

Summary of public reader reviews, updated October 2026.