The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
This novel was the world's introduction not only to the future Queen of Mystery, but also to Hercule Poirot, her legendary Belgian detective, as well as Poirot's beloved sidekicks Captain Arthur Hastings and Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard. The story is told in the first person by Hastings after the murderous affair has concluded, cataloguing the events for anyone curious about an insiders recounting of how the events unfolded and how the case was solved by the brilliant Poirot.
Recuperating from injuries sustained in World War I, Hastings is invited by an old acquaintance to Styles Court, the family estate recently beset by a seemingly gold-digging suitor to the family matriarch. The former widow Cavendish, in her 70's, is now Mrs. Alfred Ingersol thanks to her recent marriage to a mysterious man a good twenty years her junior, and although her new husband is overly solicitous to her, her two stepsons - John and Lawrence Cavendish, who have always thought of her as a mother - are suspicious of him. There's also a maid who is extremely suspicious of Alfred Ingersol to the point where she's ready and willing to hang him without benefit of judge and jury when Mrs. Ingersol dies mysteriously and of course, there are points where anyone could be the guilty party.
We learn that Hastings fancies himself a detective, had met Poirot in Europe earlier and was fascinated by the already legendary Belgian detective, and is therefore delighted to learn that his old friend has been relocated to the village of Styles St. Mary as part of a group of Belgian refugees. After Mrs. Ingersol's horrific death by strychnine poisoning, Hastings doesn't hesitate to call on Poirot's assistance and we're off and running with the duo we've come to love so much.
That this is Christie's first novel is impressive not only in how well she tells the tale, but also in how on point the personalities and voices of Poirot and Hastings are already established. There is such self-assurance in how the story is written and told. And yes, I totally read this in David Suchet's and Hugh Fraser's voices.
From the book:
"Let us look at the matter like this. Here is a man, let us say, who sets out to poison his wife. He has lived by his wits as the saying goes. Presumably, therefore, he has some wits. He is not altogether a fool. Well, how does he set about it? He goes boldly to the village chemist's and purchases strychnine under his own name, with a trumped up story about a dog which is bound to be proved absurd. He does not employ the poison that night. No, he waits until he has had a violent quarrel with her, of which the whole household is cognisant, and which naturally directs their suspicions upon him. He prepares no defense - no shadow of an alibi, yet he knows the chemist's assistant must necessarily come forward with the facts. Bah! Do not ask me to believe that any man could be so idiotic! Only a lunatic, who wished to commit suicide by causing himself to be hanged, would act so!"
The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the January selection for #ReadChristie2024. Each quarter features Christie novels from a specific decade(s). First quarter is the 1920's, second quarter is the 1930's, third quarter is the 1940's-1950's, and fourth quarter is the 1960's-1970's. The complete list is:
January: The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Poirot)
February: The Secret Adversary (Tommy & Tuppence)
March: The Mystery of the Blue Train (Poirot)
April: The Murder at the Vicarage (Miss Marple)
May: The ABC Murders (Poirot)
June: And Then There Were None (stand alone)
July: Taken at the Flood (Poirot)
August: A Murder is Announced (Miss Marple)
September: Ordeal by Innocence (stand alone)
October: The Mirror Crack'd From Side to Side (Miss Marple)
November: Third Girl (Poirot)
December: Elephants Can Remember (Poirot)
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