Millenium

Christie s first published novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is notable for introducing many of the character types, plot twists, and red herrings that would become commonplace during the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. Set in a remote country manor with a small handful of suspects, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the quintessential detective story and remains one of the most significant literary works in the mystery genre. Review This excellent audio production is recommended for discriminating listeners seeking quality audio additions to home libraries. Agatha Christie's tale presents master detective Hercule Poirot, who faces a Sherlock Holmes-style mystery complete with numerous suspects, a myriad of seemingly different clues, and real intrigue. Stan Winiarski's voice lends high drama and tension to this riveting story. -- Midwest Book Review From the Inside Flap Who poisoned the wealthy Emily Inglethorpe, and how did the murderer penetrate and escape from her locked bedroom? Sus-pects 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. Making his unforgettable debut, the brilliant Belgian detective Hercule Poirot is on the case. ?The key to the success of this style of detective novel,? writes Elizabeth George in her Introduction, ?lies in how the author deals with both the clues and the red herrings, and it has to be said that no one bettered Agatha Christie at this game.? Set in the summer of 1917 in an Essex country estate, the story follows the war-wounded Captain Arthur Hastings to the Styles St. Mary manor of his friend John Cavendish. The Cavendish household is wrought with tension due to the marriage of John's widowed old aunt Emily, she of a sizeable fortune, to a suspicious younger man, Alfred Inglethorp, twenty years her junior. Emily's two stepsons, John and Lawrence Cavendish, as well as John's wife Mary and several other people, also live at Styles. Late one night, the residents of Styles wake to find Emily Inglethorp dying. When Emily's sudden heart attack is found to be attributable to strychnine, Hastings, who had runs into his old friend, the Belgian Hercule Poirot, he recruits him to aid in the local investigation. With impeccable timing, Hercule Poirot, the insightful retired detective, makes his dramatic entrance to solve a most baffling case. Who poisoned the wealthy Emily Inglethorpe, 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. On the day she was killed, Emily Inglethorp was overheard arguing with someone, most likely her husband, Alfred, or her stepson, John. Afterwards, she seemed quite distressed and, apparently, made a new will--which no one can find. Nobody can explain how or when the strychnine was administered to Mrs. Inglethorp. High on Poirot's list of suspects are: John Cavendish, the elder stepson; Mary Cavendish, his wife; Lawrence Cavendish, the younger stepson; Evelyn Howard, Mrs. Inglethorpe's companion; Cynthia Murdoch, her protegee; and Dr. Bauerstein, a mysterious stranger who lives in Essex. All have motive and opportunity but only Poirot can discover the truth.

the Heiress Of Styles Has Been Murdered, Dying In Agony From Strychnine Slipped Into Her Coffee. And There Are Plenty Who Would Gain From Her Death: The Financially Strapped Stepson, The Gold Digging Younger Husband, And An Embittered Daughter-in-law.

Agatha Christie's Eccentric And Hugely Popular Detective, Hercule Poirot, Was Introduced To The World In This Book, Which Launched Her Career As The Most Famous And Best Loved Of All Mystery Writers.

the New York Times

though This May Be The First Public Book Of Miss Agatha Christie, She Betrays The Cunning 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 Full Solution And Will Certainly Never Lay Down This Most Entertaining Book. -- books Of The Century; New York Times Review, December 1920

Agatha Christie's debut novel was the first to feature Hercule Poirot, her famously eccentric Belgian detective. A refugee of the Great War, Poirot is settling in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactor, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim’s much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village. All of them have secrets they are desperate to keep, but none can outwit Poirot as he navigates the ingenious red herrings and plot twists that earned Agatha Christie her well-deserved reputation as the queen of mystery. In her first published mystery, Agatha Christie introduces readers to the heroic detective, Hercule Poirot. This is a classic murder mystery set in the outskirts of Essex. The victim is the wealthy mistress of Styles Court. The list of suspects is long and includes her gold-digging new spouse and stepsons, her doctor, and her hired companion