The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie ~ 1920. This edition: Grosset & Dunlap, 1927. Fourth printing. Hardcover. 296 pages.
My Rating: 7/10
Setting: An English country House, Styles Court in Essex, sometime during the Great War.
Detection by: HERCULE POIROT, with “assistance” from CAPTAIN HASTINGS (narrator); INSPECTOR JAPP of Scotland Yard is introduced.
Final Body Count: 1
Method(s) of Murder: POISON – strychnine
100 Word Plot Summary:
When wealthy Mrs. Inglethorpe succumbs to a dose of strychnine, suspicion immediately falls upon her much younger (and forbiddingly black-bearded) second husband, Albert. But the philandering Albert has an ironclad alibi, as do all of the other members of the Styles Court ménage. Could it be the sweet young pharmacy assistant, with her easy access to poisons? Or either of Mrs. Inglethorpe’s adult sons, hard up for cash and living on their mother? Her daughter-in-law, cool and unemotional? Her lady housekeeper, outspoken and jealously loyal? Or perhaps the sinister German-Jewish doctor, who just happens to be an expert on poisons?
*****
Agatha Christie’s first published novel. Her very first, a romantic drama set in Cairo and sent out under the working title Snow Upon the Desert, was read and favourably remarked upon but ultimately refused by the publishers she sent it to. The Mysterious Affair at Styles was inspired by her sister Madge’s comments that Agatha couldn’t possibly write a decent murder mystery. Written while working as a pharmaceutical dispenser during and just after the close of World War I, The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a classic puzzle mystery, with all clues revealed to the reader, and a generosity of suspects. The most unlikely person, of course, might ultimately be revealed as the murderer.
Front fold blurb from 1927 Grosset & Dunlap edition.
Narrated by a young Captain Hastings, who has been invalided out of active service, and is recuperating at his friend’s mother’s country home, Styles Court, the novel introduces Hercule Poirot, a finicky and eccentric Belgian ex-policeman. Poirot is living with several other Belgian refugees, and is eager to provide his investigative services when his generous sponsor, Mrs. Inglethorpe, dies mysteriously. Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard is also introduced; he and Poirot already know and like each other, and their collaboration, along with Captain Hastings’ inadvertent contributions, results in the solving of the murder plot.
Though decidedly dated and just a bit awkwardly plotted in spots, this is a very creditable mystery novel. The puzzle is truly hard to sort out; suspicion falls on each of the suspects in turn, and the ending is cleverly worked out. Poirot is not quite solidified into his final form, whom we come to know so well in future years – he was eventually to figure in thirty-three of Christie’s mysteries, and something like fifty short stories. The characters in general are puppet-like; aside from the narrator Hastings, we never get to know any of them – including Poirot – beyond their superficial appearances and stereotypical roles.
The murder itself occurs early on in the narrative, and Mrs. Inglethorpe’s horrible death is quite fully described, as Hastings is one of the witnesses. The brief mourning period for the victim is very soon over as the characters scramble to defend themselves against allegations of wishing for and ultimately causing her demise.
This is not at all a “literary” detective novel, such as those penned only a few years later by the other great “Golden Age” female mystery novelists Dorothy L. Sayers and Josephine Tey, but it is a well-constructed first attempt at the genre, and a grand little period piece, especially when considered in the context of Christie’s astoundingly prolific and successful later body of work.
Dust jacket of the 1927 Grosset and Dunlap edition. Can you see six of the seven suspects? (Captain Hastings is also present, but he is apparently never considered as a possibility, due to lack of motive, I presume.)
Leaves & Pages 
“The only clew” is the coffee cup! I do love mysteries with clews. I read huge chunks of Agatha Christie in my younger days, but if I bought copies I’ve lost them along the way, except for a handful, and I can’t remember much more than the titles. Lately I’ve started re-reading again, but not gobbling them down the way I used to. I’ll keep an eye out for this one.
I must admit they’re a bit harder going now versus in my teen years. Possibly because back then they were new to me; now I’m re-covering old ground, and remembering enough of the plots & villains to take some of the curiosity out of the reading. I’ve also become a D.L. Sayers/Margery Allingham/Josephine Tey aficionado, and sad to say some of Agatha Christie’s stuff isn’t quite in their league. But the sheer *volume* of her output! She did pretty well with keeping the stories coming, didn’t she?
Yes, it was the same for me, starting with Dorothy L. Sayers (and like I also ditched Dickens once I discovered Trollope). Her books still seem flat to me, compared to the three you mention, but I’ve come to appreciate them more on their own terms, I guess.
I bought a bunch of Agatha Christie novels at a library book sale recently — I haven’t read them since I was a teenager. I’m not sure what to expect! I loved her mysteries when I was reading them in high school. I have often gotten a craving for them in recent years but haven’t had any on hand.
[…] Hastings and Hercule Poirot, after forging a friendship while jointly dealing with The Mysterious Affair at Styles, are now sharing a London flat. Hastings is acting as a private secretary to a M.P., while Poirot […]
I have a 1920 edition of Agatha Christies “The Mysterious Affair At Styles” with a burgundy cover published by Gosset and Dunlap, New York. “Produced under wartime conditions” Has anyone else seen one of these? This was her first novel and also introduced the character of Hercules Poirot. It is obviously a first edition.
That sounds like a lovely edition! I have a few old editions of various of Agatha Christie’s works, but all of them published after she became an established bestseller – nothing so early as yours.
Hi, have you gotten any more info on this book and its edition? I just found at least 10 books within the same description in my new home. And one among them is this same one your referring to. I have been searching to see if they have any worth. Thank you
This conversation (scroll to the bottom ofthe comments) might help you out. Seems very possible that your book is not a “true first”? But a reprint – very pertinent point about the “wartime conditions” note – that would indeed be more likely to refer to WWII, as the Great War was wrapped up before the novel was published. http://www.bookride.com/2007/11/mysterious-affair-at-styles-1920-1921.html
This said, I am in no way an expert on first editions. You best bet would be to directly to consult a rare book dealer, with photos of your copy.
hi, yes i have a copy i just came across and was curious about what it looked like without the jacket, I am planning on selling but getting more info, i believe it also first edition “The Mysterious Affair at Styles”
Where can one buy this book?
Any bookstore can order it in for you – it is still in print. Common secondhand, try Amazon or ABE. Should be able to pick up a paperback copy (or even an older hardcover) for only a few dollars.
[…] first novel that is also perfectly readable and enjoyable ninety years after its release.“)Leaves & Pages (7/10; „a well-constructed first attempt at the genre, and a grand little period […]