The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Dodo Press) Information

Browse a category or products!

Home >> Books >> Mystery >> The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Dodo Press)

Product Information

1300310

The Mysterious Affair at Styles (Dodo Press)

"The intense interest aroused in the public by what was known at the time as "The Styles Case" has now somewhat subsided. Nevertheless, in view of the world-wide notoriety which attended it, I have been asked, by my friend Poirot and the family themselves, to write an account of the whole story. This, we trust, will effectively silence the sensational rumours which still persist..." (from the first line)

Written in 1916 and published in 1920, this is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie. It is her first novel, and introduces Hercule Poirot, Chief Inspector Japp and Captain Arthur Hastings.

Annotation:
Mrs. Inglethorp has lived peacefully at her home in Styles Court after her husband's death, but when she decides to marry a man 20 years her junior, it doesn't bode well. When Mrs. Inglethorp dies from strychnine poisoning, suspects and motives abound. However, with Hercule Poirot involved in the investigation, the red herrings quickly swim away. This 1920 novel is the first appearance of Christie's perennially popular detective.

Author Bio

Agatha Christie

One of the best-selling authors of all time, Agatha Christie spearheaded the golden age of mysteries with the creation of such unforgettable characters as Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple. Known for her suspenseful yet cozy mysteries, Christie was a master at keeping the reader guessing until the very last pages, establishing many of her genre's most classic and popular devices. Born in Torquay to an American father, she spent most of her life in England with frequent trips to the Middle East, where some of her novels are set. In 1914 she married her first husband, air force pilot Colonel Archibald Christie, and she gave birth to her only child, Rosalind. She published her first book, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles", in 1920. Creating one of the greatest controversies of her career, she mysteriously disappeared in 1926, and though people feared the worst, she turned up in a hotel room with what she claimed to be a case of amnesia brought on by stress, and refused to ever talk about the incident again. In 1930 she met and married an archaeologist, Sir Max Mallowan, and her first play, "Black Coffee", was produced. Christie went on to write "Mousetrap", which debuted in 1954 and was the longest-running play in the history of London's West End. That year, she also served as president of the Detection Club and was awarded the first of many Grand Master Awards from the Mystery Writers of America.