The Mysterious Affair at Styles

• Read: 26 Apr 2026 - 1 May 2026

• Author: Agatha Christie

• Year: 1920

• Pages: 298

• Remarks: Hercule Poirot Series Book 1

• Synopsis:

  • After being invalided home from the First World War, Arthur Hastings accepted an invitation to recuperate at his friend's country estate, Styles Court. The peaceful retreat was abruptly shattered when the wealthy matriarch of the household died from what was quickly identified as strychnine poisoning. To unravel the complex web of hidden motives and clear the innocent members of the family, Hastings enlisted the aid of his old acquaintance Hercule Poirot, a brilliant Belgian refugee detective who resided in the nearby village.

[1 May 2026] ‘The Mysterious Affair at Styles’ (1920), by Agatha Christie.

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Reading Background:

• It all started after I finished 'How to Seal Your Own Fate' of the Castle Knoll Files Series a few days before the release of its sequel book, and I needed to find another book to read. I couldn't read 'The Thursday Murder Club' because G was still reading it on our Kindle account, and I was not ready to dive back into the Harry Potter Series again. Thus, I had to look elsewhere.

• The Hercule Poirot Series by Agatha Christie is arguably one of the most well-known mystery crime book series out there, and there have been films made about Poirot, so of course I have known about the series for a long time. However, curiously, it has never crossed my mind to read its books before.

• Not until last month, when Phy told me that she possesses the entire Poirot Series and that she strongly recommended it, that my curiosity in it was piqued, and I bought this book after some brief further research. Really thankful for Phy's recommendation!

What I enjoyed about the book:

• The unexpected and satisfying revelation and ending.

  • Because this was Christie's first book, I was expecting it to be a rather rudimentary mystery crime book, and was quite confident that I would be able to sniff out the murderer in no time. I thought I saw through all of her misdirection. Alas, I was still wrong in my guess (actually only barely half-right)! I was truly impressed, and thought the whole thing was very smart!

• The charming and comfortably fathomable English language style of the 1920s.

  • I was at first a little apprehensive to read a book from the 1920s. The English language style used a century ago would naturally differ from that used today, and I was still a little shaken after reading 'Pride and Prejudice' (written yet another century before) because I found myself having to re-read almost every sentence multiple times before I could grasp what they were conveying. As it turned out, I still had to re-read some phrases here and there in this book, but overall, I am glad and relief to report that I sailed through it quite alright! In fact, I found the language style and phrasing really charming and intelligent-sounding, albeit archaic haha.

• The fact that the book was not written in Poirot's POV, and was not an absolute standalone.

  • I started this book fully aware that each of the instalment in the series could function as standalones. Honestly (especially after reading the Robert Langdon Series), I have a somewhat mild aversion to such a series, and I even confirmed with Phy regarding this point, as it was one of the factors I was considering. But after finishing this book (and reading a little of its successor), I found that I was quite okay with it. I still can't truly pinpoint why, but I think it could be because Poirot doesn't take the absolute centre stage, in that the books weren't written in the first-person view of Poirot, and I saw that the second book did give a nod to the events in the first. 

What I found less enjoyable about the book:

• The convoluted clues.

  • It could perhaps be attributed to my slow-witted brain, but my gosh, I could hardly remember many of the clues, and who did what, when and where. 

• The way Hastings was portrayed.

  • When I saw the portrayal of Arthur Hastings, Poirot's sidekick, it reminded me of a review of '三国演义' that Professor Yi Zhongtian once cited in one of his lectures. That review touched on the author Luo Guanzhong's portrayal of Zhuge Liang, and the various generals in his camp. The review said something to the effect of Luo, in effort to portray the brilliance of Zhuge as a genius strategist, had made the generals seem like they were a bunch of brainless puppets. In the case of this book, I felt that in Christie's effort to showcase the brilliance of Poirot, Hastings was somehow portrayed like an idiot who could not understand even obvious clues, and who would easily jump to incorrect assumptions and conclusions. I felt that this type of "zero sum" portrayal was really unnecessary. 

My overall thoughts:

• This book really exceeded my expectations. I thought it would just be a rudimentary mystery crime book whose perpetrator I could easily identify, but whose language style would cause me to stumble as I read. I was so very wrong on these two counts! Was very impressed by the quality of Christie's debut book, which I thoroughly enjoyed reading throughout. If only the clues were presented in a less convoluted way, and that Hastings was portrayed as a more valuable assistant who could hold his own. All in all, I am so happy that I was recommended the Hercule Poirot Series and had decided to get acquainted with it. Can't wait to move on to the next book in the series!  

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• Chapter 1: I Go To Styles

  • The events took place in 1917. Arthur Hastings, who had been invalided home from the front, encountered his old acquaintance John Cavendish and accepted an invitation to spend his sick leave at Styles Court in Essex. Hastings recounted the family dynamics, noting that John and his brother Lawrence lived with their wealthy stepmother, Mrs Inglethorp. The household was disturbed because the elderly Mrs Inglethorp had recently married a much younger man, Alfred Inglethorp, whom the family suspected of being a fortune hunter. Hastings also met Mary Cavendish, John's wife, Cynthia Murdoch, a young protege, and Evelyn Howard, a blunt companion to Mrs Inglethorp. Evelyn Howard quarrelled bitterly with Mrs Inglethorp regarding Alfred's motives and abruptly departed from the house, and warned Hastings to keep a close watch on the new husband. During this time, Hastings also noticed Dr Bauerstein, a toxicologist resting in the village.

• Chapter 2: The 16th And 17th Of July

  • Hastings detailed the events leading up to the tragedy. On the 16th of July, the household was busy with a charity bazaar. On the 17th of July, Hastings and Lawrence visited Cynthia at the hospital dispensary in Tadminster where she worked. While in the village, Hastings unexpectedly reunited with his old friend Hercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective who was living there as a refugee thanks to Mrs Inglethorp's charity. Back at Styles, Hastings overheard a tense argument between Mary Cavendish and her mother-in-law concerning a private matter. Later that evening, Mrs Inglethorp appeared deeply agitated, wrote several letters, and retired early. Alfred Inglethorp did not take his coffee, and Dr Bauerstein made a late, muddy appearance. Finally, Alfred left the house to see an agent and mentioned that he would take his latch-key to return later.

• Chapter 3: The Night Of The Tragedy

  • In the early hours of the morning, Lawrence awoke Hastings with the alarming news that Mrs Inglethorp was severely ill. The family gathered outside her locked bedroom and eventually broke down the door. They found her suffering from violent, tetanic convulsions. Dr Bauerstein and Dr Wilkins arrived shortly after, but they were unable to save her. Just before she died, she gasped her husband's name, Alfred. Alfred himself was conspicuously absent from the house. Suspecting foul play, specifically strychnine poisoning, the doctors refused to sign the death certificate, making an inquest and a post-mortem examination inevitable. Hastings subsequently persuaded John to let him bring in Hercule Poirot to investigate the matter.

• Chapter 4: Poirot Investigates

  • Hastings fetched Poirot and briefed him on the situation. Alfred Inglethorp returned, claimed he had forgotten his latch-key, and explained he had slept elsewhere to avoid waking the household. Poirot thoroughly examined the victim's bedroom and locked the doors to preserve evidence. He noted several unusual clues: a crushed coffee cup on the floor, a forced lock on a purple despatch-case, a damp stain on the carpet that smelled of coffee, a fragment of green fabric, a splash of candle grease, and a sample of the cocoa Mrs Inglethorp had taken to her room. He also extracted a charred fragment of a document from the fireplace grate. During his interviews with the servants, Poirot learned that Mrs Inglethorp had been devastated by a letter she found and that coarse salt, which was actually the poison, had been seen on her cocoa tray.

• Chapter 5: 'It Isn't Strychnine, Is It?'

  • Poirot deduced from a discarded envelope that the burnt document in the grate was a newly drafted will. He examined the remaining coffee cups in the drawing room and tasted them carefully. John Cavendish and Mr Wells, the lawyer, were informed by Poirot that Mrs Inglethorp had made a new will the previous afternoon, a fact confirmed by the gardener who had witnessed it. Evelyn Howard arrived at Styles, fiercely declaring that Alfred had murdered his wife. Poirot discovered that the despatch-case, which he had locked earlier that morning, had been forced open again, meaning the murderer had returned to destroy a crucial piece of evidence. A local chemist's assistant, Mr Mace, arrived and nervously asked if the poison used was strychnine. Poirot asserted confidently that he would not allow Alfred Inglethorp to be arrested.

• Chapter 6: The Inquest

  • The official inquest took place at the village inn. The medical experts confirmed that the cause of death was strychnine poisoning and that it was likely administered in the coffee, as the cocoa showed no traces of the drug. Lawrence suggested that his stepmother might have accidentally taken an overdose of her strychnine tonic, but the doctors dismissed this theory as impossible. Mary Cavendish claimed she had heard nothing of the afternoon quarrel. The most sensational moment occurred when Albert Mace testified that he had sold strychnine to Alfred Inglethorp on the 16th of July. Alfred flatly denied purchasing the poison and refused to provide an alibi for his whereabouts at that time. Consequently, the jury returned a verdict of wilful murder against a person or persons unknown, while Scotland Yard detectives Japp and Summerhaye waited in the wings.

• Chapter 7: Poirot Pays His Debts

  • As they left the inquest, Inspector Japp prepared to execute a warrant for the arrest of Alfred Inglethorp. Poirot intervened, warning Japp that arresting Alfred would be a disastrous mistake. To prove his point, Poirot gathered the detectives and the household in the drawing room at Styles. There, he revealed that Alfred Inglethorp could not possibly have been the man who purchased the poison at the chemist's shop. Poirot produced a list of witnesses who could swear that Alfred was miles away, escorting Mrs Raikes, at the exact time the strychnine was bought. This impeccable alibi cleared Alfred of the immediate charge and prevented his arrest.

• Chapter 8: Fresh Suspicions

  • With Alfred cleared, the investigation shifted focus, and Poirot realised the murderer had planted manufactured evidence to frame him. Poirot learned that Dr Bauerstein had been at Styles on the night of the murder, which greatly excited him. Poirot and Hastings travelled to Tadminster, where Poirot secretly submitted a sample of the cocoa for a secondary analysis. Hastings shared his suspicion that Evelyn Howard might be the culprit, but Poirot dismissed the idea, stating her hatred for Alfred was genuine, though he hinted she might be hiding something. Before concluding the day's inquiries, Poirot asked Hastings to deliver a cryptic message to Lawrence, instructing him to find the extra coffee cup so he could rest in peace.

• Chapter 9: Dr Bauerstein

  • Hastings delivered Poirot's mysterious message to Lawrence, who appeared entirely bewildered by the reference to an extra coffee cup. Later, whilst strolling in the woods, Hastings accidentally overheard a heated argument between John and Mary Cavendish. John demanded that Mary stop associating with Dr Bauerstein, but Mary asserted her independence and refused to be dictated to. Hastings confided in John his new theory that Dr Bauerstein might be the murderer, having had the opportunity to poison the coffee and a motive to demand a post-mortem. However, when Hastings went to the village to check on the doctor, he was shocked to learn from the landlady that Dr Bauerstein had just been arrested by the police.

• Chapter 10: The Arrest

  • Hastings rushed to find Poirot, only to discover he had gone to London. When Poirot finally returned, Hastings eagerly mentioned Dr Bauerstein's arrest for murder, but Poirot corrected him, explaining that the doctor had been arrested for espionage, not for the murder at Styles. Poirot then met with Evelyn Howard, who handed him a piece of brown paper she had found on top of a wardrobe, which bore a theatrical costumier's label addressed to L. Cavendish. Poirot also discovered from the maid that Mrs Inglethorp's bell wire had been deliberately cut on the day before the murder. Mary Cavendish confided in Hastings about her profound unhappiness in her marriage and her desire for freedom. The household was then thrown into turmoil when the maid announced that the detectives had returned and arrested John Cavendish for the murder of his stepmother.

• Chapter 11: The Case For The Prosecution

  • The trial of John Cavendish took place two months later at the Old Bailey in London. The prosecution argued that John, facing severe financial ruin and involved in an affair, had disguised himself as Alfred to buy the poison, quarrelled with his stepmother, and killed her to inherit the estate. The evidence against him included a phial of strychnine found hidden in his drawer, the forged signature at the chemist, and his lack of a solid alibi. The defence counsel, Sir Ernest Heavywether, aggressively cross-examined the witnesses, attempting to cast suspicion onto Lawrence by revealing that Lawrence had examined the exact bottle of strychnine at the hospital dispensary and had left his fingerprints on it. John took the stand and claimed he was at a lonely spot due to a blackmail note, which he produced. As the trial proceeded, Poirot built card houses to steady his nerves until he suddenly realised the true significance of the straightened ornaments on the mantelpiece and rushed out to a garage.

• Chapter 12: The Last Link

  • Poirot returned to Styles with the detectives and gathered the entire household to explain the mystery. He revealed that Mary Cavendish had drugged both her mother-in-law and Cynthia in order to search the bedroom for proof of John's infidelity, which explained the bolted door and the crushed coffee cup she had dropped in panic. Mrs Inglethorp herself had lit the fire to burn the new will after she used her keys to open Alfred's desk and discovered a letter detailing his plot with Evelyn Howard to murder her. Evelyn had disguised herself as Alfred to buy the poison and frame John. The strychnine was precipitated in the victim's tonic by the addition of bromide powders. Poirot then produced the final missing link: the actual letter Alfred had written to Evelyn, which he had desperately hidden in the spill vase on the mantelpiece when he was nearly caught. Alfred lunged at Poirot in a fury but was quickly overpowered and exposed as the true murderer.

• Chapter 13: Poirot Explains

  • In the aftermath, Poirot explained his deductive process to Hastings. He admitted that he had suspected Alfred from the beginning but realised that Alfred deliberately wanted to be arrested so he could produce his alibi and avoid double jeopardy. Evelyn was the mastermind, and her intense hatred was merely a cover for their secret partnership. Lawrence had acted suspiciously because he believed Cynthia was guilty and wanted to protect her, while Mary had hidden the extra cup thinking she had accidentally killed Mrs Inglethorp with the sleeping draught. Poirot confessed that he could have cleared John earlier but allowed the trial to proceed because he knew the shared trauma would reunite John and Mary. The ordeal successfully restored their love, and Cynthia and Lawrence also discovered their mutual affection, bringing the tragic affair to a happy conclusion.