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Oct 29, 2011
mark
rated it: 
Choose Your Own Adventure!
You are Captain Arthur Hastings, and you are slowly falling in love with a Belgian. The feelings are embarrassing at first; you find the Belgian himself to be quite an embarrassment. But there is just something about him. Could it be his suave, continental sense of humor….his keen sense of justice….his shapely, rubenesque figure? Or is it simply his hypnotic mustache, perhaps? The passion develops in fits and starts. You don’t want to love him, you really do More...
You are Captain Arthur Hastings, and you are slowly falling in love with a Belgian. The feelings are embarrassing at first; you find the Belgian himself to be quite an embarrassment. But there is just something about him. Could it be his suave, continental sense of humor….his keen sense of justice….his shapely, rubenesque figure? Or is it simply his hypnotic mustache, perhaps? The passion develops in fits and starts. You don’t want to love him, you really do More...
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Oct 21, 2010
Dina
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Nov 30, 2010
Joel
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"Dear me, Poirot," I said with a sigh, "I think you have explained everything! And how wonderful of you to wait until page 230 to finally shed light on all your absurd behavior throughout the book, and to justify and the red herrings and narrative padding! But of course, it could only be so in the classic style of a fiendish murder mystery! Why, in fact, though this is but the first case we have solved together, I have no doubt we could do the exact same thing as many as 86 more t
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Jan 15, 2012
syrin
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A long time ago, I read pretty much very Poirot book Agatha Christie wrote, and loved every single one of them, until that fateful last tale, which left me so annoyed I swore off this type of books forever. Well, "forever" turned out to be about 15 years.
Re-reading this first adventure of Poirot and Hastings was interesting, even though it was never my favorite tale, especially because the characters still seem a bit underdeveloped, a bit... cardboard-ish. But then again, it is o More...
Re-reading this first adventure of Poirot and Hastings was interesting, even though it was never my favorite tale, especially because the characters still seem a bit underdeveloped, a bit... cardboard-ish. But then again, it is o More...
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Dec 19, 2009
Kirsty
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How did I go for so long without reading an Agatha Christie?! I wish I'd picked one up sooner! I figured my first read should be the first book published (I have an OCDish need to read books in order) and I have to say that this is a fantastic debut novel. Most authors' work gets better with time - if Christie gets better than this then I have some treats in store!
Long story cut short:- Mrs Inglethorp, the old lady owner of Styles Court, suffers a violent fit early one morning and di More...
Long story cut short:- Mrs Inglethorp, the old lady owner of Styles Court, suffers a violent fit early one morning and di More...
Oct 23, 2011
Denae
rated it:
Given how many of Agatha Christie's works I read as an adolescent, I was somewhat astounded to realize as I read that I had not read The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Written in 1916 and set during the first World War, it introduces us to both Hastings and Hercule Poirot. Like the first Miss Marple book, it is primarily fascinating because of the "origin story" aspect. Both characters became more fascinating over time as Christie developed them. That being said, this was a delightful re
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Jul 29, 2010
Yas
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After deciding to finally see what all the fuss was about..I was left to pleasantly agree with the hype. Agatha Christie is fantastic..I absolutely loved this book!
Although the characterisation is lacking in this book as opposed to some of the character developments you get in other books, its fine in this novel as their really isn't any room for character development. This is clearly a plot driven book..and isnt worse off for it!
Throughout the whole book, I contemplated More...
Although the characterisation is lacking in this book as opposed to some of the character developments you get in other books, its fine in this novel as their really isn't any room for character development. This is clearly a plot driven book..and isnt worse off for it!
Throughout the whole book, I contemplated More...
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Jul 22, 2011
Senny89
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La storia mi è piaciuta molto, e non ci sono troppi spiegoni chilometrici alla Sherlock-style su come è avvenuto il delitto e su come è stato risolto: la 4 stelletta comunque se la meritano tutta sia il capitano Hastings, che in alcuni momenti è uno spasso assoluto, sia Poirot, che è davvero imprevedibile, a tratti dignitoso, a tratti pomposo, a tratti comico...
Purtroppo ho trovato la traduzione in italiano abbastanza scadente, se confrontata con l'originale... In alcuni punti addirittura si son More...
Purtroppo ho trovato la traduzione in italiano abbastanza scadente, se confrontata con l'originale... In alcuni punti addirittura si son More...
Jan 11, 2009
El
rated it:
It was about time I finally got around to reading Hercule Poirot's first public appearance. I've always enjoyed (or "crushed on" would be more appropriate) the Sherlock Holmes stories and figured I should someday branch out and see what other "classic" mystery writers do. I've seen a few movies based on Agatha Christie's books and have thoroughly enjoyed them, so it's about time I picked up an actual book.
Since I have no other Agatha Christie book to compare thi More...
Since I have no other Agatha Christie book to compare thi More...
Dec 10, 2011
Swissmiss
rated it:
I didn't know when I read this that it was the first Poirot mystery. I just found it as a free e-book on Project Gutenberg and read it based on the strength of Agatha Christie's reputation.
I found this a clever little story, although it bothered me that the reader was not given enough evidence to solve the mystery along with Poirot, but had to wait to have everything explained at the end. I haven't read a lot of Agatha Christie, but maybe that is her standard modus operandi.
I More...
I found this a clever little story, although it bothered me that the reader was not given enough evidence to solve the mystery along with Poirot, but had to wait to have everything explained at the end. I haven't read a lot of Agatha Christie, but maybe that is her standard modus operandi.
I More...
Dec 05, 2011
tope
rated it:
I'm pretty sure I've read this one before, but my memory for specific details is poor enough that I almost never remember who the culprit is in a mystery I've read before. I totally got fooled by the false clues Christie left :p which probably is part of why I enjoy the genre.
This was OK. It was Christie's first published novel, and it kind of shows. Hastings is far more of a caricature than I remember - easily carried away or swayed by a pretty face, bumbling, clueless (more like the ster More...
This was OK. It was Christie's first published novel, and it kind of shows. Hastings is far more of a caricature than I remember - easily carried away or swayed by a pretty face, bumbling, clueless (more like the ster More...
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Oct 09, 2011
Peter
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"Hercule Poirot's-and Agatha Christie's-first great case. It's clear to see why Christie became famous from this novel. Set in WWI era England in a great house in the country, many of Christie's recurring motifs are established with wit and style. Naturally, the puzzle is the thing, but Poirot's sprightly personality, Hasting's unbounded English optimism, and the clever writing are enjoyable, especially having read her later, less fresh novels.
At Styles Court, Hastings is reu More...
At Styles Court, Hastings is reu More...
Oct 03, 2011
Rebecca
rated it:
I'd meant to read some of the legendary Christie, and picked this one somewhat at random. I'm not sure if some of her other work is stronger, but I was not particularly impressed.
I'd read somewhere once that Christie was not certain of the solution to the mystery herself when she started writing a novel. If this is true, it shows. There are red herrings that lead nowhere, and damning evidence that appears, as best as I can figure out, in the paragraph before its solution is explained More...
I'd read somewhere once that Christie was not certain of the solution to the mystery herself when she started writing a novel. If this is true, it shows. There are red herrings that lead nowhere, and damning evidence that appears, as best as I can figure out, in the paragraph before its solution is explained More...
Oct 03, 2011
Bill
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While I've read and enjoyed many other of the Golden Age detective story writers, I've always had a problem with Agatha Christie. Not a huge problem, just that I don't like her books with anywhere near the delight that some authors (Margery Allingham, Dorothy L. Sayers, et cetera) provoke in me. However, after recently rewatching a 2008 episode of Doctor Who, which featured a mystery surrounding a house, a thief, a giant alien wasp and Agatha Christie, and being amused by the high accolades whic
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Sep 13, 2011
Harmonybites
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It was interesting reading this again after my reread of the classic Arthur Conan Doyle Sherlock Holmes stories. This isn't just the first Hercule Poirot novel, it's Agatha Christie's first novel, and when it was published in 1920, Arthur Conan Doyle was still alive and still publishing Holmes stories (the last one was written in 1927). There are a lot of aspects of the plot and narrative of The Mysterious Affair at Styles that are strongly reminiscent of the Holmes stories--Sherlock Holmes is e
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Sep 01, 2011
Maddy
rated it:
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Aug 19, 2011
Jessica
rated it:
3.5 stars This is the introduction of the Belgian detective, Poirot, to the world of literature. He is engaging and amusing in his funny, fastidious ways (I kept thinking to myself "So THAT'S who they modeled "Monk" after!). And, of course, he's six steps ahead of the narrator and all other characters, as a proper mystery hero should be. This was fun, and enticed me to add other Christie novels to my "to read" queue, but, as I recall, I wasn't quite as impressed with
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Aug 09, 2011
owl
rated it:
POIROT SIAKE!!
itu ekspresi saya ketika poirot membongkar pelaku pembunuhan atas Mrs Inglethorp. Ewww.. kacau lah semua dugaan pelaku dan kronologis yang telah saya susun di kepala. si aki pendek-kecil-untung gak item-dan g suka warna pinky ini, berhasil mengecoh saya dengan membuat satu pembelaan terhadap beberapa tokoh yang akhirnya mempersempit dugaan saya tentang pelaku sesungguhnya. ah sial! diantara semua kisah poirot yang sudah saya baca, cuma buku ini yang berhasil membuat More...
Jul 18, 2011
Rod
rated it:
This novel features the Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot, and is narrated by his friend Hastings. Throughout the book the narrator is referred to as ‘Mr Hastings’, while in the television serious the character is always referred to as ‘Captain Hastings’. I have no idea when – or even whether – Hastings became a captain.
Since Hastings narrates, he gives us an idea of what he is thinking as maters progress and, as often happens with first person narratives, often gives himself away by m More...
Since Hastings narrates, he gives us an idea of what he is thinking as maters progress and, as often happens with first person narratives, often gives himself away by m More...
Jun 04, 2011
Patricia
rated it:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Those of you who know me, know very well that I am a diehard mystery fan, and as such, completely revere the great Agatha Christie. Several years ago, my father-in-law, who is an addicted garage sale junkie, showed up at my house with a box full of an entire set of Agatha Christie books. These weren’t your every day, average books – these were a Set, with black leather bindings, and gold leaf edges. And they had never been cracked.
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Those of you who know me, know very well that I am a diehard mystery fan, and as such, completely revere the great Agatha Christie. Several years ago, my father-in-law, who is an addicted garage sale junkie, showed up at my house with a box full of an entire set of Agatha Christie books. These weren’t your every day, average books – these were a Set, with black leather bindings, and gold leaf edges. And they had never been cracked.
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May 02, 2011
Jennifer
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Funny story... shortly after I started reading this mystery, I felt like the plot was very familiar: detective and sidekick end up investigating a murder at a country manor. But I couldn't quite place my finger on why. At first I thought it was reminding me of a Sherlock Holmes mystery (I had recently been reading a lot of them, as they are available free for the Kindle), but after reading some plot synopses, I determined that wasn't it. I ended up actually skimming through the plot synopsis for
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Feb 04, 2011
lconnor
rated it:
I started reading Agatha Christie books in elementary school.
My favorite books have always been mysteries. It is the PUZZLE over the suspense that makes mysteries my favorite.
Some of my favorite memories are of my son and me reading Agatha Christie books. I have around 50 in the bookshelf. Like an old friend, these books are just right for a quiet evening at home or as a passenger on a road trip.
An Agatha Christie quote:
One of the pleasures of writing detective stories More...
My favorite books have always been mysteries. It is the PUZZLE over the suspense that makes mysteries my favorite.
Some of my favorite memories are of my son and me reading Agatha Christie books. I have around 50 in the bookshelf. Like an old friend, these books are just right for a quiet evening at home or as a passenger on a road trip.
An Agatha Christie quote:
One of the pleasures of writing detective stories More...
Feb 01, 2011
Rahel
rated it:
I have already listened to the audiobook of The Mysterious Affair at Styles in German but couldn't remember the story exactly, so I was really excited to read it in English. And I really enjoyed reading this book.
The book starts with Mr. Hastings recovering from an injury. He meets a childhood friend, John Cavendish, who invites him to stay at his stepmother's place, at Styles.
Soon after his arrival at Styles he learns that some months ago John's stepmother married Mr. Ingleth More...
The book starts with Mr. Hastings recovering from an injury. He meets a childhood friend, John Cavendish, who invites him to stay at his stepmother's place, at Styles.
Soon after his arrival at Styles he learns that some months ago John's stepmother married Mr. Ingleth More...
Nov 21, 2010
Book Concierge
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The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
Audio book narrated by Penelope Delaporta
3*** / 1.5* narration
This is Agatha Christie’s debut mystery, in which she introduces the famous Hercule Poirot. It’s a traditional “locked room” mystery.
Mrs. Inglethorpe is stricken in the early morning hours with horrific convulsions, clearly the result of strychnine poisoning. But who poisoned her and how was it done. She was alone in her room with all three doors l More...
Audio book narrated by Penelope Delaporta
3*** / 1.5* narration
This is Agatha Christie’s debut mystery, in which she introduces the famous Hercule Poirot. It’s a traditional “locked room” mystery.
Mrs. Inglethorpe is stricken in the early morning hours with horrific convulsions, clearly the result of strychnine poisoning. But who poisoned her and how was it done. She was alone in her room with all three doors l More...
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Oct 25, 2010
Sun
rated it:
When you have been reading crime fiction for a while - or really any type fiction, you come to the realisation that there are really no original stories. You also come to recognise those snippets that authors have borrowed, whether intentionally or unconsciously, from other authors, including themselves. Strangely enough, this makes the reading more, not less, pleasurable and "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" (1921) (available freely from Project Gutenberg) was no exception.
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Aug 05, 2010
Mmyoung
rated it:
It is difficult to really “see” a book like this with fresh eyes. Many of the twists and turns of this, Christie’s first published work have since become routine in detective fiction. This is, in part, due to the fact that she herself used and reused them in many of her other books. It is also due to the fact that she influenced so many of the writers who followed her and they were themselves influenced by many of the writers who influenced her.
Though the plot was not new at the time More...
Though the plot was not new at the time More...
Jun 10, 2010
Bernadette
rated it:
Emily Cavendish inherited Styles Court in Essex from the father of John and Lawrence Cavendish to whom she is a loving stepmother though she is recently remarried to the much younger Alfred Inglethorp whom the Cavendish boys do not like. John Cavendish invites his old friend Arthur Hastings, invalided home from the First World War, to recuperate at the house where he spent many happy days as a young boy. When the new Mrs Inglethorp dies of strychnine poisoning Hastings urges John Cavendish to se
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Apr 14, 2010
Meave
rated it:
Clever! I'm reading a collection of all of Agatha Christie's mysteries, but this was the first one, so I thought I'd just set it down separately.
Hastings: that guy is a dick. I've heard his character compared favorably to Watson, but I never remember Watson doubting Holmes, or really ever behaving so insufferably. Hastings can shut it, permanently.
Poirot: an absolute delight. Of course I adored him; he is brilliant, manipulative, terribly dry-witted, and gentlemanly. The More...
Hastings: that guy is a dick. I've heard his character compared favorably to Watson, but I never remember Watson doubting Holmes, or really ever behaving so insufferably. Hastings can shut it, permanently.
Poirot: an absolute delight. Of course I adored him; he is brilliant, manipulative, terribly dry-witted, and gentlemanly. The More...
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Mar 21, 2010
Kasia
rated it:
I have read many Agatha Christie novels since I was a teenager, there is something charming and intelligent and witty about them, with this novel I finally got to read the one that started it all. Book one was actually quite good, I was entranced the whole time I was reading it, the story appears to be quite simple and the obvious is suddenly questioned, the suspect count rises and the real murderer slithers unnoticed, that is until the little Belgian super hero, Hercule Poirot gets involved. In
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Feb 28, 2010
Stephanie
rated it:
This probably deserves closer to a 3.5, but I can't give that.
When Captain Hastings, recuperating from injuries sustained in the First World War, is invited by his friend John Cavendish to his ancestral home at Styles, he looked forward to the prospect of peace and quiet, not a household teeming with undercurrents of suppressed tension. But when John's elderly step-mother (recently married to a much younger man) dies under suspicious circumstances, it is up to Hastings to ensure that More...
When Captain Hastings, recuperating from injuries sustained in the First World War, is invited by his friend John Cavendish to his ancestral home at Styles, he looked forward to the prospect of peace and quiet, not a household teeming with undercurrents of suppressed tension. But when John's elderly step-mother (recently married to a much younger man) dies under suspicious circumstances, it is up to Hastings to ensure that More...
