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Encyclopedia > The Mysterious Affair at Styles
The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Dustjacket illustration of the first edition in both the US and the UK Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ...

Author Agatha Christie
Cover artist Alfred James Dewey
Country United States
Language English
Genre(s) Crime novel
Publisher John Lane
Publication date October 1920
Media type Print (Hardback & Paperback)
Pages 296 pp (first edition, hardback)
ISBN NA
Followed by The Secret Adversary

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a detective novel by Agatha Christie. It was written in 1916 and was first published by John Lane in the US in October 1920 and in the UK by The Bodley Head (John Lane's UK company) on February 1 1921. The US edition retailed at $2.00 and the UK edition at seven shillings and sixpence (7/6). Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... For other uses, see Country (disambiguation). ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Sherlock Holmes, pipe-puffing hero of crime fiction, confers with his colleague Dr. Watson; together these characters popularized the genre. ... A publisher is a person or entity which engages in the act of publishing. ... John Lane (March 14, 1854 - February 2, 1925) was a British publisher. ... See also: 1919 in literature, other events of 1920, 1921 in literature, List of years in literature. ... Hardcover books A hardcover (or hardback or hardbound) is a book bound with rigid protective covers (typically of cardboard covered with cloth, heavy paper, or sometimes leather). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... ISBN redirects here. ... The Secret Adversary (published in 1922) is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie. ... Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes Detective fiction is a branch of crime fiction that centers upon the investigation of a crime, usually murder, by a detective, either professional or amateur. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... Year 1916 (MCMXVI) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Friday of the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... John Lane (March 14, 1854 - February 2, 1925) was a British publisher. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... See also: 1919 in literature, other events of 1920, 1921 in literature, List of years in literature. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... Bodley Head has been used as an imprint of Random House Childrens Books since 1987. ... See also: 1920 in literature, other events of 1921, 1922 in literature, list of years in literature. ... $, the dollar sign, is primarily used to represent currencies: Many different dollars Many different pesos Different escudos The Brazilian real The Tongan paanga The Nicaraguan córdoba $ may also be: $ (film), also known as Dollars A sigil (computer programming) Category: ... The shilling was a British coin first issued in 1548 for Henry VIII, although arguably the testoon issued about 1487 for Henry VII was the first shilling. ... Obverses of the 1787 and 1818 sixpence depicting George III. The sixpence, known colloquially as the tanner, was a British pre-decimal coin, worth, as the name indicates, six pence. ...


It is Christie's first published novel, and introduces Hercule Poirot, Chief Inspector Japp and Captain Hastings. The story is told in first person by Hastings, and features many of the elements that, thanks to Christie, have become icons of the Golden Age of Detective Fiction. It is set in a large, isolated country manor; there are a half-dozen suspects, most of whom are hiding facts about themselves; the book includes maps of the house, the murder scene and a drawing of a fragment of a will; and there are a number of red herrings and surprise plot twists. David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in The Dream Hercule Poirot (pronounced in english ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. ... The fictional character Chief Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard appears in many of Agatha Christies novels and stories about Hercule Poirot. ... Captain Arthur Hastings, OBE, is a fictional character, the partner and best friend of Agatha Christies Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. ... First-person narrative is a literary technique in which the story is narrated by one character, who explicitly refers to him or herself in the first person, that is, I. the narrator is a fool putting his nose into the storytelling exercise. ... The Golden Age of Detective Fiction was an era of detective fiction in the 1920s and 30s (also see Golden Age). ... Look up red herring in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...

Contents

Plot summary

The novel is set in England during World War I at Styles, an Essex country manor (also the setting of Curtain, Poirot's last case). Late one night, the residents of Styles wake to find Emily Inglethorp dying of what proves to be strychnine poisoning. Captain Hastings, a house guest, enlists the help of his friend Hercule Poirot, who is staying in the nearby village, Styles St. Mary. For other uses, see England (disambiguation). ... “The Great War ” redirects here. ... For other meanings of Essex, see Essex (disambiguation). ... Curtain: Poirots Last Case is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in September 1975 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. ... Strychnine (pronounced (British, U.S.), or (U.S.)) is a very toxic (LD50 = 10 mg approx. ...


Poirot pieces together events surrounding the murder. 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. She ate little at dinner and retired early to her room with her document case. The case was later forced open by someone and a document removed. Alfred Inglethorp left Styles earlier in the evening and stayed overnight in the nearby village, so was not present when the poisoning occurred. Nobody can explain how or when the strychnine was administered to Mrs Inglethorp.


At first, Alfred is the prime suspect. He has the most to gain financially from his wife's death, and, since he is so much younger than Emily was, the Cavendishes already despise him as a fortune hunter. Evelyn Howard, Emily's companion, seems to hate him most of all. His behaviour, too, is suspicious; he openly purchased strychnine in the village before Emily was poisoned, and although he denies it, he refuses to provide an alibi. The police are keen to arrest him, but Poirot intervenes by proving he could not have purchased the poison. Scotland Yard police later arrest Emily Inglethorp’s oldest stepson, John Cavendish. He inherits under the terms of her will, and there is evidence to suggest he also had obtained poison. For alibi used in the sense of a legal defense, see the Wiktionary entry Alibi. ... New Scotland Yard, London New Scotland Yard, it blowwsssss often referred to simply as Scotland Yard or The Yard, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for policing Greater London (although not the City of London itself). ...


Poirot clears Cavendish by proving it was, after all, Alfred Inglethorp who committed the crime, assisted by Evelyn Howard, who turns out to be his cousin, not his enemy. The guilty pair poisoned Emily by adding a precipitating agent, bromine, to her regular evening medicine, causing its normally innocuous strychnine constituents to sink to the bottom of the bottle where they were finally consumed in a single, lethal dose. Their plan had been for Alfred Inglethorp to incriminate himself with false evidence, which could then be refuted at his trial. Once acquitted, due to double jeopardy he could not be tried for the crime a second time should any genuine evidence against him be discovered. Bromo redirects here. ... For other uses, see Double jeopardy (disambiguation). ...


Characters in "The Mysterious Affair at Styles"

  • Captain Hastings, the narrator, on sick leave from the Western Front.
  • Hercule Poirot, a famous Belgian detective exiled in England; Hastings' old friend
  • Chief Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard
  • Emily Inglethorp, mistress of Styles, a wealthy old woman
  • Alfred Inglethorp, her much younger new husband
  • John Cavendish, her elder stepson
  • Mary Cavendish, John's wife
  • Lawrence Cavendish, John's younger brother
  • Evelyn Howard, Mrs. Inglethorp's companion
  • Cynthia Murdoch, the beautiful, orphaned daughter of a friend of the family
  • Dr. Bauerstein, a suspicious toxicologist

Western Front was a term used during the First and Second World Wars to describe the contested armed frontier between lands controlled by Germany to the East and the Allies to the West. ... David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in The Dream Hercule Poirot (pronounced in english ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. ... Gumshoe redirects here. ... New Scotland Yard, London New Scotland Yard, it blowwsssss often referred to simply as Scotland Yard or The Yard, is the headquarters of the Metropolitan Police Service, responsible for policing Greater London (although not the City of London itself). ... Toxicology (from the Greek words toxicon and logos) is the study of the adverse effects of chemicals on living organisms. ...

Literary significance and reception

The Times Literary Supplement of February 3, 1921 gave the book an extremely enthusiastic, if short, review which stated that "The only fault this story has is that it is almost too ingenious". It went on to describe the basic set-up of the plot but gave away the game that there was more than one murderer. It concluded: "It is said to be the author's first book, and the result of a bet about the possibility of writing a detective story in which the reader would not be able to spot the criminal. Every reader must admit that the bet was won".[1] The Times Literary Supplement (or TLS) is a weekly literary review published in London by News International, a subsidiary of News Corporation. ...


The New York Times Book Review of December 26, 1920 was also impressed, beginning, "Though this may be the first published book of Miss Agatha Christie, she betrays the cunning of an old hand" and concluding, "You must wait for the last-but-one chapter in the book for the last link in the chain of evidence that enabled Mr. Poirot to unravel the whole complicated plot and lay the guilt where it really belonged. And 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 solution and will most certainly never lay down this most entertaining book." Poirot was described as a "delightful little old man".[2] The New York Times Book Review is a weekly paper-magazine supplement to The New York Times in which current non-fiction and fiction books are reviewed. ...


Robert Barnard: "Christie's debut novel, from which she made £25 and John Lane made goodness knows how much. The Big House in wartime, with privations, war work and rumours of spies. Her hand was over-liberal with clues and red herrings, but it was a highly cunning hand, even at this stage"[3]. Robert Barnard (born November 23, 1936} is a mystery writer, critic and lecturer. ...


"In general The Mysterious Affair at Styles is a considerable achievement for a first-off author. The country-house-party murder is a stereotype in the detective-story genre which Christie makes no great use of. Not her sort of occasion, at least later in life, and perhaps not really her class. The family party is much more in her line, and this is what we have here. This is one of the few Christies anchored in time and space: we are in Essex, during the First World War. The family is kept together under one roof by the exigencies of war and of a matriarch demanding rather than tyrannical. - not one of her later splendid monsters, but a sympathetic and lightly shaded characterization. If the lifestyle of the family still seems to us lavish, even wasteful, nevertheless we have the half sense that we are witnessing the beginning of the end of the Edwardian summer, that the era of country-house living has entered its final phase. Christie takes advantage of this end-of-an-era feeling in several ways: while she uses the full range of servants and their testimony, a sense of decline, of breakup is evident; feudal attitudes exist, but they crack easily. The marriage of the matriarch with a mysterious nobody is the central out-of-joint event in an intricate web of subtle changes. The family is lightly but effectively characterized, and on the outskirts of the story are the villagers, the small businessmen, and the surrounding farmers – the nucleus of Mayhem Parva.
It is, too, a very clever story, with clues and red herrings falling thick and fast. We are entering the age when plans of the house were an indispensable aid to the aspirant solver of detective stories, and when cleverness was more important than suspense. But here we come to a problem that Agatha Christie has not yet solved, for cleverness over the long length easily becomes exhausting, and too many clues tend to cancel each other out, as far as reader interest is concerned. These were problems which Conan Doyle never satisfactorily overcame, but which Christie would."[4].


Film, TV or theatrical adaptations

Agatha Christie's Poirot

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was adapted as a 103 minute drama and transmitted on ITV in the UK on Sunday September 16, 1990 as a special episode in their series Agatha Christie's Poirot to celebrate the centenary of the author's birth. For other uses, see ITV (disambiguation). ... Agatha Christies Poirot (U.S. title Poirot) is a popular British television series starring David Suchet as Agatha Christies detective character Hercule Poirot. ... A centenary is an event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of an event. ...


The adaptation was generally faithful to the novel, with some minor characters left out. A slight mistake is, however, that it is left unexplained how the door of the late Ms. Inglethorp's room (that have been broken in at her death) is fixed in the early morning before Poirot's arrival (which could prevent the other residents from altering the traces).


Adapator: Clive Exton
Director: Ross Devenish


Cast:
David Suchet as Hercule Poirot
Hugh Fraser as Arthur Hastings
Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp
Gillian Barge as Emily Agnes Inglethorp
Michael Cronin as Alfred Inglethorp
David Rintoul as John Cavendish
Anthony Calf as Lawrence Cavendish
Beatie Edney as Mary Cavendish
Joanna McCallum as Evelyn Howard
Allie Byrne as Cynthia Murdoch
Tim Munro as Edwin Mace
Donald Pelmar as Judge
Morris Perry as Wells
Tim Preece as Phillips, KC
David Savile as Summerhaye
Eric Stovell as Chemist
Caroline Swift as Nurse
Merelina Kendall as Mrs Dainty
Ken Robertson as Army Officer
Robert Vowles as Driver of Hired Car
Michael D. Roberts as Tindermans
Michael Godley as Dr Wilkins
Penelope Beaumont as Mrs Raikes
Lala Lloyd as Dorcas
Bryan Coleman as a Vicar
Gordon Dulieu as the Clerk of the Court
Jeffrey Robert as the Jury Foreman
David Suchet OBE (born May 2, 1946) is an English actor best known for his television portrayal of Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot in the television series Agatha Christies Poirot. ... Hugh Fraser is an English actor. ... Philip Jackson (right) as Abbot Hugo de Rainault Philip Jackson (b. ... Gillian Barge (1940 -2003) was an English stage, television and film actress, born Gillian Bargh on 27 May 1940 in Hastings, Sussex, (UK). ... Michael Cronin is a British actor. ... David Rintoul is an actor from the UK. Born David Wilson on 29 November 1948 in Aberdeen, Scotland. ... Anthony Calf is a British actor. ... Beatie Edney is an English television actress. ... Joanna McCallum is a British theatre, film and television actress. ... Allie Byrne is a British stage, film and television actress. ... Morris Perry (born 28 March 1925 in Bromley, Kent, England) is an actor, best known for his roles on television. ... Tim Preece (born 5 August 1938 in Shrewsbury, Shropshire) is a British actor prominent in the 1970s on television. ...


BBC Radio 4 Adaptation

The novel was adapted as a five part serial for BBC Radio 4 in 2005. John Moffatt reprised his role of Poirot. The serial was broadcast weekly from Monday, September 5 to Monday, October 3 at 11.30am to 12.00pm. All five episodes were recorded on Monday, April 4, 2005 at Bush House. old Radio 4 logo BBC Radio 4 is a UK domestic radio station which broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes including news, drama, comedy, science and history. ... John Moffatt (b. ... The portico of Bush House Bush House is a building between Aldwych and The Strand in London. ...


Adapator: Michael Bakewell
Producer: Enyd Williams
Michael Bakewell is a British television producer. ...


Cast:
John Moffatt as Hercule Poirot
Simon Williams as Arthur Hastings
Philip Jackson as Chief Inspector Japp
Jill Balcon as Emily Inglethorp
Hugh Dickson as Alfred Inglethorp
Susan Jameson as Mary Cavendish
Nicholas Boulton as Lawrence Cavendish
Hilda Schroder as Dorcas
Annabelle Dowler as Cynthia Murdoch and Annie
Nichola McAuliffe as Evelyn Howard
Sean Arnold as John Cavendish
Richard Syms as Mr Wells
Ioan Meredith as Mr Phillips
Michael Mears as Sir Ernest Heavyweather
Harry Myers as Mr Mace
Richard Katz as Costumer's assistant
Peter Howell as the Coroner
Robert Portal as Dr Bauerstein
Don McCorkindale as Summerhayes and a Rustic
Simon Williams (born 16 June 1946 in Windsor Berkshire) is a British actor with many television and film roles. ... Philip Jackson (right) as Abbot Hugo de Rainault Philip Jackson (b. ... Jill Balcon (born January 3, 1925) is a British actress. ... Susan Jameson (born 13 August 1944, Barnt Green, Worcestershire, England, UK) is a English actress who is best known for her television work. ... Nichola McAuliffe (born 1955) is a British television and stage actress and writer, best known for her role as Sheila Sabatini in the sitcom Surgical Spirit. ... Peter Howell is a British actor. ...


Publication History

  • 1920, John Lane (New York), October 1920, Hardcover, 296 pp
  • 1921, John Lane (The Bodley Head), 1 February 1921, Hardcover, 296 pp
  • 1926, John Lane (The Bodley Head), June 1926, Hardcover (Cheap edition - two shillings) 319 pp
  • 1931, John Lane (The Bodley Head, February 1931 (As part of the Agatha Christie Omnibus along with The Murder on the Links and Poirot Investigates), Hardcover (Priced at seven shillings and sixpence, a cheaper edition at five shillings was published in October 1932)
  • 1932, John Lane (The Bodley Head), July 1932, Paperback (ninepence)
  • 1935, Penguin Books, 30 July 1935, Paperback (sixpence), 255 pp
  • 1945, Avon Books (New York), Paperback, 226 pp
  • 1954, Pan Books, Paperback (Pan number 310), 189 pp
  • 1959, Pan Books, Paperback (Great Pan G112)
  • 1961, Bantam Books (New York), Paperback, 154 pp
  • 1965, Longman (London), Paperback, 181 pp
  • 1976, Dodd, Mead and Company, (Commemorative Edition following Christie's death), Hardback, 239 pp ISBN 0-39-607224-0
  • 1988, Fontana Books (Imprint of HarperCollins), Paperback, 208 pp ISBN 0-00-617474-4
  • 1989, Ulverscroft Large Print Edition, Hardcover, ISBN 0-70-891955-3
  • 2007, Facsimile of 1921 UK first edition (HarperCollins), November 5, 2007, Hardcover, 296 pp ISBN 0-00-726513-1

The Murder on the Links is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1923 and in the UK by The Bodley Head in May of the same year. ... Poirot Investigates is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by The Bodley Head in March 1924. ... An early Avon Books edition from the 1940s of the Simon Templar mystery short story collection, The Saint Intervenes. ... 1961 Pan Books edition of Ian Flemings James Bond novel Goldfinger is an example of the type of publication for which Pan Books became popular. ... Bantam Books is a major U.S. publishing house owned by Random House and is part of the Bantam Dell Publishing Group. ... Longman is a firm of English publishers. ... Frank Howard Dodd, (1844-1916), was the leading publisher at Dodd, Mead and Company of New York City from 1870 until his death, January 16, 1916. ... HarperCollins is a publishing company owned by News Corporation. ...

Serialisation

The novel received its first true publication as an eighteen-part serialisation in The Times newspaper's Colonial Edition (aka The Weekly Times) from February to June 1920[5]. This version of the novel mirrored the published version with no textual differences and included the maps and illustrations of handwriting examples used in the novel. The serialisation breakdown is as follows: The Times is a national newspaper published daily in the United Kingdom (and the Kingdom of Great Britain before the United Kingdom existed) since 1788 when it was known as The Daily Universal Register. ...

  • February 27: Issue 2252 - Chapter 1
  • March 5: Issue 2253 - Chapter 2
  • March 12: Issue 2254 - Chapter 3 and first part of Chapter 4
  • March 19: Issue 2255 - Further paragraphs of Chapter 4
  • March 26: Issue 2256 - Remainder of Chapter 4 and first part of Chapter 5
  • April 2: Issue 2257 - Further paragraphs of Chapter 5.
  • April 9: Issue 2258 - Remainder of Chapter 5.
  • April 16: Issue : 2259 - First part of Chapter 6.
  • April 23: Issue 2260 - Remainder of Chapter 6 and all of Chapter 7.
  • April 30: Issue 2261 - First part of Chapter 8.
  • May 7: Issue 2262 - Remainder of Chapter 8.
  • May 14: Issue 2263 - First part of Chapter 9.
  • May 21: Issue 2264 - Remainder of Chapter 9 and first part of Chapter 10.
  • May 28: Issue 2265 - Remainder of Chapter 10.
  • June 4: Issue 2266 - First part of Chapter 11.
  • June 11: Issue 2267 - Remainder of Chapter 11 and first part of 12.
  • June 18: Issue 2268 - Remainder of Chapter 12 and first part of Chapter 13.
  • June 26: Issue 2269 - Remainder of Chapter 13.

At the end of the serialisation an advert appeared in the newspaper which announced "This is a brilliant mystery novel, which has had the unique distinction for a first novel of being serialised in The Times Weekly Edition. Mr John Lane is now preparing a large edition in volume form, which will be ready immediately." although another line of the advert stated that the book would be ready in August. In the event, it was first published by John Lane in the US in October 1920 and was not published in the UK by The Bodley Head until the following year. Some sources state that the exact date of the UK publication was January 26 1921, others state February 1, however the English Catalogue of Books confirms the latter month of release. John Lane (March 14, 1854 - February 2, 1925) was a British publisher. ... United States may refer to: Places: United States of America SS United States, the fastest ocean liner ever built. ... The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is a country in western Europe, and member of the Commonwealth of Nations, the G8, the European Union, and NATO. Usually known simply as the United Kingdom, the UK, or (inaccurately) as Great Britain or Britain, the UK has four constituent... Bodley Head has been used as an imprint of Random House Childrens Books since 1987. ...


The Mysterious Affair at Styles later made publishing history by being one of the first ten books to be published by Penguin Books when they were launched on July 30, 1935. The book was Penguin Number 6.[6] It has been suggested that Penguin Modern Poets, Penguin Great Ideas be merged into this article or section. ... See also: 1934 in literature, other events of 1935, 1936 in literature, list of years in literature. ...


Book Dedication

The book's dedication reads: "To my Mother".
Christie's mother, Clarissa (‘Clara’) Boehmer Miller (1854 -1926), was a strong influence on her life and someone she was extremely close to, especially after the death of her father in 1901. It was whilst Christie was ill (in about 1908) that her mother suggested that she write a story. The result was The House of Beauty, now a lost work but one which hesitantly started her writing career.[7] (Christie later revised this story as The House of Dreams and it was published in issue 74 of The Sovereign Magazine in January 1926 and many years later in book form in While the Light Lasts and Other Stories in 1997). While the Light Lasts and Other Stories is a short story collection by Agatha Christie published in the UK only in 1997 by Harper Collins. ...


Christie also dedicted her debut novel as Mary Westmacott, Giant's Bread (1930), to her mother who, by this time, had passed away. Giants Bread (published in 1930) is a tragedy novel written by Agatha Christie. ...


Dustjacket Blurb

The blurb on the inside flap of the dustwrapper of the first edition reads:
"This novel was originally written as the result of a bet, that the author, who had previously never written a book could not compose a detective novel in which the reader would not be able to "spot" the murderer, although having access to the same clues as the detective. The author has certainly won her bet, and in addition to a most ingenious plot of the best detective type she has introduced a new type of detective in the shape of a Belgian. This novel has had the unique distinction for a first book of being accepted by the Times as a serial for its weekly edition". Look up blurb in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ...


The Mysterious Affair at Styles was the only first edition of Christie's to be published by The Bodley Head which carried such a blurb on its dustwrapper.


References

  1. ^ The Times Literary Supplement February 3, 1921 (Page 78)
  2. ^ The New York Times Book Review December 26, 1920 (Page 49)
  3. ^ Barnard, Robert. A Talent to Deceive – an appreciation of Agatha Christie - Revised edition (Page 200). Fontana Books, 1990. ISBN 0006374743
  4. ^ Barnard. (Pages 22-23)
  5. ^ Holdings at the British Library (Newspapers - Colindale). Shelfmark: NPL LON LD77
  6. ^ Penguin
  7. ^ Morgan, Janet. "Agatha Christie, A Biography". (Pages 48-49) Collins, 1984 ISBN 0-00-216330-6

British Library main building, London The British Library (BL) is the national library of the United Kingdom. ...

External links

It is one of two of Christie's books that are in the public domain in the US (the other being The Secret Adversary). The copyright on the book will not expire in many Western countries before 2047. The public domain comprises the body of all creative works and other knowledge—writing, artwork, music, science, inventions, and others—in which no person or organization has any proprietary interest. ...

  • The Mysterious Affair at Styles, available at Project Gutenberg. (without the illustrations)
  • The Mysterious Affair at Styles at the official Agatha Christie website
  • Agatha Christie's Poirot, The Mysterious Affair at Styles (1990) at the Internet Movie Database
Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to digitize, archive and distribute cultural works. ... The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ... Agatha Mary Clarissa, Lady Mallowan, DBE (15 September 1890 – 12 January 1976), commonly known as Agatha Christie, was an English crime fiction writer. ... A detective is an officer of the police who performs criminal or administrative investigations, in some police departments, the lowest rank among such investigators (above the lowest rank of officers and below sergeants), a civilian licensed to investigate information not readily available in public records (a private investigator, also called... David Suchet as Hercule Poirot in The Dream Hercule Poirot (pronounced in english ) is a fictional Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. ... Margaret Rutherford as Miss Marple Jane Marple, usually known as Miss Marple, is a fictional character appearing in twelve of Agatha Christies crime novels. ... Tommy and Tuppence are two fictional detectives, recurring characters in the work of Agatha Christie. ... Ariadne Oliver is a fictional character in the novels of Agatha Christie. ... Captain Arthur Hastings, OBE, is a fictional character, the partner and best friend of Agatha Christies Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. ... Superintendent Battle is a fictional character created by Agatha Christie. ... The fictional character Chief Inspector Japp of Scotland Yard appears in many of Agatha Christies novels and stories about Hercule Poirot. ... Parker Pyne is a detective who appears in two Agatha Christie books: Parker Pyne Investigates and The Regatta Mystery. ... The Secret Adversary (published in 1922) is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie. ... The Murder on the Links is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1923 and in the UK by The Bodley Head in May of the same year. ... The Man in the Brown Suit (published in 1924) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie. ... The Secret of Chimneys is a detective novel written by Agatha Christie in 1925. ... The Murder of Roger Ackroyd (published in 1926) is a detective novel by Agatha Christie. ... The Big Four (published in 1927) is a detective fiction novel written by Agatha Christie. ... The Mystery of the Blue Train (published in 1928) is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her detective Hercule Poirot. ... The Seven Dials Mystery (published in 1929) is a detective novel written by Agatha Christie. ... The Murder at the Vicarage (published in 1930) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, the first novel to feature the character of Miss Marple. ... The Sittaford Mystery is a murder mystery novel written by Agatha Christie that is also known as Murder At Hazelmoor. ... Peril at End House (1932) is a whodunnit novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her famous character Hercule Poirot. ... Lord Edgware Dies (published in 1933), also known as Thirteen at Dinner, is a murder mystery by Agatha Christie. ... For other uses, see Murder on the Orient Express (disambiguation). ... Why Didnt They Ask Evans? (published in 1934), also known as The Boomerang Clue, is a murder mystery novel by Agatha Christie. ... Three Act Tragedy is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1934 under the title of Murder in Three Acts and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in January 1935 under Christies original title. ... Death in the Clouds is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1935 under the title of Death in the Air and in UK by the Collins Crime Club in the July of the same year under... The A.B.C. Murders is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in January 1936 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. ... Murder in Mesopotamia (published in 1936) is a detective novel by Agatha Christie. ... Cards on the Table (published in 1936) is a whodunit mystery novel by Agatha Christie. ... Dumb Witness (published in 1937) is an Agatha Christie mystery novel featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. ... Death on the Nile is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie published in 1936 featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. ... For the Lizzy Borden album , see Appointment With Death. ... Hercule Poirots Christmas (published in 1938), also known as Murder for Christmas and A Holiday for Murder, is an Agatha Christie mystery novel featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. ... Murder is Easy (published in 1939) is an Agatha Christie mystery novel. ... For the video game, see Agatha Christie: And Then There Were None. ... Sad Cypress (published in 1940) is a crime novel, written by Agatha Christie, featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. ... One, Two, Buckle My Shoe is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in November 1940 and in US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1941 under the title of The Patriotic Murders. ... Maggie Smith Evil Under the Sun (published in 1941) is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie, and a 1982 film based upon the novel. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... The Body in the Library (published in 1942) is an Agatha Christie mystery novel featuring the elderly detective Miss Marple. ... Five Little Pigs (published in 1942), also known as Murder in Retrospect, is one of Agatha Christies Hercule Poirot mysteries. ... The Moving Finger (published in 1942) is an Agatha Christie mystery novel featuring the elderly detective Miss Marple. ... Towards Zero (published in 1943), is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie. ... Death Comes as the End (published in 1944), is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie. ... Sparkling Cyanide (published in 1945), also known as Remembered Death is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie. ... For other uses, see Hollow. ... There is a Tide - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... Crooked House is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie first published in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1949 and in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in May of the same year. ... A Murder is Announced is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in June 1950 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. ... They Came to Baghdad (published in 1951) is an espionage novel by Agatha Christie, inspired by Christies own trips to Baghdad with her second husband, archaeologist Max Mallowan. ... Mrs. ... Popular Detective They Do It With Mirrors (published in 1952) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her detective Miss Marple. ... After the Funeral is an Agatha Christie Hercule Poirot detective novel. ... A Pocket Full of Rye is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on November 9 1953 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. ... Destination Unknown (published in 1954), also known as So Many Steps to Death, is a spy fiction novel by Agatha Christie. ... Hickery Dickery Dock (published in 1955), also known as Hickory Dickery Death, is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her detective Hercule Poirot. ... Dead Mans Folly is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on November 5 1956 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. ... 4. ... Ordeal by Innocence is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on November 3 1958 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. ... This page is a candidate for speedy deletion, because: Editing experiments If you disagree with its speedy deletion, please explain why on its talk page or at Wikipedia:Speedy deletions. ... The Pale Horse (published in 1961) is a detective novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her novelist-cum-detective Ariadne Oliver. ... The Mirror Crackd from Side to Side (published in 1962), also known just as The Mirror Crackd is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie set in the fictional English village of St. ... The Clocks (published in 1963) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie featuring the Belgian detective Hercule Poirot. ... A Caribbean Mystery (published in 1964) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie featuring the detective Miss Marple. ... At Bertrams Hotel (published in 1965) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie featuring the detective Miss Marple. ... Third Girl (published in 1966) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie featuring the detectives Hercule Poirot and Ariadne Oliver. ... Endless Night is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in October 1967 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company the following year. ... By The Pricking of My Thumbs (published in 1968) is a mystery novel by Agatha Christie featuring her detectives Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. ... Halloween Party is a 1969 murder mystery by Agatha Christie. ... Passenger to Frankfurt: An Extravanganza is a spy novel by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club on September 1970 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. ... Nemesis (published in 1971) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her detective Miss Marple. ... Elephants Can Remember (published in 1972) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her Belgian detective Hercule Poirot and the recurring character Ariadne Oliver. ... Postern of Fate (published in 1973) is a detective fiction novel by Agatha Christie, featuring her detectives Tommy and Tuppence Beresford. ... Curtain: Poirots Last Case is a work of detective fiction by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by the Collins Crime Club in September 1975 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company later in the same year. ... Sleeping Murder is a novel by Agatha Christie. ... Dame Agatha Mary Clarissa Christie, DBE (September 15, 1890–January 12, 1976), was a British crime fiction writer. ... Giants Bread (published in 1930) is a tragedy novel written by Agatha Christie. ... Unfinished Portrait (published in 1934) is a semi-autobiographical novel written by Agatha Christie. ... Absent in the Spring (published in 1944) is a novel written by Agatha Christie. ... The Rose and the Yew Tree - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia /**/ @import /skins-1. ... A Daughters a Daughter (published in 1952) is a novel written by Agatha Christie. ... The Burden (published in 1956) is a novel written by Agatha Christie. ... Poirot Investigates is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by The Bodley Head in March 1924. ... Partners in Crime is a 1929 short story collection written by Agatha Christie. ... The Mysterious Mr. ... The Thirteen Problems is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie and first published in the UK by Collins Crime Club in June 1932 and in the US by Dodd, Mead and Company in 1933 under the title The Tuesday Club Murders. ... The Hound of Death (1933) is a collection of twelve short stories by Agatha Christie. ... Twelve short mysteries by Agatha Christie (1934) The Listerdale Mystery Philomel Cottage The Girl in the Train Sing a Song of Sixpence The Manhood of Edward, Robinson Accident Jane in Search of a Job A Fruitful Sunday Mr Eastwoods Adventure The Golden Ball The Rajahs Emerald Swan Song... Parker Pyne Investigates (published in 1934), also known as Mr. ... Murder in the Mews is the title of a novella by Agatha Christie, forming part of the Poirot series. ... The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (1939) is a collection of nine short stories by Agatha Christie, featuring Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple and Parker Pyne. ... The Labours of Hercules is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie. ... The Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories (1948) is a collection of eleven short stories by Agatha Christie. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... The Under Dog and Other Stories is an American collection of Hercule Poirot short stories and contains works from the early days of Agatha Christies career. ... The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding is a book written by Agatha Christie and published near the christmas of 1960. ... Double Sin and Other Stories is an American short story collection by Agatha Christie published in 1961. ... The Golden Ball and Other Stories is a short story collection by Agatha Christie published in 1971. ... Poirots Early Cases is a short story collection written by Agatha Christie late in her career. ... Miss Marples Final Cases and Two Other Stories is a short story collection by Agatha Christie published in 1979. ... Problem at Pollensa Bay and Other Stories is a short story collection by Agatha Christie published in the UK only in 1991 by Harper Collins. ... The Harlequin Tea Set (published in 1997) is a series of nine short stories written by Agatha Christie. ... While the Light Lasts and Other Stories is a short story collection by Agatha Christie published in the UK only in 1997 by Harper Collins. ... Black Coffee is a theatre play written by Agatha Christie, who stated a frustration with other stage adaptations of her Poirot mysteries. ... And Then There Were None is a 1943 play by crime writer Agatha Christie The play, like the 1939 book on which it is based, was originally titled and performed in the UK as Ten Little Niggers. ... Appointment with Death is a 1945 play by crime writer Agatha Christie. ... Murder on the Nile is a 1946 play by crime writer Agatha Christie. ... The Hollow is a 1951 play by crime writer Agatha Christie. ... For other uses, see mousetrap (disambiguation). ... Witness for the Prosecution is a play adapted by Agatha Christie based upon her short story titled The Witness for the Prosecution. ... Verdict is a 1958 play by British mystery writer Agatha Christie. ... We dont have an article called Rule of Three (play) Start this article Search for Rule of Three (play) in. ... Fiddlers Three was a play written by Agatha Christie in 1972. ... Akhnaton, a play by Agatha Christie, was set in Ancient Egypt, and followed the exploits of Tutankhamun and his father. ... Radio drama is a form of audio storytelling broadcast on radio. ... The billing from the Radio Times issue of June 13-19, 1937, illustrating the afternoons television programmes including the live performance of Wasps Nest Wasps Nest is a television play broadcast on the BBC Television service on Friday, June 18 1937. ... The billing from the Radio Times issue of May 25-31, 1947, illustrating the nights programmes on radio for Queen Mary including the performance of Three Blind Mice Three Blind Mice is the name of a half-hour radio play written by Agatha Christie and broadcast on the BBC... The billing from the Radio Times issue of January 11-17, 1948, illustrating the first broadcast of Butter in a Lordly Dish Butter in a Lordly Dish is the name of a half-hour radio play written by Agatha Christie and first performed on the BBC Radio Light Programme on... The Road of Dreams is a book of poetry by crime writer Agatha Christie. ... Star Over Bethlehem and Other Stories is an illustrated book of poetry and short stories on a religious theme by crime writer Agatha Christie. ... Poems is the second of two collections of poetry by crime writer Agatha Christie, the first being The Road of Dreams in 1925. ...

  Results from FactBites:
 
Compare Prices and Read Reviews on Agatha Christie - The Mysterious Affair at Styles: A Detective Story at Epinions.com (1227 words)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Hercule Poirot's first case, his introduction to the world by the now legendary mystery author Agatha Christie.
Styles may not be Christie's most intricately plotted novel, nor her darkest and most intriguing, but it's well done and deserves pride of place for what it is: her first novel, Poirot's first case, and a fun and entertaining "cozy" mystery in its own right.
Many of the characters surrounding the mystery at Styles are either wealthy aristocrats, servants to aristocrats, aristocratic wannabees, or somewhat decayed gentry wishing they could find a way to revamp their fortunes.
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie. Search, Read, Study, Discuss. (868 words)
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie.
I´ve read only The Mysterious Affair At Styles and The Curtain, but will read all her books, they really are the best ones in the crime scene.
Styles Court is a country house, not a hotel, and Hastings is in the Army, not the police.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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