The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

3.4 (5)
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"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is a classic detective novel written by Agatha Christie and published in 1920. It is notable for being the first novel to feature Christie's iconic fictional detective, Hercule Poirot. The story is set in England during World War I and revolves around the wealthy Inglethorp family, who reside in the country estate of Styles. When the family matriarch, Emily Inglethorp, dies under suspicious circumstances, Poirot is called upon to investigate.The novel is a classic example of a "locked-room mystery," where the crime occurs in a closed environment with a limited number of suspects, making it a challenging puzzle for both Poirot and the reader. As Poirot meticulously examines clues and interrogates the residents of Styles, he uncovers hidden motives, secrets, and a complex web of relationships. The novel is known for its intricate plotting, memorable characters, and cleverly concealed solution, which is revealed in a dramatic denouement."The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is a must-read for fans of classic detective fiction and Agatha Christie's work, as it marks the beginning of a long and successful career for her famous detective, Hercule Poirot.

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3.4

out of 5

5 Ratings

See for yourself

10/23/2024

bubs the best

On the contrary to the other review, I quite enjoyed this! I thought her character voices were great and consistent. I found nothing wrong with the speed of her reading either. The goal is to enjoy the book and imagine myself in the room with characters, not how fast can I get through it. Other reviewer is highly critical of this reading that I thought was done wonderfully.
Good story not a great reader

10/16/2024

No names left35353

Update: This reader is so bad that I didn't make it past chapter 7. She got so involved with trying to character act but kept forgetting what voice she was doing for which character. Poirot a Belgian sounds like a Vampire, and all the other characters are Brits but she uses her American accent and just changes her pitch. But she got so involved with the acting that she started reading super slow as if to a class of 5 year olds and yet kept stumbling over and miss pronouncing words. I'm sorry but this one, It's absolutely atrocious!! -------- I know the amount of work that goes into reading for an Audio book so I hesitate to criticize. But this reader is simply not good. Poirot is Belgium so a French accent would suffice. However this reader insists on using an inconsistent accent that is a cross between Russian and TransEuropean think Dracula. She reads Hastings lines with an intonation that when he describes any female character, he Hastings comes across as an absolute letch. This reader also often uses sardonic tones where there shouldn't be any. I am sorry, but this audiobook is boarder line unlistenable. It would be lovely if it could be re-read and re-recorded

"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is a classic detective novel written by Agatha Christie and published in 1920. It is notable for being the first novel to feature Christie's iconic fictional detective, Hercule Poirot. The story is set in England during World War I and revolves around the wealthy Inglethorp family, who reside in the country estate of Styles. When the family matriarch, Emily Inglethorp, dies under suspicious circumstances, Poirot is called upon to investigate.The novel is a classic example of a "locked-room mystery," where the crime occurs in a closed environment with a limited number of suspects, making it a challenging puzzle for both Poirot and the reader. As Poirot meticulously examines clues and interrogates the residents of Styles, he uncovers hidden motives, secrets, and a complex web of relationships. The novel is known for its intricate plotting, memorable characters, and cleverly concealed solution, which is revealed in a dramatic denouement."The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is a must-read for fans of classic detective fiction and Agatha Christie's work, as it marks the beginning of a long and successful career for her famous detective, Hercule Poirot.