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Hercule Poirot · Book 1

The Mysterious Affair at Styles

by Agatha Christie

Published
1 January 1920
Pages
204
ISBN-13
9780921111535
Type
novel

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Cover of The Mysterious Affair at Styles

About this book

"The Mysterious Affair at Styles" (1920) is Poirot's debut -- a solid entry that introduces the fastidious Belgian detective and his "little grey cells," though it's noticeably more old-fashioned than the books that follow. Many reading guides suggest a stronger entry point instead; it runs 204 pages.

Its place in Hercule Poirot

The Mysterious Affair at Styles is book 1 in the Hercule Poirot series. It is followed by The Murder on the Links. See the full Hercule Poirot reading order.

Hercule Poirot is the fastidious, egg-headed Belgian detective who solves murders with his "little grey cells" rather than legwork — a private inquiry agent, former Belgian policeman, and refugee of the First World War who settles in England and becomes the most famous fictional detective after Sherlock Holmes. Agatha Christie built the character across 33 novels and dozens of short stories between 1920 and 1975, perfecting the fair-play puzzle mystery: a closed circle of suspects, a country house or a locked…

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