Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Mysterious Affair at Styles

This was a fun mystery. I really enjoyed Agatha Christie's writing style, and I'm somewhat angry at myself for not having read her books sooner. I love that the novel took a lap at the end to explain the twists with a cohesive narrative, after having peppered in clues enough that the reader had the possibility of guessing the truth before the revelation.

Given the time period and language, I'm unsure if Evie and Alfred are romantically involved or just incredibly devoted cousins. At the time it was still quite common for cousins to intermarry, and addresses like "my dear" imply romance, but they just as well could have been partners in nothing more than crime

I love Poirot's personality and his idiosyncratic yet endearing nature, and I can't wait to read more.

Content Warnings

samantical's review against another edition

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lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Content Warnings

corar's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I actually liked this one a bit more than some of the later Poirot mysteries I read. This is because Poirot is explaining his methods and thinking to Hastings. In later books it sometimes felt like his theories came out of nowhere, so I appreciated getting more information in this one...even when it was misleading. The mystery kept me guessing with lots of twists and turns as to who the primary suspect was. I liked Hastings and his relationship with Poirot. I will definitely continue to read these mysteries.

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udari's review against another edition

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mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

Content Warnings

bhavya_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

“Instinct is a marvelous thing. It can neither be explained nor ignored.”

~ Rating- 4 stars ~

Content / Trigger Warnings- Adultery, Death, Infidelity, Loss of a Parent, Murder, Poisoning

Note- I have tried to include all the content warnings that I noticed, but there is no guarantee that I haven’t missed something.

-Mention of some of these in the review-

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“They tried to be too clever---and that was their undoing.”

The elderly Emily Inglethorp, a wealthy heiress, is poisoned. The suspects are her fortune-hunting husband, her jealous relatives, even her hired companion. The solution is Hercule Poirot, a master detective, who is summoned to solve this case.

“You gave too much rein to your imagination. Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.”

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

➼This was my first Christie novel, and I am impressed with her storytelling. The beginning of the book was quite slow, and I was very confused, but as the book progressed and the clues unfolded, I was stunned by how well written it was.

➼I didn't see the plot twist coming. I hope I get better at predicting them as I read more Christie, but we'll see.

➼Hercule Poirot is an intriguing character, and I am looking forward to more stories where he is present.

➼I didn't care much for Hastings, and I found it a bit annoying to be in his perspective, but I suppose that was intentional. He didn't really serve a big purpose as a character, but as a narrator he was necessary to mislead us readers. I must say I prefer Watson as a sidekick over Hastings.

➼Overall, I'm pleased with this book and can't wait to read the next!

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:* *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

“Everything must be taken into account. If the fact will not fit the theory---let the theory go.”

➼Audiobook Comments
David Suchet's narration was wonderful, and really brought the story to life. I would recommend it to beginners. Audiobook Rating- 4/5

“Every murderer is probably somebody's old friend.”

Review written on 2/1/2022.

DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.

How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite

Content Warnings

mrsdarcylynn's review against another edition

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mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

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laurenleigh's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I read this for Popsugar’s “locked room mystery” prompt. I have enjoyed Christie’s more well-known Poirot novels, and this was the very first! Actually it was Christie’s first novel ever published. While the story itself wasn’t quite as exciting as others, I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook. I didn’t quite follow each point, but I was in it more for the ride than the destination. I know it’s a murder mystery, but I found the book to be both relaxing and sweet. There’s comfort in the formulaic nature of a classic murder mystery like this. The lovely narrator performed some fabulous accents, and the characters are just so adorably and thoroughly British. The overall affect is very transporting. I learned that one of the aspects that got Christie attention and praise was her knowledge of poisons, which certainly shows in this book. She worked in pharmacies during both World Wars, and it’s pretty cool to see how she made use of this knowledge! I will certainly add more of her work to my reading lists in the future. She’s undoubtedly inspired some of my favorite modern writers, like Louise Penny.

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