A review by penguinna
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

mysterious reflective slow-paced

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

3.0

I’ve read several of Christie’s books and loved them, so I was absolutely excited to read her very first novel! Unfortunately, high expectations often lead to disappointments. And this was my case :(

The story is told by Captain Hastings, who is invited to spend some time at Styles Court after being injured during the First World War. A few days after his arrival, the wealthy mistress of the court, Emily Inglethorp, is poisoned. Hastings asks his friend Poirot to shed light on her death, as everyone in the court seems to have their own motive for murdering the old lady.

Here is what I disliked in the book:

Firstly, I really wanted to know more about Poirot’s background. Unfortunately, only the well-known facts were mentioned – he was a war refugee who had previously worked for the Belgian police. The details of why Hastings knew him, why Poirot fled, and other aspects of the detective's life remained unexplored.

Secondly, Hastings is so damn annoying! He is completely ignorant and useless. He asks too many stupid questions and fails to notice obvious information.

Thirdly, the book's length seemed excessive for the plot. I sometimes found myself falling asleep because nothing was happening for several pages. At some point, I switched to the audiobook while doing some household chores, and it was definitely more fun than the actual reading of this book.

However, the plot twist, as always, was very good and left me impressed in the end. During the first half of the book, I suspected the right person, but then all the red herrings left me confused, so I did not guess the murderer. I wonder if I’ll ever manage to 😂

For those new to Christie, I wouldn't recommend starting with The Mysterious Affair at Styles. If you have already read some of her books, read this one, but do not build very high expectations like I did.

It was my third Christie book in a row, and now I feel like I need to take a break from crime fiction for a little while.