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kevinlu 's review for:
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
by Agatha Christie
Time: 16-18 July, unspecified year in WWI (novel written in 1916); 16 Monday; 17 Tuesday (night of murder); died on 18 July Wednesday morning
Place: Styles Court (Hall), Styles St. Mary (village), Essex
- village ~2 miles from train station, 4 miles from coast
Re: murder of a wealthy lady (strychnine poisoning)
Events:
- July 14, Saturday, bazaar
- July 16, Monday entertainment held in Hall
- July 17, Tuesday (night of murder);
AM
a. luncheon party at Rollstone - Emily, Lawrence, Hastings
b. visit Cynthia - Lawrence, Hastings
c. chance on Hercule Poirot - outside post office
PM
a. quarrel between Emily & putative Alfred Inglethorp, 4pm or a bit later before 5pm, scrap of paper in Emily'a hand - overheard by Dorcas
a1. Emily made a will? - witnessed by Manning & William (gardeners) [~March/April when they were engaged she made, unknown to Alfred, another will benefitting Alfred; last August, will benefitting John]
b. discussion between Emily and Mary Cavendish, after (a) - overheard by Hastings
c. discussion between Emily and John Cavendish re: Emily's will revocation by marriage - revealed by John himself
d. Dr Bauerstein arrived, mud all over, soon after dinner
- July 18, Wednesday, Emily Inglethorp died at 5am/post-mortem held at night
a. Poirot was engaged in the morning
b.
- July 20, Friday, inquest (entailed by absense of death certificate)
- July 21, Saturday, funeral held and Emily buried
- July 23, Monday: 1. pass message to Lawrence. 2. accompany Poirot home; 3. overheard quarrel between John C. and Mary C.
- July 25, Wednesday, Poirot visit Cynthia dispensary met Nibs only (Cynthia off on Wed)
- July 26, Thursday, Lawrence told Hastings "I've found the extra coffee-cup"
- September 15, trial of John Cavendish, acquitted
1. Captain Arthur Hastings - I, first person narrator, 30, w/ Lloyd's before WWI, enlisted in WWI, invalided, had a secret hankering to be a private detective; have 1-month sick leave@Styles where he had often stayed as a boy; at the end of the case got a job at the War Office during WWI; later moved on to Argentina
- good at creating an atmosphere for some private conversation
2. Emily Inglethorp (Mrs Inglethorp) - Mother, mistress of Styles Court@Essex, 70+, white-haired, energetic, voluble,
3. Alfred Inglethorp - Husband, Evie Howard's 2nd cousin, ~50, great black beard, patent leather boots in all weather, gold-rimmed pince-nez, face impassive as ever, acted as secretary for Emily, engaged w/ Emily 3 mos ago and just married; Hastings deeply dislike him (as with Dr. Bauerstein)
4. Evelyn (Evie) Howard (Miss Howard)- 2nd cousin of Alfred Inglethop, age ~40, doctor's daughter, Emily Inglethord's factotum, companion, jack-of-all-trades; abominates Alfred (FAKE), good height, deep and manly voice, live in Middlingham (15 miles from Hall, a nurse at the big hospital)
5. Cynthia Murdoch (Miss Murdoch) - protegee of Emily Inglethord, w/ Emily ~2 years, works in the dispensary of Red Cross Hospital at Tadminster (7 miles from Hall), associated w/ VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment); disbelieve/dislike/detest Alfred; auburn hair in loose waves, small, white hand; all Wednesdays off, lunch @ Styles Court on Saturdays; Mary Cavendish/Lawrence "can't bear" her according to herself, for no reason; Lawrence actually in love w/ her and shielding her (Poirot)
5A. Nibs - Cynthia Murdoch's fellow dispenser, young lady
6. John Cavendish - Older brother, Emily Inglethord's stepson, 45, country squire, practised as a barrister for sometime b4
7. Mary Cavendish (Mrs Cavendish) - English dad and Russian mom, mom died (accidentally overdosing sleeping draught) when Mary little; dad in Consular Service and travel w/ dad worldwide; after dad died (when Mary ~23) live w/ some old aunts in Yorkshire; John's wife, tall, slender, married 2 yrs; she never cares a bit about Dr. Bauerstein; rather she cares for someone else! (Poirot); not happy w/ John (Mary), marriage mere escape from monotonous life; NOW leaving John, hating Styles Court as prison,
8. Lawrence Cavendish - younger brother, Emily Inglethord's stepson, around 40, long-faced, very dark, melancholy, unusually shy and reserved, complete opposite of John but had certain charm of manner, love Cynthia in secret; last met Hastings 15 yrs ago
9. Hercule Poirot (Monsieur Poirot) - Belgian detective of small build, 5'4 (1.6m), egg head, stiff & military moustache, funny little man, a great dandy (neat dress), limp badly, wonderfully clever "all good detective work was a mere matter of method" when agitated/excited, finger sth and straighten it; when excited, eyes turned green like a cat's; "a man of method" the highest praise heaped on someone; byword "little ideas"; when enraged, shake hands; "there is method in his madness" (Hastings)
Poirot's bon mot (one-liner):
- Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master.
- If the fact will not fit the theory-let the theory go.
- One must never permit confusion.
- There is no murder without a motive.
- "i have a little idea"
- These little grey cells (head/intellect)
10. Dr Bauerstein - Polish Jew, born German, naturalized British citizen~15 yrs ago around 1900; tall, grave bearded, London specialist on poisons, doing rest cure in the village, Mary Cavendish's great friend, instinctively distrusted, detested by Hastings greatly
11. Mrs. Raikes - Farmer Raikes's wife living at Abbey Farm 2.5+ miles from village, pretty, gipsy type, might have an affair w/ Alfred Inglethord (WRONG, actually w/ John Cavendish)
12. Lady Tadminster - our Member's wife, the late Lord Abbotsbury's daughter
13. Mrs. Rolleston - Lady Tadminster's sister
14. Dorcas - parlourmaid, servant, grey hair, w/ Emily 10 yrs
14A. Annie - housemaid, fine, strapping,
14B Baily -
15. Dr. Wilkins - Emily Inglethord's local doctor, portly, fussy little man
16. Denby - allegedly w/ Alfred the night when Emily died
17. Manning (old), William Earl (young, under-gardener), woman (new-fashioned): 3 gardeners
18. Mr. Wells - Emily Inglethorp's personal lawyer+Coroner, middle-age, keen eyes, pleasant man, the typical lawyer's mouth,
19. Ross's - caterers in Tadminster
20. James Japp (Jimmy) - Scotland Yard Detective-Inspector, little, sharp, dark, ferret-faced
21. Summerhaye - Scotland Yard Detective, Superintendent, tall, fair
22. Albert Mace - chemist's assistant who sold strychnine to what he believed "Alfred Inglethorp" weedy-looking
23. Amy Hill - shop assistant, sold a will form on the afternoon of the 17th to William Earl
Potential defects:
- it seems Agatha laid out no process to help point the finger to the strychnine poisoning. Why rush to the conclusion that it is strychnine out of all poisons that is the culprit?
- Vague as to what the "Hall" exactly is
- West Wing, never explained, refer to right wing
Place: Styles Court (Hall), Styles St. Mary (village), Essex
- village ~2 miles from train station, 4 miles from coast
Re: murder of a wealthy lady (strychnine poisoning)
Events:
- July 14, Saturday, bazaar
- July 16, Monday entertainment held in Hall
- July 17, Tuesday (night of murder);
AM
a. luncheon party at Rollstone - Emily, Lawrence, Hastings
b. visit Cynthia - Lawrence, Hastings
c. chance on Hercule Poirot - outside post office
PM
a. quarrel between Emily & putative Alfred Inglethorp, 4pm or a bit later before 5pm, scrap of paper in Emily'a hand - overheard by Dorcas
a1. Emily made a will? - witnessed by Manning & William (gardeners) [~March/April when they were engaged she made, unknown to Alfred, another will benefitting Alfred; last August, will benefitting John]
b. discussion between Emily and Mary Cavendish, after (a) - overheard by Hastings
c. discussion between Emily and John Cavendish re: Emily's will revocation by marriage - revealed by John himself
d. Dr Bauerstein arrived, mud all over, soon after dinner
- July 18, Wednesday, Emily Inglethorp died at 5am/post-mortem held at night
a. Poirot was engaged in the morning
b.
- July 20, Friday, inquest (entailed by absense of death certificate)
- July 21, Saturday, funeral held and Emily buried
- July 23, Monday: 1. pass message to Lawrence. 2. accompany Poirot home; 3. overheard quarrel between John C. and Mary C.
- July 25, Wednesday, Poirot visit Cynthia dispensary met Nibs only (Cynthia off on Wed)
- July 26, Thursday, Lawrence told Hastings "I've found the extra coffee-cup"
- September 15, trial of John Cavendish, acquitted
1. Captain Arthur Hastings - I, first person narrator, 30, w/ Lloyd's before WWI, enlisted in WWI, invalided, had a secret hankering to be a private detective; have 1-month sick leave@Styles where he had often stayed as a boy; at the end of the case got a job at the War Office during WWI; later moved on to Argentina
- good at creating an atmosphere for some private conversation
2. Emily Inglethorp (Mrs Inglethorp) - Mother, mistress of Styles Court@Essex, 70+, white-haired, energetic, voluble,
3. Alfred Inglethorp - Husband, Evie Howard's 2nd cousin, ~50, great black beard, patent leather boots in all weather, gold-rimmed pince-nez, face impassive as ever, acted as secretary for Emily, engaged w/ Emily 3 mos ago and just married; Hastings deeply dislike him (as with Dr. Bauerstein)
4. Evelyn (Evie) Howard (Miss Howard)- 2nd cousin of Alfred Inglethop, age ~40, doctor's daughter, Emily Inglethord's factotum, companion, jack-of-all-trades; abominates Alfred (FAKE), good height, deep and manly voice, live in Middlingham (15 miles from Hall, a nurse at the big hospital)
5. Cynthia Murdoch (Miss Murdoch) - protegee of Emily Inglethord, w/ Emily ~2 years, works in the dispensary of Red Cross Hospital at Tadminster (7 miles from Hall), associated w/ VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment); disbelieve/dislike/detest Alfred; auburn hair in loose waves, small, white hand; all Wednesdays off, lunch @ Styles Court on Saturdays; Mary Cavendish/Lawrence "can't bear" her according to herself, for no reason; Lawrence actually in love w/ her and shielding her (Poirot)
5A. Nibs - Cynthia Murdoch's fellow dispenser, young lady
6. John Cavendish - Older brother, Emily Inglethord's stepson, 45, country squire, practised as a barrister for sometime b4
7. Mary Cavendish (Mrs Cavendish) - English dad and Russian mom, mom died (accidentally overdosing sleeping draught) when Mary little; dad in Consular Service and travel w/ dad worldwide; after dad died (when Mary ~23) live w/ some old aunts in Yorkshire; John's wife, tall, slender, married 2 yrs; she never cares a bit about Dr. Bauerstein; rather she cares for someone else! (Poirot); not happy w/ John (Mary), marriage mere escape from monotonous life; NOW leaving John, hating Styles Court as prison,
8. Lawrence Cavendish - younger brother, Emily Inglethord's stepson, around 40, long-faced, very dark, melancholy, unusually shy and reserved, complete opposite of John but had certain charm of manner, love Cynthia in secret; last met Hastings 15 yrs ago
9. Hercule Poirot (Monsieur Poirot) - Belgian detective of small build, 5'4 (1.6m), egg head, stiff & military moustache, funny little man, a great dandy (neat dress), limp badly, wonderfully clever "all good detective work was a mere matter of method" when agitated/excited, finger sth and straighten it; when excited, eyes turned green like a cat's; "a man of method" the highest praise heaped on someone; byword "little ideas"; when enraged, shake hands; "there is method in his madness" (Hastings)
Poirot's bon mot (one-liner):
- Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master.
- If the fact will not fit the theory-let the theory go.
- One must never permit confusion.
- There is no murder without a motive.
- "i have a little idea"
- These little grey cells (head/intellect)
10. Dr Bauerstein - Polish Jew, born German, naturalized British citizen~15 yrs ago around 1900; tall, grave bearded, London specialist on poisons, doing rest cure in the village, Mary Cavendish's great friend, instinctively distrusted, detested by Hastings greatly
11. Mrs. Raikes - Farmer Raikes's wife living at Abbey Farm 2.5+ miles from village, pretty, gipsy type, might have an affair w/ Alfred Inglethord (WRONG, actually w/ John Cavendish)
12. Lady Tadminster - our Member's wife, the late Lord Abbotsbury's daughter
13. Mrs. Rolleston - Lady Tadminster's sister
14. Dorcas - parlourmaid, servant, grey hair, w/ Emily 10 yrs
14A. Annie - housemaid, fine, strapping,
14B Baily -
15. Dr. Wilkins - Emily Inglethord's local doctor, portly, fussy little man
16. Denby - allegedly w/ Alfred the night when Emily died
17. Manning (old), William Earl (young, under-gardener), woman (new-fashioned): 3 gardeners
18. Mr. Wells - Emily Inglethorp's personal lawyer+Coroner, middle-age, keen eyes, pleasant man, the typical lawyer's mouth,
19. Ross's - caterers in Tadminster
20. James Japp (Jimmy) - Scotland Yard Detective-Inspector, little, sharp, dark, ferret-faced
21. Summerhaye - Scotland Yard Detective, Superintendent, tall, fair
22. Albert Mace - chemist's assistant who sold strychnine to what he believed "Alfred Inglethorp" weedy-looking
23. Amy Hill - shop assistant, sold a will form on the afternoon of the 17th to William Earl
Potential defects:
- it seems Agatha laid out no process to help point the finger to the strychnine poisoning. Why rush to the conclusion that it is strychnine out of all poisons that is the culprit?
- Vague as to what the "Hall" exactly is
- West Wing, never explained, refer to right wing