hercule poirot the mysterious affair at styles

Poirot says “One fact leads to another - so we continue. We have Hercule Poirot explaining his methods to Hastings. This first novel, in Agatha Christie’s series of Hercule Poirot stories, is a delight to read. They are assisted by Inspector Japp, the Scotland Yard detective, who readily acknowledges Poirot’s brilliance and can never quite figure out how he does it when he brings them all together to announce the name of the murderer. Captain Hastings is a trusting and somewhat naive man, likeable and caring, and he provides - usually unwittingly - some of the clues that Poirot is seeking.

He is a tidy little man, he is vain and he, with his “little grey cells”, is always the one to figure out the solution to the mystery long before anyone else. Poirot is considered to be discreet and, as he is recommended by Hastings, he is accepted by the family. This is a family of some standing and they do not want their affairs exposed to outsiders, and of course do not believe that one of their own is the murderer. When the inevitable murder takes place, Hercule Poirot is called upon to assist the family in finding the culprit. Poirot is a retired policeman from Belgium who has escaped to England for the duration of the war. Hastings is surprised to discover that Hercule Poirot is also staying in the same community. Captain Hastings has just been invalided out of the army and is taking a holiday with a friend in the English countryside. The Mysterious Affair at Styles introduces Hercule Poirot, and his assistant, Captain Hastings.

More than a century later, her books continue to entertain readers. She went on to write 93 books and 17 plays. Born in 1890, she launched her literary career in 1920 with the publication of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Agatha Christie is considered to be the most popular writer of all time.

Hercule poirot the mysterious affair at styles