The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Marking exactly 100 years since the publication of Agatha Christie’s first novel, this new edition includes a previously deleted chapter and a newly discovered essay, ‘Drugs and Detective Stories’, in which Agatha Christie reminisces about the inspiration for Poirot’s first case.
‘Beware! Peril to the detective who says: “It is so small – it does not matter…” Everything matters.’

After the Great War, life can never be the same again. Wounds need healing, and the horror of violent death banished into memory.

Captain Arthur Hastings is invited to the rolling country estate of Styles to recuperate from injuries sustained at the Front. It is the last place he expects to encounter murder. Fortunately he knows a former detective, a Belgian refugee, who has grown bored of retirement…

‘Agatha Christie is the gateway drug to crime fiction thanks to her storytelling skills. Just one book is never enough…’ VAL McDERMID

‘What a writer. A hundred years after her first novel, and we are all still standing in her shadow.’ ANDREW TAYLOR

‘Agatha Christie must surely be the most imitated author in the entire canon of literature – what greater acclaim could there be?’ PETER JAMES

“"Almost too ingenious ... very clearly and brightly told." Times Literary Supplement "Very well contrived." Sunday Times "Altogether a skilful tale and a talented first book." Daily News "The most ingenious and absorbingly interesting tale of sensations and mystery we have read for a long time." Bookman "Well written, well proportioned, and full of surprises. Lovers of good stories will, without exception, rejoice in this book." The British Weekly”

‘Almost too ingenious … very clearly and brightly told.’
Times Literary Supplement

‘Very well contrived.’
Sunday Times

‘Altogether a skilful tale and a talented first book.’
Daily News

‘The most ingenious and absorbingly interesting tale of sensations and mystery we have read for a long time.’
Bookman

‘Well written, well proportioned, and full of surprises. Lovers of good stories will, without exception, rejoice in this book.’
The British Weekly

Agatha Christie was born in Torquay in 1890 and became, quite simply, the best-selling novelist in history. Her first novel, The Mysterious Affair at Styles, written towards the end of the First World War, introduced us to Hercule Poirot, who was to become the most popular detective in crime fiction since Sherlock Holmes. She is known throughout the world as the Queen of Crime. Her books have sold over a billion copies in the English language and another billion in over 100 foreign countries. She is the author of 80 crime novels and short story collections, 19 plays, and six novels under the name of Mary Westmacott.

This item is eligible for free returns within 30 days of delivery. See our returns policy for further details.