The Mysterious Affair at Styles: A Hercule Poirot Mystery (Warbler Classics)

This is a pretty typical Poirot book, but being the first one I noticed that Poirot seems to be weirder than usual and Hastings seems to really want a girlfriend. I’m glad later books toned down the weirdness and did away with Hastings’ thirst, it would be very annoying if the characters were kept this way.

I knew starting the book that, whatever I thought was gonna happen, and who I thought the killer was - in the end I'd be wrong. But just when you're almost to the end, and sure you have it figured out - Poirot explains everything, and you find out just how wrong you were.

The whole time you're questioning what's important, who's telling the truth - and who killed Emily Inglethorp?

It might have just been the audiobook performance (by Hugh Fraser), but this book really seemed to just plod along. I didn't like Hastings as a character—he’s too much of a buffoon to be interesting. This is my least favorite if the Christie novels I’ve read, and he is a big part of that. The mystery itself was pretty good, though really it relied on some pretty technical chemical knowledge, such that no average reader could have been expected to ever solve it. Still, quite intriguing. And the final twist of bringing it right back around to the original suspect was a nice touch.

Agatha Christie's "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" continues to reaffirm my love for mystery novels. What immediately struck me was Christie's mastery in crafting a compelling plot that kept me thoroughly engaged. Her ability to introduce unexpected twists and turns throughout the story is nothing short of brilliant, and it was filled with suspense, leaving me constantly reassessing my theories.

However, as someone who appreciates a fast-paced narrative, I still wished for a bit more in-depth character development. The characters themselves were undeniably intriguing, but their backgrounds and personalities felt somewhat superficial, making it a tad challenging to establish deep emotional connections with them and recall their roles in the story.

In conclusion, "The Mysterious Affair at Styles" is a must-read for any mystery enthusiast, and it certainly added another gem to my collection of mystery novels. It stands as a captivating prologue to the Hercule Poirot series, showcasing Christie's exceptional storytelling. Although some may desire more profound character exploration, the novel's relentless plot twists will undoubtedly leave you eager to explore further adventures with Poirot.

This was pretty good for a debut mystery novel! You can follow the resolution well enough but I don't think it's constructed in a guessable way, as I read it a second time knowing who the murderer is and it still wasn't apparent.