The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Agatha Christie’s first novel, *The Mysterious Affair at Styles*, was the result of a dare from her sister Madge who challenged her to write a story. The story begins when Hastings is sent back to England from the First World War due to injury and is invited to spend his sick leave at the beautiful Styles Court by his old friend John Cavendish. Here, Hastings meets John’s step-mother, Mrs Inglethorp, and her new husband, Alfred. Despite the tranquil surroundings Hastings begins to realise that all is not right. When Mrs Inglethorp is found poisoned, suspicion falls on the family, and another old friend, Hercule Poirot, is invited to investigate.

## Plot (spoilers)

One morning at Styles Court, an Essex country manor, its household wake to the discovery that the owner, elderly Emily Inglethorp, has died. She had been poisoned with strychnine. Arthur Hastings, a soldier from the Western Front staying there as a guest on his sick leave, ventures out to the nearby village of Styles St. Mary, to enlist help from his friend staying there - Hercule Poirot. Poirot learns that Emily was a woman of wealth - upon the death of her previous husband, Mr. Cavendish, she inherited from him both the manor and a large portion of his income. Her household includes: her husband Alfred Inglethorp, a younger man she recently married; her stepsons (from her first husband's previous marriage) John and Lawrence Cavendish; John's wife Mary Cavendish; Cynthia Murdoch, the daughter of a deceased friend of the family; and Evelyn Howard, Emily's companion.

Poirot learns that per Emily's will, John is the vested remainder man of the manor - he inherits the property from her, per his father's will. However, the money she inherited would be distributed according to her own will, which she changed at least once per year; her most recent will favours Alfred, who will inherit her fortune. On the day of the murder, Emily had been arguing with someone, suspected to be either Alfred or John. She had been quite distressed after this, and apparently made a new will - no one can find any evidence that it exists. Alfred left the manor early that evening, and stayed overnight in the village. Meanwhile, Emily ate little at dinner and retired early to her room, taking her document case with her; when her body was found, the case had been forced open and a document removed. Nobody can explain how or when the poison was administered to her.

Inspector Japp, the investigating officer, considers Alfred to be the prime suspect, as he gains the most from his wife's death. The Cavendishes suspect him to be a fortune hunter, as he was much younger than Emily. Poirot notes his behaviour is suspicious during the investigation - he refuses to provide an alibi, and openly denies purchasing the strychnine in the village, despite evidence to the contrary. Although Japp is keen to arrest him, Poirot intervenes by proving he couldn't have purchased the poison; the signature for the purchase is not in his handwriting. Suspicion now falls on John - he is the next to gain from Emily's will, and has no alibi for the murder. Japp soon arrests him - the signature for the poison is in his handwriting; a phial that contained the poison is found in his room; a beard and a pair of pince-nez identical to Alfred's, are found within the manor.

Poirot soon exonerates John of the crime. He reveals that the murder was committed by Alfred Inglethorp, with aid from his cousin Evelyn Howard. The pair pretended to be enemies, but were romantically involved. They added bromide to Emily's regular evening medicine, obtained from her sleeping powder, which made the final dose lethal. The pair then left false evidence that would incriminate Alfred, which they knew would be refuted at his trial; once acquitted, he could not be tried for the crime again if genuine evidence against him was found, per the law of double jeopardy. John was framed by the pair as part of their plan; his handwriting was forged by Evelyn, and the evidence against him was fabricated.

Poirot reveals that when he realised that Alfred wanted to be arrested, he prevented Japp from doing so until he could discover why. He also reveals that he found a letter in Emily's room, thanks to a chance remark by Hastings, that detailed Alfred's intentions for his wife. Emily's distress on the afternoon of the murder, was because she had found it in his desk while searching for stamps. Her case was forced open by Alfred, as he had discovered she had taken it; he was forced to recover it from the case, and he hid it in the room, as he couldn't be found with it.

## Characters

* Hercule Poirot- a renowned Belgian private detective. He lives in England after being displaced by the war in Europe. Asked to investigate the case by his old friend Hastings.
* Hastings - Poirot's friend, and the narrator of the case. He is a guest at Styles Court while on sick leave from the Western Front.
* Inspector Japp - A Scotland Yard detective, and the investigating officer. He is an acquaintance of Poirot at the time of the novel's setting.
* Emily Inglethorp - A wealthy old woman, and the wife of Alfred Inglethorp. Her fortune and home of Styles Court were inherited by her following the death of her first husband, Mr Cavendish. The victim of the case.
* Alfred Inglethorp - Emily's second husband and a much younger man than her. Considered by her family to be a spoiled fortune-hunter. The killer of the case.
* John Cavendish - Emily's elder stepson, from her first husband's previous marriage, and the brother of Lawrence. The chief suspect after suspicion on Alfred is swayed away at Poirot's insistence.
* Mary Cavendish - John's wife, a friend of Dr Bauerstein.
* Lawrence Cavendish - Emily's younger stepson, from her first husband's previous marriage, and the brother of John. Known to have studied medicine.
* Evelyn Howard - Emily's companion, who is vocal about her negative views of Alfred Inglethorp.
* Cynthia Murdoch - The daughter of a deceased friend of the family, an orphan. She performs war-time work at a nearby hospital's pharmacy.
* Dr Bauerstein - A well-known toxicologist, living not far from Styles.
* Dorcas - A maid at Styles.

## Fun facts

* It is in this first novel of Agatha Christie’s that we first encounter Hercule Poirot, who was inspired by the Belgian refugees from the First World War who had settled in her hometown of Torquay at the time it was written.
* Agatha Christie and her first husband Archie called their house Styles after *The Mysterious Affair at Styles.*

## Quotes

*“Imagination is a good servant, and a bad master. The simplest explanation is always the most likely.”*

— Hercule Poirot