The Mysterious Affair at Styles

Book #1 in Agatha Christie's Poirot series. A refugee of the Great War, Poirot has settled in England near Styles Court, the country estate of his wealthy benefactor, the elderly Emily Inglethorp. When Emily is poisoned and the authorities are baffled, Poirot puts his prodigious sleuthing skills to work. Suspects are plentiful, including the victim's much younger husband, her resentful stepsons, her longtime hired companion, a young family friend working as a nurse, and a London specialist on poisons who just happens to be visiting the nearby village. All of them have secrets they are desperate to keep, but none can outwit Poirot as he navigates the ingenious red herrings and plot twists that contribute to Agatha Christie's well-deserved reputation as the queen of mystery. Agatha Christie (1890 – 1976) was an English author. She was a prolific writer, most famous for her detective novels and short story collections which centred around the iconic characters of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. Renowned as the 'Queen of Crime', she remains the bestselling novelist of all time, with her sales only second to the Bible.