Published in 1920, The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Agatha Christie’s first novel — and the debut of Hercule Poirot, the fastidious Belgian detective with the little grey cells who would go on to appear in thirty-three novels and become one of the most recognisable characters in world fiction. The story begins when Poirot’s friend Hastings visits an English country house and a murder occurs.
Christie’s talent for concealment and misdirection is already fully formed here. Download this free EPUB from Better Gutenberg to read the first chapter of the greatest detective fiction career in history.