No one, but no one, seemed to mourn the sudden death of Mrs. Inglethorp, the philanthropic but somewhat stern old matron of Styles Court. Belgian detective Hercule Poirot, only recently arrived in England as a refugee from the ills suffered by his homeland in WWI, notices this fact right away. In fact, it seems the only person who feels any genuine emotion is Mrs. Inglethorp's live-in companion/ secretary, Miss Howard, and she isn't even a relative!

Of course, this is not the only thing our small but stalwart detective notices, mon ami! Far from it. For Poirot the master detective is trained to see what other eyes miss, to notice the obvious and the subtle clues, and to think behind what appears at first glance to be the truth. That he does it all with charming eccentricity and sometimes self-deprecating "modesty" only adds to the amazement of those around him, including hapless Scotland Yard inspectors, when he is able to point the finger at the criminal.

The Mysterious Affair at Styles was Hercule Poirot's first case, his introduction to the world by the now legendary mystery author Agatha Christie. Published in 1920, the novel (and the tiny Belgian detective with the egg-shaped head and the waxed mustaches) walked in the giant footsteps of fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes, whose first case had burst upon the world when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gave us A Study in Scarlet in 1887. Big shoes to fill indeed, but Dame Christie gave it her all, creating a fictional detective in some ways indebted to Doyle's creation, and yet very clearly and uniquely her own. Poirot's character is memorable from the get-go in the case at Styles, and only became more so as Christie developed him in a total of 33 novels and stories over the next fifty-five years.

Sherlock Holmes had, of course, Dr. Watson to chase around after him, looking amused by his eccentricities and properly amazed by his genius...and always willing to write down the facts of the case so that the world could know what really happened. Poirot too has a quieter, less flamboyant "partner" in many of his cases: Arthur Hastings, the narrator of The Mysterious Affair at Styles. Although not a medical doctor, like Watson he is a steady sort of chap who has recently seen action in a wartime front and come home to convalesce. Like Watson, he is amused and amazed by his friend the detective. But the early Watson seems more genuinely aware of his own limitations as a detective.

The fun of meeting Hastings is our realization that he always thinks he might have finally gotten one step ahead of the great Poirot. Perhaps he has actually figured out something that the grand man hasn't yet! Perhaps Poirot has finally passed his prime, or gone a bit dotty, or simply overlooked the obvious! Of course, Poirot is always at least several steps ahead of Hastings, who confusedly but stolidy trundles down the wrong path almost every time, chasing the red herring, or more likely letting his better judgment be clouded over by a sensitive and beautiful woman involved in the case (there are two such women at Styles).

Styles may not be Christie's most intricately plotted novel, nor her darkest and most intriguing, but it's well done and deserves pride of place for what it is: her first novel, Poirot's first case, and a fun and entertaining "cozy" mystery in its own right. Christie became the grand dame of those English country house mysteries where there is (and I love this quote, which I got off mysterynet.com) "a tendency to commit homicide with sterling silver letter openers and poisons imported from Paraguay" .

Many of the characters surrounding the mystery at Styles are either wealthy aristocrats, servants to aristocrats, aristocratic wannabees, or somewhat decayed gentry wishing they could find a way to revamp their fortunes. Most of the action takes place on the grounds of the country house at Styles, with only a few forays into the village, the majority of those trips for things like the inquest or Poirot's visit to the local chemist.

Readers are introduced to Mrs. Inglethorp and her rascally and relatively new husband Alfred, 20 some years her junior and clearly on the make for her fortune (or at least that's what the family thinks). John and Lawrence Cavendish appear to be law-abiding, dutiful sons, but it's clear they're both hard-up for cash and a little put out by Dad's will, which left almost everything to their stepmother. John's wife Mary is stunningly beautiful, but too hung up on Dr. Bauerstein, a new doctor in town, for her husband's comfort. Sensible and efficient Miss Howard is faithful to her elderly employer, but can barely keep her seething loathing of Alfred Inglethorp in check. Cynthia is a family friend, a somewhat "dependent" ward of the old lady, pretty and innocent, but who happens to sleep near the old lady's bedroom, and who also just happens to work in a medicine dispensary where poisons are handy.

Along with Hastings, a guest in the house, the reader witesses Mrs. Inglethorp's demise. Her early morning shouts rouse the household. Too late, they find her in the throes of a convulsive death, clearly brought on by strychnine poisoning. What's most odd is that the room was bolted and locked from the inside; then the first theory that she must have been poisoned in her after-dinner coffee seems impossible, since the poison should have acted much more quickly. One of the maids gave her cocoa later in the night, so perhaps...??

All of our questions and more come to front in Poirot's investigation. Inspector Japp, a solid but not very creative police inspector, welcomes the help of the man he calls "Moosier Poirot," because he recalls with much admiration Poirot's panache with the Belgian police force. Most of the fun comes for the reader in feeling smarter than Japp and smarter than Hastings, but in realizing that after all, we're not as smart as Poirot. No one is... except perhaps Christie herself.

It had been well over 20 years since I'd first read The Mysterious Affair at Styles. I thought I might remember at least enough clues to figure out whodunnit, but alas, I still chased red herrings, changing my mind several times as to the identity of the culprit, before ending up surprised yet again! My recent introduction to Sherlock Holmes made me want to reacquaint myself with Poirot, whom I remembered quite fondly. I thought it would be fun to compare Holmes and Poirot's first cases, and it was. Both are fascinating, but Poirot's charming eccentricities still take first place with me. If you haven't met him yet, Styles makes for an enjoyable...and stylish... introduction.

Recommended: Yes