Last Month's Reads (August x2)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie & a post from 1 year ago exactly :)

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie

After Zen, I found myself seriously in the mood for something…not very serious. Having just read one of Georgette’s masterpieces, I didn’t want to dive back into the regency romance world quite yet. What was I to do? Well, it was a natural choice; there was only one other prolifically masterful storyteller to whom I could turn: the great Agatha. Christie.

This is actually only the second Agatha Christie book I’ve read, Crooked House being the first, but that’s all I really need to proclaim myself a devoted fan. Imagine my joy when perusing the shelves at the Strand, I discovered that The Mysterious Affair at Styles was in stock! Why this one specifically, you ask? Well, I’m one of those psychos who cannot bear to read a series of books out of order, even when the order really, truly doesn’t matter. Styles is the first Hercule Poirot novel (and Agatha’s debut!), and now that I have read it, we (me and Hercule) can be off to the races!

Picture this: World War I rages. British soldier, Mr. Hastings, is unsure where to go after being released from his convalescent home, when he runs into an old family friend, John Cavendish. John insists that Hastings really must come along with him to the estate at Styles—his stepmother, previously Emily Cavendish—will be thrilled to see him again after all these years. Why previously Cavendish, you ask? Well, we learn that the dear old lady (in her seventies, if I remember correctly) has gone and married her secretary, at least twenty years her junior! Ghastly! Worse than that, Alfred Inglethorp, the man in question, showed up on the scene only a few months prior, and no one knows anything about him. On top of it all, he wears a long black beard and patent leather boots in all weathers!

Well, as you may have guessed dear old Emily isn’t long for this world. After two weeks of idyllic rest and restoration, Hastings finds himself quite embroiled in a murder investigation. She’s been poisoned, and of course everyone in the house suspects, nay knows, that it was Alfred who did it. There’s just no proof! By a stroke of luck, a certain old acquaintance of all involved parties happens to be residing in town—none other than the “retired” Belgian detective, Hercule Poirot. He’s on the case, and you’ll have to read it yourself to find out the rest.

There isn’t terribly much more to say, as this is a mystery, I would be loathe to reveal intentionally or otherwise any important details. The structure of the novel is also fun because our narrator is Hastings, and he’s really quite dense. Poirot cartwheels circles around him, and we the reader are left to do our best to keep up. We must recognize on our own when Hastings is entirely down the wrong track, which is almost always. It’s no easy feat, as it feels like clues and red herrings are littered a dime a dozen on every page.

There is more than enough to puzzle over. That being said, in my somewhat limited experience reading mystery novels, I have come to understand that I am not the type of person who tries to solve the mystery myself. It’s fun when new suspicions enter my mind, but I don’t keep any coherent track of them. Rather, I enjoy being carried along with the rest of the dimwitted characters until the end when the detective, in this case the inimitable Poirot, reveals all. It couldn’t be any more fun.

🔎 Do you try to solve the case when you’re reading mysteries, or are you lazy like me?

🔎 What is your favorite Agatha Christie book?

🔎 Who are the other authors out there like Agatha Christie? Are there others?

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The end of this month has been a busy one, so instead of rounding out this post with a second or third review, I’m linking to last year’s August Reads which includes THREE reviews! They will be new to the majority of you anyway, so please enjoy this sampling from exactly one year ago. Crazy and unplanned! The last book in the post (Willful Disregard) was my favorite, so don’t miss it!