Book #73 The Mysterious Affair at Styles

The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If I have read The Mysterious Affair at Styles before I really don't recall the occasion. The Christie book that introduces the famous Belgian detective Hercule Poirot was first published in January 1921 and in the original manuscript, Poirot gives his explanation of the crime from the witness box during the trial. The publisher, John Lane, opined that this courtroom scene was not convincing and he requested that she amend it. Christie agreed to a rewrite. The explanation of the crime remains the same where Poirot unveils the murderer in the drawing room of Styles in the kind of dénouement that would be replicated in many later books. This edition of The Mysterious Affair at Styles is the first to restore Christie's original unpublished courtroom ending to her book. Was John Lane right in insisting on a rewrite? Well, the reader has the opportunity to decide as both versions of chapter 12 "The Last Link" are included in this new edition. A unique edition and a definite keeper for me.

TMAAS is a very well contrived, skilful tale - full of surprises as Hercule Poirot uses his little grey cells and powers of detection to find out who poisoned the wealthy Emily Inglethorp. How did the murderer penetrate and escape from her locked bedroom? And the amiable Captain Hastings is on the scene to help (or one might muse - hinder!).

If you haven't read TMAAS and you enjoy a classic whodunit, treat yourself to a copy of this unique edition. It is worth adding that I bought my copy from Amazon USA as it is in America that this edition is published by William Morrow.

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